🚙 Is This the Best Flat Tow Car For our RV? 🚚🚙

After looking at all sort of "toads" or tow flat vehicles for pulling behind our 2019 Winnebago Navion 24D RV, we finally found the one for us! Let us introduce you to our "New" old car! 😂 Now the race is on to get everything setup for towing flat before we leave for Mexico. Not bad for deciding last minute to buy another car instead of a scooter!
I (Howard) ran out of time to do some of the work myself, and was lucky to connect with the team over at Pro Fab Performance Plus for a same day install of the baseplate.
We also give a quick walk-through of our towing setup, including Blue Ox tow bar, safety cables, and a Blue Ox Patriot braking system.
Have thoughts or questions about the #DigitalNomad life, RVing, our travels in Mexico, or anything else? Comment below!
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[@sandys2672]

Dying laughing at your picnic vehicle sequence!

[@brianvandy4002]

"Get your picnic on." Hilarious!

[@CatherineGallion]

I love this... I know this video is 4 years old. But you all made it so hilarious. You all are great. One day, my husband, Michael, and I hope to RV travel. I hope we run across you guys one day.😊

[@steves3688]

Boy thats an easy installation tow bracket mount...no bumper removal...excellent! CRVs rule too!

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks for watching, and so true! Just a few bolts, but the lift didn't hurt to speed up the process. 😂 We love our "new to us" CRV and ALL it's features! -Howard

[@pjmiller3770]

On my '14 CR-V, my tow procedure is moving shifter thru all gears, leaving in D for five seconds, shifting to N and running car for 3 minutes before shutting it off and leaving key in Accessory position. I've got the Stay-in-Play braking system which allows me to flip a switch and go. I tow behind a '12 View. Nice video.

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks, PJ, glad you found us! Did you in the stay-n-play yourself? I've been curious about that braking system. Hope you'll continue on the journey with us! 👍 -Howard

[@pjmiller3770]

@@NewstateNomads No, I did not install the Stay-in-Play myself. I had it done by the dealer when I picked up my 'new to me' View. Drove there in my CR-V, pulled it home behind me.

[@jgonz3542]

That Table is NEXT LEVEL!!

[@NewstateNomads]

Right? When we were comparing vehicles, saw the picnic table. SOLD. We made an updated commercial while in Mexico, too! 😂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKKuiIOcmMR8btk

[@rebekahwells3737]

I’m loving your since of humor! All you guys be careful in Mexico!

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks for watching, Rebekah! We can't wait to start sharing our Mexico adventures on Mondays (Mexico Mondays at 6PM EST) starting on Feb 24th! 🎊🇲🇽 -Howard

[@yobabybubba]

That was so helpful. And hilarious, especially the commercial for crv. GREAT JOB! It's so unfortunate, we have a 2015 CRV but we wouldn't be able to use it for flat tow.

[@NewstateNomads]

No way! Yeah, I think the cutoff is 2014 for flat towing. Just trade it in for a little older, good to go! 😂 Let us know if we can be of any help as you start down the research journey, and hopefully we'll see you someday on the road. 👍 -Howard

[@yobabybubba]

@@NewstateNomads Thank you. What do you think about getting a new Jeep? Or do you like CRV's better for towing?... We're in a place where we could afford that, maybe can trade in one of our cars.

[@NewstateNomads]

@@yobabybubba it's not so much about cost, for us weight was also a factor. Believe it or not, the older CR-V curb weight is less than many Jeeps. Less weight means better engine performance on the RV, better fuel economy, and more capacity to carry "stuff" in the RV. As much as we'd love a Jeep, we're very happy with the CR-V. Plus, a picnic table! 👍😂 -Howard

[@yobabybubba]

@@NewstateNomads Well that was very helpful, thank you so much. My wife and I are watching your videos ..we love you guys.

[@EatSeeRV]

Great video I loved the tour. Also that picnic table is 💯. We're going to have so many awesome picnics!

