Honda CRV

[dutch99]

Honda CRV
Looking on getting a Honda CRV to toe behind my RV
some are 4 wheel drive some are 2 wheel drive, is that ok
looking to spend $5,000
are some years better?
is bule ox good
how do i get instructions ?

Help ?

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by dutch99

Honda CRV
Looking on getting a Honda CRV to toe behind my RV
some are 4 wheel drive some are 2 wheel drive, is that ok
looking to spend $5,000
are some years better?
is bule ox good
how do i get instructions ?

Help ?

I have a 2014 AWD that I tow all wheels down. This is the last year you can do that.

I have a Blue Ox tow plate but not tow bar. I have an NSA Ready Brute Elite tow bar system that I love.

Budget-is that for the car or tow bar system or both?

Instructions-for what? Hookup? Prepping the car transmission? Installing the tow bar system?

Good links in here:http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/toad-...es-252161.html

[arboldt]

We went FT a year ago, towing a 2007 CRV. The owner's manual gave instructions on what we need to do each time we hook up to tow. Do NOT short-change those instructions. From what I understand, CRVs after 2014 are not towable. So be sure to check the specific vehicle for whether or not it can be. I've seen several different makes / models towed, but I've also read that car manufacturers are making fewer and fewer models that can be towed (definitely fewer models that also happen to be Consumer Reports Recommended for regular driving i.e. not considering RV aspects).

There are several things involved in towing:

• Baseplate on the front of the toad.
• Tow bar to connect it to the MH
• Wiring for lights
• Auxiliary braking system for the toad.
• (There are some ancillary needs to go with these like wiring cables, etc).

Each of us has our favorite brands which may or may not be based on empirical facts. While it appears there are 2 main brands (Blue Ox and Roadmaster) there are also some others. Properly installed, I'm not sure there are significant performance differences. Kinda like Ford and Chevy -- some will swear by one and swear at the other.

That said, here's what we did. I bought all the components through Amazon and installed them myself to save a lot of money. Without going back and looking up exactly what I paid, here's some budget-range figures for you:

• Baseplate for my 2007 CRV - $500
• Towbar - I was given this (why I went with Roadmaster) - figure $400
• Braking - I got a Brake Buddy ($1,000). You MUST have a brakes on anything towed over a certain weight, and a towed vehicle definitely requires it legally as well as conceptually. I went with one that uses proportional braking (if I tap on the MH brakes, it brakes gently. If I slam on the brakes, it slams 'em). Some braking systems are either on or off. I didn't like that idea. BTW - Honda recommends pulling a certain fuse when towing to reduce battery drain. Great idea, except that my Brake Buddy has to be plugged into to cigarette lighter that's on that same fuse's circuit. Check that out before you buy the fusemaster disconnect switch.
• Lights - This is one component I think I wish I'd done differently. I got a system with diodes on each line and spliced into each brake / taillight bulb. $300? That meant I had to run wires from the connector under the front bumper all the way to the taillights. (And I screwed up trying to run them through the firewall grommet, resulting in having to be towed to a dealership to fix what I messed up. This is one area it would have paid for me to hire done.) Even so, I'm intrigued by a more temporary wiring setup to a magnetic light bar, but I'm sure that has drawbacks, too. If I had to do it over, I'm not sure how I'd do it.

I'd gotten estimates from RV dealers to buy and install everything. Their estimates 18 months ago were in the $3,500 - $4,000 range, so I saved 1/3 - 1/2 by doing the install myself. Youtube videos were invaluable for that.

