By Jeff McDonough, Founder of TowPro Academy, 10+ years and 250,000+ miles of towing experience.
Short answer: A good flat towing checklist follows the same order every time: confirm the car and equipment before the trip, hook up with the car still in park and braked, put the car in tow mode last, pull forward and walk around, recheck at every stop, and unhook in the exact order your owner’s manual gives. The printable checklist below is brand-neutral. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual and your tow bar, baseplate and braking system instructions always override it.
Most dinghy towing problems aren’t equipment failures. They’re skipped steps: a pin without its clip, a parking brake left on, a tow mode that never fully engaged, a breakaway cable clipped to the wrong place. A written checklist that you read line by line, every time, is the simplest way to stop that from happening. Print this one, add your own vehicle’s steps, and keep it in the motorhome.
To print: use your browser’s Print command (Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on Mac) and choose “Save as PDF” if you want a copy on your phone too. The checklist sections are the boxed parts of this page.
Why the order matters
Flat towing steps aren’t a shopping list you can tick off in any order. On many vehicles, the order is the whole point.
Look at two 2026 owner’s manuals side by side. The 2026 Jeep Wrangler owner’s manual has you shift the transfer case into Neutral with the parking brake firmly applied, attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle, and only then release the parking brake. The 2026 Ford Bronco owner’s manual has you position the vehicle behind the tow vehicle and secure the two together before you enable its Neutral Tow feature. Both manuals warn that a transfer case in neutral can let the vehicle roll freely.
Unhooking has the same trap. Both manuals have you take the vehicle out of tow mode while it is still attached to the tow vehicle, and the Wrangler procedure lists “Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle” only after the transfer case is shifted back out of Neutral and the transmission is shifted the way the manual directs. Unhook first and shift later, and you can be standing next to a car that is free to roll.
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The general rule that comes out of this: the car stays parked and braked while your hands are between the two vehicles, and the parking brake comes off as one of the last steps of the hookup. Your manual decides the exact sequence.
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Before you print: make it your own
This checklist can’t know your car. Before your first trip, open your owner’s manual to its recreational towing (or “towing behind a motorhome”) section and copy the procedure into the blank lines in the hookup and unhook boxes, in order and in the manual’s own words where you can. Depending on the vehicle, that procedure can include shifting the transmission or transfer case in a set order, leaving the ignition in a set position, pulling specific fuses or disconnecting the battery (or, on some vehicles, never disconnecting it), running the engine at set intervals, and speed or distance limits. Then do the same with your tow bar, baseplate and braking system instructions.
Not sure your car can be flat towed at all? Start with how to check if your car can be flat towed before you buy any equipment.
The printable flat towing checklist
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1. Pre-trip (the day before, or before the first tow of a trip)
- ☐ Owner’s manual towing section read for this vehicle and model year, and the steps copied into this checklist.
- ☐ Tow bar, baseplate, braking system and charge line (if used) instructions on hand.
- ☐ Weights line up: equipment rated for the car’s weight, and the combination within the motorhome’s gross combination weight rating (GCWR).
- ☐ Hitch receiver, tow bar, baseplate and their fasteners checked for tightness, cracks and wear. Tow bar close to level for your setup.
- ☐ Safety cables, umbilical cord and breakaway cable inspected for damage; spare hitch pin and clips on board.
- ☐ Tire pressure checked on the motorhome and the car (including spares), cold.
- ☐ Braking system and monitor tested and charged or powered as its maker requires.
- ☐ Loose items in the car secured; driver’s footwell clear of anything that could slide under the pedals.
- ☐ Route planned with pull-through fuel stops and campground entries. Most flat-tow setups can’t back up.
2. Hookup, in order
Car still in park with its parking brake set until the end of this list. Follow your equipment makers’ steps for each part.
- ☐ Level ground, out of traffic, car lined up straight behind the motorhome with room to pull straight ahead.
- ☐ Motorhome parked and braked. Car in park (or in gear) with its parking brake set.
- ☐ Tow bar shank fully in the receiver; hitch pin all the way through; clip or lock installed.
- ☐ Tow bar arms extended and connected to the baseplate per the tow bar maker. Every pin in, every clip installed. Tug each arm.
- ☐ Safety cables connected per the makers’ instructions (most say to cross them under the bar). Slack for turns, not dragging.
- ☐ Umbilical cord plugged in at both ends, routed so it can’t drag, rub or pinch in a turn.
- ☐ Breakaway cable attached to its own approved point on the motorhome, not to a safety cable or the tow bar.
- ☐ Supplemental braking system set up or armed; monitor in the motorhome shows it’s ready.
- ☐ Charge line connected, or fuses pulled / battery steps done, only if your manual calls for it.
- ☐ Car put in tow mode by following your manual line by line (transmission, transfer case, ignition position, any settings or messages to confirm). Some manuals, such as the 2026 Wrangler’s, have you do this before attaching the tow bar, with the parking brake set. Follow your manual’s order.
- ☐ Steering confirmed unlocked: turn the wheel by hand.
- ☐ Parking brake released as one of the final steps.
- ☐ Lights, climate fan, chargers and dash cams off unless your manual says otherwise. (Ford’s Bronco manual, for example, says to set the climate control to recirculated air.)
- ☐ My vehicle’s steps: ____________________________________________
- ☐ ____________________________________________
- ☐ ____________________________________________
3. Pull forward and walk around
- ☐ Pull ahead slowly in a straight line if your tow bar maker says to, so the arms lock.
