Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 2012 GMC Acadia Behind an RV and Carry 4 Bikes and Kayaks  

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Expert Reply:

Weight carrying is the gross trailer weight capacity of the hitch. Weight distribution is a device used to better distribute the tongue weight from a trailer to all axles of the tow vehicle and trailer. It produces more stress in certain places on the trailer frame and tow vehicle. As such some vehicles/hitches are not rated for use with weight distribution. Dinghy towing means flat towing or towing a vehicle with all of its wheels on the ground.

So basically your trailer hitch is rated to tow 5,000 pounds when used to flat tow a vehicle. Your Acadia's gross weight when ready to tow it will have to be less than 5,000 pounds.

I assume that the 150 pounds of kayaks is 4 kayaks. Does your 2012 Acadia have crossbars that run side to side on the roof? Does it just have side rails that run front to back? Or does it have a naked roof? I can recommend parts needed if you the vehicle does not have crossbars. Also, check the owner's manual to see if the roof can handle 150 pounds.

You can carry bikes while flat towing the Acadia by using a dual receiver such as # RM-077-4 or # RM-077-2. Keep in mind that with 4 bikes the turning clearance may be reduced between the front of the Acadia and the bikes.

To flat tow the Acadia you will need base plates such as # 523149-1. For a compatible tow bar I recommend the Falcon 2 # RM-520. And for safety cables I recommend # RM-643. For lights you can use a magnetic kit such as # RM-2120. Or for a more permanent solution a diode kit such as # RM-15267.

it also looks like the battery has to be disconnected to flat tow your Acadia. Consult the owner's manual to confirm. It also appears that fuses have to be pulled. To make this process as easy as flipping a switch you can use fuse bypasses # RM76511 and # RM-76517.

You may also need a high/low adapter to keep the tow bar level. I have linked a help article showing how to measure and a link to the high/low adapters we carry.

And finally, most states now require supplemental braking on the vehicle being flat towed. One of the preferred systems for our installers and what I recommend is the SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO proportional system, # SM99251. It will apply the vehicle brakes in proportion to how much the tow vehicle is braking. This is the safest way to stop and it reduces wear and tear on both vehicles.

Be sure to consult your vehicle owners manual for specific information on flat towing the vehicle. I have also included some helpful links to our series of help articles on flat towing for you.

expert reply by: Michael H

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