Can You Flat Tow a Honda CR-V or Chevy Equinox? Why the Answer Changes by Year

By Jeff McDonough, Founder of TowPro Academy, 10+ years and 250,000+ miles of towing experience.

Short answer: It depends on the model year—and sometimes on which edition of the maker’s guide you’re looking at. Honda’s 2014 CR-V owner’s manual includes a full motorhome-towing procedure, a 65 mph limit and engine-run steps. Honda’s later owner materials for the CR-V, such as the 2018 Owner’s Guide, say the vehicle is not designed to be towed behind a motorhome. For the Chevy Equinox, GM’s Trailering Guide dinghy chart has listed the same model as a yes in one edition and a no in a later one, and the 2026 Equinox owner’s manual says the vehicle is neither designed nor intended to be towed with all four wheels on the ground. Your own year’s manual has the final say.

The CR-V and the Equinox come up constantly when people search for a toad. Both names have been flat-tow favorites in some years and a hard no in others. This guide shows how those maker documents read, so you know what to look for in your year—not so you can borrow someone else’s checklist.

Why the model name isn’t enough

A badge on the grille doesn’t tell you whether a vehicle can be flat towed. The year, the transmission, the drivetrain and sometimes the engine decide it. When makers redesign a vehicle or revise a published guide, the recreational towing section can flip from a full procedure to a single line that says no. Forum “dinghy lists” are only a shortlist—then open the owner’s manual and towing guide for the exact year and drivetrain you own. Our Can My Car Be Flat Towed? guide walks through that method.

Honda CR-V: what an older motorhome-towing procedure looks like

The 2014 Honda CR-V owner’s manual (book ID 14 CR-V-31T0A6200, published on Honda’s techinfo site) has a section titled “Towing Your Vehicle.” It opens with a clear allowance: “Your vehicle can be towed behind a motorhome.” Then it gives a numbered procedure under “When Your Vehicle is Towed Behind a Motorhome” (pages 235–236).

Copy the manual’s wording into your own checklist. In outline, the 2014 steps go like this:

1. Check the transmission fluid level (between the upper and lower marks).
2. Start the engine.
3. Hold the brake and move the shift lever through all its positions.
4. Shift to Drive (D), hold for five seconds, then to Neutral (N). Let the engine run for three minutes, then turn it off.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Leave the ignition in ACCESSORY so the steering wheel does not lock.
7. Turn off all electric devices and don’t use accessory power sockets, to limit battery drain.

The same pages add limits and notices that belong on that checklist:

• Speed: “Do not exceed 65 mph (100 km/h).”
• AWD: to avoid AWD damage, the vehicle must be towed with all four wheels on the ground.
• Fluid service: if you tow it behind a motorhome, change the transmission fluid every 2 years or 30,000 miles (48,000 km), whichever comes first.
• Extended towing: if you tow more than eight hours in one day, repeat the “before towing” procedure at least every eight hours. The manual also has you remove the 7.5 A accessory radio fuse from the interior fuse box for long tows, and reinstall it before you drive the CR-V again.
• Notices: failure to follow the instructions exactly can cause severe automatic transmission damage. Severe damage can also occur if the vehicle is shifted from Reverse to Neutral and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground. If you can’t shift or start the engine, it must go on a flatbed or trailer (2014 Honda CR-V owner’s manual, pages 235–236).

That’s what a “yes” year looks like in a Honda manual: an allowance, a procedure, a speed limit and maintenance notes. It is not a blank check for every CR-V ever built.

Later CR-V materials say something different

Honda’s later CR-V owner materials do not carry that motorhome procedure forward. The 2018 Honda CR-V Owner’s Guide, under “Towing Your Vehicle,” states: “This vehicle is not designed to be towed behind a motorhome. Doing so may damage the transmission.” Same model name, different answer—don’t use a 2014 checklist on a later year. Honda posts manuals through its owner channels (including techinfo.honda.com for many model years). If your year says it isn’t designed for motorhome towing, don’t flat tow it; warranty coverage generally won’t follow improper towing. A tow dolly may work only if that year’s manual allows front wheels up; otherwise use a car trailer. See Flat Tow vs Tow Dolly vs Car Trailer.

Chevy Equinox: when the Trailering Guide chart changes

The Equinox shows a different kind of trap: the maker’s own dinghy chart can change under the same guide title, and the owner’s manual can say no even when an older chart said yes.

