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In March 2017, the “All-New 2017 Jeep Compass” began appearing at dealerships. For those who are searching for a vehicle to flat tow behind a motorhome, an important distinction must be made between the “All-New 2017 Jeep Compass” and the “2017 Jeep Compass.” The “2017 Jeep Compass” (when equipped with manual transmission) can be towed four wheels down. It is included in “The 2017 Towing Lineup” (January 2017, page 46), Family Motor Coaching magazine’s annual list of vehicles that can be flat towed behind a motorhome without significant modifications. The 2017 Jeep Compass owners manual spells out the procedure for flat towing behind a motorhome. Production of that vehicle ceased in December 2016, according to a spokesman for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. The “All-New 2017 Jeep Compass” is an entirely new vehicle from the ground up. The new vehicle’s owners manual specifies that the vehicle is NOT flat towable. Always consult the most up-to-date version of a vehicle’s owners manual to determine whether the vehicle can be flat towed.

FMCA was contacted this week by an FMCA member who spoke to Kia customer service and was told that the company would no longer recommend flat towing its 2016 and 2017 vehicles. FMCA has contacted Kia and asked whether the company has changed its stance on four-wheels-down towing, and we are awaiting a response. We will report that information here as soon as we receive it. Each year, as we gather information for Family Motor Coaching magazine's towing guide, we contact Kia corporate and request information about towability of its vehicles. In each of the past two years, a Kia spokesman has confirmed that certain 2016 and 2017 model-year Kias are flat towable, and that information was published in January's towing guide. The most recent confirmation that certain 2017 model-year Kia vehicles can be flat towed came in November 2016. In addition, while compiling the towing guide each of the past two years, we have asked Kia whether Technical Service Bulletin 018 has been updated. TSB 018 spells out requirements for flat towing Kia vehicles. It was last revised in 2015. No updates have been released since then.

The 2017 Lincoln Continental is NOT approved for four-wheels-down towing, a Lincoln spokesman said today (February 17). That is a reversal from the information published in the 2017 Lincoln owners manual (first printing) and in the Ford/Lincoln 2017 RV & Trailer Towing Guide. Family Motor Coaching magazine relied on those sources, as well as email confirmation from a Lincoln media relations representative, when preparing "The 2017 Towing Lineup" that appears in the January 2017 issue. Our online towing guide will be corrected, and we will publish a correction in the magazine's April issue, which we're working on now. It's unclear why Lincoln originally deemed the 2017 Continental towable four wheels down, and then reversed course. Family Motor Coaching has requested an explanation.

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We are finalizing details and will release more information on that page soon.

Thanks, dons2346. You are correct. The Michelin Advantage tire program is staying, and FMCA also is working on a contract with Continental Tires. This will give members even more options.

Family Motor Coaching magazine's 2017 Towables Guide will be published in the January 2017 issue. The digital version of the January issue, including the Towables Guide, will be available online in late December.

Lee, this is from a statement that Fiat Chrysler provided to FMCA in March 2016, regarding the resolution to the wobble problem: The company devised a "jumper wire harness and switch to ensure the vehicle's EPS (electric power steering) has power to function while it is being flat-towed." If you feel you have received incorrect information from the Jeep Customer Assistance Center, I suggest that you call back and ask to speak to a supervisor. The number is (877) 426-5337.

Each insurance policy has its own unique set of circumstances, and each carrier will consider those on an individual basis. And, rates can vary by locale. FMCA RVinsurance might not always be the least expensive option for all members.

Our host applied a change to fix the issue where users weren't being logged in. The login was having difficulty retrieving and validating some information for FMCA.com. That happens from time to time when we make certain changes to the main website. We are considering bringing the forums in-house so we can have more control and avoid such issues in the future. Thanks for standing by.

Honda has updated the Owner's Guides for the 2016 Civic Sedan (4-door) and 2016 Civic Coupe (2-door) to reflect that models with manual transmission CAN be flat towed behind a motorhome. You can access the Owner's Guides online: http://owners.honda.com/vehicles/warranty. Note that the Owner's Guide is a different publication than the owners manual, which has not yet been updated.

Subaru of America (SOA) has responded to Family Motor Coaching magazine's request that the company clarify its position on flat-towing Subaru vehicles behind motorhomes. "Moving forward, SOA cannot recommend dinghy towing. Our cars should be flat-bedded." No further explanation was provided. Based on this information, Subaru vehicles will NOT be included in Family Motor Coaching's 2017 Towables Guide, which will publish in January 2017. We have asked whether the recommendation also applies to vehicles from previous years. The response: "Right now, FHI (Subaru's parent company) is saying no dinghy towing, but we are still trying to get a clear explanation. So based on our current position, I must recommend towing all our cars on a flatbed."

In the February 2016 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine, readers were made aware of this problem and Fiat Chrysler's plans to resolve it. And if you follow this thread to the beginning, you'll see that useful information was initially posted in January 2016.

Not sure what you're referring to. Family Motor Coaching magazine's 2016 Towables Guide lists a number of Kia vehicles that are towable four wheels down.

This is John Johnston, associate editor at Family Motor Coaching magazine. In November 2015 I received the email from Honda that wolfe10 posted above, which says the 2016 Civic Sedan LX and Civic Coupe LX -- when equipped with 6-speed manual transmission -- can be towed four wheels down. Since then, I've been occasionally checking with Honda to get updated owners manuals or other documentation. My contact at Honda describes the updates as a "slow, yet deliberate" process. On June 10, 2016, he sent me the updated 2016 Civic Sedan Owner's Guide (4-door). Please note that the Owner's Guide is a different publication than the owners manual. Below is a screen shot indicating that the Civic Sedan (4-door) manual transmission model can be towed behind a motorhome. My Honda contact said he expects other Civic Sedan and Coupe publications will be updated by the end of July, and when they are, I will post that information in the Forums.