2019 Lincoln Nautilus Hookup Procedure

[RUFINIT]

Originally Posted by lagawne

The one question they would not give an absolute answer on was the issue of needing to be in the driver seat to hold brake and pull tether. We asked if this was a safety issue so car would not roll or if there was an electrical signal that was required. It seems almost impossible to pull tether while sitting in the seat.

My question is How are you doing this ? My thought is to do this while outside the car.

Would like to know how you are physically pulling tether and holding brake etc.

Thanks

Larry, You are correct in that it is virtually impossible to pull the tether and latch it in the small slot while sitting in the driver's seat with foot on brake. I kneel outside the car, reach in, pull the tether and hook it in the slot made for it. Someone standing outside the car said they heard the click when it came out of park. Also there is a warning on the dash letting you know it is not in park, and the light on the P on the gear shift button goes off. I towed it from the hitch place to my storage place, about 6 miles and all was okay. I will be taking it as a towed on a short trip, in two weeks, so will verify that it works properly.

I would appreciate it if you could give me the email of the tech person you contacted. Lincoln customer service tech people are more generalists and don't know the septics about setting up to be towed..

[kraig]

I have been towing the first Nautilus that Roadmaster set up in February, with their baseplate and wiring everything works and tow great. The Lincoln owners manual and tech support and dealers are not any help. Anybody needing help can PM me.

[iguess]

Originally Posted by kraig

I have been towing the first Nautilus that Roadmaster set up in February, with their baseplate and wiring everything works and tow great. The Lincoln owners manual and tech support and dealers are not any help. Anybody needing help can PM me.

Also towing the Nautilus and found that you do not have to sit in drivers seat with your foot on the brake to put lanyard in place to take it out of park. (with the car running.) For me I put my fingers through the lanyard loop and take a couple twists to shorten it pull and set in groove. Get into car step on brake and take it out of emergency park. (turn car off) tap button to disconnect battery and then hit switch to feed power to led brake lights. Sounds like a lot of trouble but, after a couple times it's simple. Also had it set up at Roadmaster in Vancouver WA.
It has three different ride modes and put it in sport and the 2.7 twin turbo is hot if you want it. Love to dive it and so, quiet and tows like a dream.
On Roadmaster put in Nautilus and a color printable step by step wiring on lighting,

[kraig]

Sadly Ford has very poorly written directions in owners manual. The dealers don't know anything about RV Flat towing. When you call Lincoln they don't know anything about RV towing. All they did is read pages here and there out of book. So I said please send me something by email and what they sent me was towing a trailer behind the rear of the Nautilus. I gave up with all of them.

I live in Portland OR and across the Columbia River is Vancouver WA, where Roadmaster main office and plant is. They know me on first name basis and I get along great with them. Last February when I got my Nautilus, neither Roadmaster or Blue OX had a tow bracket for the Nautilus, so I believe I was the first one have a bracket installed and put on my Nautilus.

They designed and mounted bracket and did all the wiring. They researched the owners manual and agreed how poorly it written.
When they got everything finished, I drove my MH over, and went through with them carefully step by step, before towing the car home. I was a bit nervous being the first one to tow, but everything worked great. Tows good and could do 70 no problem.

AS far putting car in neutral, it does say that in different section in the book. You have to have transmission permanently in neutral while towing.
While engine is running, press neutral once.
It will say press neutral a second time to stay in neutral. Then ok on right side of steering wheel. There is a stay in neutral message. Also the neutral button on the selector blinks slowly.
Now turn engine off.

You can do this while parked in drive way to test and car should roll.

As far as manually releasing brake cable, it is just plain a poor design and not easy to access. No way are going to release or engage from seat. There is an orange nylon pull strap in a small box above brake pedal. Open box remove cable and pull strap all the way to right to lock it in a notch. You can feel click in the notch.

As far as disconnect for wiring, RM mounted two switches above hood release handle inside car. One is a disconnect switch to turn off all power in car. The second is to power the rear lights only with their RM one way diodes. This is the only way you can do it, as this car is very smart and will shut off car if you do it any other way. RM has instructions on wiring.

When you get ready to drive car, press two switches in car. Then you have power to start car. I pull cable to left to release brake, I just leave cable loose and move out of the way. With wheels chocked and then start car. Transmission goes back to normal and it is ready to drive.

I have towed my Nautilus several times all year and had no problems and tows great.

Kraig



Virus-free. www.avg.com

[twojayhawks]

I have a hunch the Lincoln Nautilus shares everything less exterior with the Ford Edge ST. Might be worth catching up on this thread if I am correct.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/2019-...st-436787.html

[bouncealot]

Originally Posted by kraig

I have been towing the first Nautilus that Roadmaster set up in February, with their baseplate and wiring everything works and tow great. The Lincoln owners manual and tech support and dealers are not any help. Anybody needing help can PM me.

