How To Tow Proof Your Car

Mostly, people tow proof their vehicles to prevent them from being taken away by anyone. This may be necessitated by non-fulfillment of the terms agreed on before renting out the vehicle, parking wrongly at prohibited places, and a lot of other reasons.

Now, what are some of the ways you can tow proof a vehicle?

Certain tips are vital if you wish to prevent your car from being towed away by anyone without your consent.

(1). Firstly, you should make sure to fully engage the emergency brake of the car to maintain it on the same spot throughout parking.

(2). Secondly, ensure that you always park the car with its wheels turned.

(3). You can also guard against illegal towing by removing either a tire or two from the vehicle after parking. 

(4). It is also common for people to guard against illegal or un-permitted towing of their vehicles by installing a wheel or tire lock, particularly on a non-drive wheel.

(5). Towing is also prevented when you park the vehicle tightly between other cars or objects such that moving it will be impossible or at least very difficult to undertake.

(6). Be mindful of the places you park too. For instance, do not park on a curb or any such risky places.

In the case of rented cars, repossession happens commonly when you have failed to make good on the terms and conditions agreed upon before renting the vehicle.

Similarly, transportation authorities can impound and eventually tow your vehicle away if you contravene any traffic rules by parking the vehicle wrongly or at a prohibited location.

Apart from the tips given earlier on how to prevent your car from being towed away, there are also other measures you can take to tow proof your vehicle. One of these is by making sure to always park the vehicle in a securely locked garage.

In this way, nobody will have easy access to it, let alone tow it away. Sometimes, it is common practice to install alarms that will sound off when the vehicle is under any threat or intrusion from unknown persons. In this way, you will be alerted when such happens.

What is the best way to tow-proof your car?

Logically speaking, some of the best ways to tow proof your vehicle are those that give you maximum satisfaction without any needless or avoidable inconveniences.  To this effect, you should not park your car in isolated and secluded places: make sure that you always park the vehicle at places where there are people.

Secondly, the use of either wheel or steering wheel locks is another very effective way of tow proofing your vehicle. When you park your vehicle in a sealed and securely locked garage, you are essentially tow-proofing it in about the best way possible. 

Another way you can very satisfactorily protect your vehicle from being towed by the rental companies is to make sure that you are up to date in paying all the necessary fees.

Furthermore, you can tow proof your vehicle from the police and other traffic officials when you park properly and not at any of the prohibited places such as slopes and sharp bends. These are some of the best ways you can tow-proof your vehicle.

However, the best way to tow proof your car is by locking it away securely in a sealed garage or locked garage.

Is tow proofing compulsory?

No, tow proofing your vehicle is not compulsory or mandated by the law and for this reason, you do not stand any risks or disobey any laws if you fail to tow proof your vehicle.

However, it is still strongly advisable to tow-proof your car to prevent unnecessary repossession, theft, and the payment of any exorbitant levies for wrong parking.

After all, some methods of tow-proofing vehicles are easier to apply and cost little or nothing too, which you accomplish in just a couple of moves. So, yes, although it is good to tow proof your car, it is still not compulsory.

When can I tow proof my car?

It is generally advisable to tow proof your car when parking finally at the end of the day or when on a visit to somewhere during the day and you feel there is the need to protect it from intruders or even law enforcement agents and repo men.

Therefore, whenever you have any suspicion or pessimism about the safety of your vehicle after parking, it is strongly recommended that you should tow proof it, just in case.

Consequent to this, you are strongly advised to avoid any reasons that may lead to your vehicle getting towed without your consent such as parking it properly all the time and by making sure that you are up to date in the payment of any rental fees for rented cars.

Sometimes, people can also tow proof their vehicles after parking as a way of making sure that the vehicles remain on the same spot throughout the period. In a nutshell, you can tow proof your car at any time, as long as you feel the need to do so for whatever reason.

Where should I tow proof my car?

You can tow proof your car at any place or time you feel there is the need to do so to guard against intruders, repo men, or law enforcement agents in cases of wrong and improper parking. It is also possible to tow-proof your car by installing wheel or steering locks at the appropriate places.

Also, you can tow proof your car with the aid of the parking brake by engaging it after stopping the vehicle. All in all, the commonest place where most people tow proof their vehicles are the wheels.

Again, you must make sure that before tow proofing your car using any of the methods discussed, make sure that you park it at a place with the least possible risk from other road users and their vehicles.

Can all vehicles be tow-proof?

There are many different ways through which you can tow proof any vehicle. Luckily, these methods of tow proofing a vehicle apply to all vehicles since it can be done with either the parking brake, wheels, or the steering wheel which all vehicles have.

This involves engaging the parking brake after stopping the vehicle, using wheel or steering locks as well as turning the tires after parking. Making a car tow-proof may even involve putting it in a garage and locking it away.

So, yes, all vehicles can be tow-proofed, but it all depends on what method you want to use.

 FAQs

(1). Can you tow a car while it’s running?

Of course, you can tow your car while the engine is still running. This is particularly so if the car has an automatic transmission system. This is because most auto oil pumps are operated by a torque converter that is connected to the flywheel.

As a result, whenever the engine is running, the transmission oil pump will also be working. The issue is quite different and harmful if you attempt to tow a car with the automatic transmission when the engine is not running.

To this effect, most auto manufacturers specify how long or far you can safely flat tow a vehicle without its engine running. But, what you should ascertain always is that the gear lever should be in the ‘Neutral’ and not the ‘Park’ position while towing.

Whenever the engine of a vehicle is running, it simply means that the transmission pump is also operating as well and all the moving parts are turning too. Conversely, even when the transmission system is faulty, it still makes little or no difference when you leave the engine running.

(2). How to park to avoid repo

There are many ways through which you can park to avoid the repossession of the vehicle.

(1). You can avoid repo when you park your car locked away securely in a sealed garage. This will ensure that the car is not accessible to anybody at all.

(2). You can also avoid repo if you exchange or swap cars with a friend who lives in a different state.

(3). You will essentially avoid the repo man when you disable the tracker in it.

(4). It is also common for people to avoid repossession by lending their vehicles to neighbors or friends that live in other towns or states.

(5). Finally, when you sell off the car to a new owner, you have essentially avoided any possibility of repossession by anyone.

Repossession happens commonly after there is any failure on your part to pay up the necessary fees to the rental company in case of rented cars. Therefore, the best option in terms of discouraging or preventing repossession is to make sure that the rental fees are paid promptly and in full too.

Conclusion – How To Tow Proof Your Car

There are many reasons why vehicles can get repossessed either by traffic authorities or rental companies. Fortunately, this can be prevented by taking certain measures commonly referred to as tow proofing.

Again, some methods of tow proofing require little or no stress at all. Therefore, you should choose that which is most convenient for you.