Are Bronco Flat Tow Issues Resolved?

[Cased]

Getting ready to flat tow my 21 with the 4A case so this is a great read

My kids tow a 4A Ranger many miles a year and have had to replace a transmission , luckily it was covered

I found a Remco driveshaft uncoupler setup that might work if one converted to unjoints instead of stock CVs

Has anyone looked into these

And where do I look for air brake systems ? My tow rig has a air brake port and controller

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[73Corvetteman]

Getting ready to flat tow my 21 with the 4A case so this is a great read

My kids tow a 4A Ranger many miles a year and have had to replace a transmission , luckily it was covered

I found a Remco driveshaft uncoupler setup that might work if one converted to unjoints instead of stock CVs

Has anyone looked into these

And where do I look for air brake systems ? My tow rig has a air brake port and controller

I looked into drive shaft decouple as well but other forum members pointed out the front wheels are still connected to the transfer case while towing 4 down. There just isn't any room for a decouple
In the front. Best I could come up with was a decouple on rear and steers on a tow dolly but I didn't do that. My motorhome won't handle the weight of a trailer and the bronco. So I purchased an extended warranty that will cover it if ford doesn't. (I talked with them at length and they said ford is terrible covering warranty issues and that's where they get a lot of their customers). We have towed 4 down about 4000 miles so far with no transfer/transmission issues. Have had intermittent brake issues while towing. I pull the brake fuses now.

 

[Cased]

So I drilled down on the Remco and they are made by Superior Driveline , they are out of Des Moine Iowa

The guy I talked to said they have done a Bronco and the front does not need done just the rear

I am skeptical of this being true but he went on to say the owner had smoked a trans flat towing and as long as it’s in 2H the front doesn’t turn the clutch pack

I post this with the hope that people with more knowledge weigh in ….you wouldn’t think a non advanced would fail and he couldn’t say

I have not found a replacement front shaft that converts to 1350’s yet so maybe their is no room

 

[73Corvetteman]

So I drilled down on the Remco and they are made by Superior Driveline , they are out of Des Moine Iowa

The guy I talked to said they have done a Bronco and the front does not need done just the rear

I am skeptical of this being true but he went on to say the owner had smoked a trans flat towing and as long as it’s in 2H the front doesn’t turn the clutch pack

I post this with the hope that people with more knowledge weigh in ….you wouldn’t think a non advanced would fail and he couldn’t say

I have not found a replacement front shaft that converts to 1350’s yet so maybe their is no room

I spoke to him as well or at least someone there. The problem is there are no exploded views of transfer case available to confirm this. I didn't want to spend 1600 bucks and still not know if I was safe. I spent months trying to come up with something to monitor the transmission rotational state but I finally gave up and decided to just take my chances and deal with the problem if it happens.
I did install an onboard dvr and 4 cameras that record the dash screen showing neutral tow enabled, me putting unit in neutral tow mode, and forward and rear cameras showing where bronco is all the time. It records 24/7 when we are towing 4 down. So if it happens I have indisputable video that I did everything correctly. That was the best I came up with. Good luck!

 

[Go_UL_Cards]

73Corvetteman - I had the same thought on monitoring the transmission. The bronco already will display the temperature. If that gauge could be made live all the time and transmit/send to the RV cab via wireless or wired then maybe that would tell you if there is a problem. If the transmission is above ambient temperature then it's turning and generating heat. But i have no idea how to go about doing that.

 

[dgorsett]

So I drilled down on the Remco and they are made by Superior Driveline , they are out of Des Moine Iowa

The guy I talked to said they have done a Bronco and the front does not need done just the rear

I am skeptical of this being true but he went on to say the owner had smoked a trans flat towing and as long as it’s in 2H the front doesn’t turn the clutch pack

I post this with the hope that people with more knowledge weigh in ….you wouldn’t think a non advanced would fail and he couldn’t say

I have not found a replacement front shaft that converts to 1350’s yet so maybe their is no room

I'm not expert, but Broncos with 4A and select other BB and OBX do not have a front axle disconnect so the front driveshaft turns when the Bronco moves. He's right, in 2H the clutch pack shouldn't turn, BUT if things were working as they should folks wouldn't be frying trannys in Neutral Tow. One of my theories is that the clutch pack does not fully disengage causing the problem. Part Time outfits have no clutches and no problems reported on this forum yet.

 

[Cased]

I did install an onboard dvr and 4 cameras that record the dash screen showing neutral tow enabled, me putting unit in neutral tow mode, and forward and rear cameras showing where bronco is all the time. It records 24/7 when we are towing 4 down. So if it happens I have indisputable video that I did everything correctly. That was the best I came up with. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply and insight. Unfortunately the electronic skill needed to set up any of this is beyond me.

If only they made lockouts for these front axles

 

[73Corvetteman]

73Corvetteman - I had the same thought on monitoring the transmission. The bronco already will display the temperature. If that gauge could be made live all the time and transmit/send to the RV cab via wireless or wired then maybe that would tell you if there is a problem. If the transmission is above ambient temperature then it's turning and generating heat. But i have no idea how to go about doing that.

