Community Forums

leahabtx · 03-02-2015, 10:31 AM

Is anyone familiar with/using a Remco Lube Pump Kit on their toad to allow them to tow a vehicle? As stated in another post, I have a 2004 Toyota RAV4 with FWD and auto transmission. According to Toyota, this auto cannot be flat towed. Someone recommended I check into a lube pump kit that is supposed to allow flat towing and the Remco website shows a specific kit for my vehicle and transmission type. I'm wondering if anyone on iRV2 is using this type of kit.

I am trying to decide between installing this kit or purchasing a dolly to allow me to tow my RAV4 but have a couple of questions:
(1) I am a single woman who plans to travel alone at times (well, with my dog and Sig), so any opinion on which of the above would be easier for one person to handle as far as driving and connect/disconnect?
(2) Am I correct in assuming a flat towing hitch will take less storage space than a dolly?

Any advice/opinions would be appreciated!

wa8yxm · 03-02-2015, 02:04 PM

First, if a 4WD can not be towed 4D then a dolly is not going to help you, You need a FULL TRAILER, or...

Go to the Remco Towing web page (Google will find it for you) and enter the specs on your ride,, Make, Model, Sub Model (Body style) Engine, Transmission and 4WD,, then the main frame will tell you IF a lube pump can be used.

I tow a front wheel drive car,, With lube pump, So far no tribbles at all, worked great. Only problems I have had were **NOT** related to the lube pump at all. (nor were they transmission problems).

vsheetz · 03-02-2015, 03:02 PM

1) flat tow easier to setup connect/disconnect than a tow dolly
2) with Motorhome attached tow bar, there is nothing to handle or stow as with a tow dolly

lanerd · 03-02-2015, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leahabtx

Is anyone familiar with/using a Remco Lube Pump Kit on their toad to allow them to tow a vehicle? As stated in another post, I have a 2004 Toyota RAV4 with FWD and auto transmission. According to Toyota, this auto cannot be flat towed. Someone recommended I check into a lube pump kit that is supposed to allow flat towing and the Remco website shows a specific kit for my vehicle and transmission type. I'm wondering if anyone on iRV2 is using this type of kit.

I am trying to decide between installing this kit or purchasing a dolly to allow me to tow my RAV4 but have a couple of questions:
(1) I am a single woman who plans to travel alone at times (well, with my dog and Sig), so any opinion on which of the above would be easier for one person to handle as far as driving and connect/disconnect? Without a doubt, 4-down towing is easier for one person to handle.
(2) Am I correct in assuming a flat towing hitch will take less storage space than a dolly? Yes, correct assumption. Tow bar stays on rear of mh when disconnected. Nothing else to store. Storing a dolly can be very burdensome moving by yourself, storing under rear of mh, or storing at rv park. Many will put a hitch on the back of the toad and use it to move to storage.

Any advice/opinions would be appreciated!

Ron

Gary RVRoamer · 03-02-2015, 06:06 PM

Four-down is easier to hook up and disconnect and there is nothing to store. The tow bar stays on the coach. Definitely the most convenient, but also the most expensive.

The lube pump works fine for any front wheel drive vehicle. It is merely an external pump that takes the place of the transmission's own pump when the toad's engine isn't running and circulates the transmission fluid. It uses 12v power to run.

mrpardee · 03-02-2015, 06:11 PM

I have on on my 09 Jeep Liberty A PITA to install but well worth it 3 yrs and counting with no problems

bobcovey · 03-04-2015, 10:45 PM

Just to be clear up front: I bought a new EZE Tow dolly to tow a Toyota Sienna minivan. It is a well designed and built piece of equipment and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who intends to use a dolly. For my needs it turned out to be the wrong solution.
I've been using the dolly for several months. Moving it around alone is about all I can handle, especially on unpaved surfaces. I have to crawl under the dolly to hook up or remove the safety chains on the car. Tightening the straps requires a large wrench and considerable strength. This dolly uses detachable ramps that have to be put on, taken off and stowed in the car every time the car goes on or off the dolly. There is no provision for stowing them on the dolly, but even if there were they would still have to be installed and removed every time.
If you are going to be traveling infrequently, they make sense because the cost of my dolly was less than half the cost of a Remco pump kit, tow bar with surge brake and tow plate. It wasn't an issue when we were moving every couple of weeks or months. But if you are moving often the process becomes a significant PITA. We've loaded and unloaded the dolly 4 times in the last 3 days, which hasn't been fun. Electing to buy a dolly vs. installing the Remco pump kit to tow 4 down was the biggest mistake I made getting ready to go full timing. I plan to change to 4 down next year if finances allow.

FLYING BUTCH · 03-05-2015, 05:33 AM

Just had one put on our Lexus 330SUV. It is a all wheel drive that cant be towed 4 down BUT with the pump no problem. Very easy to hook up and works easily. I would do it well before trying to use a tow dolly. Much easier to park, unhook, rehook etc. Not cheap but they work fine.

safe travels

f14av8r · 03-05-2015, 07:05 AM

I towed a Front Wheel Drive 2004 Lexus RX-330 for four years and forty thousand miles, four wheels down. I had to use a REMCO Lube Pump. Installation was fairly difficult but not overly technical. The hardest part is finding a place to put the pump. It needs to be protected from direct water impact. You also have to run a line from the motorhome dash to the toad for the controller / alarm. You'll likely have to drain and refill your transmission. That toyota / lexus fluid is expensive!

The REMCO system was reasonably reliable but I did experience some problems. The valve on the pump has a plastic sensor that deteriorates over time. Mine started leaking and had to be replaced twice. Service life for that part, at least in my installation, was about a year and a half. And, it is no fun at all when your transmission starts leaking fluid. Make sure whoever installs the pump puts it in a location where you have easy access for maintenance.

I also experienced occasional electrical connection issues that would result in a false alarm at the controller. Make sure whoever does your installation makes a high quality connection between the toad and the coach.

Finally, some car repair locations / dealers may have concerns about working on your vehicle with a system like the REMCO pump installed. One Lexus dealer made me sign a waiver before they would service the car!

I put over 130,000 miles on my RX-330 and never had a problem with the transmission so the REMCO system obviously works. I'd never use one again though. When I replaced the RX-330 I shopped for a car that did not require a lube pump for four down towing.