Flat towing a 2019 Traverse

[RCFiliau]

Good news...Problem solved by GM field engineer and his corporate contacts. New procedure is to place car in park, turn off engine and then after car has been hocked up to coach lift boot from cars shift lever, manually release gear shift lever and move to the neutral position...Ready to tow. When you reach your destination move gear shift level back to park.
unhook, start car and let run for several minutes and your done. No fuses to pull just need to reseat the shift lever boot. Only took GM 5 weeks to figure this out. I guess it the same process used on the 2029 Acadia. Thanks for everyone’s inputs.

[Beyond]

Glad we have an older Acadia (2016), the fuses are on switches, one in the car and one outside (so we can lock/unlock doors with the key fob remote). Dealing with the shift lever boot sounds problematic in the long run (a part not made to be accessible sounds like it would be at risk to break). It is easy to run the engine during driving breaks (which we do at 300 to 400 miles). The manual says when re-fueling, but we usually go 700-800 miles before fueling and don't want to be bothered dealing with it when cleaning windshields and monitoring the fueling process. We've had no problems with draining the battery AND mileage does not accumulate on the odometer.

[BobGed]

Originally Posted by RCFiliau

Good news...Problem solved by GM field engineer and his corporate contacts. New procedure is to place car in park, turn off engine and then after car has been hocked up to coach lift boot from cars shift lever, manually release gear shift lever and move to the neutral position...Ready to tow. When you reach your destination move gear shift level back to park.
unhook, start car and let run for several minutes and your done. No fuses to pull just need to reseat the shift lever boot. Only took GM 5 weeks to figure this out. I guess it the same process used on the 2029 Acadia. Thanks for everyone’s inputs.

Glad to hear everything went well with the GM engineer and that the setup procedure is even easier.

Now we'll just have to wait 10 years to see if the process is the same on the 2029 Acadia (absent a Moderator edit).

[Sbrownstein]

This certainly seems like the entire issue with GM systems is getting the transmission into Neutral...and then trying to get the key to the off and remove position. Some will leave it in the ACC position and let the electronics draw down the battery...or replace the current load with a charge line from the coach. Others will remove the fuses or turn off the offending circuits to eliminate the drain and now we know that you can also manually put the transmission in neutral by manually overriding the shifter lock with the key out.

Of course, each of us will elect their own method. For me, I need a charge line anyway for the braking system so just doing nothing after putting the transmission in neutral and leaving the key in the acc position seems like the best alternative. When I stop for fuel, all I do is reach in and start the car...no fuses, no pins...nothing. One thing to remember, however, is to turn the headlights out of the "auto" position. It is really embarrassing to have your toad following you, 3 feet away, with its headlights on after dark!!! Of course, don't ask me how I know....

[JMonroe]

Originally Posted by RCFiliau

Good news...Problem solved by GM field engineer and his corporate contacts. New procedure is to place car in park, turn off engine and then after car has been hocked up to coach lift boot from cars shift lever, manually release gear shift lever and move to the neutral position...Ready to tow. When you reach your destination move gear shift level back to park.
unhook, start car and let run for several minutes and your done. No fuses to pull just need to reseat the shift lever boot. Only took GM 5 weeks to figure this out. I guess it the same process used on the 2029 Acadia. Thanks for everyone’s inputs.

Virtually identical to the procedure we use with our 2017 Acadia. Odd it would take Chevy a couple years to figure it out?

Also, does this mean the 17 & 18 Traverse is now being represented as flat towable? We have friends with a 17 that bought a dolly to tow theirs after being told it could not be flat towed, having purchased it on the word of a salesman that promised it was.

[dwaugh10]

I hope you got the procedure in writing from GM.....

[tmw188]

That sounds like a ridiculous method I wouldn’t want to do.

[DaleHalifax]

I tried the "manually put it in neutral" procedure, and I'm happy to say it works. Push the button to turn the car off (keyless on the 2019 Traverse), lift the shifter boot, and lift little white lever that locks it into park. I must admit I was afraid of damaging the trim around the boot. One of us needs to post some pictures or a video on how to do this. After I got the boot loose, I started the car and hit the brake a few times to see the little lock lever release, so I knew what to lift manually when the car was off.
I am working on a button to do this without pulling the boot off. When I get that working, I'll post again. On a side note, The FMCA dinghy guide did not include the 2019 Travese as flat towable, however, GM has since notified FMCA that the Traverse is indeed flat towable, and the guide has been updated. https://www.fmca.com/images/stories/...ed_FRV0119.pdf

[tmw188]

I don’t understand and maybe it’s somewhere in the previous posts, but why can’t you put it in neutral after it’s hooked up to the MH, release the parking brake while your foot is on the brake then gently let up on the brake for any roll fwd or back, shut down the motor hold in on the push/start button with no foot on the brake to put it in acc mode? It might ding for 30 minutes before it stops.
These are the procedures I use on a 2019 Equinox. Has this been asked to GM?

[MO Fred]

Originally Posted by RCFiliau

Good news...Problem solved by GM field engineer and his corporate contacts. New procedure is to place car in park, turn off engine and then after car has been hocked up to coach lift boot from cars shift lever, manually release gear shift lever and move to the neutral position...Ready to tow. When you reach your destination move gear shift level back to park.
unhook, start car and let run for several minutes and your done. No fuses to pull just need to reseat the shift lever boot. Only took GM 5 weeks to figure this out. I guess it the same process used on the 2029 Acadia. Thanks for everyone’s inputs.

Do you have an AWD? I am thinking about buying a 2019 Traverse and wondering if it is possible to tow the AWD four down.

[JMonroe]

Originally Posted by MO Fred

Do you have an AWD? I am thinking about buying a 2019 Traverse and wondering if it is possible to tow the AWD four down.

Can't speak directly to the Traverse but our Acadia is AWD.

[Beyond]

Originally Posted by MO Fred

Do you have an AWD? I am thinking about buying a 2019 Traverse and wondering if it is possible to tow the AWD four down.

I was at the county fair this weekend and Chevrolet had a large display of cars. I asked about 4-down towing and was brought over to a large poster with vehicle specs. It had a chart showing which 2019 Chev vehicles could be Dinghy Towed. All 2WD & AWD Blazer and Traverse were A-ok. The Equinox models had certain engine/drive models only.

[DaleHalifax]

Originally Posted by MO Fred

Do you have an AWD? I am thinking about buying a 2019 Traverse and wondering if it is possible to tow the AWD four down.

Yes. The 2019 AWD Traverse is flat towable. (The procedure in the owners manual needs to be updated for this model, however.) I am, and will be using the "manual neutral" method that is described in this thread. And here is a link to the updated FMCA 2019 Dinghy Guide for further confirmation that it is towable... https://www.fmca.com/images/stories/...ed_FRV0119.pdf

[F451degrees]

lift boot from cars shift lever, manually release gear shift lever and move to the neutral position..


how do you get the boot off?


On my 2017 Traverse, its a center console.


as soon as I figure it out, I'm towing my traverse.


tx


Tom