Parts Needed to Flat Tow 2016 Ford Fiesta Titanium Behind a Motorhome

Question

Question:

I have a 2016 Ford Fiesta Titanium with an automatic transmission that I am anticipating flat towing behind a motorhome. I do not yet own a motorhome, but wish to get one in the near future. I am trying to plan ahead and narrow my choices for towing equipment, so I can estimate costs. I have watched all of your Fiesta videos, but am still a bit confused about the exact products I should consider for my car. I have yet to speak with an installer, but was curious which products you would recommend. I am aware of the two types of base plates available for me, but there are so many options for wiring and braking kits, I am not sure which ones would be the best. I thought maybe I could start with the car options and then consider towbars and accessories once I actually have the motorhome. Do you think this is a reasonable way to go about this? Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

asked by: Sharon O

0

Expert Reply:

We can help you with the process of researching your options in flat towing equipment for when you're ready to tow your 2016 Ford Fiesta Titanium behind a yet-to-be-acquired motorhome. We have a comprehensive article on flat towing (plus a few others concerning specific towing items) that you can review for background and to show you the options.

There are indeed many options when it comes to braking systems and wiring/lighting kits and these vary considerably in price and in how invasive they are to the towed car. Some will require modifications while others will offer you far easier installation without having to alter the car.

The list of items needed for safe and legal flat towing include the tow bar, safety cables, a wiring/lighting solution for the toad, a high/low hitch adapter to keep the connected tow bar within at least 3-inches of dead level, base plates and a braking system. You will be best off considering your entire set-up in advance so you can ensure compatibility. You'll also want to review the Fiesta owner's manual for any guidance or restrictions regarding flat towing the car. Some vehicles can require specific preparation steps to ready them for flat towing, such as disconnecting the battery. You'll also want to ensure that your chosen motorhome can tow the car's weight.

Let's start with base plates. For your non-ST model without EcoBoost feature I suggest Blue Ox base plate kit # BX2650. It is generally best to use a tow bar from the same maker as your base plates (to avoid the added cost and complexity of the adapters required when mixing brands) so I suggest also Blue Ox's Alpha tow bar # BX7380. This tow bar includes safety cables, saving you that one expense. This tow bar is used in a motorhome's 2-inch hitch receiver.

For toad lighting I suggest you go the easy and cost-effective route of using magnetic lights. This avoids cutting into the car's wiring and provides simple installation and removal. You can use kit # TL21RK.

When it comes to braking systems the product options are quite broad and are shown on the linked page. Without hesitation I recommend the Blue Ox Patriot portable and wireless braking system # BLU37TR. This is neither the least not the most costly option but it is by far the easiest to install and use, and it allows you to move it to another vehicle should this become necessary. One of the article I linked covers these systems and will help you decide how invasive an installation you care to do.

The other article covers hitch high/low adapters like # BLU34TR.