Items Needed to Flat Tow 2013 Honda CR-V Behind Class A Motor Home  

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Expert Reply:

Flat towing a vehicle requires 5 essential components: a tow bar, safety cables, base plates, a wiring/lighting kit and a supplementary braking system, which is now required by law in most states.
The linked article covers in detail each of these items and the available options. This will be a good starting point to familiarize yourself with the basics of flat towing, or dinghy towing as it is also known. As a general note, it is often easier (and less costly) to stay with one brand of tow bar and base plates as this eliminates the need for adapters.

A good first step is to check the owner's manuals for both the Class A and the CR-V to ensure the MH and its hitch have the necessary towing capacity and that the CR-V can be flat towed. Some vehicles will require certain preparation steps to get them ready for flat towing; this should be covered in the car's manual under the heading 'Recreational Towing'.

For base plates for the CR-V I suggest the Roadmaster EZ4 kit # RM-521567-4 because it has removable draw bars that will help prevent bruises on your shins! With these you can use their Falcon 2 Tow Bar, part # RM-520. For safety cables you can use RoadMaster # RM-643; their coiled design helps keep them off the ground.

For wiring there are many options, from hard-wired diode kits that require cutting and splicing into the CR-V's wiring (a scary idea for some of us) to "painless" magnetic kits like # TLL21RK that are quick to install and remove. The link provided will show you all choices.

I recommend the Blue Ox Patriot Portable Braking System # BLU37TR as it is highly rated by our customers that use it. It will engage the brakes on the CR-V in proportion to the MH's braking which saves wear and tear on both vehicles' brakes.

I have also included several installation videos for your review.

expert reply by: Adam R

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