Can You Flat Tow A Toyota Forerunner?

Yes, but only with the help of a flatbed. It has been recommended that you should not flat a 2019 Toyota 4Runner because doing so will increase the risk of damage to certain parts of the vehicle such as its transmission system.

This recommendation is given regardless of whether the vehicle is automatic or manual from the year 1996 to the present day. But any car above the 2019 Toyota 4runner can be flat towed.

If you should flat tow a Toyota 4Runner, its front shaft will spin the oil up and hence maintain everything well.

However, when you tow the vehicle, its driveshaft will spin but the internal may not have any oil, and that is what causes problems to the transfer case. All the same, you can still disconnect the driveshaft which will enable you to flat tow the vehicle and safely too without damaging anything at all.

You can do this driveshaft disconnection by engaging the gear lever in the neutral position(N), after which the car will become safely towable.

The general rule of the thumb when you are towing the vehicle with a wheel-lift type of trailer is never to tow a front-wheel-drive car from its front while its rear wheels are on the ground.

Whereas for 4WD cars, you should not tow them with any of the wheels on the ground. Also, you should not tow a 2WD model from the rear whenever the engine switch is in the Lock position or its key is not in the ignition slot, because the steering lock device is not so strong as to maintain the front wheels straight.

In addition, for any vehicle that has a smart key system, never turn the ‘Engine Start Stop’ switch off, because that will basically lock up the steering wheel and hence stop operation with the possibility of an accident occurring.

Notably, whenever the engine is not running, the power assist for its brakes and the steering will not work, which can make both the steering and breaking a lot more difficult too.

Is it safe to flat-tow a Toyota 4Runner?

All things being equal, it is best to flat-tow a Toyota 4Runner with the aid of a flatbed tow truck which does not put its transmission system into any harm.

However, if you adopt the use of certain techniques which will protect the transmission system, you can safely tow the vehicle. For example, you can neutralize the drive shaft by simply engaging the gear lever in the Neutral position.

Similarly, for an FWD Drive car, you can also tow it using a tow dolly such that its front wheels will not be in contact with the ground, which will protect its transmission system. As long as you tow the vehicle with strict adherence to these recommendations, it is as safe as any other.

Therefore, yes, you can flat tow a Toyota 4Runner safely if certain conditions are met fully.

Other reasons why you should not flat tow a Toyota 4Runner with its 4 wheels on the ground are its center differential and transaxle which are not meant to freely spin whenever the engine is not running.

This provision is made to protect both the transmission system and also the drivetrain. In other words, the engine has to be running for any fluid to effectively circulate.

If this does not happen, there is the possibility of the transfer case of the vehicle overheating. Luckily, there are multiple ways through which you can go around these problems and tow your Toyota 4Runner safely.

How do I flat tow a Toyota 4Runner?

For what it is worth, the manufacturers have expressly instructed that you should not flat tow any Toyota 4Runner produced from 1996 to the present time.

However, if you adopt certain adjustments to protect the vehicle and its transmission mechanism, the car can be safely flat towable. For instance, apart from the possibility of towing the vehicle with the aid of a flatbed tow truck, you can also flat tow it safely in other ways as well.

First, you can flat its FWD model with a tow dolly which will ensure that its front wheels never touch the ground throughout the tow period.

Second, you can also tow the vehicle after disengaging its driveshaft by putting the gear lever in the neutral position, which will isolate the transmission system and by so doing, protect it from any possible damage during towing. These are some of the major ways through which you can tow the vehicle and safely too.

What should I use to flat-tow a Toyota 4Runner?

To flat-tow a Toyota 4Runner, you will need a good tow bar, safety cables, some base plate kits, wiring, an effective supplemental brake system, and probably a high and low adapter as well.

For this purpose, we recommend the best tow bar for the job, which is the Roadmaster Falcon 2 # RM-520. This tow bar is foldable while it is still installed in the hitch receiver of the RV for storage.

While for the base plates, you can use the Roadmaster XL Base Plate # 1185-1 that comes with removable arms for a cleaner look when you are not towing.

Finally, the Roadmaster Diode 7-wire or the 6-Wire Flexo-coil Wiring Kit # RM-15267 will serve just as efficiently too, and the Blue Ox Patriot Il Radio Frequency will give an excellent supplemental braking system as well. These are some of the things you will require to flat-tow a Toyota 4Runner safely.

Do I put the car in Neutral when flat towing a Toyota 4Runner?

The primary objective is to ensure that the transmission system of any towed vehicle is protected from damage throughout the time of the towing. Commonly, damage to the transmission occurs when some or all of the tires roll on the ground during the tow.

Consequently, you can either tow with all or some of the wheels off the ground. Which wheels stay off or on the ground is always determined by the type of features of the vehicle as we have in FWD or AWD cars.

In response to this towing challenge, you can still tow the Toyota 4Runner by removing or neutralizing its driveshaft when you put its gear lever in the Neutral position during towing.

As long as it remains in this position, you have eliminated the chances of any possible damage to the transmission system of the vehicle. So, yes, you should put the car in Neutral when you are flat towing a Toyota 4Runner to protect your transmission.

Frequently asked questions(FAQ)

Can a Toyota Tacuma be flat towed?

As always, the manufacturers of this car have also made it expressly clear in this case too that you should not flat tow a Toyota Tacuma. Specifically, it is stated in the owner’s manual that flat towing a Toyota Tacuma may lead to severe damage to its transmission system.

Notably, the prohibition against flat towing applies to most Toyota models regardless of their years of production. All the same, if you still insist to flat tow, then, you should first determine the type of features it has whether FWD or AWD.

After doing so, you can now safely flat tow with the aid of a tow dolly or by neutralizing the driveshaft of the vehicle when you engage it in the Neutral position.

What 2020 SUV can be flat towed?

Multiple 2020 SUVs can be easily and safely flat towed. However, before you venture into any flat towing, you should first be sure of the features or characteristics of your vehicle.

This is because knowing these features will enable you to safely decide how you can go about flat towing it without harm to anything. Some of the commonest 2020 SUVs that can be safely flat towed are the Jeep Gladiator, Ford Edge ST(2019 or even newer models), Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford F-150, and Chevy Equinox, among many others.

Is it bad to tow a car behind an RV?

Whether towing behind an RV is bad or not will depend on certain things. For instance, the weight of the vehicle you want to tow and also whether the RV has enough power and capacity to tow it too. For example, you cannot flat tow all vehicles with their 4 wheels on the ground behind an RV.

The commonest ways to flat tow behind an RV are towing with all the wheels on the ground, with the aid of a dolly towing, and finally, towing on a flatbed tow trailer, which is the safest method and one that is useful for any vehicle too. If you can determine which method applies to your vehicle and do it carefully, then, it is not bad to tow your car behind an RV.

Conclusion – Can You Flat Tow A Toyota Forerunner?

Flat towing a vehicle must happen one way or another as long as you put a vehicle on the road, either now or whenever. Therefore, it becomes very imperative that you know as much about it as possible, just in case. The Toyota 4Runner, like some models of cars, is simply not flat towable.

However, with the appropriate counter-measures and modifications, people are now able to flat-tow the vehicle and very safe too. The most important thing is to know the features of your car with regards to flat towing and make sure that you do it correctly.