Looking for flat tow car

[Sailmiami]

We are looking for a small flat tow car to pull behind our airstream B class that is all ready set up for towing. I called several dealers to see if they have any cars like that on trade in. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a website dedicated to such vehicles. Searched RV trader and could not find a single car. Prefer something like a Fiat 500 or similar. We are located in Miami. Any suggestions will be welcome. Thank you

[c21]

Originally Posted by Sailmiami

We are looking for a small flat tow car to pull behind our airstream B class that is all ready set up for towing. I called several dealers to see if they have any cars like that on trade in. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a website dedicated to such vehicles. Searched RV trader and could not find a single car. Prefer something like a Fiat 500 or similar. We are located in Miami. Any suggestions will be welcome. Thank you

Don't know about your area but in my search for a Fiat 500 the best deal I found new was in Tempe, AZ. Around 12k + fees on a 2018. (30% off list) I wound up going with a new 18 Abarth I found in WA state at 25% off list. It will cost around 4K to do the complete towing setup with towbar, baseplate, brakes, etc. Camping World currently has their $59 install sale and I'm trying to get a quote from them. Should save about a thou. Be sure you get one with a 5 speed stick. The nice feature of the Fiats is you don't have to do anything fancy to tow. No pulling fuses or transmission procedures. Just put it in neutral and go. BTW if you look at 19 Fiats, they are not listed in Motorhome Magazine's flat tow guide but it is an omission on their part. I verified with Fiat that the 500 Pop and Abarth for 2019 can be flat towed. Good Luck.

[OTRA15]

Welcome to the forum!

FYI the new search function in the blue box above [desktop version of this site] works very well, and here are the results for "Interstate toad" --

https://www.google.com/search?q=Inte...com&gws_rd=ssl

. . . which include these fairly recent threads:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ad-179843.html
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...on-174833.html

"Fiat 500" results: https://www.google.com/search?q=Fiat...=airforums.com

Good luck,

Peter

[drgene]

I have used two different KIA Soul with manual transmission. Both work great.
Put both kits on them myself. Saved much. I also tow a VW beetle with manual transmission. Also put kit on myself. Have both Tow Master and Blue Ox tow bars. Both types of car tow fine.

[c21]

Is anyone here towing a Fiat 500 Pop or Abarth? Does your setup require a drop receiver to level the towbar?
Thanks,
Bill

[wachuko]

How we miss our Abarth... that is one little angry Italian car with an awesome exhaust note... a true driver's car.


Glad to read that it is a great car for using for this...

[Mollysdad]

I'd never recommend anyone buy a Fiat, having owned one, way back.
However there are a lot of vehicles that can be flat towed. In the manual it's called "recreational towing". The basics are simple, if the wheels are turning your transmission, it needs lubrication. If the lube pump is run off the engine that's bad because the engine is not running. If it's running off the drive shaft, that's good, the drive shaft turns. There are companies that provide aftermarket pumps. Remco, for one.
If it's a 4 wheel drive, then you can put the transfer case in neutral.
Look at what people are towing, I see a lot of Honda CRV's.
Used to see a lot of Saturns, sad to see them fold.
I even see an occasional Smart being flat towed.

How about this database of towable cars?
http://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/

[c21]

Originally Posted by c21bill

Is anyone here towing a Fiat 500 Pop or Abarth? Does your setup require a drop receiver to level the towbar?
Thanks,
Bill

Anynone, anyone, Bueller?

[GCinSC2]

Folks I’m not going to make a recommendation only a comment relayed to me years ago from a coworker and his dads MOHO.

The toad was a Suzuki samurai stick shift IIRC behind a motor home. No problem.

They packed “stuff” into the toad like storage space, seems reasonable right.

A near panic stop to avoid a collision we assume. Nothing happened towing continues.

Later they go to start the toad, nothing good happened, the engine was ruined destroyed kaput. Got it?

What happened?