- ☐ Walk all the way around both vehicles: pins and clips, safety cables, cord, breakaway cable, brake unit, steering free to turn.
- ☐ Helper confirms taillights, brake lights and both turn signals work on the motorhome and the car.
- ☐ Car’s parking brake confirmed off, and any tow-mode confirmation your manual describes is showing.
- ☐ Braking system monitor reads normal from the driver’s seat.
4. On the road: every stop
The MotorHome 2019 Guide to Dinghy Towing recommends walking around the motorhome and dinghy to inspect all connections, wiring and safety cables, and checking tire pressure (or using a TPMS), every time you stop.
- ☐ Pins, clips, safety cables, cord and breakaway cable all still connected and secure.
- ☐ Tires on both vehicles look and feel right (or TPMS reads normal).
- ☐ Car’s front wheels pointing straight. After deep sand or gravel, the same guide notes they can turn to one side and must be re-centered by hand.
- ☐ Braking system still armed; monitor normal.
- ☐ Any engine-run, mileage or speed step your manual requires: done at this stop, if due.
- ☐ Toad battery looks the way it did at departure (see flat towing battery drain).
- ☐ Need to turn around? Unhook. Don’t back up.
5. Unhook, in your manual’s order
Stop on a straight, level spot. Keep the car attached until your manual says to disconnect it.
- ☐ Motorhome parked and braked.
- ☐ Car’s parking brake set before you take it out of tow mode.
- ☐ Car taken out of tow mode by following your manual, while it’s still attached if your manual says so (the Wrangler and Bronco manuals both do).
- ☐ Fuses reinstalled, battery reconnected or charge line disconnected, if your manual calls for it, in the order it gives.
- ☐ Braking system switched off or removed so it can’t press the pedal or drain the battery while you drive.
- ☐ Breakaway cable, umbilical cord and safety cables disconnected.
- ☐ Tow bar arms disconnected and stowed per the tow bar maker. If an arm is bound with tension, follow the maker’s release procedure and keep your body clear.
- ☐ Car started and checked: normal warning lights, normal shifting, normal brakes, before you drive off.
- ☐ My vehicle’s steps: ____________________________________________
- ☐ ____________________________________________
How to use this checklist so it actually works
- Read it out loud, line by line, every time. The steps you skip are the ones you’ve done a hundred times.
- One person owns the checklist. If two people hook up, one reads and one does. Don’t split the list and assume the other person finished their half.
- Practice once at home. Do the whole hookup and unhook in your driveway before the first trip, with the manual open.
- Update it when anything changes. New car, new model year, new tow bar or braking system: rewrite your vehicle’s lines from the new instructions.
- Don’t borrow another car’s steps. Fuse numbers, shift sequences and engine-run intervals vary by model and year. A step from a forum or a friend’s car can be wrong, or harmful, for yours.
Want the reasoning behind each step? Our step-by-step guide on how to flat tow a car behind a motorhome explains the whole routine, and flat tow baseplates and tow bars, explained covers the parts you’re connecting. If you’re still deciding on a braking system, read supplemental brakes for flat towing.
Towing a trailer instead of a car? This list is only for flat towing. For trailers, use our pre-trip towing checklist.
Related flat towing guides
- Can My Car Be Flat Towed? Start here if you haven’t confirmed your vehicle.
- How to Flat Tow a Car Behind a Motorhome
- Supplemental Brakes for Flat Towing
- Flat Tow Baseplates and Tow Bars, Explained
- Flat Towing Battery Drain
- Flat Towing a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco
- Flat Towing a Honda CR-V or Chevy Equinox
Learn the whole flat towing routine before your first trip. The TowPro Academy Flat Towing Course covers checking your vehicle, the equipment, hookup and unhook, and the steps that protect your toad on the road. $69, one time.
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FAQ
What should be on a flat towing checklist?
Five parts: pre-trip checks, hookup steps in order, a pull-forward and walkaround check, checks at every stop, and unhook steps in order. The vehicle-specific lines (tow mode, ignition position, fuses or battery, engine-run intervals) must come from your owner’s manual.
When do I release the toad’s parking brake?
As one of the last hookup steps, after the car is connected and in tow mode per your manual. Until then it should stay set so the car can’t roll while you work between the vehicles.
Should I take the car out of tow mode before or after unhooking?
Follow your manual. The 2026 Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco manuals both have you do it while the vehicle is still attached to the tow vehicle, and the Wrangler procedure starts by firmly applying the parking brake.
How often should I check the hookup while traveling?
Every time you stop. The MotorHome 2019 Guide to Dinghy Towing recommends inspecting all connections, wiring and safety cables and checking tire pressure at every stop.
Can I use this checklist for any car?
You can use its structure for any flat-towable car, but you have to add your own vehicle’s steps from its owner’s manual and your equipment makers’ instructions. Those always override this checklist.
Sources: 2026 Jeep Wrangler owner’s manual; 2026 Ford Bronco owner’s manual; MotorHome 2019 Guide to Dinghy Towing. This checklist is general guidance. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual and your tow bar, baseplate and braking system makers’ instructions always come first.
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- ›Flat Towing Battery Drain: Why the Toad’s Battery Dies and How to Prevent It
- ›Flat Tow Baseplates and Tow Bars, Explained
- ›Can You Flat Tow a Honda CR-V or Chevy Equinox? Why the Answer Changes by Year
- ›Flat Towing a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco: What the Owner’s Manual Says
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