Can Battery on 2015 GMC Terrain be Charged While Flat Towing it Behind a Motor Home

Question:

What is the best way to keep a towed vehicles battery charged while being towed? Will a 12 volt lead from the RV do it or will I need an onboard battery charger?

asked by: John

Expert Reply:

Check the owners manual for the vehicle you intend to flat tow because you may or may not have to disconnect the battery to flat tow it. If you do not then it is possible that there is some feature that could drain the battery while in tow. And of course if you do have to disconnect the battery it would not drain.

To provide a maintenance charge to the vehicle while in tow you would attach a charge wire to the battery and connect it to the Terrain side connector. I recommend using a 6-way connector on the Terrain, like # RM-146-7. The charge line will need to go to the 12 volt circuit. On the 6-Way end the 12 volt circuit is in the 2 o'clock position and on a 7-Way end it is in the 11 o'clock position.

If you have a 2015 GMC Terrain then based on what I could find the battery does not have to be disconnected to flat tow and it is not known to have any features that will drain the battery while being towed.

But it does look like you have to pull fuses to flat tow it. Consult the owners manual to be sure. To make this process as easy as flipping a switch you can use fuse bypass # RM76511.

expert reply by: Michael H