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Old 01-13-2025, 07:22 PM   #1
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New to Flat Towing

Anyone have any information on Flat Towing a 2023 Chevy Equinox ?
Manufacturer says it can be done but watching a video they also say it can be done but there is a large draw on the battery causing the battery to drain extremely low. They then go on to say you need a 20v charger to avoid this problem. Very confused. Anyone Flat Tow a 2023 Equinox ? Any help would be much appreciated.
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Old 01-13-2025, 07:48 PM   #2
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You don't need a 20 volt charger but you do need a 20 amp minimum charge line run between the coach and the vehicle. You can do this with a 10 gauge positive and negative wire. Some of the 6 pin to 7 pin harnesses for the toad lights come with the 10 gauge charge wire and ground included so look for that. You will have to run the positive to the battery from the toad side of the connection. Forget about using the in line "charger" as it won't carry enough amperage to keep it charged on a long trip.
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Old 01-14-2025, 09:20 AM   #3
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Thanks for the great info. I'll do some research on the 6 to 7 pin harness that sounds like the best way to go. As an alternative how about a marine disconnect switch for the battery ?
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Old 01-14-2025, 09:35 AM   #4
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Unless you are planning on installing yourself. Call a hitch installer near you that does flat tow setup. They can give you options on which one to get and what it does specifically to your tow vehicle battery. I had mine installed and my jeep never get low voltage. I know its a different car but it would be the same to wire it to different vehicle.
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Old 01-14-2025, 11:08 AM   #5
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Thanks for the great info. I'll do some research on the 6 to 7 pin harness that sounds like the best way to go. As an alternative how about a marine disconnect switch for the battery ?
That will work, but require you to open the hood. No biggie though.
I went with the Roadmaster remote solenoid route. A simple push of the button under the dash and the battery is disconnected. A charge line is simple wire to add with a fuse and a diode. You dont need to go overboard on this. Only thing drawing current will be the braking system, and thats only when the brakes are applied. Have read many go a couple days without the charge line and no issues.
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Old 01-15-2025, 05:38 PM   #6
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Chevy released an updated flat towing procedure for the 2023 and 2024 Equinox due to people having problems. The 2023 and 2024 were changed from an engine-driven vacuum pump to an always-on electric pump and that caused problems while towing.

The updated procedure mandates that the battery be disconnected for flat towing, but only for the 2023 and 2024. Your dealer can get you a copy.

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Old 01-15-2025, 06:08 PM   #7
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That will work, but require you to open the hood. No biggie though.
I went with the Roadmaster remote solenoid route. A simple push of the button under the dash and the battery is disconnected. A charge line is simple wire to add with a fuse and a diode. You dont need to go overboard on this. Only thing drawing current will be the braking system, and thats only when the brakes are applied. Have read many go a couple days without the charge line and no issues.
The Equinox cars have a really high draw (needs 20 amp minimum)and the roadmaster diode (15amp max)won't let enough current through. It has to be a direct 10 gauge line. Mine would go dead in 2-3 hours on the diode.

Edit: I see now they are recommending a battery disconnect on the newer models.
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Old 01-15-2025, 10:22 PM   #8
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The Equinox cars have a really high draw (needs 20 amp minimum)and the roadmaster diode (15amp max)won't let enough current through. It has to be a direct 10 gauge line. Mine would go dead in 2-3 hours on the diode.

Edit: I see now they are recommending a battery disconnect on the newer models.
.

Yes and No.
With the new requirement to disconnect the 23/24 yrs, the battery draw has been eleminated.
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Old 01-16-2025, 07:14 AM   #9
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The Equinox cars have a really high draw (needs 20 amp minimum)and the roadmaster diode (15amp max)won't let enough current through. It has to be a direct 10 gauge line. Mine would go dead in 2-3 hours on the diode.
For future readers, that is not exactly correct for the 2018-2022 Equinox. The current draw while towing and once the battery is charged up is just under 8 amps.

Due to the very high power drain of the touchscreen and other systems powering up, simply by opening the door, those Equinoxes can draw upwards of 60 amps from the alternator for a short period of time to get the AGM battery recharged. That means that even if a diode was decreasing the charge to 9 or 10 amps it will still charge, but very slowly.

So something else was going on with yours but you did get the condition fixed. Diodes also do not have any kind of current-limiting capability. A diode rated for 15 amps simply means that if you try to draw more than 15 amps you can cause it to fail. If you try to draw too much current you can burn damage them so they have a high internal electrical resistance, cause them to short circuit internally, or even fail like a blown fuse, though.

How do I know? I did hours of testing on mine using a variable 12 volt power supply to simulate the motorhome when I was trying to figure out why that RVi Toad Battery Charger seemed to be working but my battery kept going dead.


One fellow I helped on the road with an Equinox who had battery problems was interesting. He towed a lot at night (remember this), had an under-sized charging line that should have still maintained the battery, but it did not.

