Flat towing a 2021 F150

[DKRITTER]

I wanted to look at a 2021 F150 and asked about flat towing. My 2019 does so I assumed the 2021 would, we couldn't figure it out.

A little later they figured it out and the GM sent me a link to a YouTube video they did. So in case you're wondering.

 

["EZ"]

I'm assuming it has to be a 4wd so you can put the electronic transfer case in neutral? I'm pretty sure a 2wd F-150 won't flat tow any more than the Ram will. You should specify that so someone doesn't get confused.

 

["EZ"]

I went ahead and watched the video. Good Lord there's 27 steps to put that thing in flat tow mode!!! And she says you can flat tow this truck behind your "trailer" which is false. It can be towed behind your motorhome but flat towing any vehicle behind a trailer is illegal in most States.

 

[DKRITTER]

You must of missed the part at the beginning where she put it into 2 High.

I literally have no idea if 4WD is mandatory, I need and use 4WD regularly so I am only looking at them.

 

["EZ"]

You must of missed the part at the beginning where she put it into 2 High.

I literally have no idea if 4WD is mandatory, I need and use 4WD regularly so I am only looking at them.

4WD is mandatory on most flat tow vehicles. Most you can't put an automatic in neutral and flat tow it because the transmission is not being lubricated while you drive. SO you have to stop the RV every 200 miles or so, start the TOAD and let the oil circulate, then resume your trip. Not something most people want to do. My Ram 1500 4WD will tow with the automatic transmission in PARK and the transfer case in neutral without stopping. My Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk will too.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

4WD is mandatory on most flat tow vehicles. Most you can't put an automatic in neutral and flat tow it because the transmission is not being lubricated while you drive. SO you have to stop the RV every 200 miles or so, start the TOAD and let the oil circulate, then resume your trip. Not something most people want to do. My Ram 1500 4WD will tow with the automatic transmission in PARK and the transfer case in neutral without stopping. My Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk will too.

Hey @"EZ" quit comparing ? to ? it just ain't fair.

 

[MapNerd]

4WD is not absolutely mandatory for flat towing on all vehicles but the vast majority of flat towable vehicles do happen to be 4WD.
For example, you can flat tow a Subaru CrossTrek manual or a Fiat 500 manual, both of which are 2WD cars. As always, your owners manual is the gospel regarding whether or not your particular vehicle is flat towable. If so, the owners manual will expressly state this is okay. Otherwise, I’d not attempt it.

Back to the question at hand, in the case of the 2021 F150 - per the 2021 Ford F-150 owners manual, page 445 states for 4x2 vehicles:

You cannot recreational tow your vehicle with all wheels on the ground because vehicle or transmission damage could occur. You must recreational tow your vehicle with all four wheels off the ground, such as when using a car-hauling trailer. Otherwise, you cannot recreational tow your vehicle.

4x4 models however can be flat towed, the steps to do so are outlined on page 443-444.

 

[MapNerd]

That was a very confusing series of steps. Like anything, practice makes perfect I guess but it is very, very easy on the 2020 model.

looks like Ford tried and failed to make it simple here by putting on option in the settings, but they failed miserably by forcing for go through a series of manual steps before you can do that.

Engineers...

 

[DKRITTER]

EZ Please take a couple of steps back.

This young lady was doing me a favor, as I said when I was there we couldn't figure it out. When they did she suggested putting a YT video, none of them had ever done one before. They were nice enough to do this for me and I wanted to share it.

Critiquing her like you have done just isn't fair, this was the first time she has done anything like this and I'm sorry it wasn't up to your level of expectation.

 

[DKRITTER]

That was a very confusing series of steps. Like anything, practice makes perfect I guess but it is very, very easy on the 2020 model.

looks like Ford tried and failed to make it simple here by putting on option in the settings, but they failed miserably by forcing for go through a series of manual steps before you can do that.

Engineers...

and Lawyers

You definitely have to be determined to get there.

 

["EZ"]

4WD is not absolutely mandatory for flat towing on all vehicles but the vast majority of flat towable vehicles do happen to be 4WD.
For example, you can flat tow a Subaru CrossTrek manual or a Fiat 500 manual, both of which are 2WD cars. As always, your owners manual is the gospel regarding whether or not your particular vehicle is flat towable. If so, the owners manual will expressly state this is okay. Otherwise, I’d not attempt it.