[Coyotetr]

You cant tow these guys unless you have a stick, I just bought a new 2017 Honda Civic 6 speed turbo and it works fine so far. We made the mistake of buying a ford with an automatic transmission and blew two transmissions. It says you can but y0u have to pull over every 100 miles and run it threw the gears, reason being that the fluid heats up and pow. You can get a transmission cooler made by Remco, they are close to $3000 installed, this will keep your transmission cool and you can go where you want. I know how frustrating it is when you are new to this, I've gone through 3 cars and 3 RVs and after all these years I know to go back to the stick shift which is the first on I had. I use a blue ox and am very happy with it.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by Coyotetr

You cant tow these guys unless you have a stick, I just bought a new 2017 Honda Civic 6 speed turbo and it works fine so far. We made the mistake of buying a ford with an automatic transmission and blew two transmissions. It says you can but y0u have to pull over every 100 miles and run it threw the gears, reason being that the fluid heats up and pow. You can get a transmission cooler made by Remco, they are close to $3000 installed, this will keep your transmission cool and you can go where you want. I know how frustrating it is when you are new to this, I've gone through 3 cars and 3 RVs and after all these years I know to go back to the stick shift which is the first on I had. I use a blue ox and am very happy with it.

Your experience in anecdotal, not typical, and not factual for a pre-2015 CRV.

Did you follow the manufacturer's requirements for RV towing for your Fords? Because no Hondas are supported for 4 wheel down towing in the 2017 model year.

And those automatics that require you to run the engine periodically normally specify when refueling, or prior to towing, or 500 miles, or 6 hours. Never seen one that required it every 100 miles. This requirement is for lubrication, not cooling.

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by Coyotetr

You cant tow these guys unless you have a stick, I just bought a new 2017 Honda Civic 6 speed turbo and it works fine so far. We made the mistake of buying a ford with an automatic transmission and blew two transmissions. It says you can but y0u have to pull over every 100 miles and run it threw the gears, reason being that the fluid heats up and pow. You can get a transmission cooler made by Remco, they are close to $3000 installed, this will keep your transmission cool and you can go where you want. I know how frustrating it is when you are new to this, I've gone through 3 cars and 3 RVs and after all these years I know to go back to the stick shift which is the first on I had. I use a blue ox and am very happy with it.

You can't tow what guys? Up to 2014, Honda's CR-V (automatic AWD are certainly towable.

[UFO Pilot]

I have been towing an automatic CRV for 11 years. I never knew i couldn't tow it.

[Sweetbriar]

Back to the original question.

With a $5K budget the year range for a CRV might be closing in on the turn of the century plus pushing, if not over, 200,000 miles. If you can stretch the budget out to $10K for the car you should be able to find something with half the mileage and a bit newer. CRVs hold their value pretty well.

AWD or 2 wheel, can both be towed. If I had the option with two identical CRV's I would take 2 wheel drive. Just personal preference. Try to keep things simple sometimes. Installed a Blue Ox base plate one Saturday and did the rear lights on Sunday. Base plate installation isn't overly complicated and the instructions are easy to follow. e-Trailer has posted multiple Youtube videos for various production years and base plate manufacturers. I also tow with a NSA Ready Brute Elite tow bar.

As mentioned, pre-drive instructions are in the owner's manual. Nothing overly complicated. Just cycling thru the forward drive gears to ensure the transmission is in neutral.

Good luck with your search.

[dadej]

Make sure you follow the directions exactly. Going from drive to neutral and stop. If you go back to reverse then neutral you leave the trans in reverse and trans will lock up in some miles. Ask me how I know. So be sure to follow the directions exactly. By the way my 2004 CR v has 217000 miles and still going strong.

[Winemaker2]

You might check the rv classified sites some have toad sections...you might find one set up ready to go.
I sold our '05 CR-V toad earlier this yr here on iRV2 classifieds.
We just upgraded to a newer '14 but lors of miles left in used & not abused Hondas

[slowlanelife]

Originally Posted by dutch99

Honda CRV
Looking on getting a Honda CRV to toe behind my RV
some are 4 wheel drive some are 2 wheel drive, is that ok
looking to spend $5,000
are some years better?
is bule ox good
how do i get instructions ?

Help ?

We have been towing a 2006 Honda CRV for 3 yrs now, about 9000 miles. We keep a binder in the car with copies of the Honda manual towing section, Brake Buddy instructions, etc and refer to it each time to make sure we don't become complacent. We have towed for up to 8 hrs and the battery has never gone dead. I believe this is because when they redesigned them for the totally new 2007, (which we also own) they added more stuff or changed something that causes more drain on the battery. Just my theory as I haven't noticed any complaints of battery issues with this older version. We love the '06 and would buy another in a heartbeat if we needed another tow vehicle.