During panic stop a piece of the “stuff” they packed in as cargo bumped the stick and put the trans in gear. Now the little engine that could became the engine that can’t. It’s lost to history if the engine was being turned backwards or at warp RPM until it was destroyed.

Moral of story, don’t let any cargo have a chance to bump your stick shift and put it in gear.

Carry on

Gary

[Pahaska]

On smarts, the key can not be removed in neutral. On my smart, I have one key that I drilled out the pin that holds the fob to the key shaft. I put the smart in neutral and remove the key fob. The car can not be started and the key is locked in place. The fob goes into the AI.

As an additional safety, I installed a battery cutoff switch. That prevents the computer from ever stating up.

I just got back from towing the smart about 1500 miles and driving it about 250 miles during the trip..

[Mollysdad]

Just thinking outside the box, but does anyone tow an electric car like a Chevy Volt?
Seems that eliminates the problem of transmissions.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Just thinking outside the box, but does anyone tow an electric car like a Chevy Volt?
Seems that eliminates the problem of transmissions.

I don't know of any electric or hybrid toads that don't require a tow dolly or trailer. There may not be a transmission per se, but as far as I know, the electric motor that turns the wheels still turns when the vehicle is being towed. That can lead to a completely different set of problems…

[SewStream]

A Chevy Spark flat tows. It is basic, but I loved mine. It was my commute-to-work car. My 3/4 ton HD Suburban got terrible around-town mileage. It was my tow vehicle for our horses/trailer, and started out as our tow vehicle for our 2019 Globetrotter.

Cute, not sexy, but a reliable get-around-car. I joke with my husband that if we ever got an Interstate I would buy another girly colored Spark and it would be our toad. [emoji4]

[dznf0g]

"I'd never recommend anyone buy a Fiat, having owned one, way back."

FLASHBACK!

As some of you may know, I just retired after 35 years as a manufacturers rep. So about 40 years ago, I was pulling wrenches as a hobby/budding passion/pre career. I accepted a job on a friend's spider. Literally, everything I touched broke in my hands. I swore I'd never work on one again, and to this day, I am true to my oath.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

"I'd never recommend anyone buy a Fiat, having owned one, way back."

FLASHBACK!

As some of you may know, I just retired after 35 years as a manufacturers rep. So about 40 years ago, I was pulling wrenches as a hobby/budding passion/pre career. I accepted a job on a friend's spider. Literally, everything I touched broke in my hands. I swore I'd never work on one again, and to this day, I am true to my oath.

We had three FIAT 500 (500C and two Abarths)... never had an issue with any of them. Very inexpensive to maintain, comfortable getting in an out, and a pleasure to drive...

The 1981 FIAT Spider I had... well... Sat for 8 years in our driveway as a beautiful Italian decoration... never got it to run correctly... sold it about a month ago and got myself a running 1961 VW Beetle...

So do not think that the new 500s are the same quality as those of 30-40 years ago... We would love to have an Abarth again...

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by wachuko

We had three FIAT 500 (500C and two Abarths)... never had an issue with any of them. Very inexpensive to maintain, comfortable getting in an out, and a pleasure to drive...

The 1981 FIAT Spider I had... well... Sat for 8 years in our driveway as a beautiful Italian decoration... never got it to run correctly... sold it about a month ago and got myself a running 1961 VW Beetle...

So do not think that the new 500s are the same quality as those of 30-40 years ago... We would love to have an Abarth again...

I know, I get it , but "once bitten, twice shy", right? BTW, an excellent trade. That beetle is a sweet ride. How 'bout a pic?

[dznf0g]

So, I gotta say....VW is responsible for my career and all my income for all i have....indirectly. my girlfriend (later my wife) bought a 67 beetle, solid body, blown engine for 700. I was in the middle of a "life direction crisis". I found the beetle to be just a tiny step above my childhood erector set. So I enrolled in automotive school, where my college prep curriculum made it a breeze when combined with a newfound passion. Wasn't real popular with mom and dad, but proved to work well..