Flat towing, or dinghy towing, is a proper way of having a smaller vehicle that acts as a spare car when going on road trips with your RV. This gives you an option to do other errands with a vehicle that occupies less space. In this article, we have scoured the internet for reliable sources to answer if you can flat tow a Lincoln Nautilus.
Yes, you can flat tow a Lincoln Nautilus as long as it is equipped with a 2.7-liter engine. Lincoln also made it available to tow both the Front-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive options of the Nautilus. If you will be using a tow dolly to haul your Nautilus, only the FWD is towable this way.
Interested in learning more about flat towing a Lincoln Nautilus? Stick around and finish reading as we discuss interesting related questions such as procedures to follow when flat towing your Nautilus and the durability of the Nautilus. We will also be suggesting awesome write-ups at the end of this article. So go ahead and finish reading!
Towing Your Lincoln Nautilus
First, we must understand that not all vehicles are flat-towable. Flat towing is towing your vehicle with either two or all of its wheels touching the ground while you are pulling it.
The scarcity of flat towable vehicles is rapidly rising as the production of manual transmission vehicles is swiftly dwindling down, with the trend of the car industry of releasing new models with automatic transmission options only.
But there is an issue with flat towing and automatic transmissions. Traditionally, automatic vehicles are incapable of being flat towed. This is because of the difference in design between a manual and an automatic transmission. With an automatic, the transmission is only lubricated while it is running.
While manual transmissions are lubricated even without the engine running, you only need to shift the transmission to neutral, and you are good to flat tow the vehicle. This is not the case with an automatic drivetrain.
But this is what separates the Lincoln Nautilus as even though it only has an option for an automatic driveline, you can still flat-tow the vehicle.
This makes Lincoln vehicles one of the best options if ever you are on the lookout for an automatic luxury vehicle that can be taken with your motorhome as a dinghy tow.
How to flat tow your Lincoln Nautilus?
When towing your Nautilus, the same principle applies when you are towing any other vehicle. Your gears must be put in neutral, and your parking brakes must not be active.
You have two paths to choose when towing a Lincoln Nautilus. You can go for a tow dolly where you will be placing a dolly on your front wheel while your back wheel is touching the ground.
While the other option is just by plainly flat towing it without the use of any trailer, only a trail hitch directly mounted to your Nautilus' bumper.
In flat towing, there are usually five primary items that you would use to pull your vehicle. These are your base plates, towbars, light indicators, safety cables, and the braking system for your vehicle that is being towed.
Base plates
Your base plates are the ones that connect your tow bar to your Lincoln Nautilus, so you can pull it. They are directly installed on the frame of the car, which ensures safety and stability while towing. Base plate bolts only require being bolted to your chassis, so this means that no welding will be necessary.
Tow bar
The tow bar is the main device connecting your car being flat towed by your RV. It comprises pivoting arms and a shank that both work in hand to couple the vehicles together without separating from each other during travel.
Brake light indicator
A brake light is important as this will indicate to the vehicle behind you that you applied brakes. Your Nautilus already has a built-in brake light, of course, but they are only activated when your brake pedals are being engaged.
Since your Nautilus is not being driven and only being pulled, a brake light diode kit is used to activate the brake light of the car being flat towed at the same time you apply brakes on your motor vehicle. This kit allows you to splice with the brake light of your Nautilus without having to cut its tail light electrical housing.
Click here to see Roadmaster brake light diode kit on Amazon.
Safety Cables
Now for some people, safety cables are only a waste of time, but for us, we highly recommend that you get them. Especially since they are required by some states. Safety cables serve as your reserve attachment if ever your tow bar goes south on you. They are there to be your last line of coupling so that your RV and Nautilus don't detach.
Braking System
The final is a supplementary braking system that is connected from your motorhome to your vehicle. This braking system activates the car's brakes being dinghy towed at the same time as you apply the brakes on your RV. They work in hand with the brake light indicator.
