Can 2015 Chevy Malibu with Active Air Shutters be Flat Towed

Question:

with the active shutter system on the2015 Malibu I was told by a Chev dealer you could not flat tow the car. He said that it would overheat, not sure what he meant. It appears a lot of folks are flat towing them with the active shutter system, can you explain? Thanks.

asked by: Rhett A

Expert Reply:

When it comes to flat towing restrictions and procedures you have to go with what the manufacturer recommends. You might try a different Chevy dealer if you can't get a totally straight answer from the one you spoke with.

I did some checking and couldn't find any restrictions on the vehicles with the active air shutters and we have base plate kits that fit the models that have this feature as well like the Roadmaster # RM-523183-5.

In addition to the base plates, you will also need a compatible tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking to flat tow your vehicle. The most popular compatible tow bar is the Falcon All Terrain, # RM-522. This has non-binding arms which makes the setup very easy to connect/disconnect.

For lighting/safety cables, locks, and covers for the tow bar we have the Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain kit part # RM-9243-1 which comes with all of that as one part number. The diode kit that comes with this allows you to splice into the taillight wiring so that your RV controls the vehicle taillights and does not require drilling into the taillight housings. 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.