Will Flat Towing Hurt My Transmission?

Why is it that some vehicles can be flat towed, while other vehicles' transmissions essentially blow up at the thought? Is YOUR vehicle safe to tow behind a motorhome? It all depends on your vehicle and drivetrain. I'll break it down for you in this video.
Thanks for watching!
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00:00 - Intro / CHECK YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL
00:31 - What determines if a transmission will be damaged?
01:41 - Is your transmission flat towable?
02:43 - Driveshaft disconnects

[@mrwiffelure4097]

Can u tow a rear wheel drive & auto trans without disconnecting drive shaft if car engine is ideling at all times?

[@plorks445]

Can a CVT be flat towed for a fairly short distance, less than 2 miles if in neutral and the engine is running?
I'm trying to think of safe ways to help people stuck in snow or on icy roads.

[@etrailer]

In that respect, a CVT equipped vehicle would be treated just like any other vehicle with an automatic transmission. A tow of short duration/distance like what you'd have in a recovery situation would be just fine. Flat towing said vehicle for long distances would damage the transmission. We'd recommend keeping the distance as short as possible. We realize that's a pretty general response, but different vehicle manufacturers have different recommendations/prohibitions regarding towing. Hope that helps!

[@plorks445]

@@etrailerPerfect info. Thanks.

[@jf4872]

How about a vehicle such as a Subaru Sambar 5 speed manual all wheel drive? The vehicle has no external cooling of trans fluid. it is essentially a synchronous trans like in old VW bus.

[@etrailer]

Unfortunately, we couldn't say. The Subaru Sambar truck wasn't available in the US market, so we don't have any information about that vehicle. We can say that typically, manual transmission-equipped vehicles can be flat towed, but there are some exceptions. We would recommend contacting Subaru for clarification.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

Don't chance it. Put it on a car hauler.