Worst part is by the time it gets warm the damage has already started. I wanted to tap into one of the transmission speed sensors and rig something to send a signal to motorhome if it started turning when it shouldn't but that of course voids warranty. (Which ford doesn't honor anyway)

 

[Cased]

I'm not expert, but Broncos with 4A and select other BB and OBX do not have a front axle disconnect so the front driveshaft turns when the Bronco moves. He's right, in 2H the clutch pack shouldn't turn, BUT if things were working as they should folks wouldn't be frying trannys in Neutral Tow. One of my theories is that the clutch pack does not fully disengage causing the problem. Part Time outfits have no clutches and no problems reported on this forum yet.

I agree with your assessment and wonder what’s going on inside that case .
When I get a chance I’m going to put mine on four stands and spin the front to see which way the backs spin

Maybe it’s like a open diff. where they turn opposite and cancel out ( in 2H)

There has to be a fool proof way to set these things up and not rely on the perfect voltage

 

[Tilzbow]

Getting ready to flat tow my 21 with the 4A case so this is a great read

My kids tow a 4A Ranger many miles a year and have had to replace a transmission , luckily it was covered

I found a Remco driveshaft uncoupler setup that might work if one converted to unjoints instead of stock CVs

Has anyone looked into these

And where do I look for air brake systems ? My tow rig has a air brake port and controller

I use a Demco Air Force One brake system and it’s been great. The nice thing with Demco is if you have any questions you’ll be quickly connected to an extremely competent and helpful technician who understands the requirements for towing a Bronco. The AF1 doesn’t draw on the Bronco’s power so the only draw on the battery might be from the the turn signals and brake lights but those might be fed by the coach. The AF1 also doesn’t activate the Bronco’s brake when the coach’s exhaust brake is being used to slow the coach on long descents.

I’m over 13,000 miles of flat towing without a hitch! I’ve got a 4A transmission, too….

 

[Cased]

I use a Demco Air Force One brake system and it’s been great. The nice thing with Demco is if you have any questions you’ll be quickly connected to an extremely competent and helpful technician who understands the requirements for towing a Bronco. The AF1 doesn’t draw on the Bronco’s power so the only draw on the battery might be from the the turn signals and brake lights but those might be fed by the coach. The AF1 also doesn’t activate the Bronco’s brake when the coach’s exhaust brake is being used to slow the coach on long descents.

I’m over 13,000 miles of flat towing without a hitch! I’ve got a 4A transmission, too….

I think that’s what I have part of or the start of
.
My tow rig is a freightliner M2 with the quick connect sticking out the back and some lever on the dash.
Unfortunately the previous owner left nothing behind to hint as to what does what

Been trying to get more info on the AFO on the toad side and not using voltage is right up my alley

 

[lamokadave]

Completed our first RV/Bronco Tow over the weekend. Full RVI setup. Only twice did we brake hard enough to engage the RVI brake. Once I put on the brakes hard, let up a little and pressed again. RVI Tablet gave me a warning it was not properly setup and then cleared within a second. Never happened after i modified my braking pattern. Bronco did two things when i got home. Brake fault when i first turned on the ignition which cleared as soon as i started it. Slight tire burn smell for about 24 hours.
The biggest problem was keeping the tablet connected. finally found the sweet spot in the middle of the bed in the back bedroom. Stayed connected the entire trip home.
Never got the tpms to work on either the RV or Bronco.
We drove the Bronco about 20 miles after we got there with no issues.
Drove fine after we got home. Mileage didn't change. Took pictures before we started each trip.
Transmission temperature when i got home was about 90 degrees. It was about that temperature outside. I assume that if the transmission/differential was not properly disengaged the temperature would be higher than ambient temp. I wish there was a way to monitor the transmission temperature from the RV. If it starts getting hot then there is probably a problem.
I know when i play around with changing stuff in Forscan the battery will sometimes go into save mode and i have to quit for the night. The RVi brake has to draw some power as it's always on and monitoring.

I use the complete RVI setup as well and was surprised to see that you never got the TPMS to work anywhere. I agree it's a bit sketchy and at times I've dropped a wheel or 2 for extended times. I assume you did pair them when you first installed.

 

[Go_UL_Cards]

Paired them and then after some discussion with RVI re-paired them. They worked fine on the bronco when i took it for a ride with the hub and tablet in the bronco. Once i got everything hooked up after the re-pair only the two front wheels on the RV and the Bronco showed up. Once we got rolling - nothing.
They are sending me a new battery for the hub - it only lasted about 3 hours. They want to try that first and then go from there. Could be too much interference from my RV but ...

 

[Go_UL_Cards]

New battery installed - why anyone would think this would help - and the sensors paired while sitting - 5 of 6 did. Didn't bother to put them back on the bronco. 10 minutes after driving to storage the fronts quit working and never monitored again. I bought in December during their sale but never put them on until our first trip in March. I asked for a refund and they won't.
I'm happy with the brake, battery charger monitor and wireless breakaway controller - but i guess i'll give the monitors away. Already order a new set - should be here thursday. We'll see how they do.

 

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Yes the RVI brake and charger work great, their TPS sucks big time, they replaced the sensors once then they wouldn't do a refund when they didn't work the second time, they said I should have asked for a refund right away, I said you should have told me they will never work, not sure I can endorse them. Thumbs down for RVI

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