Flat Towing April 16, 2020, 10:44:14 pm I was looking at the Motorhome downloadable dinghy guides and had a question about the Subaru Forester. The guides show that older models with manual transmission were towable four down. The last year that was towable, according to the guides, were the 2015 models. What changed in 2016?Downloadable Dinghy Towing Guides | MotorHome Magazine
Re: Flat Towing Reply #1 – April 17, 2020, 12:57:46 am We have owned 2 Foresters. I asked the service advisor at our local dealership how the MT Forester had changed in such a way that it was no longer a candidate to flat tow.He said nothing had changed, but if they found any evidence that it had been flat towed, they wouldn't honor the warranty. 1 Likes
Re: Flat Towing Reply #2 – April 17, 2020, 09:58:40 am Keep in mind that the vehicles listed in the Motorhome Magazine annual Dinghy Towing Guides are only those that the *manufacturer* approves of towing 4-down. That doesn't mean others can't be towed 4-down, either as-is or with the addition of equipment such as a transmission lube.To find out whether or not *your* vehicle can be towed 4-down, go to Store : Remco . 3 Likes
Re: Flat Towing Reply #3 – April 17, 2020, 10:30:38 am That’s good to hear, Harold. Thanks for the Remco link, Linda! I’ve been looking at Foresters and have seen a few 2016’s w/manual trannys that I would consider buying but wanted to make sure that they were flat towable should we decide to go that route. Not worried about the warranty so much. 1 Likes
Re: Flat Towing Reply #4 – April 17, 2020, 10:31:32 am Quote from: Blueox25 - April 17, 2020, 12:57:46 amWe have owned 2 Foresters. I asked the service advisor at our local dealership how the MT Forester had changed in such a way that it was no longer a candidate to flat tow.He said nothing had changed, but if they found any evidence that it had been flat towed, they wouldn't honor the warranty.And this is a valid point - it order to tow, a baseplate must be installed on the vehicle, and in some cases, oem parts removed and no longer used. In the case of our '13 Fit & Blue Ox baseplate, the steel bumper was removed, but reinstalled. This DOES alter the crush dynamics, and possibly the structural integrity, so I am glad Honda approves towing this model. Otherwise, it would be guaranteed they would disallow warranty work.Steve
Re: Flat Towing Reply #5 – April 17, 2020, 10:45:42 am So this is what Remco says. Take note of the Notes section at the top. Wonder where I can find owner manuals online?
Re: Flat Towing Reply #6 – April 17, 2020, 11:55:33 am Quote from: HiLola - April 17, 2020, 10:45:42 amSo this is what Remco says. Take note of the Notes section at the top. Wonder where I can find owner manuals online?One sourceAnother source 1 Likes
Re: Flat Towing Reply #7 – April 17, 2020, 08:51:00 pm Joel, using one of your resources, this is what the 2016 manual says. Sounds like it’s fine to flat tow if the instruction is followed.
Re: Flat Towing Reply #8 – April 18, 2020, 08:59:15 am One difference noted between the 2016 and 2015 manuals. The 2015 manual says to put the key in the ACC position while the 2016 manual says to put it in the ON position. What are the implications of this difference?
Re: Flat Towing Reply #9 – April 18, 2020, 10:04:00 am I tow my 2016 Forester. Before buying I asked the specific question if flat towing would void warranty. I was shown the item above. The need for the key to be turned to the on position is so the miles will register on the odometer. This part is my opinion. The pickup runs through the cars computer so it can keep up with maintenance schedules. The “on” vs “acc” key position has nothing to do with the steering lock or the pow train on the 2016. Just the things related to distance the computer does. One issue I have found with towing our 2016 Forester is the phone association for blue tooth on the car’s radio neede to be disables (in either the car or the phone) which is an easy enough. The car has a very strong blue tooth signal so if the RV’s ignition is not on, the car will capture and hold the signal. This was not such an issue before I changed the radio. The new radio uses the Bluetooth to send music, stories and maps to the RVs radio to cut down on the spaghetti effect of to many devices plugged in the dash.
Topic: Flat Towing (Read 262 times)
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Topic: Flat Towing (Read 262 times)
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