[@NewstateNomads]

So. Many. I think we have our first reoccurring theme of the trip! 😂👍

[@ItsAboutTimeNow]

You guys are hysterical!! Love it! ~ Brad and Diana

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks you two! Gotta keep it fun, right?! 👍 -Howard

[@SailingLunaSea]

We are in the middle of reno'ing our Rialta, but Mexico is definitely on our list! Will be following along as you pave the way for us. Looking forward to your upcoming adventures!

[@NewstateNomads]

That's awesome! Thanks so much for following along, excited to share all that we learn ☺️

[@craigemahiser820]

The Ad for the New CRV was hilarious. Saw You guys were going to Mexico with We're not lost we're RVing so decided to be a follower. Safe travels enjoy your adventures

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks, Craig, we appreciate you subscribing! I have a feeling this won't be the last time you hear about the CR-V. 😂 -Howard

[@diegoflynn6215]

I kept thinking who cares about the picnic table. Then there it is in many of your future videos. Looking happy. And you all looking happy.

[@NewstateNomads]

Hahaha, we use that picnic table all the time, Barbara! It's a funny feature to talk about, but really handy to have. Thanks so much for watching! -Howard

[@diegoflynn6215]

@@NewstateNomads Howard. Love you guys. Wait you went to Chernobyl? Who goes to Chernobyl? Why? When? Videos?

[@blessed2rvgmail379]

That was so funny!!! Love it! 😂

[@NewstateNomads]

Glad you enjoyed it, there's another CR-V lurking around in one of our other videos. It's like an Easter egg hunt! 😂 -Howard

[@blessed2rvgmail379]

@@NewstateNomads Honda needs to hire you to do their TV commercials! 😂😂😂. Priceless

[@DanielPerez-oc8qs]

Smart idea guys! CRV best option.

[@robhoffman2070]

Subaru Outback and Forester with standard transmission can also be flat towed.

[@texomahondaelement3722]

And a Honda Element 😊

[@tinay9491]

would have done the same, great purchase

[@EatSleepRVRepeat]

Hahaha we have to spell treat also! Fun Vid. Lou & Angie

[@NewstateNomads]

Haha! There are quite a few words we have to do that for now..so funny! 😆🐾♥️

[@Jean-qn4fy]

Happy travels!

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks, Jean! Appreciate all the help you and Wolfgang provided to get us going! -Howard

[@LivinLifeinDrive]

My parents had a CRV back in the day(Wednesday) and we used that freakin table SOOO MUCH! 😆

[@NewstateNomads]

We couldn’t believe it when we saw it, but now it’s all about how often can we picnic! 😂 -Howard

[@bmcdonald7303]

Hilarious. Love this.

[@NewstateNomads]

lol, thanks so much! Figured even a CR-V from 1997 deserves a proper commercial! 😂👍 -Howard

[@bmcdonald7303]

@@NewstateNomads oldie but a goodie!

[@BonnysOneStepAhead]

Your video is so much fun to watch...very engaging and interesting...keep rocking👍

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks, Bonny. We had a lot of fun making it, glad you enjoyed it! 👍 -Howard

[@peacefulwife5199]

When you hit the brakes going with the car in tow mode, I didn't see the brake lights come on the CRV. Hope they worked. 😊❤😊

[@NewstateNomads]

Lol, they definitely work, but it worried us too at first. It's hard to quickly explain, but the system doesn't just activate the brakes on the CR-V because you hit the brakes in the RV. It uses sensors to determine that you are slowing down and IF brakes need to be applied on the CR-V to help slow/stop. When we're moving slowly, they rarely kick in since they aren't needed, but in a hard stop, they definitely come on strong. :) -Howard

[@peacefulwife5199]

@@NewstateNomads , thank you so much for that information. That's really good to know about that system. Thank you for taking the time to write to me. May your travels be safe and healthy. 🙏

[@garyaberle603]

These videos should be on the Travel channel! Hooking up the tow! 💩

[@NewstateNomads]

Haha! Thanks Gary!!! 😂❤

[@MichelleNovalee]

I love your narration! So funny 😂. Did you guys replace this car with a newer red one? I noticed in your RV tour video you have a different vehicle that you are towing.