Very happy with the Brake Buddy. The plug got real hot one time and I called the factory. That said it was probably compressor failure. They repaired it for about $250 I think. Been good as new since. Also use the Blue Ox tow bar. No issues. We had our RV dealer set up the car. Not cheap, but we bought the tow bar and Brake Buddy on Craigslist for a good price.

[funmoneypit]

Originally Posted by slowlanelife

We have been towing a 2006 Honda CRV for 3 yrs now, about 9000 miles. We keep a binder in the car with copies of the Honda manual towing section, Brake Buddy instructions, etc and refer to it each time to make sure we don't become complacent. We have towed for up to 8 hrs and the battery has never gone dead. I believe this is because when they redesigned them for the totally new 2007, (which we also own) they added more stuff or changed something that causes more drain on the battery. Just my theory as I haven't noticed any complaints of battery issues with this older version. We love the '06 and would buy another in a heartbeat if we needed another tow vehicle.

Very happy with the Brake Buddy. The plug got real hot one time and I called the factory. That said it was probably compressor failure. They repaired it for about $250 I think. Been good as new since. Also use the Blue Ox tow bar. No issues. We had our RV dealer set up the car. Not cheap, but we bought the tow bar and Brake Buddy on Craigslist for a good price.

Funny, we just bought a '13 CRV which came with everything to FT. It has a Blue Ox tow bar and a BrakeBuddy brake system. It too was professionally installed including a switch for the fuse disconnect in the toad. Can't wait to use it.

OP, it will really be hard to get a toad (especially a CRV) plus tow equipment for $5k. We originally bought a '99 SL2 and a car dolly. Total investment was $2800. Might look at something like this with your limited budget.

[slowlanelife]

Originally Posted by dutch99

Honda CRV
Looking on getting a Honda CRV to toe behind my RV
some are 4 wheel drive some are 2 wheel drive, is that ok
looking to spend $5,000
are some years better?
is bule ox good
how do i get instructions ?

Help ?

We have been towing a 2006 CRV (all wheel drive) for 3 yrs now, about 9000 miles. We keep a binder in the car with copies from the Honda manual tow section, Brake Buddy manual, etc and refer to it every time we tow just so we don't become complacent. We have towed up to 8 hrs and the battery has never gone dead. Redesigned 2007's and up seem to have the battery issues, maybe there just more stuff drawing power on them?? I'd highly recommend the 06 CRV. It's been a great car! Have owned it since 07. The Honda CVT transmissions used now can't be towed flat, starting around 2014 I think but not sure.

Very happy with the Brake Buddy and Blue Ox tow bar too. Both bought on Craigslist. The Brake Buddy plug overheated once. Factory said it was most likely compressor failure. We sent it back and they repaired good as new for about $250 with postage if I remember correctly. Sending in the tow bar this winter to have it gone over. We tow behind a 32' Forest River Forrester. You hardly know it's back there.

You'll quickly get comfortabe towing if you haven't towed before. Take you time. Allow lots of stopping distance. Common sense. You get it. Good luck and have fun!

[Coyotetr]

Originally Posted by tfryman

Your experience in anecdotal, not typical, and not factual for a pre-2015 CRV.

Did you follow the manufacturer's requirements for RV towing for your Fords? Because no Hondas are supported for 4 wheel down towing in the 2017 model year.

And those automatics that require you to run the engine periodically normally specify when refueling, or prior to towing, or 500 miles, or 6 hours. Never seen one that required it every 100 miles. This requirement is for lubrication, not cooling.

Yes I did follow them for Ford but I got careless on a rainy day. You can indeed tow a 2017 stick shift CRV, the manual will be changed to include sticks. Honda guaranteed me my United Kingdom made CRV would tow four flat and it does. With a automatic the converter still turns and the oil must be recirculated at certain intervals. A stick does not have a converter, the transmission is clutch driven. The UK version is a remake of our old Acura which we toed thousands of miles with.