How to Use a Tow Bar for Flat Towing Your Vehicle | Step-by-Step

Flat towing—also called dinghy towing—means your motorhome pulls your car with all four of its wheels on the ground, connected by a tow bar secured to a baseplate on the vehicle. The single most important rule: your vehicle must be factory-approved for recreational towing. Before you buy any equipment, check the owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s official towing guidelines. The steps below walk through the full hookup procedure, the safety requirements, and the mistakes that damage drivetrains.

What Vehicles Can Be Flat Towed?

Not every car can be flat towed, and guessing is how drivetrains get destroyed. Some 2WD, AWD, and certain 4WD models must go on a dolly or a trailer instead. The manufacturer’s recreational towing instructions are the only source that matters.

The pattern is consistent across brands: AWD systems and many 2WD setups simply cannot handle rear wheels spinning on the pavement. Towing one set of wheels on the ground without the manufacturer’s approval risks severe transmission or transfer case damage.

How to Hook Up a Tow Bar: The Full Sequence

Once you’ve confirmed your vehicle is approved, the hookup itself takes about fifteen minutes once you’ve done it a few times. Follow this order every trip.

1. Park both vehicles on level ground, aligned straight. The motorhome and towed vehicle should form a straight line. Engage the motorhome’s parking brake.
2. Verify the baseplate and mount the tow bar. The baseplate should be bolted to the vehicle’s structural frame—never the bumper or fascia. Slide the tow bar into the motorhome’s hitch receiver and secure the hitch pin.
3. Connect the tow bar arms to the baseplate. Attach each arm to its corresponding baseplate tab and confirm every pin, latch, and clip is fully locked. Give each one a firm tug.
4. Cross the safety cables under the tow bar. Cross them so they form an X beneath the bar. This creates a cradle that catches the bar if it ever detaches from the hitch.
5. Plug in the wiring harness and test the lights. Connect the lighting cable between both vehicles, then verify brake lights, turn signals, and running lights all work. Have someone watch the rear of the towed vehicle while you test each function.
6. Prepare the towed vehicle per the owner’s manual. This step varies by model. Typical requirements include shifting the transmission to Neutral, unlocking the steering column, placing the transfer case in Neutral, and possibly disconnecting the battery or pulling a specific fuse.
7. Set up the supplemental braking system. Most states require a braking system in the towed vehicle. Install and arm the unit per its instructions, then confirm the breakaway cable is connected to the motorhome.
8. Do a final walk-around. Check all pins, cables, and connections one last time. Then test the brakes from inside the motorhome before you leave the driveway.

When everything is locked in place, the vehicle is ready. A quick visual check of every connection takes under a minute and prevents most roadside failures.

What Are the Legal and Safety Requirements?

State laws govern flat towing, and they’re not uniform. Most states require working signal and running lights on the towed vehicle—hence the wiring harness. Many also mandate supplemental braking systems and breakaway systems that apply the towed vehicle’s brakes if it detaches from the motorhome.

Do not rely on the tow bar alone to hold the vehicle. Tow bars and safety chains must be rated for the towed vehicle’s weight, and the equipment must attach to structural mounting points. A tow bar rated below your vehicle’s weight is a failure waiting to happen.

Common Flat Towing Mistakes

Experienced towers see the same errors repeatedly. The most costly ones:

• Towing an unapproved vehicle. The most expensive mistake by far—drivetrain damage is not covered by warranty.
• Not crossing the safety cables. Uncrossed cables can drag and snap in a sharp turn.
• Skipping the supplemental braking system. Beyond legality, an unbraked vehicle pushes the motorhome in any panic stop.
• Missing the steering unlock or transfer case Neutral step. Follow the owner’s manual exactly for your specific model.
• Attaching equipment to non-structural parts. Bumpers and fascia are not load-bearing for towing.
• Failing to verify lights and latches. A fifteen-second check prevents tickets and accidents.

If you’re still choosing a tow bar for your truck, our tested roundup of the best truck towing bars covers the top-rated models and what each does best.