Flat Tow failure

[pkanalyst]

True, wish my motorhome could handle a trailer and the bronco but just too heavy. And the hassle at every campground.... We travel around 300 miles a day, stay for a few days, go another 300 or so. Flat towing is so simple. Don't know what I'd do with trailer at most of the campgrounds we've been to. If I had known about this 4 months ago I would have never purchased Bronco. I was thinking about a tow dolly and rear driveshaft disconnect after someone mentioned it here. Tow dolly easy to store at campground and would solve weight problem. I just never thought they looked very safe.

I never wanted to get a trailer for the reasons you and others state. I dolly towed a FWD car for a while without any weight issues and it was plenty safe as long as you are diligent about following the steps, checking things over and maintaining your bearings, tires and brakes. But hooking and unhooking was a job and I do most of my RVing in the hot summer months. Some campgrounds were easy to accommodate the dolly especially if they had pull through sites for big rigs. If not, sometimes the dolly was a big pain on trips with multiple stops.
Flat towing is the whole reason I bought the Bronco. I’ve towed it for a few thousand miles and just became aware that this could be an issue. Doesn’t exactly make one confident that I should be doing this.

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[73Corvetteman]

I never wanted to get a trailer for the reasons you noticed others state. I dolly towed a FWD car for a while without any weight issues and it was plenty safe as long as you are diligent about following the steps, checking things over and maintaining your bearings, tires and brakes. But hooking and unhooking was a job and I do most of my RVing in the hot summer mone diligent ths. Some campgrounds were easy to accommodate the dolly especially if they had pull through sites for big rigs. If not, sometimes the dolly was a big pain on trips with multiple stops.
Flat towing is the whole reason I bought the Bronco. I’ve towed it for a few thousand miles and just became aware that this could be an issue. Doesn’t exactly make one confident that I should be doing this.

I hear you. Only thing I have noticed there have been no new reports that I can find this year. So either people have been more diligent performing the neutral tow process and ensuring battery voltage is maintained or Ford clandestinely updated the computer code to not change AWD modes if battery voltage drops too low. Or pure luck... We are leaving on a 2 month trip soon and I'm kinda nervous but I spoken to a lot of people that have towed successfully for many thousands of miles with no issues.
I think that maybe people are forgetting the last step in the process. Turn the ignition off. If left on the battery would run down quite a bit on a long trip. If they don't have a working charge line hooked to battery it could fall below the threshold that causes computers to do stupid things like disengage neutral tow mode. This is total speculation on my part.
I have installed a 4 camera mdvr 24/7 recording system in Bronco with one camera recording me do the neutral tow process and another mounted on steering colum recording the dash screen showing neutral tow mode enabled, transmission in neutral. If Ford denys warranty at least I have proof for court case.
I have spent the last 6 months trying to come up with some type of monitor to tell me if transmission starts turning when it shouldn't be but haven't come up with anything yet. I'm currently experimenting with a microphone to see if I can differentiate between transmission not turning or turning. People have suggested temperature sensor but I'm afraid by the time it registers heat there would be damage already done. Some have suggested unplugging shift motor on transfer case but don't know what might happen with computer then. There doesn't appear to be any solutions that I can find other than a trailer, a tow dolly with driveshaft disconnect on rear axle of Bronco, or just plain not flat towing it but like you that is the main reason I bought Bronco. And I love it other than this potential issue.
So my advice is use a checklist and video when you put in neutral tow mode. I think the odds are in our favor that nothing bad will happen ( other than the high blood pressure from stressing over it).

 

[Fordified1]

I’ve flat-towed to the beach and to Missouri so far. Heading to Silverton CO this Wednesday after work. 15+ hours and will boondock twice on the way up. I always disengage flat tow, and start the Bronco to let it charge the battery, test the transmission engagement, then go through the complete flat tow process before starting off in the morning. It definitely would be easy to forget to hit the ignition button that last time, but I believe it honks at you when you close the door.

 

[Fordified1]

I hear you. Only thing I have noticed there have been no new reports that I can find this year. So either people have been more diligent performing the neutral tow process and ensuring battery voltage is maintained or Ford clandestinely updated the computer code to not change AWD modes if battery voltage drops too low. Or pure luck... We are leaving on a 2 month trip soon and I'm kinda nervous but I spoken to a lot of people that have towed successfully for many thousands of miles with no issues.
I think that maybe people are forgetting the last step in the process. Turn the ignition off. If left on the battery would run down quite a bit on a long trip. If they don't have a working charge line hooked to battery it could fall below the threshold that causes computers to do stupid things like disengage neutral tow mode. This is total speculation on my part.
I have installed a 4 camera mdvr 24/7 recording system in Bronco with one camera recording me do the neutral tow process and another mounted on steering colum recording the dash screen showing neutral tow mode enabled, transmission in neutral. If Ford denys warranty at least I have proof for court case.
I have spent the last 6 months trying to come up with some type of monitor to tell me if transmission starts turning when it shouldn't be but haven't come up with anything yet. I'm currently experimenting with a microphone to see if I can differentiate between transmission not turning or turning. People have suggested temperature sensor but I'm afraid by the time it registers heat there would be damage already done. Some have suggested unplugging shift motor on transfer case but don't know what might happen with computer then. There doesn't appear to be any solutions that I can find other than a trailer, a tow dolly with driveshaft disconnect on rear axle of Bronco, or just plain not flat towing it but like you that is the main reason I bought Bronco. And I love it other than this potential issue.
So my advice is use a checklist and video when you put in neutral tow mode. I think the odds are in our favor that nothing bad will happen ( other than the high blood pressure from stressing over it).

My money is on Ford did a software update to address the issue but is keeping it secret because that would be an admission of fault.
Remember some Rangers had the same issue and a couple F150 Raptors burned to the ground. At least one of those took the motorhome with it. Just that one claim was probably worth over a million.

 

[grtharris]

I’ve flat-towed to the beach and to Missouri so far. Heading to Silverton CO this Wednesday after work. 15+ hours and will boondock twice on the way up. I always disengage flat tow, and start the Bronco to let it charge the battery, test the transmission engagement, then go through the complete flat tow process before starting off in the morning. It definitely would be easy to forget to hit the ignition button that last time, but I believe it honks at you when you close the door.

That a good reason to not disable the double honk and keep the key fob in your pocket,.

 

[73Corvetteman]

I’ve flat-towed to the beach and to Missouri so far. Heading to Silverton CO this Wednesday after work. 15+ hours and will boondock twice on the way up. I always disengage flat tow, and start the Bronco to let it charge the battery, test the transmission engagement, then go through the complete flat tow process before starting off in the morning. It definitely would be easy to forget to hit the ignition button that last time, but I believe it honks at you when you close the door.

And how many people would completely ignore that anyway.

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