2010 Saturn Towing

[treeder]

The 2010 Saturn is not listed on dinghy towing guide. Is this year no longer towable?

[NavyDad89]

The following statement from MSN Autos pretty much covers the question you posed.

" When GM was forced into bankruptcy in 2009, it shuttered Saturn after a failed attempt to sell it to the Penske Automotive Group."

[zorro2kita]

2009 was the last year they were sold although some were mfg'd and sold from what I understand in 2010 --

Are you interested in a Saturn VUE ? I have a 2009 and it is definitely towable - 4 wheels down !!

[treeder]

I am looking at a 2010 to buy, that is why the question as to why it was not listed in the 2010 dinghy guide. thank you for your help.

[zorro2kita]

Another good selling feature is that any GM dealership will service the vehicle !! Much wider service network than just Saturn dealerships in the past - We actually own 2 Saturn Vues - 2009 and 2009 - Great vehicles - would highly recommend ! Send me a PM if you want more specific info --

[ewvwpearl]

I currently have a 2009 Saturn Aura with auto transmission. I am using a Blueox baseplate and tow bar. The car wants to swing back and forth from side to side unless I strap the steering wheel down with a bunge cord.

Anyone have any suggestions as to why the car wants to sway back and forth and how to correct the problem.

[wolfe10]

ewvwpearl,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

I would have the alignment checked on the Saturn. Set caster to the high side of specs.

Also, as with any toad, make sure that the hitch is level. If you need a drop hitch to make it level, do that.

Brett

[bootsmalin]

I would suspect that the tow bar needs to be rebuilt, likely the the bars are not locking in the extended position. 1MHO

[tbnaylor]

I ran into the same problem. In my research I found that the Chevrolet Malibu was about the same as the Saturn. GM has been moving their warranty support around for toads, but they give a full warranty for the Malibu when towed 4 on the ground. They did remove the warranty for the Cruze, which was our 1st choice. We are happy with the Malibu and the price was very close to the 2009 Saturn, but 3 years newer. If you haven't bought yet, you may want to check it out.

Tom N.

[HutchingsFMCA]

I towed a 2008 Saturn Vue for three years and it's a great vehicle to tow. I have a Blue Ox bracket for the 2008 and up Saturn Vue that I would sell for much less than new, including the installation instructions.

[GM.Engineer]

What engine/transmission is in your Saturn and what model is it?

[joeglenn]

This is for "I travel with pets", Is your Vue manual or auto? If a manual is the auto towable 4 down?

thanks joeglenn

[zorro2kita]

This is reply from "I travel with pets" - actually, not anymore as we put man's best friend down in the fall.

To answer your question, our 2009 Saturn is an automatic transmission vehicle , V-6 - not sure if they offered a manual transmission in 2009 - never met an owner with a manual.

Let me know if you need any more info.

Nick in SC

[GM.Engineer]

Your Saturn should be equipped with the the larger 6spd auto, the 6T70. It is towable.

[Horsefan]

I also am flat towing a 2008 Chev Malibu. My Malibu has the four cyclinder Eco engine with an automatic transmission. I checked with GM that the vehicle is flat towable and they confirmed it is flat towable. I purchased the vehicle used, (motor coach new) last year and had a new Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar system installed. My first tow caused me extreme concerns as it moved me all over the road. I went into fix it mode and added heavier sway bars in the front and back, a steering stabilizer on the coach, an extra leaf in the rear spring pack and a Trak bar on the back as well. The extras helped but I still have concerns with the sway from the car. Instead of a rapid swing it is slow but still there. I have spoken to four different owners of the same coach (different model years) flat towing different jeep models with BluOx towing systems and they stated they do not have any problems. They also stated they have not installed any of the "upgrades" I have. Does anyone have a suggestion?

BluOx "suggests" their tow bar is stronger and has less "wiggle" and leads me to think it "may" sway less. I have not tried the bungie cord on the steering wheel. Do you tie it tight or just a little tension?

I also just learned my model Mailbu has electric power steering. Does this impact the sway? I had both the motor home and car alignment checked and they are fine.

I am thinking a tow dolly may be needed, but do not want the extra set of wheels to deal with.

Thanks

[GM.Engineer]

Does it sway when making a turn or as you are driving straight down the road?

[dickandlois]

A little out of the box. What model and year is your Coach?

Just wounder if sway is related to speed and if there is an aerodynamic issue between the Coach and Toad?

Was there any visual tire wear? Front or rear or equal if any?

Are all elements of the hitch and tow bar tight and do they track straight?

You mentioned the alignment was checked, but Has the toad suffered any damage at some point?

Do you load any items in the toad and what is the condition of the shocks on the toad?

Do you have a friend with a toad you could tow behind your coach to see if things change and how?

Rich.

[Horsefan]

It does not sway when I turn.