[@NewstateNomads]

Michelle, thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed our video! We tow the CR-V, but used to tow before Mexico (with a dolly) our Santa-Fe. So any footage from before definitely would show the Santa Fe. The CR-V has been great so far, plus the bonus picnic table! 😂 -Howard

[@MichelleNovalee]

Newstate Nomads haha! Yeah that picnic table was the selling point for sure! 😂

[@ebogi21]

😂😂😂 thanks for the laughs

[@NewstateNomads]

Hahahaha, thanks for watching! 👍 -Howard

[@ScrappyCruiserNR]

Total newbie here. Please forgive what is probably an ignorant question. Why is it better/easier/your preference to tow a vehicle "flat" rather than on a dolly? Thanks! Love the channel.

[@NewstateNomads]

Nancy, great question and thanks for watching! As we mentioned, we towed using a dolly for almost a year. Now towing flat, it's great to not have a dolly to maneuver around at the campground (even though ours stood up and took up less space), tow flat hookups are much faster for us, and you save the weight of the dolly (around 500lbs or more) from your OCCC weight. OCCC is how much you can carry in your RV including you, your belongings, pets, water in the tanks, etc. On smaller RVs, you may only have 1500lbs (or less!) of OCCC, so 500lbs takes up a lot! Hope that helps. 👍 -Howard

[@arthurpirozzi9805]

just watched your Navion video. Very well done. Looks like more fun and comfortable than a trailer. At the end of that video I saw a car on a dolly. In this video you are flat towing a 97 CRV. What happened. Don't like flat tow? Could you do a pros and cons of dolly vs flat tow? Thank you so much. Art

[@NewstateNomads]

Arthur, thanks so much, apologies for the delayed reply. We love flat towing! We first towed a car on a dolly (our Santa Fe Sport) in 2018/2019, before switching to flat towing our CRV in 2020. Now towing the CRV for over a year, flat towing is definitely the way to go for us. It is so quick and easy to hook/unhook the tow car, plus no more dealing with a car dolly when at the campground. Though, if you do need a car dolly, HIGHLY recommend getting the Acme Tow Dolly like we had. It is the only one that stands up vertically for storage, which makes a big difference trying to fit into smaller campsites like at National Parks. There aren't any drawbacks that come to mind for flat towing, besides just needing to find a suitable vehicle that supports it. Thankfully, the Dinghy tow guides are released every year, and are generally pretty accurate on what can and can't be flat towed. Hope that helps! 👍 -Howard

[@swtexan6502]

Just found your channel- by accident. Great content... we're nearing 50 and have been bitten by the "let's retire early and travel" bug. We really like the Navion and it doesn't seem like it's much more, price wise, than some of the Class B's. It appears that you guys are attempting to be as frugal as possible (just like us)- is that on purpose? Sorry if you've already answered that in a video- like I said, I just found your channel. Safe travels.

[@NewstateNomads]

Hi there! So glad you found us. And that's awesome. So excited for you! We absolutely love our Navion. Being price conscious is always a goal. We picked the Navion specifically for the floor plan and build quality. The CR-V was definitely a frugal purchase, as we knew we'd be towing it all over Mexico and it was much less than other flat tow options. We didn't necessarily choose the RV lifestyle to save money, but ended up doing so because life on the road is much cheaper than our apartment was in Miami before hitting the road 🤣 if you have any specific questions as you research, feel free to shoot us an email. Happy to help! ☺️ [e-mail] Thanks for watching our videos! -Katelyn

[@leeblair1894]

So, it's been 3 years since towing your honda and I was wondering how the crv stood up to the test? Thanks Lee

[@randy1203]

I'm going thru the pains of deciding which vehicle I should flat tow behind my class c now that I'm full-time in my RV.

