Can a 2013 Honda Ridgeline Flat Tow a 1968 Toyota Land Cruiser

Question:

I have a 2013 Honda Ridgelien , what do I need to tow a 1968 toyota landcruiser ?

asked by: Joe M

Expert Reply:

First, you will need to determine If your 2013 Honda Ridgeline has a high enough towing capacity to tow the 1968 Toyota Land Cruiser. The towing capacity of the Ridgeline must be greater than the gross weight of the Land Cruiser.

If you have enough capacity the next thing you will need to check is the owners manual of the Land Cruiser. Given its age it may or may not have any information on flat towing. If it does not you would likely need to speak with someone at Toyota to determine if the vehicle can be flat towed.

If it can be flat towed then there are 5 items you will need: base plates, tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking. The base plates attach to the vehicle and provide a safe and secure attachment point for the tow bar.

There are no custom base plates for the 1968 Land Cruiser. So you would need to have universal base plates # BX88266 professionally installed. I have included a link to the installation instructions for these base plates for you.

Next you will need a compatible tow bar. I recommend the Blue Ox Alpha, # BX7380, rated for 6,500 pounds. It also coms with safety cables so you would not need to add any.

For lighting, the easiest solution is to use a magnetic light kit, # RM-2120. This will bypass the Land Cruiser wiring so you will not have to cut and splice into the wiring of your classic Toyota.

And finally, most states now require supplemental braking on the vehicle being flat towed. One of the easiest systems to set up and use is the Even Brake proportional system # RM-9400. It will apply the Land Cruiser brakes in proportion to how much the tow vehicle is braking. This is the easiest way to stop and it reduces wear and tear on both vehicles.

I have also included some helpful links to our series of help articles on flat towing for you.

In the event that you cannot or do not want to flat tow the Land Cruiser then the best option would be to put it on a trailer. But the Ridgeline will still have to have a high enough capacity to tow the trailer and Land Cruiser.