Flat Tow 2013 Ford Explorer Key on/off?

[herbsells]

We just bought a 2013 Explorer AWD and the Owner's Manual and the 2013 Dinghy Guide both tell us that we CAN flat tow all four down.

The book says; 1)65 mph max, 2)neutral, and 3)Start the engine and allow to run for 5 minutes at the beginning of each day and every 6 hours thereafter, 4)With motor running and foot on brake shift through each of the gears and then back into neutral.

Doesn't say anything about leaving the key in "on" position (doesn't the steering wheel lock if the key is not left "on"?).

Roadmaster web site says it WILL drain the battery and there is NOT a fuse kit available. If I DO NOT leave the key in the "on" position, then why would the battery drain?

[rver98]

[QUOTE=herbsells;5367058]We just bought a 2013 Explorer AWD and the Owner's Manual and the 2013 Dinghy Guide both tell us that we CAN flat tow all four down.

The book says; 1)65 mph max, 2)neutral, and 3)Start the engine and allow to run for 5 minutes at the beginning of each day and every 6 hours thereafter, 4)With motor running and foot on brake shift through each of the gears and then back into neutral.

Doesn't say anything about leaving the key in "on" position (doesn't the steering wheel lock if the key is not left "on"?).

Roadmaster web site says it WILL drain the battery and there is NOT a fuse kit available. If I DO NOT leave the key in the "on" position, then why would the battery drain?[/QU

F150 - 2013
Four-wheel-down Towing
1. Turn the ignition to the on position. Do not start the engine.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift the 4WD switch to 2H.
4. Shift the transmission to position N.
5. Rotate the 4WD switch from 2H to 4L and back to 2H five times
within seven seconds.
• If completed successfully, the information display shows
NEUTRAL TOW LEAVE IN N or NEUTRAL TOW ENABLED
LEAVE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. This indicates that
your vehicle is safe to tow with all wheels on the ground.
• If you do not see the message in the display, you must perform
the procedure again from the beginning.
• You may hear an audible noise as the transfer case shifts into its
neutral position. This is normal.
6. Leave the transmission in position N and turn the ignition as far as it
will go toward the off position (it will not turn fully off when the
transmission is in position N. You must leave the key in the ignition
while towing. To lock and unlock your vehicle, use the keyless entry
keypad or extra set of keys.
7. Release the brake pedal.

These are my instructions for my F150 4x4

[KCFDCapt]

My 2013 Explorer has the push button ignition and does not have a cut key. I need to have the ignition on the accessory position. I plug the brake unit into the cigarette lighter outlet. Be sure to turn off the A/C fan so the battery lasts longer.

[herbsells]

KCFDCapt ... Thanks for the info. So if you have a push-button start ... how do you leave it in the "ACC" position? I thought those were push to start/push to stop. Also, is your steering then "free"? when in the ACC position so the front wheels will swivel left/right when turning? FYI, My braking device does not require any electricity, I use the Roadmaster system that uses the air line from the DP brake relay to extend an air cylinder that presses the brake pedal.
Thanks again - looking forward to your add'l info

[znt1186]

We have a 2013 Edge AWD with keyed ignition. We start the engine, run through D,R,N to set up the transmission for towing. Go back park, insert a dummy key, turn ignition to on and transmission to N. Turn key back one notch to accessory and go. It will drain the battery, but we ran a charge line from the coach connection to the battery to keep the battery charged. We have the SMI Stay n Play brake system that does need power to work. This works fine for us.

[KCFDCapt]

To start the keyless ignition you first put your foot on the brake and then touch the button. Voila! it starts. If you do not put your foot on the brake it defaults to ACC. The wheels are not locked and are free to track behind the motor home.

[tomclayton1]

Our toad is '17 Explorer AWD with push button. For '17 there was only one engine/transmission combination that could be towed.
I installed a battery disconnect switch to keep the battery from discharging. The other option is to disconnect the battery.
Check your owner's manual under towing and follow those procedures exactly.

[Meames1]

You won't find this in the manual, but I can tell you how to do it without draining the battery or having a charge line. It's one of the easiest vehicles to tow, I have towed our '14 Explorer thousands of miles. First, the steering does not have an interlock...go ahead and try it. Second, leave the key out of the ignition....I actually carry mine in the RV. To put in neutral, take out the tray lining the junk holder in the center console just in front of the shifter. Once the tray is out you'll see a little plastic door about 2"x3". Open the door by releasing the small catch. Reach inside with your finger and in front of the shift mechanism you'll find a small "button", use your finger nail and pull the button out and you can then shift the lever into neutral. Easy Peasy. The release is there for tech's and tow truck people to release the shifter without a key or the battery is dead etc. Because you're not turning on the key, you're not running the battery down. Still follow the 65mph and 6 hour limit. Just start it every 6 hours -max to refill the tailshaft trans fluid reservoir as the manual states.


I also used diodes and hooked up the rear lights to a 4-wire plug attached to our Blue Ox baseplate. Good Luck !

[herbsells]

Thanks all for your feedback. I have installed a charge line from the coach 6-pin connector to the battery of the toad (with a self-resetting circuit breaker in the line) and will just leave the tranny in N and the key in ACC position. It seems this is the easiest solution. Thanks again y'all

[ezawora]

Thanks for the info. I have a 2015 Limited I am prepping for flat tow. I was able to find the neutral release. Our Explorer's steering wheel does not seem to lock but is really tight to steer with the engine off. Is your vehicle like that? Wheel turns but not easy as I imagine the power steering is off?

Thanks for sharing the trick for the console switch.

[Meames1]

Yes, these Explorer's steer very hard turned off. They use an electric motor and a cogged belt assembly for power steering. By using electric instead of the old style hydraulic, they can more easily and precisely change the amount of power assist vs road speed via the ecm. The by-product of manually turning the electric motor and assembly makes them hard to steer without being turned on. It's normal operation.
Good Luck !

[rpchap50]

Changing from dolly towing a 2017 Lincoln MKC. I am glad to be getting away from dolly towing. Such a pain to hook up.

I purchased a 2016 Ford Explorer XLT with 3.5L V6 and the manual says it can be towed 4 wheels down. I am in the process of purchasing the Blue Ox base and tow bar to pull it.

My question is, when towing with the battery disconnected, will the odometer continue to record the miles that the car has been towed behind the motorhome?

Richard Chapman
2005 Winnebago Adventure 38J
2016 Ford Explorer
Huntsville, Alabama