Back to the question at hand, in the case of the 2021 F150 - per the 2021 Ford F-150 owners manual, page 445 states for 4x2 vehicles:


4x4 models however can be flat towed, the steps to do so are outlined on page 443-444.

I said 4wd is mandatory on MOST flat tow vehicles. That would be almost all the ones with automatic transmissions, which is MOST vehicles today. Hardly anyone buys a manual transmission in todays world. Heck, most people younger than 40 don't even know how to drive a manual transmission! And most models offered by most OEMs do not even list a manual transmission as an option.

 

["EZ"]

EZ Please take a couple of steps back.

This young lady was doing me a favor, as I said when I was there we couldn't figure it out. When they did she suggested putting a YT video, none of them had ever done one before. They were nice enough to do this for me and I wanted to share it.

Critiquing her like you have done just isn't fair, this was the first time she has done anything like this and I'm sorry it wasn't up to your level of expectation.

My main comment was how complicated Ford made putting that truck into flat tow mode. That was awful!! And it had nothing to do with the young lady that did your video. I only had one critique and that was she said you could flat tow this truck behind your trailer and that is not true. There are a lot of Newbies reading this forum so I wanted to make sure they knew you could NOT flat tow your F150 behind your trailer. Over all I think she did a great job!!!

 

[MapNerd]

Easy @“EZ”. I wasn’t correcting you, and I don’t believe I said that anything you posted was incorrect. @DKRITTER posted:

I literally have no idea if 4WD is mandatory, I need and use 4WD regularly so I am only looking at them.

So I just added what I knew to be true on that topic, which I guess you took to be a correction of your previous post, which I never said was incorrect.

I mean, I could take your verbatim response to me and change the single qualifying phrase of “most” and send it right back to you...

I said 4wd is mandatory on MOST flat tow vehicles. That would be almost all the ones with automatic transmissions, which is MOST vehicles today.

I said 4x4 is not ABSOLUTELY mandatory on flat tow vehicles. That is not an incorrect statement nor is it a correction of yours. Both posts are equally correct and say essentially the same thing in different ways.

 

[Msdpok]

I went ahead and watched the video. Good Lord there's 27 steps to put that thing in flat tow mode!!! And she says you can flat tow this truck behind your "trailer" which is false. It can be towed behind your motorhome but flat towing any vehicle behind a trailer is illegal in most States.

Actually you have it backwards, it’s legal in most states except on the east coast (excluding Maryland & DC.), Oregon, and Washington Sate but with that said I have on occasion seen double towing in some restricted states! And I believe you needs doubles license!!

 

[MapNerd]

I’d wager very few get stopped, illegal or not. Maybe @FL-JOE would say different as he has first hand experience given his background, but I’d bet you my lunch money that unless an RVer is really acting like a fool, local police as well as troopers ain’t gonna bother. It’s just too much of a hassle.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

As worded I agree with @"EZ ". 5th wheel, maybe, trailer no. Car trailer, depending on state. Flat tow, hummmm,LOL,sounds really safe to me and I double all the time.

 

[Joe Hogan]

A complicated flat tow process is Probably not something you want to get wrong

Jeep Wrangler Powertrain Blows Up After Alleged Flat-Towing Fail

The engine and transmission in this 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon were catastrophically destroyed when it was allegedly towed in gear behind an RV.

www.motor1.com

 

[FL-JOE]

IMORO (in my old retired opinion) if an RVer was flat towing a vehicle behind a RV trailer or fiver in a State where double tows are illegal there would probably be a slim chance of him/her getting stopped. However, if it was windy or the operator was having issues maintaining their lane the chances of getting stopped would greatly increase. You would be surprised at how many motorist call the State Police to report speeding and erratic drivers going down the interstate. Of course if you would have the misfortune of being pulled over for having an illegal double tow not only could you be cited but the Trooper is going to make you get "legal" before leaving the scene. So be sure to have a second driver.

 

[Gizmo]

A friend had a 2020 or 2021 and was towing it when the battery went dead. If destroyed the transmission and damage the engine when it kicked out of four down towing mode after the battery went dead. I would make sure you have a charge line to ensure the battery stays charged. Ford won't cover it under warranty and cost him north of 10,000 repair bills.