Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 2016 Jeep Patriot with manual Transmission

Question:

Dince the wheels in this patroit turn without the key on, why do I need the key on to flat tow it? Thanks

asked by: Bob M

Helpful Expert Reply:

When flat towing a vehicle you have to go by all of the vehicle manufacturers procedures outlined in the owners manual. Otherwise you will void the warranty. We are aware of a guy that had to replace a transmission in his vehicle for not following the recommended flat towing instructions. It was a brand new vehicle and his warranty was not honored because of how he chose to flat tow the vehicle.

That being said the reason most vehicles require the key be on and the battery disconnected is to allow the steering wheel to be unlocked (why the key is in on position) without draining the battery (why battery gets disconnected.

For a base plate kit for a 2016 Jeep Patriot manual transmission you would want the part # 521441-1 which is a confirmed fit. This would work well with the Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain part # RM-522.

For safety cables you can use # RM-643. The coiled design helps keep the cables off of the ground.

For lighting you can use the diode kit, # RM-15267, and not have to worry about cutting into the taillight housing. This will splice into your taillight wiring to allow your tow vehicle to control the taillight assemblies of the towed vehicle. This comes with a round 6-way connector that you will install on the front of your towed vehicle and enough coiled wire to go from there to the RV.

And finally, most states now require supplemental braking in the vehicle being flat towed. The easiest system to set up and use is the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR, that applies the vehicle brakes in proportion to how much the tow vehicle is braking. This is the safest way to stop and it reduces wear and tear on both vehicles.

Most likely you will also need a high low adapter so that the tow bar will be level when you are flat towing. I attached a link to a page that has all of the ones we carry.

I have included a couple of helpful links to our articles on flat towing for you. Be sure to consult the vehicle owners manual for more specific information on flat towing your vehicle.