What are the consequences??

[EcoRick]

We’re looking at our Toad options for our MH. We reviewed all the vehicles you can flat tow and know there are speed and mileage limits for many of them. What are the consequences of going above the suggested MPH? One of the cars we're looking at is the Chevy Equinox that has a 65MPH limit. I prefer to drive 65 MPH but there are times I could drive faster. Will anything happen over a period of time?

[TOO LONG]

Originally Posted by EcoRick

We’re looking at our Toad options for our MH. We reviewed all the vehicles you can flat tow and know there are speed and mileage limits for many of them. What are the consequences of going above the suggested MPH? One of the cars we're looking at is the Chevy Equinox that has a 65MPH limit. I prefer to drive 65 MPH but there are times I could drive faster. Will anything happen over a period of time?

Not familiar with the equinox but some vehicles you could burn up your transmission. Other than that I cant think of anything. Read owners manual for possible problems.

[FIRE UP]

Well,
We've been towing toads now for oh, maybe 36+ years and, for the most part, they've been Jeeps. And, as far as I know, in all those years and 9 different Jeeps, we've had no real road speed towing restrictions. However, we did tow an '11 Honda CRV EX-L for about a year and, it had a 65 mph speed limit for towing. I think I ran over that limit several times, based on certain situations. No flames, no catastrophes, the sun still rises and I think the moon is still there, although that's questionable in our present atmosphere(s).

If you're concerned about towing speed limit, I'd highly recommend just about any model of Jeep Wrangler. Preferably the JKU (four door model) due to it being soooooo versatile. Not all folks like Jeeps so, that's a decision you'll have to make.

But, setting them up for towing, as in tow bar hook-ups, wiring, etc. is quite easy. And, prepping them for towing, as in getting ready to tow, hook up the tow bar, transfer case in NEUTRAL, trans in gear (if a manual trans), automatic in PARK, and, you're done. Mid '08 through '17 are the JK models. The JL, which debuted in '18, is a bit different in the wiring side of things. The mechanicals are, from what I've heard, the same.

Anyway, there's some suggestions.
Scott

[lllkrob]

Originally Posted by EcoRick

We’re looking at our Toad options for our MH. We reviewed all the vehicles you can flat tow and know there are speed and mileage limits for many of them. What are the consequences of going above the suggested MPH? One of the cars we're looking at is the Chevy Equinox that has a 65MPH limit. I prefer to drive 65 MPH but there are times I could drive faster. Will anything happen over a period of time?

I have a Chevy Equinox and routinely tow it at 68 to 70 MPH all day long with no problems. I have now towed it over 25,000 miles. Having worked in automotive engineering for over 30 years, I can not think of any design reason to impose a hard 65 MPH cap on towing. If it will tow at 65 MPH, it will tow just as well at 75 MPH. The internal heat and wear loads are just not that different.
The one thing you should do is any time you stop, for fuel or lunch or whatever, start the vehicle and allow the fluid to circulate through the transmission for 5 to 10 minutes.
One other thing to remember is the owners manuals are written by "product specialist" (marketing types) not engineers. I know for a fact that the corporate lawyers have a great deal to say about what gets stated in the owners manuals, the engineers have virtually none.

[KenZ71]

With many newer cars having remote start on the FOB it should be easy enough to hit the start button and let it go. They usually auto turn off after 10 minutes or so.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Probably nothing, but the limits are intended to avoid overheating the transmission under extreme conditions. Towing long distances at high speeds on a really hot day can all add up.

[Sky_Boss]

We towed a Honda CRV for 6 years with occasional "overspeed" and didn't have a problem. I was a bit over generous with the transmission fluid change. FWIW, a Honda mechanic said the restriction was to avoid having the fluid froth and that was a problem for proper lubrication.

Have a 2020 Grand Cherokee Jeep Overland now with no speed limit. We found the set up a bit more complicated at first but change can always be challenging. With the CRV we didn't have any issues remembering the set up but the Jeep we still use a checklist.

So, how as that affected our travel? We now do up to 70 MPH on a regular basis with out worrying about overspeed on straight downhill runs where I will let the speed go up higher. The extra weight of the Jeep doesn't seem to make any difference to performance.

To be honest, had Honda CRVs remained flat towable (models after 2014 are not) we would have probably stayed with them. There is comfort with familiar things. HOWEVER...we really like the Jeep for all manner of things. Quieter, more power, more amenities and we have even taken it off-road on easy trails.

[MSHappyCampers]

I think you'll find that most of the vehicle manufacturers specify a maximum speed of 65 MPH when being towed.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by KenZ71

With many newer cars having remote start on the FOB it should be easy enough to hit the start button and let it go. They usually auto turn off after 10 minutes or so.

That's an interesting idea. I'll have to test that on my 2020 Equinox. The procedure on mine is to tap the Start/Stop button with your foot off the brake after running it. That lights the yellow light on the button.

I'll have to see if the FOB will start the car in neutral and keep the yellow light lit when the engine stops automatically. It may not.

Ray

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Probably nothing, but the limits are intended to avoid overheating the transmission under extreme conditions. Towing long distances at high speeds on a really hot day can all add up.

The Equinox also has a restriction in the manual about not disturbing the air flow through and across the car with any type of towing shield. The only thing allowed is something on the motorhome itself; nothing on the car or tow bar.

The manual notes it's because of transmission cooling requirements so Gary probably has it correct. My Equinox also lacks a transmission dipstick or a requirement for a periodic transmission fluid change so there's no easy way to check the fluid visually.

The manual also says to run the car for ten minutes at each fuel stop but gives no mile or time limit specifics. A fuel stop on a gasser will be more frequent than a fuel stop on a 150-gallon DP.

One thing to consider is whether your car is still under the drivetrain warranty. Putting the car into tow mode may trigger a system that measures the car's speed and records an event if 65 MPH is exceeded as well as the duration. Or maybe not.

Ray

[Old Scout]

I always wonder why my fellow RVers are in such a hurry to get some where? 65 vs 70MPH for an 8 hr driving day is 40 more miles-- and most of us only drive 5-6 hours/day. So how big a difference is that? Of course the more important question to me is: "not how fast can you drive but how fast can you stop?" To each their own--I will just wave when you go by and you can wave back at me while you are stopped to let your towed cool down [smile].

[Sky_Boss]

Originally Posted by Old Scout

I always wonder why my fellow RVers are in such a hurry to get some where? 65 vs 70MPH for an 8 hr driving day is 40 more miles--...

For *ME* it is a balancing act of managing safety factors. I feel it is safer to run closer to the posted speed limit and/or matching traffic flow. In the past, our CRV limited my choices but the Jeep lets me stay closer to *MY* philosophy. I have situations where I run slower but going into that takes this off topic.

[EcoRick]

Thanks for the comments. We’ve narrowed it down to a Chevy Equinox or Grand Jeep Cherokee. Given the tax benefits of the Grand Jeep Cherokee, we’ll probably take the MPH limit of the Equinox out of the equation.

[Arch Hoagland]

Originally Posted by EcoRick

Thanks for the comments. We’ve narrowed it down to a Chevy Equinox or Grand Jeep Cherokee. Given the tax benefits of the Grand Jeep Cherokee, we’ll probably take the MPH limit of the Equinox out of the equation.

Tax benefits?

Help me out here. What are the tax benefits?