2015 Honda CR-V Not Towable 4 Down

[FMCANationalOffice]

In compiling information for the annual towables guide that will appear in the January 2015 issue, FMC magazine has learned that the 2015 Honda CR-V is not towable four wheels down behind a motorhome. Here is an explanation from Chris Martin in Honda’s Western Region public relations office:

"With the addition of CVT transmissions to both the Fit and the CR-V, our automatic transmission dinghy towing options disappeared. At this point, among all Honda vehicles, only the 2015 Fit with manual transmission has been tested for dinghy towing. There is no manual transmission option for the CR-V. I wish I had better news for your readers."

[eliguy]

So sorry to hear that. While we usually trade our Honda CRV every 4 years or so, we can no longer buy a new one since we tow four down. I hope our 2013 lasts until Honda changes their mind, or we have to get another brand. Honda, not a great decision, IMO.

[jlandon13399]

I agree. We tow a 2013 Honda CRV with no problems. Honda really had the edge in the four down department. What were their engineers thinking? Money, not market share.

[carlpeterson]

Doesn't surprise me. Honda made no effort to replace a failed transmission on my 2011 fit that failed while being towed. Simply said no even though it was still in warranty.

[dennisfitz]

Wow that is news.

Bought a 2014 CRV all wheel drive no problems towing 4down for 4000 miles.

Resale on 2014 CRV's will be high!

[ultraglide]

Wow, that is not good business. We have a 2006 CR-V. Guess I'm lol have to make it last or invest in a tow-dolly if I wish to keep a Honda. Or maybe will have to buy something else, but we do like the Honda's.

[five]

A terrible decision on Honda's part. My dealer, although a small one, says he gets at least 25 sales a year just from people to use it as a toad. I wanted a '15, had to settle for a '14.

[on.vacation]

Thanks to the heads-up by FMCA, we now have a NEW 2014 Honda CRV- and we were waiting for the 2015 but did see on this website that it was not towable on all 4. We are so tired of the car dolly route- can't wait to get a new hitch so we can tow our new CRV.

I'm not in advertisement, but we looked over a year for a new toad.

IF you are in the market- don't hesitate to purchase new now- the LX model is easy to find but there are very few AWD models left. We searched a 4 state area- less than 50 AWD (EX) models could be found in TX, NM, AZ, and CO. (both 2 Wheel and AWD are towable- we just preferred the EX model- AWD). We did lots of research- and asked at several rallies- for the price, you can't beat the CRV. We paid 24,800. out the door. There is 0.9% financing available from Honda so we just left our $$ in the bank and financed it.

BTW- says in the owners manual that NO AWD (2014) CRV can be towed on a dolly- only on all 4s (or off the ground on a flat bed, of course)

Glad we didn't wait any longer.

Now about the hitch... anybody out there have comments on what is best? Anybody using the hitch with a braking system in the hitch? It is advertised in FMCA-p.47, Nov 2014 edition. We are kinda leaning towards that one because it says it only needs one small "hole" to be drilled into the car.

[vlamgat]

I agree. We tow a 2013 Honda CRV with no problems. Honda really had the edge in the four down department. What were their engineers thinking? Money, not market share.

Guys, I hate to burst our bubble but I decided to take the 4-down tow capability of my rig and have been doing my research. Only to find the ever decreasing availability of newer vehicles. So I contacted a "friend" who used to run Ford and he sent me to their aptly named Engineering Design Section. I learned from several of the gals and guys that the whole transmission design business has been substantially out sourced to create a global product that can be up and down sized over several platforms and OEMs. So that effectively Ford, GM and (say) Jaguar may share one group while Chrysler/Fiat, Renault and Honda another. Those choices were their words not mine. Anyway the need for tow-ability in anything but an emergency is the lowest of their priorities since its used in only one market (USA) where there is a declining requirement based on their numbers. They advised me to get my hands on the latest permissible vehicle and plan on keeping it until I cease to need the capability. Apparently they believe that most of the problems are operator error and recognize that while there are some "unusual" requirements to accommodate the toad, many are not sufficiently mechanically sympathetic to stick to the Owners Manual requirements or believe they know better.

With that said however, one of the guys told me that he is towing a 2015 Ford that is not authorized to be a toad and has had no problems. He admits that if the trannie goes he will pick up a previously repaired one using his employee discount and replace it himself. Bottom line is that many of these newer trannies can be towed the same way their predecessors were (assuming they are the same design) but the OEMs no longer want to bear the warranty cost of unverifiable operator error just to oil a squeaky wheel.

[five]

I don't know about the other manufacturers, but for the 2015 models Honda put the CVT(Continuously Variable Trans) trans in the CRV. They put it in the Accord a few years ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission

[aldebruijn]

Wow, that is not good business. We have a 2006 CR-V. Guess I'm lol have to make it last or invest in a tow-dolly if I wish to keep a Honda. Or maybe will have to buy something else, but we do like the Honda's.

We just bought a 42ft diesel pusher and need a tow vehicle.

We just test drove a 2006 CR-V and really like it.