What GM’s dinghy charts say for the Equinox

Chevrolet’s Trailering Guide includes a “Dinghy (flat) towing capability” chart. We opened three current PDFs on Chevrolet’s site on November 6, 2026:

Same model name. Same chart title. Different cells. If you set up a tow package from an older PDF that said “Yes,” re-check the current guide and the owner’s manual before you tow. GM’s guide text itself says towed vehicles should have a separate functional braking system, and: “Before flat-towing your vehicle, review the Dinghy Towing section of the Owner’s Manual.”

What the 2026 Equinox owner’s manual says

The recreational section beats a marketing chart when they disagree. In the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox owner’s manual, “Recreational Vehicle Towing” starts on page 269. Under “Dinghy Towing,” it states that if the vehicle is towed with all four wheels on the ground, drivetrain components could be damaged and the repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Then, bluntly: “The vehicle is neither designed nor intended to be towed with all four wheels on the ground.” If it must be towed, the manual points you to transporting a disabled vehicle instead (2026 Chevrolet Equinox owner’s manual, pages 269–270).

Page 270 describes dolly towing for front-wheel-drive Equinox models only (including disconnecting the negative battery terminal on the dolly). That is not flat towing—don’t borrow those battery steps for four-down use. Chevrolet’s general dinghy towing support page is for vehicles that are capable of dinghy towing and still tells you to confirm capability in your owner’s manual first.

CR-V vs Equinox: two ways the answer changes

How to catch updates before they catch you

Maker documents get revised. Procedures get corrected. Charts change. Build a habit around that:

• Ask a dealer’s service department to check for any bulletins or updated towing instructions for your VIN.
• Download the newest owner’s manual and Trailering Guide (or equivalent) from the maker’s owner site—don’t rely on a PDF you saved two seasons ago.
• Ask your baseplate and supplemental braking makers whether they still support that exact year and drivetrain. They often track these changes for the vehicles they fit.
• When you find an update, write down the source and the date. Put one current procedure sheet in the motorhome and cross out anything it replaces.
• If two official sources disagree, don’t pick the easier one. Call the vehicle maker and get the answer in writing if you can.

Keep the towing section of your manual—and any update—on your phone and as a printed copy in the coach. If a shop or a roadside tech asks how the vehicle is supposed to be towed, you can show the source in seconds.

Shopping for a CR-V or Equinox as a toad

Before you buy, read the recreational towing section for that exact year, trim, drivetrain and transmission. Ask the dealer to open it and photograph the pages. Confirm a baseplate and braking-system maker support that vehicle, then check weight against your motorhome’s ratings (weakest link wins). Once you’re approved, see How to Flat Tow a Car Behind a Motorhome, supplemental brakes, and Wrangler/Bronco manual walkthroughs for related procedures. Sellers and forum posts can be wrong about a different year—the manual for that VIN is the source.

Still deciding whether your vehicle qualifies? Start with how to check if your car can be flat towed, then the hookup guide, method comparison, supplemental brakes, and Wrangler/Bronco manuals.

FAQ

Can you flat tow a Honda CR-V?

Only if your exact year’s owner’s manual allows it and gives a procedure. The 2014 CR-V manual does, with engine-run steps and a 65 mph limit. Honda’s 2018 Owner’s Guide says that year’s CR-V is not designed to be towed behind a motorhome. Check the manual for the year on your VIN—don’t borrow another year’s steps.

Can you flat tow a Chevy Equinox?

Check that year’s Chevrolet Trailering Guide dinghy chart and the Equinox owner’s manual. An earlier 2025 Trailering Guide PDF listed the Equinox as Yes for 2WD and AWD/eAWD; a later 2025 file and the 2026 guide list No for both. The 2026 Equinox owner’s manual says the vehicle is neither designed nor intended to be towed with all four wheels on the ground.

Why did the answer change for the same model name?

Makers change transmissions, electronics and drivetrain designs, and they revise published guides. The CR-V shows a year-to-year manual flip. The Equinox shows a chart that can change between editions of the same Trailering Guide title. The manual for your VIN is what counts.

What if my manual and an old dinghy list disagree?

Follow the owner’s manual for your year. Re-download the maker’s current towing guide. Ask the dealer to check your VIN for updates. Don’t flat tow on a forum post or a saved PDF that no longer matches the maker’s documents.

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