Can 2016 Ram 1500 be Flat Towed Behind Motorhome and What Gear Should it Be In  

Question:

Expert Reply:

I pulled up the owners manual of your 2016 Ram 1500 and it can be flat towed only if the truck is a four wheel drive model. The specific instructions state that you'd need to put the truck in park and put the transfer case in neutral and you'd be ready to tow. If you had a manual transmission vehicle they state to put truck in GEAR (not neutral) and then also the transfer case neutral. Nothing would be damaged if you followed these steps.

For a base plate kit you'd need the part # RM-52289-5 which is a confirmed fit for your truck.

In addition to the base plates, you will also need a compatible tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking to flat tow your vehicle. The most popular compatible tow bar is the Falcon All Terain, # RM-522. This has non-binding arms which makes the setup very easy to connect/disconnect.

For lighting/safety cables, locks, and covers for the tow bar we have the Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain kit part # RM-9243-1 which comes with all of that as one part number. The diode kit that comes with this allows you to splice into the taillight wiring so that your RV controls the vehicle taillights and does not require drilling into the taillight housings. This comes with a round 6-way connector that you will install on the front of your towed vehicle and enough coiled wire to go from there to the RV.

And finally, most states now require supplemental braking in the vehicle being flat towed. The easiest system to set up and use is the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR, that applies 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.

Most likely you will also need a high low adapter so that the tow bar will be level when you are flat towing. I attached a link to a page that has all of the ones we carry.

I have included a couple of helpful links to our articles on flat towing for you. Be sure to consult the vehicle owners manual for more specific information on flat towing your vehicle.

expert reply by: Jameson C

0