I asked him to walk me through how he configured the car, which was correct. Still a puzzle. I asked him to demonstrate it so I could measure the actual current. Still seemed OK.

Then I turned the headlight switch knob counterclockwise and the dash said I disabled the automatic headlights. What? He said he was doing that.

I asked him if he ever noticed the headlights of the car on while towing and he said the lights were on all the time even though he turned that part off. But failed to mention that little detail, of course. And we were testing in the daytime.

He said he thought it was some kind of safety thing.

He showed me and what he was doing was taking the knob for the dash lighting and turning it full dim.

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Old 01-17-2025, 11:10 AM   #10
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When the brakes are applied from the coach does that engage the braking system in the towed vehicle also, Or does the braking system from the coach do all the work ? I realize there has to be a brake-away system installed but is that controlled from the 7pin harness or powered from the towed vehicle ?
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Old 01-17-2025, 12:18 PM   #11
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Most systems use the brake light signal to activate the brake unit inside the TOAD.
I have the Demco Play and Stay which uses both a brake light signal and has an accelerometer. It needs input from both to work. Another brand Tow Bar has a built in surge brake unit (think of the typical boat trailer hyd brake unit) built into the tow bar. That unit pulls on a cable that is attached to your TOADs brake pedal. The harder you stop, the harder it pulls. DP can use a brake unit inside the TOAD that is controlled by the RVs air brakes. All unit, regardless of operation/brand/portable or permanent still have a means for a break away emergency situation.

Are you gas or diesel?
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Old 01-18-2025, 09:34 AM   #12
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Most systems use the brake light signal to activate the brake unit inside the TOAD.
I have the Demco Play and Stay which uses both a brake light signal and has an accelerometer. It needs input from both to work. Another brand Tow Bar has a built in surge brake unit (think of the typical boat trailer hyd brake unit) built into the tow bar. That unit pulls on a cable that is attached to your TOADs brake pedal. The harder you stop, the harder it pulls. DP can use a brake unit inside the TOAD that is controlled by the RVs air brakes. All unit, regardless of operation/brand/portable or permanent still have a means for a break away emergency situation.

Are you gas or diesel?
Great description and good question because it matters. His profile shows a 2021 Georgetown GT5 31L5. So it's gas on the 22,000 GVWR/26,000 GCWR chassis, same as ours.

The breakaway system is powered by the towed vehicle ("toad)". Some portable braking systems, the ones you need to install and remove each time, have a built-in battery to power the breakaway system.

With you having a 2023 Equinox and needing to disconnect the car battery you will need to install the disconnect switch on the battery POSITIVE post, not the negative post as the Chevy bulletin says to do.

All wires on the positive post need disconnected AND whatever supplemental braking system you choose will need to be wired directly to the battery POSITIVE post. I know the Roadmaster electric disconnect system has terminals to allow you to do just that and several people have installed them on their newer Equinox.

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Old 01-18-2025, 01:48 PM   #13
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Most likely, your breakaway system requires the toad battery to remain connected, as the toad needs power for the toad brake and breakaway systems to work; and in a breakaway situation, the connection to the tow is separated, all the toad has is its battery to apply the toad brakes. Further, disconnecting the battery introduces battery connection complications you don't need.


For power, I use a small 12"x16" solar panel on the dash of the toad, plugged into the 'cigarette lighter socket'. Autozone.com has them for $50-$100 suitable for these purposes. You don't need to charge at 20amps, a few amps continuously is enough to keep the battery charged, and the battery supplies 10-15 amps for infrequent brake operation. Really simple. Night is a problem for the solar panel, but we RARELY drive the RV at night, for a bundle of reasons.
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Old 01-18-2025, 07:35 PM   #14
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Further, disconnecting the battery introduces battery connection complications you don't need.
Not for a 2023 or 2024 Equinox and the OP has a 2023. The revised Owners Manual is found here: https://contentdelivery.ext.gm.com/b...03_2P_INS1.pdf

Pic is from the beginning of that PDF.

In this case, not disconnecting the battery results in the tires wobbling, scuffing, and occasionally smoking while in an extended turn such as a cloverleaf. That's why the process was revised.


Why does Chevy say to remove the negative cable but I said to consider putting the disconnect on the positive cable?

Electrically it does not matter. It's safer to remove the negative cable because if a metal tool contacts the frame while touching the negative battery post nothing bad happens. Do the same thing while on the battery positive post and it could result in a fire, blindness, burns, an exploding battery, etc. So Chevy specified the safest process.

But Chevy does not care one whit about the functionality of equipment they did not install, which includes a supplemental braking system. Installing a disconnect switch rather than removing and installing the battery cable repeatedly is the best and safest process, once it's installed properly.

The owner gets to do anything they want but if they do not understand what I wrote then they should hire the work out.

Ray
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