Equipment Necessary to Flat Tow 2008 Toyota Yaris Hatchback 5 Speed  

Question:

Expert Reply:

According to the owner's manual, a manual transmission equipped 2008 Toyota Yaris can indeed be flat towed behind a motorhome. To flat tow the vehicle, you'll need base plates, a tow bar, safety cables, a wiring harness, a supplemental braking system and possibly a high/low hitch adapter.

For base plates, I'd recommend the Roadmaster # 521181-1 and # RM-643 for safety cables. For a tow bar, we really like the Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain, part # RM-522. This particular tow bar features arms that self align and won't bind. This means that the car won't need to be perfectly lined up behind the motorhome in order to attach. Connect the arms to the base plates, and the arm will self-align as you drive away.

For wiring, we most frequently recommend the Roadmaster Diode kit, part # RM-15267.

If you're planning on hanging on to the vehicle for awhile, a permanently mounted system like the Roadmaster Invisibrake, part # RM-8700 is recommended as well as the # RM-88400 relay kit. If you prefer a system that could be easily moved to a different vehicle a couple of years down the road, a portable system such as the Roadmaster # RM-9400 Even Brake is recommended. The relay mentioned above is included with the Even Brake.

When they're installed, the base plates will be about 16 inches above the ground. If the receiver height on the motorhome is higher or lower than that by more than 3 inches, a high/low adapter will be needed. I'll link you to our selection of adapters as well as to some flat towing articles.

expert reply by: Mike L

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