The main purpose of this is for safety, to prevent your car from slamming into the back of your RV, and also for stability when you apply your brakes.
What other Lincoln vehicles can be towed?
It is only fitting to get a luxury vehicle to be flat towed when you are on a luxury motor home as well. And one of the best choices for flat towing in the market today is Lincoln.
Aside from the Nautilus, Lincoln also designed the MKX, Corsair, Aviator, and the Navigator to be flat towed. But Before choosing these cars for your dinghy towing adventure, or if you already have one and want to immediately start pulling them behind your RV, you must learn some safety tips first.
Flat Towing Safely
You must first understand that towing these vehicles depends on their type of drive, be it all-wheel, four-wheel, or front-wheel drive. This is because every system differs in towing requirements and some do not allow for flat towing.
It is important to know which drive system your car falls into because flat towing a vehicle not designed for such a purpose can result in severe damage to your transmission.
For the Navigator, Aviator, Corsair, and the MKX; they are the same as the Nautilus. You can flat tow with the AWD and the FWD, while with a trailer dolly, only the FWD is safe to tow.
It is still best to refer to your owner's manual as it contains the answer for the specific model and trim you have. By doing so, you are saving time as you can quickly identify the answer, as your vehicle's manual states the dos and don'ts of your car. This will also help you on how to properly care for and use your vehicle so that it can last long.
How fast can you go while towing a vehicle like a Lincoln Nautilus?
The first measure of how fast you can go while dinghy towing your Lincoln Nautilus relies on the power of your RV's engine. If you have a class A motor home, the average maximum towing limit it has is somewhere around 5,000 lbs.
If you have a bigger and more powerful C-class motorhome, its average maximum towing quadruples, making it 20,000 lbs. Of course, logic dictates that the bigger the RV, the bigger the engine, and the bigger the engine, the more powerful it is!
The Lincoln Nautilus has a curb weight of 4,305 lbs; this makes it a bit harder haul for an A-class motor home.
But the ultimate variable that will set how fast you can flat tow your Nautilus is the speed limit that every state has. This is what we must follow and should not go over for the safety of you and the people around you.
If you are flat towing with a vehicle as big as a Nautilus, you will be considered a heavyweight vehicle. So apply caution at all times.
Following each state's regulation speed limit will also give you a smoother trip as you will not be having any troubles with highway patrols monitoring traffic. This will not only prevent you from having a ticket but also save fuel, as having a heavy foot on your gas pedal is bad for fuel economy.
What is the best vehicle for flat towing?
The Jeep Wrangler is widely considered to be the best choice for RV enthusiasts to be dinghy towed or flat towed. A large reason for this is the construction and design of the Wrangler, which provisions for disconnecting the transmission for automatic drive trains,or the choice for a manual one.
The Wrangler's rugged design also plays a huge part in its appeal. The off-road capability of the vehicle allows its owners to go anywhere, especially on road trips with their RV's. They just simply un-tow from the motor home and explore all kinds of terrain with the vehicle.
In Review
You can flat tow a Lincoln Nautilus as long as it has a 2.7-liter engine, regardless if it is a front-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive. The trend of the vehicle industry choosing to manufacture more automatic vehicles compared to manual makes it harder to find newer model cars to be used for flat towing.
The Lincoln Nautilus can be flat towed even with an automatic transmission,by simply shifting its gears to neutral and disengaging the parking brake.
Here are some related articles that we have previously written; go ahead and check them out!
How Big Is The Lincoln Nautilus? [Dimensions Explored]
Do you have a simple step by step (SETUP) procedure to flat tow a Lincoln Nautilus 2.7 AWD? I have read so many different things from the internet.
Our 2023 Lincoln Nautilus has an electric e-break does not have the cable. Manual does not explain how to deal with the electric e-break step. I have the rest figured out but cannot find anything explaining on how to deactivate the electric e-break.