[pdxkara]

We recently bought a mini-RV and are looking for a lightweight fuel-efficient car to tow behind on our road trips.

Does anyone know if this is towable? (*crossing fingers and wishing hard!!*)

Thanks!

 

[KiaKrazy]

I can't see why it wouldn't be towable.. how do you plan on towing it behind the RV ?

 

[Jay]

The Ioniq has the same drivetrain. Hyundai wants you to use a flatbed truck, ideally. Otherwise:

It is acceptable to tow the vehicle
with the rear wheels on the ground
(without dollies) and the front wheels
off the ground.
If any of the loaded wheels or suspension
components are damaged
or the vehicle is being towed with the
front wheels on the ground, use a
towing dolly under the front wheels.
When being towed by a commercial
tow truck and wheel dollies are not
used, the front of the vehicle should
always be lifted, not the rear.

That's from the Ioniq owner's manual.

 

[pdxkara]

Jay - thank you for finding and sharing that info!

I went to our local Kia dealer yesterday and got to see the Niro in person and get a feel for it. It is not test-drivable yet.
It is a really nice car and perfect for a family with a dog.

The RV tow ability makes this a win for our family.

Happy trails!!

 

[Broncos]

If it's FWD then it makes sense to bring the front-wheels off the ground. If it's AWD, dollies are absolutely necessary because all 4 wheels need to be suspended. RWD, only the rear needs to be off of the ground. Once you've been towing anything, that's common knowledge.

 

[Alex]

Keep in mind you always have U-Haul to rent a trailer from just in case you want all 4 wheels off the ground. But most people I know with RV's that keep compact city cars to get around just have the front two wheels (FWD) elevated.

In for seeing what sort of RV you have, planning to get one in a few years

 

[Broncos]

Do you have any buds that have an RV and have experience towing anything with it ??

 

[PAULRIDES]

I towed many miles with all 4 on the ground ( a Ford Escort Wagon and a Nissan Frontier Pickup). However, those were both manual transmissions and placed in Neutral for towing.

Many Manual Transmissions can be towed all wheels down, some Automatics can. Some require occasional stop and run the engine and transmission shifting.

Some use a device on the axle (front drive) to break the connection.

Check the towing guides.

Personally, I would not want to fool with a trailer of any kind (for 4 wheel or for 2 wheels) when arriving at a campground. Have to disconnect the trailer and find a place to park it (unless you have a pull thru camp site). Much easier to disconnect the car and park the motor home (back in or pull thru) and not have to worry about where to park an extra trailer or have to manually push the trailer around.

 

[Alex]

Most people who tow trailers don't need to do it often so those few time you do, just rent a bigger vehicle; Suburban, F-150, things along those lines. No point putting stress on your vehicle and possibly running into problems 4-5 years down the line because of this.

 

[Broncos]

I towed many miles with all 4 on the ground ( a Ford Escort Wagon and a Nissan Frontier Pickup). However, those were both manual transmissions and placed in Neutral for towing.

Many Manual Transmissions can be towed all wheels down, some Automatics can. Some require occasional stop and run the engine and transmission shifting.

Some use a device on the axle (front drive) to break the connection.

Check the towing guides.

Personally, I would not want to fool with a trailer of any kind (for 4 wheel or for 2 wheels) when arriving at a campground. Have to disconnect the trailer and find a place to park it (unless you have a pull thru camp site). Much easier to disconnect the car and park the motor home (back in or pull thru) and not have to worry about where to park an extra trailer or have to manually push the trailer around.

Wait what do you mean by all wheels down? Why would you require occasional stop for as well?

 

[PAULRIDES]

Quote
Wait what do you mean by all wheels down?

Why would you require occasional stop for as well?
Quote

All wheels down means --- No trailers, All 4 car wheels are down. RV Slang -- figured most would know.

Occasional stop --- Some Automatic Transmission cars towed "All Wheels Down" require running the engine and shifting thru the gears every so often (I think like 500 miles of towing - don't quote me on that).

Main Thing is Check It Out Before Buying a Car to Tow so you know what is required. Also give consideration as to what you want to take along.

Another RV Slang is "Toad Car" or "Toad Vehicle" is the car or vehicle you are towing.

The 'Toad Car' also offers extra storage. Like with my Ford Escort Wagon (I hauled Kayak on top of it). Like with my Nissan Frontier Pickup (I hauled my MC and sometimes a Kayak also).

By The Way --- Many RVs are rated to tow only 1500 pounds unless you have a brake system on the Toad Vehicle (RV Salesman likely not tell you that). Check Owners Manual -- in many states you will be in violation of the law if you do not follow Owners Manual Recommendation.

A Smart Lawyer might pickup on that if in an accident and make you responsible (Lawsuit).

 

[Dave Franklin]

The interesting thing about a Niro, is that it has what is described as an "automated" manual transmission. As far as the driver is concerned, it is an automatic. However, mechanically speaking, it is technically a "computer controlled" manual transmission. This description would seem to suggest that, in neutral, dinghy (4 wheels on the ground) towing is possible. Would love to hear more from manufacturer (Kia) on this topic. I actually own a plug-in Kia Niro, and in addition to flat towing, would even like to explore using the possibility of adding solar panels to the roof of the RV, and porting a bidirectional charging system into my Niro that would allow me to store energy collected by the solar panels into the PHEV battery, potentially allowing me to use the car power the RV at night (on occasion), for lights, and other low impact needs, without having to fire up the generator every time. (In other words, utilizing the PHEV battery in the Niro in a similar manner as a Tesla Power Wall)

 

[Roadkill401]

They do say that the car should be towed on a flat bed or with the front wheels lifted. It goes on to say that if you must tow with all four wheels down,
from the manual:

If the car is being towed with all four wheels on the ground, it can be towed only from the front. Be sure that the transaxle is in neutral. Be sure the steering is unlocked by placing the ignition switch in the ACC position. A driver must be in the towed vehicle to operate the steering and brakes.

CAUTION - Dual clutch transmission

• To avoid serious damage to the dual clutch transmission, limit the vehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph) and drive less than 1.5 km (1 mile) when towing.
  Before towing, check the dual clutch transmission for fluid leaks under your vehicle. If the dual clutch transmission fluid is leaking, flatbed equipment or a towing dolly must be used.

 

[Tom The Lock Dude]

My research indicates that the only plug in hybrid vehicles you can safely toad or flat tow are the Ford Fusion and the Ford C-Max. If anyone knows of any other plug in hybrid vehicles that can be safely used as a toad, I am very interested. I am not interested in any hybrids that are not plug in nor any electric vehicles, plug in hybrid only, please.

 

[jmurphEV]

They do say that the car should be towed on a flat bed or with the front wheels lifted. It goes on to say that if you must tow with all four wheels down,
from the manual:

If the car is being towed with all four wheels on the ground, it can be towed only from the front. Be sure that the transaxle is in neutral. Be sure the steering is unlocked by placing the ignition switch in the ACC position. A driver must be in the towed vehicle to operate the steering and brakes.

CAUTION - Dual clutch transmission

• To avoid serious damage to the dual clutch transmission, limit the vehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph) and drive less than 1.5 km (1 mile) when towing.
  Before towing, check the dual clutch transmission for fluid leaks under your vehicle. If the dual clutch transmission fluid is leaking, flatbed equipment or a towing dolly must be used.

The ACC part is interesting because the manual also states that the car will automatically turn OFF after one hour. I wonder if that re-locks the steering wheel.