[@julianamendez8591]

was the tow plate expensive? Is it hard to install? Im looking into buying a used cr-v but it doesnt come with the tow plate as well.

[@larryhutchens7593]

I've been following a lot of these and one thing that they always look over is the auto trans thing. You can't safely flat tow a FWD vehicle that has an auto trans. Perhaps Honda has some method? 4WD and put transfer case in neutral? An auto trans will not get proper lubrication unless the trans pump is running & it will not run unless the engine is running. I picked a 2012 Fiat 500 with 5 speed manual.

[@eoddad1]

Just recently started following you guys, nice job! How is your Sprinter/Mercedes chassis in the mountains with 6%-7% grades, with your towed?

[@NewstateNomads]

The sprinter holds its own on the hills, but we wouldn't win a race while towing uphill, haha. We've taken it through all sorts of grades while towing, and typically can maintain a speed in the low to mid 50's unless it is truly a very steep grade. Thanks for watching and glad you're along for the journey! 👍 -Howard

[@robhoffman2070]

@@NewstateNomads I concur Howard. My 2014 Winnebago View does fine in the mountains while towing a 2005 Subaru Outback with standard transmission.

[@pfort12]

Great video. I'm curious, how does towing a vehicle affect your fuel economy?

[@NewstateNomads]

Thanks for watching, and great question! We were averaging 16-18 without towing. With our Santa Fe (and tow dolly) it was around 13-14mpg due to the weight. Switching to the CR-V, in the last 6 months our average has jumped back to 14-16mpg. Still much better than gas powered class Cs, and it does save us considerable money in fuel!

[@aerospot2]

Automatic transmission? I didn't think that they could flat tow?

[@smiles2give]

We live in a 43' 5th wheel for 1 1/2 years with the plans to travel but it didn't happen. We got rid of that and in a few years we're thinking to try again but this time in a class C. Did y'all buy yours brand new?

[@NewstateNomads]

Hi Sheri, thanks so much for watching! Yes, we bought our RV new, but we didn't have THAT much choice given the floorplan was new and in demand. New vs used is a personal decision, a lot of people say to let someone else work out the bugs in a new RV! We don't regret buying new, and got a very good deal plus the warranty took care of the small issues we found. 👍 -Howard

[@smiles2give]

@@NewstateNomads Thanks, we had bought the 43' new also, but I think we want something smaller next time and that we can drive and pull a car behind. We had no problem living in it, it'll just mean downsizing AGAIN! ugh

[@NewstateNomads]

@@smiles2give I will say the floorplan and chassis really helped us downsize (going from a 1,000sqft apartment to 200sqft, lol). It's feels like a nice studio apartment with a surprising amount of storage (though always be careful about your carrying capacity!). If you haven't already, I would check out our RV tour video, and I think you'll see what I mean.

[@rrandolph63]

how did your new OLD car work out?

[@NewstateNomads]

So far so good, Randy! We've driven all around the US and Mexico with it, just need to find a new oil pan gasket and the CR-V will be practically perfect! 👍 -Howard

[@daveduncan2748]

Is an RV tour of the Navion coming soon?

[@NewstateNomads]

VERY soon. You read our minds! 😎

[@daveduncan2748]

@@NewstateNomads Excellent. Hoping for not just the Navion features, but how you two (four?) use the space and features for your particular needs.

[@NewstateNomads]

@@daveduncan2748 Great points! 👏 Yes, we want to showcase why this is the right floorplan for us and how we maximize the space for not only living but working from the road! ☺️

[@profoundseeker9434]

You almost strangled me .... you should warn folks if they are consuming food or drink

[@NewstateNomads]

😂😂 Surprise!