Parts Needed to Flat Tow 2018 Chevy Sonic Behind Class C Motorhome

Question:

What do I need and how much should the total cost be?

asked by: Ron H

Expert Reply:

There are a number of items needed to safely and legally flat tow a vehicle like your 2018 Chevy Sonic behind your Class C motorhome. The linked article provides a good overview of each item and will help you see what a complete set-up will cost. In general you're typically looking at 2 or 3 thousand dollars depending on your specific equipment choices.

The first thing I suggest is a check of the owner's manual for the Sonic since some versions cannot be flat towed. The RS with automatic transmission cannot be flat towed without damage but other automatic transmission versions can be. The online owner's manual for the car covers on page 279 the required daily preparation steps for flat towing.

The items needed to flat tow behind an RV include a tow bar, safety cables, a wiring/lighting kit of one type or another, a high/low hitch adapter to keep the tow bar level, and on the towed car both a set of base plates and a supplemental braking system of some type.

Let's start with base plates. I recommend the Blue Ox kit # BX1703 since it fits all sedan and hatchback versions of the car and since our installers tend to like the fit of the Blue Ox products. An install video is linked for you. For a mating tow bar you can use the Alpha # BX7380; this tow bar is the top choice for Sonic owners and it includes the needed safety cables.

Wiring/lighting kits come in many types, some that are a one-time intensive install like the Roadmaster Tail Light Wiring Kit # RM-155 and some that need no modifications to the car but that do require you to install them each time you tow, such as magnetic light kit # RM-2120.

Braking systems also come in both the install-it-once variety, such as the SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO # SM99251, and in the no-modifications-needed variety such as the awesome Blue Ox Patriot, part # BLU37TR. This will also require 12V outlet kit # RM-9332. This offers wireless operation and full portability so if you change to a new towed vehicle in a few years the Patriot can move right into its new home and save you having to do another complex install. This is the braking system I recommend more than any other.

A for a high/low hitch adapter you'll want to choose the one that lets your tow bar remain level for best performance and minimum binding. An article on adapters is linked too.

Please have a read-through of the articles and by all means let us know if you have other questions or if we can do anything else to get you ready for the road.