# Towing the Cruze on a car dolly



## Mrjeff (May 15, 2019)

Hello folks. Looking for some advice/help. Has anybody pulled a cruise behind a tow vehicle on a car dolly. I have a 2017 six speed manual diesel I want to tow it behind my RV. I know these cars can be towed four wheels down I read that in the manual. I’ve since lost my manual so I can not check about car dolly towing
TIA jeff


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## Fireworks234 (Jan 4, 2018)

I haven't pulled a Cruze but I found this information pretty helpful: https://www.etrailer.com/question-266587.html



> According to the owner's manual for your 2017 Chevrolet Cruze, the F15 (02 sensor), F23 (Windshield washer/
> Rear windows), F26 (Transmission), and F27 (Blank) fuses must be pulled while being towed to eliminate battery drain. All of the other vehicle functions will remain on and in working order but the above items are not needed while being towed. In order to eliminate physically pulling the fuses each time you tow your vehicle, you can install the Roadmaster FuseMaster Fuse Bypass Switch for Towed Vehicle part # RM76512. You will need two bypasses to cut power to all four switches.
> 
> It is also important to note that if your vehicle has an automatic transmission, it cannot be dinghy towed with four wheels down. If you have an automatic transmission then your vehicle must be towed using a tow dolly such as the Roadmaster Tow Dolly with Self-Steering Wheels and Electric Brakes part # RM-2000-1. The Roadmaster Tow Dolly has electronic brake's which makes stopping with the vehicle attached safe/easy and self-steering wheels which help with both stability and maneuverability. I have attached a video of this tow dolly being used to dolly tow a similar 2016 Chevy Cruze for you as well.
> ...


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)




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## Mrjeff (May 15, 2019)

Thanks! I appreciate the information. It seems very strange to me that you would keep it in first gear when traveling up to speed of 65 miles an hour. My thoughts would be, that would be damaging to the transmission. Not a mechanic so I can’t verify any of those thoughts 
Any mechanics out there that might be able to clarify this?
Barry was nice enough toPost pictures of the manual. So the information is coming right from GM to keep it in first gear. Seems very strange to me


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

Mrjeff said:


> Thanks! I appreciate the information. It seems very strange to me that you would keep it in first gear when traveling up to speed of 65 miles an hour. My thoughts would be, that would be damaging to the transmission. Not a mechanic so I can’t verify any of those thoughts
> Any mechanics out there that might be able to clarify this?
> Barry was nice enough toPost pictures of the manual. So the information is coming right from GM to keep it in first gear. Seems very strange to me


Putting it in 1st gear refers to using a dolly to pull a manual shift car.

For flat towing, the owners manual says to put the stick in Neutral, as you would expect.

Doug

.


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## Mrjeff (May 15, 2019)

Ok now after some thought it make sense. My initial thinking was, how could it be safe to keep the vehicle in first gear while going at highway speed’s are up to 65 miles an hour?? After some more thought on it I realize the drive wheels will be up in the air so they won’t be moving at all. The only wheels I will be turning with the rear wheels with your free wheeling. So I guess it is a safe procedure. Does that make sense?
Does anyone out there have experience with this?


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Keeping car in gear helps to keep it locked in place. The car isn't be towed in gear. It's on a ramp off the ground.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Mrjeff said:


> Ok now after some thought it make sense. My initial thinking was, how could it be safe to keep the vehicle in first gear while going at highway speed’s are up to 65 miles an hour?? After some more thought on it I realize the drive wheels will be up in the air so they won’t be moving at all. The only wheels I will be turning with the rear wheels with your free wheeling. So I guess it is a safe procedure. Does that make sense?
> Does anyone out there have experience with this?


When on a tow dolly, the front wheels (drive wheels) do not rotate.. The parking brake acts on the REAR wheels, since they are on the road, you can't use the parking brake... putting it in gear on the dolly is the only way to stop it from rolling off the dolly before you tie it down. All that said, if you have the manual, and can tow all 4 on the road, in neutral.. seems that might make more sense and be less hassle than dealing with a tow dolly... just saying. If you have the My Chevrolet app, you can get the owners manual on your smartphone or other device, and you can download an electronic copy for free off the website and owner center page.


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

Mrjeff said:


> So I guess it is a safe procedure. Does that make sense?


