Flat towing is a great way to make sure that you will have a more compact and less space-occupying vehicle when you are on a road trip. If you are thinking of doing this to your Hyundai Tucson, then this article is perfect for you. We asked the experts whether or not you can flat tow your Hyundai Tucson, and here is what we found out.
Hyundai has stated that any of their cars that are manual transmission and two-wheel drive can be flat towed as long as all of the wheels are on the ground. So if you have a manual two-wheel-drive Tucson, you can definitely flat tow it. As for automatic and CVT transmissions, Hyundai does not allow them to be flat towed. Forcing one can cause your transmission to break.
Continue reading as we discuss other related questions like how to flat tow a Hyundai Tucson, what other Hyundai models can be flat towed, how fast can you go while towing a vehicle like a Hyundai Tucson, and many more. We will also be suggesting some related topics at the end of this article, so stay on this page for more insight.
Flat towing vs. automatic transmission
The option of flat towing new cars is becoming more limited since the new clamor of the car industry for automatic transmission. This makes the demand for manual ones drop, thus forcing car manufacturers to produce more automatic variants, which even goes to the point of completely taking manual transmission options off in most of their models.
Even though Hyundai offers more manual cars than other brands in the North American market, this however is not true with the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. Unfortunately, there are no available manual variants in the American market.
One downside of automatic transmission vehicles is the lack of a flat towing feature due to their transmissions only lubricating themselves while you are running the engine.
For a manual transmission car, you can shift the gearbox to neutral, and then you can already flat tow it. If you try to do the same with an automatic transmission, it will not work as it is not designed that way. Towing the vehicle will cause unnecessary clanging and clashing of metals that will ultimately damage your transmission.
Flat towing option for Hyundai Tucson
A feature in some car brands allows you to disconnect your transmission, which allows you to flat tow your car even if it is an automatic one. But it is safe to say that we might be seeing innovations asserting the problem for flat towing automatic transmission, especially as there is a demand for such an option
You do have an option, though, for aftermarket modifications to be installed in your Hyundai Tucson like driveshaft decouplers and transmission lubrication pumps. This will allow you to tow them without worrying about your automatic transmission.
Although we strongly warn you that this is very technical installation wise. This also adds more maintenance for your car. An improperly installed decoupled transmission pump will cause large damage to your transmission. It would be better to buy a dedicated flat towable vehicle. If you will only be using or trying it for one time, renting one would be a smart way to go.
You must also remember that car manufacturers have different designs for their vehicles. What works for a Toyota might not necessarily work for you Hyundai.
That is why it always pays to check for your car's owner's manual. All of the quirks and features of your vehicle will be available there. It will also tell you the specific do's and don'ts for your car.
How to flat tow a Hyundai Tucson
One available option is using a flat trailer where you will be loading your Tucson. This will not be any more dinghy towing and can be heavier, but it will allow you to bring your non flat towing vehicle with you on your cross-country road trips.
Another way of flat towing your automatic car is through a dolly trailer, but unlike the flat trailer, not all cars can be used in a dolly, especially if they are rear-wheel-drive.
You cannot use a dolly trailer with Hyundai vehicles as they require all wheels to be on the ground. With the dolly, only the front wheels are boarded on a trailer as they are being pulled.
When pulling a trailer (particularly with heavy loads like a vehicle) there are important things that you have to consider first. You will encounter different laws as you pass by different states, but when your cargo exceeds 1,500 lbs, you will need to have trailer brake assistance. This is one requirement that almost all states have in common.
You will also have to know that with a trailer, you will be loading and unloading your dinghy vehicle off the trailer every time you will be using it. This can be very time-consuming and can be a challenge if you are traveling solo.
For a flat towable Tucson, another problem you might encounter is the availability of base plates. This is because Hyundai vehicles are not specifically designed and are famous for flat towing, so finding a compatible one could be a challenge. You can also find that custom-fitted ones can be expensive, so these are things you also might consider.
What other Hyundai models can be flat towed?
Hyundai currently has in production four latest car models that you can flat tow. These models include Veloster, Veloster N, Accent, and the Elantra. These mentioned Hyundais can still be flat towed as they are still offered with an option for manual gearbox and not an all-wheel drive.
Obviously, you can find more options with older vehicles as they offer more manual transmissions. As long as they are manual, they can be flat towed. So if you are looking for a specific Hyundai that you want to dinghy tow, it would be best to look for older models of that vehicle.
It would be a safe bet to look for 2010 and older model years as this era was still consistent with manual options in the car industry. And if you are having some doubts about second-hand Hyundai cars, don't worry. Hyundai is known for building durable cars, which we will be touching on in the latter part of this article.
How fast can you go while towing a vehicle like a Hyundai Tucson?
Now this will be depending on the power that your motor home can output. A class A motor home has an average maximum of 5,000 lbs towing, while the enormous class Cs can pull up to upwards of 20,000 lbs!
But no matter how capable and powerful your motor home is at towing, you should always be abiding with the speed limit imposed on the state that you are in. This is mainly for safety purposes, especially with vehicles that are fairly heavy compared to most motor vehicles in traffic.
This will also help you avoid any scuffle with highway patrol as going over the speed limit is illegal and will result in a traffic violation. Putting a heavy foot on your gas pedals will also be very costly in terms of fuel consumption.
How long will a Hyundai Tucson last?
With Hyundai vehicles, it is a common thing to have these cars go for hundreds and thousands of miles, especially with proper care. A typical average life span for a Hyundai Tucson is 200,000 miles. This will roughly give you 15 years give or take.
These types of vehicles are usually used for a daily commute and passenger vehicles only. You will rarely see (if any) a vehicle such as a Tucson being used as a work vehicle that hauls and tows stuff every day. They are not designed for that type of purpose and are not marketed in that way.
This contributes to why a Hyundai Tucson can last a very long time, they are not typically put under rugged use and are most of the time driven only on paved roads.
Are Hyundai Engines reliable?
Hyundai's RepairPal statistics are as good as they get. In their reliability ratings, Hyundai has a score of 4 out of 5. This rating puts Hyundai engines in the top four out of 32 car brands under this survey.
Hyundai vehicles are also fairly cheap when it comes to parts and maintenance. You can expect only $468 worth of annual maintenance cost on average. This is nearly $200 cheaper than the average maintenance cost of $650 for the majority of car brands available in the market.
In Closing
You can flat tow a Hyundai Tucson as long as it is a manual transmission and all of its wheels are on the ground while you are pulling it. It is becoming harder and harder to find new models of manual gearboxes for newly released vehicles. This is because of the clamor for automatic cars over manual ones.
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