Can you tell me more about yours? Is it manual or automatic? How hard was it to get the hook-ups in front installed? What about brakes? How is that handled in the CRV?

You sound happy with yours, would love to hear your overall experience with the CRV.

Thanks

[Xplorer]

I don't know about the other manufacturers, but for the 2015 models Honda put the CVT(Continuously Variable Trans) trans in the CRV. They put it in the Accord a few years ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission

The cvt tranny has been around for awhile. Our previous 2007 NISSAN had it.

Japan developed the cvt tranny and began using it in 1979. If my memory glands are still working.

We left Japan for the last time in 79. When we bought the Nissan I didn't know anything about the cvt tranny and was leery of it and did some research at the time.

I like the cvt, gas mileage, etc. A car with cvt can't be towed 4 down. But can be towed on a dolly, which we did.

[five]

We just bought a 42ft diesel pusher and need a tow vehicle.

We just test drove a 2006 CR-V and really like it.

Can you tell me more about yours? Is it manual or automatic? How hard was it to get the hook-ups in front installed? What about brakes? How is that handled in the CRV?

You sound happy with yours, would love to hear your overall experience with the CRV.

Thanks

All CRVs are automatic. The front hook up (called a base plate) needs to be attached to the car by an RV dealer who is authorized to service what ever tow system you get. I have Blue Ox. Once all the hardware is attached the hooking/unhooking of the CRV to the MH is very easy. It is a great all around vehicle and a perfect toad...light, reliable, versatile, seats five, economical...typical Honda.

[nkgunner]

Hi,

We just purchased a 2012 CRV EX-L just because of the ease of towing 4 wheels down. Did a lot of looking for a nice one. Plan on keeping for a long time.

2005 Country Coach Allure 430

[aa7yy]

I believe that this morning I am going in to buy one of the last light colored 2014 CR-V's AWD in the Southwest. It will be replacing a 2000 Jeep Cherokee, one of the last great Toads. If I can put 200, 000 miles on this Honda I should make it into my mid 70's. Other choice would probably be a 4WD pickup. Not my wife's favorite.

[gwtriker]

We bought a 2003 CR-V for a toad two years ago, Everything else we looked at was either not tow-able flat, too heavy to pull behind our MH or too small. We did not want to have to use either a tow dolly or trailer and have to figure out where to store it at camp sites, Based on the fact the the new model will can not be towed flat, I guess as long as the body and mechanical parts are still in good shape, I will turn to replacing the engine or transmission or both with rebuilt products. Jasper engines and transmissions have been know for reliability and have a good warranty policy, if needed, We also used the Blue Ox base plate. Easy to hook up and unhook. The combination tows

[psgitler]

I think Honda is missing the boat. They had and have a very popular vehicle that is a great car for the camper that pulls a toad. I think by eliminating the CR-V with automatic transmissions from the towable line up a big mistake.

If you were to go into any cg and counted the CRV's I think you would see that they owned a good portion of the market. Yes they are offering a 2016 but most people I know are not interested in a stick shift for a towed vehicle.

[ric_bridges@msn.com]

Not smart business for Honda. We've owned three Honda CR-V and was about to go down and purchase our 4th CR-V until I found out they could no longer be towed with all four wheels down. We bought a 2015 Jeep Cherokee instead. Honda's loss.

[creativepart]

It's not a CR-V but the brand new HR-V is built on the Honda Fit platform and like the Fit it is available with a manual transmission. The odd thing is there is no word on whether you can tow the HR-V with a standard transmission with all four down like you can the Fit.

Seems like if you can tow a manual transmission Honda Fit all 4 down and the HR-V is made on the Fit chasis that you should be able to flat tow a manual transmission all for down as well.

I just checked today, and I didn't find anyone making a baseplate for the HR-V.

It's a great looking little compact SUV - sure wish this would get settled soon.

[wolfe10]

creativepart,

We are on the road right now, but recall in last month's FMCA Magazine an article stating that the new HRV is towable 4 wheels down with the manual transmission.

It should also state that in the owners manual, but have not checked.

Let us know what you find.

[creativepart]

The owners manual is non-committal. If I remember correctly, FMCA's mag said something like, if it's based on the Fit then maybe it too will be flat towable with a manual transmission.

I posted a Tweet to Honda USA and got this response:

Unfortunately it's not something we can officially recommend, regardless of capacity.

[creativepart]

I'm wrong. I just checked the FMCA Mag for July and it does say it is flat towable.

[bizsmith@yahoo.com]

We have towed an '03 CRV since it was new. Guess it will have to last another 130000 miles and who knows how far we have towed it since the odometer doesn't register those miles.

[JimGeorgia]

Just got a 2013 CRV with 36K. Traded in a RAV4 (not towable 4 down) to get it. It really looks like the manufacturers have conceded the MH market to fewer and fewer players.

[bizsmith@yahoo.com]

The problem I would have with the fit of HRV is that it is too small. The CRV was just the right size for a toad, at least for us. I guess we will just have to Keep the '03 CRV forever.