I often see it done using dollies. They make the most sense to me. When maneuvering in tight spaces - such as getting into and out of a gas station - the dolly allows for easier steering of the load. I once saw a guy flat towing a vehicle, and it was scrubbing the front tires pretty badly as it turned to enter the gas station I was visiting. The tires on the load didn't steer themselves - didn't castor - as well as needed.

After that, I recommend going to a couple places that rent the dollies and chatting them up. Ask about braking, about brakes on the dolly, and about rigging the Cruze's (rear) brakes to be applied.

HTH.

Doug

.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

I’ve flat towed a Tacoma pickup and dollied a Jetta TDI. Not my Cruze I know, but the Jetta and the Cruze, both being front wheel drive, would be the same on a dolly. The only difference would be auto trans set in Park vs manual trans set in 1st gear.

The dolly towing required my Jetta auto transmission to remain in Park while towing. The dolly model I used (Demco Kar Kaddy) was awesome...free-steering wheels and electric brakes. Advantage, no wear on front tires. The drawback...storage space when not using the dolly and another set of tires to maintain. 

Flat towing the Tacoma was very cool. Being an automatic transmission, I had to install a driveshaft disconnect (Remco Driveshaft Disconnect) and a tow bar (Roadmaster Falcon 2) and a wire harness to connect the Tacoma brake and running lights to the RV plug.

To hookup, I connected the tow bar to RV, disconnected drive line, set transmission to Neutral and left Ignition “ON”. Advantage...super quick hookup and no tow dolly to store. The drawback, battery draw (Ignition On) during long tows and wear on all 4 tires (instead of just 2 tires) when towing.

_EDIT: The Tacoma auto trans was set to PARK (not Neutral) when flat towing. The driveshaft was disconnected so the transmission was set to Park in order to keep the trans from any potential “free-wheeling” effect generated by the disconnected driveshaft._


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## Mrjeff (May 15, 2019)

I want to thank everyone who has replied. I feel much better now. This is a great forum, it seems to always provide the folks that know!
Jeff


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

I briefly considered towing my Cruze behind my motorhome, but I'm the only driver who comfortably drives a manual transmission, so I opted to tow our SRX instead. I recommend towing 4-down, especially since you have a manual transmission to work with. I'm puzzled about leaving the ignition set to ACC. That's typically done to keep the steering wheel unlocked so the front wheels can turn to follow the towing vehicle, but I'm not sure that's necessary with pushbutton start. I don't think my steering locks when the ignition is off. My 2013 SRX has pushbutton start, does not require the ignition to be on, and does not require pulling fuses while being towed, but some SRX model years did require fuses to be pulled for towing.

If you do have to leave the ignition on and pull the fuses, get one of the aftermarket switches to bypass the fuses. Towing 4-down is the way to go. It's quick and simple to hook and unhook and there's no dolly to store at home or at camp.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

I have not towed a Cruze, but did dolly a Ford Courier, manual trans. I went from Tacoma to Milwaukee with no driving issues, but the route we took caused a lot of salt damage to the truck. Except for short hauls, I would use a full size car hauler myself. I know that takes from the fuel mileage, but for me it would have been worth it.


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## smitty082261 (Sep 27, 2018)

I have a 2012 standard transmission that I tow behind a motorhome. I toes like a dream. I installed a baseplate on the front of the car using the blue ox system. I ran a wire to the taillights. I pull up behind the motorhome and attach the car to the hitch. Put the car in neutral, turn the key on then off to unlock steering then take off. It maybe takes 5 minutes at the most and u r on the road. It’s been towed 4 down a few thousands miles with no problems. Way easier than a tow dolly. Feel free to contact me if you need more info

Bruce


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## Drew's Cruze (Jul 31, 2015)

Mrjeff said:


> Hello folks. Looking for some advice/help. Has anybody pulled a cruise behind a tow vehicle on a car dolly. I have a 2017 six speed manual diesel I want to tow it behind my RV. I know these cars can be towed four wheels down I read that in the manual. I’ve since lost my manual so I can not check about car dolly towing
> TIA jeff


Yes.
Can't comment about 4 wheel towing, but you mentioned a dolly. It's a piece of cake on a dolly. Just make sure the chains and straps attached to the trailer are cinched down tight (front wheels) and it's in gear/park (brake disengaged of course.) And be mindful that there's extra weight in back, and take that into consideration when braking and turning.


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