// TowPro Academy · Flat Towing Course

Tow your car behind the motorhome. Get it right.Dinghy & four-down towing

You want a car at the campground. But one wrong step in the owner’s manual procedure, a locked steering wheel, or a toad with no brakes can turn a travel day into a repair bill. This course walks you through flat towing from “can my car do this?” to a hookup, unhook and travel-day routine you run the same way every time.

Enroll – $69 See what’s inside
$69 one time24 lessons · about 2 hours6 modules3 printable checklistsSelf-paced video
Motorhome flat towing a Jeep four-down at sunset

What goes wrong
behind the motorhome

$69

One time · straight from the lessons

⚠ Dead battery at the campground

Systems can stay awake in tow mode and nothing is charging the battery. You unhook, turn the key, and nothing happens.

⚠ Steering left locked

Some vehicles must sit in a certain ignition position so the steering isn’t locked. Locked steering drags the tires.

⚠ No supplemental brakes

With the engine off, a towed vehicle’s power brakes lose most of their assist. Without brakes, it pushes the motorhome: longer stops, hotter brakes.

⚠ A step skipped in the manual’s procedure

With the wheels turning and the engine off, some transmissions can be damaged. Skipping one step, even once, can do it.

⚠ A toad brake stuck on

A dragging brake can overheat, ruin tires, and in the worst case start a fire. You may not feel it from the driver’s seat.

⚠ Backing up with the toad on

Most flat-tow setups can’t back up. Pull into the wrong fuel stop and you may have to unhook to turn around.

Troubleshooting slide, Find the cause of a stuck brake: toad parking brake fully off, portable unit or object on the pedal, system set up per the maker, can't find it don't drive on Slide: steering must turn freely; locked steering drags the tires
// The route

What you’ll learn:
6 modules

From whether your vehicle can be flat towed, through equipment, hookup and driving, to troubleshooting and your final checklist.

01
Module 01

Is Flat Towing Right for You?

02
Module 02

The Equipment

03
Module 03

Hooking Up & Unhooking

04
Module 04

Driving with a Toad

05
Module 05

Checks & Troubleshooting

06
Module 06

Alternatives, Laws & Your Checklist

Course slide listing the five parts of a flat tow setup: baseplate, tow bar, safety cables, lights and wiring, supplemental brakesModule 01

Is Flat Towing Right for You?

Find out if your vehicle and motorhome are a match, before you buy anything.

  • 1.1 Welcome: What Flat Towing Is
  • 1.2 Is Your Vehicle Flat-Towable?
  • 1.3 Weight Ratings for Flat Towing
Supplemental braking recap slide: the toad helps you stop, check manual and laws, set it up per the maker, breakaway cable every timeModule 02

The Equipment

Baseplates, tow bars, cables, lights and the braking system that helps the toad stop.

  • 2.1 Baseplates & Tow Bars
  • 2.2 Safety Cables, Wiring & Lights
  • 2.3 Supplemental Braking & Breakaway
Hookup lesson slide, Step 3 the hitch: shank all the way in the receiver, hitch pin through with clip or lock, ratings still matchModule 03

Hooking Up & Unhooking

The full hookup and unhook, step by step, in the order that keeps you safe.

  • 3.1 Prepping the Towed Vehicle
  • 3.2 Hooking Up, Step by Step
  • 3.3 The Pull-Forward and Final Walkaround
  • 3.4 Unhooking Safely
Driving lesson slide, Steering must turn freely: locked steering drags the tires, pulling to one side, pull over and check tow modeModule 04

Driving with a Toad

Wider turns, tail swing, longer stops, and why you plan never to back up.

  • 4.1 Turns, Tail Swing & Lane Position
  • 4.2 Never Back Up (and What to Do Instead)
  • 4.3 Braking, Hills & Speed
  • 4.4 Fuel Stops, Campgrounds & Parking
Battery lesson slide, Dead at unhook: finish the unhook first, jump start per the manual, use the vehicle's jump pointsModule 05

Checks & Troubleshooting

Stop checks, battery drain, equipment care, and what to do when something goes wrong.

  • 5.1 Stop Checks on Travel Day
  • 5.2 Dead Battery & Battery Drain
  • 5.3 Tow Bar & Baseplate Care
  • 5.4 When Something Goes Wrong
  • 5.5 Popular Toads: Jeep Wrangler & Ford Bronco
  • 5.6 Popular Toads: Honda CR-V & Chevy Equinox
  • 5.7 Supplemental Braking In Depth
  • 5.8 Real-World Trip Planning
Comparison slide on maintenance for flat towing versus a tow dolly or car trailerModule 06

Alternatives, Laws & Your Checklist

Flat tow vs dolly vs trailer, how to check the laws on your route, and your final checklist.

  • 6.1 Flat Tow vs Tow Dolly vs Car Trailer
  • 6.2 Laws, Final Checklist & Wrap-Up
Start the course – $69
// Preview from the Flat Towing Course

A checklist for the car behind your motorhome

View a genuine course handout now — no email required. The full course includes three printable, one-page PDFs.