I am getting ready to modify my 2019 Nautilus for towing. My wife loves this car and wants to bring it along on our travels.

I have the roadmaster base plate, wiring kit and battery cut off switch. Several years ago I installed the corresponding blueox equipment on our current tow car (2011 Subaru Forrester).

Two questions (for now):

1 - Does the taillight wiring run inside the car or underneath?

2 - Can I use one switch for both the battery disconnect and taillight power (a DPST switch)? i.e. is there ever a need to use the switch functions separately?


Thanks in advance,

[Tigerfan1]

Originally Posted by bouncealot

I am getting ready to modify my 2019 Nautilus for towing. My wife loves this car and wants to bring it along on our travels.



I have the roadmaster base plate, wiring kit and battery cut off switch. Several years ago I installed the corresponding blueox equipment on our current tow car (2011 Subaru Forrester).



Two questions (for now):



1 - Does the taillight wiring run inside the car or underneath?



2 - Can I use one switch for both the battery disconnect and taillight power (a DPST switch)? i.e. is there ever a need to use the switch functions separately?





Thanks in advance,

I ran the tail light wiring under the car inside split loom and used wire ties. On my Buick Enclave there were two fuses that needed to be removed so I used a disconnect switch for both fuses.

[RUFINIT]

Originally Posted by bouncealot

I am getting ready to modify my 2019 Nautilus for towing. My wife loves this car and wants to bring it along on our travels.

I have the roadmaster base plate, wiring kit and battery cut off switch. Several years ago I installed the corresponding blueox equipment on our current tow car (2011 Subaru Forrester).

Two questions (for now):

1 - Does the taillight wiring run inside the car or underneath?

2 - Can I use one switch for both the battery disconnect and taillight power (a DPST switch)? i.e. is there ever a need to use the switch functions separately?


Thanks in advance,

Jim,

As far as the switch goes, the battery disconnect is a button that you push that activates the disconnect module (solenoid?) So I am not sure that an on off switch would work. Maybe it would. It really is easy to have the two switches right next to each other. My battery disconnect is a push button and switching the lights back to battery is a toggle (that is what was available when they were doing my setup.). I have it labeled tow and drive.

[bouncealot]

Originally Posted by RUFINIT

Jim,

As far as the switch goes, the battery disconnect is a button that you push that activates the disconnect module (solenoid?) So I am not sure that an on off switch would work. Maybe it would. It really is easy to have the two switches right next to each other. My battery disconnect is a push button and switching the lights back to battery is a toggle (that is what was available when they were doing my setup.). I have it labeled tow and drive.

Joe, thanks for your post. I checked out the switch and solenoid. The solenoid latches into the on or off state. The push button switch is a momentary on/off switch. Pushing the switch causes the latching solenoid to change state.

So Two switches are needed. That's what I needed to know.

[jimsw]

Just picked my 2019 Nautilus from the Toad set up shop. They followed everything as described in the road master set up. In addition they added a 12v charge line to the Nautilus battery. Does this eliminate the need to disconnect the battery prior to towing?

[Dutch Star Don]

I would do what they say, often the reason to disconnect the battery has something to do with another system. On my GMC Canyon, disconnecting the battery prevented the electric power steering from trying to correct for the front steering turning while being towed. Even with the key off, the steering was active.

[Granite17]

Originally Posted by jimsw

Just picked my 2019 Nautilus from the Toad set up shop. They followed everything as described in the road master set up. In addition they added a 12v charge line to the Nautilus battery. Does this eliminate the need to disconnect the battery prior to towing?

If you check the owners manual it will usually specify flat tow procedures including if disconnecting the battery is needed . Even though you have a charging line set up, if Ford is stating to disconnect the battery there is a reason. My 2019 GMC and 2021 Tahoe all have a charge line but all also states to disconnect battery. It shuts off electronic power steering.

[jimsw]

Just a purchase a 2019 Nautilus for a Toad. If there is a 12v charge line to the battery from the motorhome is it necessary to disconnect the battery? The manual doesn't say to disconnect the battery, but I noticed that people who purchased the vehicle new (in 2019) were installing a battery disconnect switch. My research of each edition of this vehicle's manual (yes, there are three of them) does not mention disconnecting the battery. I also pulled up the manual on the 2020 Nautilus and like the 2019 it doesn't mention disconnecting the battery as part of the 4-down towing procedure. I've been stranded in the past with a 2011 MKX not having a 12v Charge line, that once installed solved the problem.

[BonS]

I'm in the process of setting up my 2019 Nautilus for flat towing. I'm with Jimsw in that the manual, either hard copy or online, doesn't mention disconnecting the battery. I have a charge line, with circuit breaker and diode, so I'm not worried about discharging the battery. My biggest concern is finding a location for passing my wires through the firewall. Can anyone tell me where theirs was penetrated?