Nearly everybody owns a car nowadays and if you are an active driver there is a good chance that you might have encountered a situation where you had to tow your vehicle either to a repair shop or somewhere else.
No matter how much you have maintained your vehicle properly, they break down and the chances of this happening are more if your vehicle has a reputation for being unreliable.
Some popular towing methods:
There are several ways you can tow your vehicle to the desired destination including:
Flat Bed Tow Truck
The most common way of towing a vehicle is by loading it onto the back of a truck that will then transport the vehicle to its destiny.
Such types of tow trucks are known as flatbed tow trucks and they use a hydraulic mechanism that tilts on the road to lift the car onto the back of the truck.
Chain tow Truck
Another popular method is the hook and chain tow truck, the truck is equipped with a hook and chain. The hook is attached to a car’s axle or bumper and the chain secures the frame. The hook lifts a car’s front wheels and the car is then moved with the help of its rear wheels.
Flat towing
Today we will be discussing a rather unique method of towing a car also known as flat towing, as this method uses all the four wheels of a car, therefore, it is also referred to as “four-down towing”, “neutral towing” or “dinghy towing”.
The vehicle to be towed is attached via a tow bar to a pickup truck or a motorhome and then the vehicle is let to be towed by its own four wheels.
However not every vehicle can be flat towed, the method is limited only to a bunch of vehicles that can be towed using this method.
The limited number of vehicles that have the capacity of being towed by this particular method includes Jeep SUVs. Jeep has designed their SUVs and 4×4 vehicles in such a way so they can be towed on their own four wheels when desired.
Jeep models that can be flat towed:
Jeep Wrangler:
The Jeep Wrangler is regarded as one of the most capable 4×4 SUV that has the capability of being dinghy towed.
People prefer taking the Wrangler with their RVs because of its superb off-roading capabilities and Jeep has been adding the vital features in their Wranglers for quite some time that enable it to be dinghy towed.
Usually, a manual transmission vehicle can be flat towed, but this is not the case with Wranglers. Even an automatic transmission Wrangler can be flat towed because of the transmission disconnect and steering lockout override feature provided in them.
Jeep has been offering this capability ever since the late 1990s. The Jeep Wrangler TJ (second-generation 1997-2006), JK (third-generation 2007-2018), and the JL (third-generation 2018- present) can be flat towed.
So you do not need to worry whether you can flat tow your Wrangler or not, even if you have an old wrangler. •
Jeep Grand Cherokee:
Depending upon the trim level the Jeep Grand Cherokee is another Jeep SUV that is best suited for flat towing. The Grand Cherokee features a spacious and comfortable interior that closely resembles the design language of new Jeep vehicles.
But don’t let these stunning looks fool you, the vehicle is still one of the most proficient SUV when it comes to sight-seeing or even hooking it up to an RV.
However not all the Grand Cherokee variants can be dinghy towed, only the ones that are specifically made to accommodate these types of needs are the right choice.
Only the trim levels that have 4wd with Quadra-Trac 2 or Quadra-drive 1 can be flat towed, unfortunately, the SRT trim levels don’t have this capacity and you will have to stick with variants that have the aforementioned features.
Jeep Cherokee:
Do not underestimate the smaller Cherokee, like its big brother the Jeep Cherokee is also able to be flat towed (depending upon the trim level).
If your Cherokee has the special Active drive 2 or 2-speed PTU system, then it is possible to flat tow it. Otherwise, you should refrain from doing so as it will cause irreparable damage to your Cherokee’s transmission.
I have enlisted all the Jeep models that are capable enough to be flat-towed, do make sure that you have the right model and features in your Jeep.
Combining the cool looks and strong off-roading capabilities, Jeeps have always been a man’s partner in exploring the unexplorable and a Jeep that can be safely hooked to an RV is like a cherry on top of a cake.
Jeep Gladiator:
Fortunately, every variant of the Gladiator can be flat towed. However the weight of each variant varies for which you may need appropriate flat towing equipment, but it should not worry you since there is not a drastic weight difference between each variant.
The jeep gladiator, therefore, provides the same freedom as any other Jeep vehicle, and with its flat towing capacity you should be able to squeeze the most fun out of it.
I have enlisted all the jeep models that are capable enough to be flat-towed, do make sure that you have the right model and features in your Jeep.
A Jeep is always meant to be your partner while exploring the unexplorable and a Jeep that can be safely hooked to an RV is like a cherry on top of a cake.