Flat Towing course Hookup Checklist preview
Open the image to view it larger. Full printable PDFs are included with the course.

From the Hookup Checklist: cables and electrical

  • Safety cables attached at both ends, routed per the maker (usually crossed), slack for turns, not dragging
  • Umbilical plugged in at both ends, slack, not dragging or rubbing
  • Charge line connected, if fitted
  • Breakaway cable to its own approved point, not a safety cable or the bar

In Lesson 3.1, “Prepping the Towed Vehicle,” you turn your owner’s manual’s towing procedure into a written, numbered checklist. My Vehicle’s Towing Procedure gives you space to record those exact steps in order.

This is an excerpt, not the full hookup procedure. Your owner’s manual and your equipment makers’ instructions always come first; this sheet does not replace them.

Enroll in Flat Towing — $69Also tow a trailer? Both courses — $149
// Downloads

Printable checklists
included

Three PDFs you print and keep with the rig. The course teaches the steps; these keep you from skipping one.

Page 1 of the Hookup Checklist PDFPrintable PDF

Hookup Checklist

Every step from parking to the pull-forward. Same order, every time. Tow mode goes last.

Page 1 of the Unhook Checklist PDFPrintable PDF

Unhook Checklist

The same routine in reverse, so the toad comes off tow mode the manual’s way.

Page 1 of the My Vehicle's Towing Procedure PDFPrintable PDF

My Vehicle’s Towing Procedure

Copy your owner’s manual’s exact towing steps, in order, before your first trip.

// Who it is for

Motorhome owners who want a car at camp

For you if you own a motorhome and want to tow a car, truck or SUV four wheels down; you’re not sure yet whether your vehicle can be flat towed, or whether a dolly or trailer fits better; or you’re new to flat towing and want a repeatable hookup, unhook and travel-day routine.

Not for you if you want brand-specific numbers or a state-by-state law list (the course sends you to your manual and official sources, on purpose), or you’re towing a boat, travel or utility trailer behind a truck. That’s Tow Academy, in the bundle below.

MotorhomesDinghy towingFour-down towingToads
// Side by side

Flat tow vs
dolly or trailer

Flat tow
Tow dolly / car trailer
Vehicles
The owner’s manual must allow all four wheels down
Dolly: manual must allow front wheels up. Trailer: most vehicles, if weight and size fit
Storage
Tow bar folds up on the back of the motorhome
Dolly needs a spot at the campground; a trailer needs the most space, there and at home
Hookup
Usually the quickest once you have a routine; nothing to load or strap
Dolly: drive on and strap every time. Trailer: load, tie down each corner, check it all
Weight
The vehicle plus a little equipment
A dolly adds its own weight; a trailer adds the most
Backing up
Most setups can’t back up, so you plan the route
A dolly generally shouldn’t be backed either; a trailer can, but it takes practice

Lesson 6.1 compares all three, including cost, maintenance and rules, so you can pick the one that fits how you travel. The owner’s manual decides which ones your vehicle allows.

// FAQ

Straight answers

Can my car be flat towed?

Only if its maker says so. The owner’s manual decides, and the answer can change by year, drivetrain and transmission, not just the model name. Lesson 1.2 shows you where to look and what to do if the answer is no.

Do I need supplemental brakes?

Your motorhome maker may require them even where the law doesn’t, and many places require brakes on a towed vehicle above a certain weight. The course covers portable and permanent systems, breakaway, and how to choose.

Does the course list each state’s towing laws?

No, on purpose. The rules vary and change. Module 6 shows you how to check the current rules from official sources for every state or province on your route.

Does it give brand-specific steps for my vehicle?

Every vehicle step defers to your owner’s manual and every equipment step to its maker’s instructions. You write your manual’s exact steps into the My Vehicle’s Towing Procedure sheet.

Can I back up with the car hooked on?

Most flat-tow setups can’t. Module 4 covers how to plan exits and when to unhook to turn around.

Subscription?

No. $69 one time.

// FREE GUIDES

Free flat towing guides

Motorhome towing a Jeep four-down
// Your guide

Jeff McDonough

Founder, TowPro Academy

Jeff has towed for more than ten years and over 250,000 miles. He built this course around one rule: only flat tow a vehicle its maker says can be flat towed, and follow the procedure in its owner’s manual exactly.

10+ years250,000+ miles
Bundle

Get both courses for $149

Also tow a trailer behind your truck or SUV? Get both courses for $149 one time and save $19 compared with $168 separately.

Just Flat Towing — $69Get both courses — $149
// Access and refund

Pay once. Learn at your pace.

24 video lessons · about 2 hours · 6 modules · 3 printable 1-page PDFs. Access is delivered by email after payment and lasts for as long as the course is hosted.

30-day money-back guarantee: email info@towproacademy.com within 30 days of purchase for a full refund to the original payment method. Course access ends after a refund. Read the terms.

// Before your next travel day

Hook up right.
Every time.

$69 one time · 6 modules · 3 printable checklists

Enroll Now – $69