The initial problem was noted when I was is going down a hill and the coach and car wanted to go all over the road. I thought I was going to end up in the ditch it was swaying so badly. That's when I started to add the improvements noted and will say it is much better but still I get concerned while I pass someone specially a semi-on an interstate or any road for that matter. As to the coach it is a Jayco Melbourne 2012 29D model. I had my mechanic check the Malibu for tire wear but found no unusual wear. The tow-bar has the normal amount of give per the factory. I took a small video of the tow-bar and car and send it to Roadmaster and asked them if the tow-bar seemed factory tight. They indicated this flex is normal for their product. The toad has never been an accident per the dealer and car fax check. We do not load anything in the toad and a shocks are in good shape as a vehicle only has 30,000 miles.

I will have to ask my local dealer to see if someone has a vehicle I can tow and see if it's handles the same.

My next attempt was to rent a tow dolly and see if it handles the same or differently. I am waiting for warmer weather to try this. I have spoken to several RV dealers and they all seem not to be able to answer my question. Thanks for your comments looking forward to your thoughts as I try to solve this problem.

I can attach a photo but do not see how I can do this. Do you know how?

Dale

[dickandlois]

Dale, Click on the more Reply options. This will offer a more features.

Just under the smiley face and left is a box that is labeled image, this should allow you to attach an image.

You mentioned that the problem is just when going down hill. Do you have a braking system on the Toad ? if so increase the amount of braking applied to the toad. This should add a slight drag to the Toad and in doing so, the toad should then track straight behind the coach.

Rich.

[Horsefan]

The problem started showing up severely when I was going down hill. It is not as bad but I am (after the adders I had installed) constantly slowly going from the rumble strip to the center of the road. I have the sway even on flat roads. I have been honked at several times by cars going by as they are worried that I may cause them a problem.

I am currently in the process of purchasing a brake system, my dealer did not tell me I needed one, so I have been looking at them for a purchase this winter while I am not using the motor home. However the only time I do not have an issue is going up hill. It handles fine then, but on flat roads it is a slow sway and down hill more noticeable. I also feel a braking system will help on down hill situations but continue to be puzzled about the flat road situation. That is why I was asking about a bungee cord on the toad steering wheel. I suppose it will not hurt to try it but I need some guidance on how to install one or two of them as I do not want a problem from this also.

I have driven a motor home for years when I was younger with no issues but we did not tow a car then. Pulled a boat with no issues but again no cars. We then went with a bumper pull trailer for many wonderful years but now at retirement decided to go back to the motor home for convenience.

Thank very much for your thoughts as this issue has really upset my wife and I as we want very much to enjoy our rig but do not currently.

Dale

[dickandlois]

Dale,

Thanks for your feedback. The issue that now needs to be addressed is the flat towing sway.

I wounder if you have a service tech ride in the toad while you are towing it, or one of there other techs driving the coach for legal reasons. No police officer wants to see a passenger / driver in a toad. However ! with some one in the car they could tell if the steering wheel was moving and the pressure required to remover the sway. Also, that person could have the engine running to see if that would change how or if sway changes. Eliminates the transmission system if with the engine running the toad reacts the some.

Should the toad still sway in both cases, then how much braking is needed to make it track properly. If very little pressure is required, them your back to an aerodynamic bug a boo to my way of thinking.

The items that then need to be addressed are stone shields, if you use one or not.

Then see if you can tow a different style of toad and see how it reacts.

Make notes on how speed and wind conditions affects the sway. If you have a rear view camera keep an eye on the toad as the driver keeps the unit on the road.

This is not a common problem and one needs to eliminate items one at a time.

It will require some time on your part, but a smooth towing toad will greatly reduce your stress level and increase your driving safety.

For some reason its always the little things that are the hardest to pin down. With all the changes you have made and the reduction in the sway. This is a real world case of the tail wagging the dog !!!

Please keep us informed on your progress. This information will add very valuable information for everyone.

Rich.

[Horsefan]

Rich, thanks for the ideas. They sound spot on. I will try them asap. I plan on working with my RV dealer and my mechanic. I have a rear view camera and will have my wife and others watch the toad. I like the idea of a person in the car but I'll have to see if my dealer will do this. I have a stone guard on the motor home but after reading your note am wondering if a stone guard on the tow bar would give any aerodynamic change to the toad that may help.?.? Kind of like a built in brake that may make the toad act better. I don't want to decrease my gas mileage but at this point I would be extremely happy if it would stop the wagging. I just looked at the deflector shields and see that they are almost $500. I would purchase one today if I had a little more confidence it would work. So for starters I'll work on your suggestions. It is a case of the tail wagging the dog and I really want it to stop. I will let you know our progress as it unfolds.

Thanks

Dale

[Cookie]

When looking at braking systems, give SMI a look. We did a lot of research and chose them over any of the others. It really makes a difference going down steep hills.