How to flat tow a Jeep Gladiator: the complete setup guide

I taught myself to flat tow a 5,000-pound Jeep in a parking lot with a manual and zero experience. It's less mysterious than it looks, and the kit is simpler than the forums make it sound. Here's the whole thing: whether your vehicle can be towed, the five parts you need at three budgets, the measuring that saves you a second order, and the routine I run every time we hook up.

Can your Jeep be flat towed?

Not every vehicle can. The drivetrain has to spin freely with the engine off, and the Gladiator can do that from the factory. Before it rolls behind the RV, the transfer case goes into neutral and the transmission goes into park.

The exact steps, the order, what to switch on or off, what to check, are in the owner's manual, usually under recreational towing, and the owner's manual is the authority. Read that section twice before your first tow. It's the one part of this page I won't paraphrase, because it's the part that protects the drivetrain. If you drive something other than a Gladiator, that same section of your manual is where you find out whether flat towing is allowed at all.

Vehicles that can be flat towed from the factory

The drivetrain decides, not the badge. Three conditions come up again and again: a 4WD with a two-speed transfer case that shifts into Neutral (the trucks, the Jeeps, the big SUVs), a manual transmission (a shrinking list of cars), or a specific hybrid. These are the models the manufacturers have approved, with the model years they've been on the published dinghy-towing lists and the condition that matters. A vehicle that isn't listed for your year and trim is a no.

Jeep

Wrangler: every model year, 4WD, manual or automatic. It has been on the list for as long as anyone has kept one, and the 4xe plug-in and the Rubicon 392 are included.
Gladiator: 2020 onward, 4WD, manual or automatic.
Grand Cherokee: 2012 onward, but only with a two-speed transfer case, Quadra-Trac II or Quadra-Drive II, the ones with 4-Low. The single-speed Quadra-Trac I is not approved.
Cherokee: 2014 to 2023, only with Active Drive II or Active Drive Lock, the two-speed systems.
Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer: 2024 onward at least, 4WD with 4WD Low.

Pickups

Ford F-150, Raptor included: every year since 2012, 4WD only.
Ford Super Duty: every year, 4WD. From 2017 that includes the electronic-shift transfer case; before 2017 only the manual-shift transfer case qualified.
Ford Ranger: 2019 to 2023 and 2025 onward, 4WD. The 2024 model year was not approved.
Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500: every year, 4WD.
Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon: 2015 onward, 4WD with the two-speed transfer case that has Neutral and 4WD Low.
Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra: every year for the 1500, 2014 onward for the HD, same two-speed transfer case condition.
Ford Maverick: 2022 onward, hybrid only.

Big SUVs

Ford Bronco: 2021 onward, 4WD with a two-speed transfer case. The Bronco Sport has never been approved.
Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon: every year, 4WD with the two-speed transfer case. On 2012 to 2014 models that transfer case was an option, so check.
Ford Expedition: 2016 onward, 4x4 with 4x4 Low.
Dodge Durango: every year, 4WD or AWD with a two-speed transfer case.
Cadillac Escalade: 2015 onward, 4WD with the two-speed transfer case.
Lincoln Navigator: 2018 onward, 4x4 with the Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package and the two-speed transfer case.

Smaller SUVs and cars with automatics

Chevrolet Equinox: 2012 to 2024, then dropped. For a decade this was the flat-tow car.
GMC Terrain: 2012 to 2017.
Honda CR-V: through 2014, not since.
Ford Explorer: 2012 to 2019, not since. Ford Edge: through 2025, with engine restrictions by year.
Ford Escape: 2020 onward, hybrid and plug-in hybrid only. Ford Fusion: the hybrid, 2012 to 2020.
Chevrolet Trax: 2024 onward. Chevrolet Trailblazer and Blazer: 2023 onward, AWD only. Buick Encore GX: 2023 onward, AWD only. Buick Envista: 2024 onward.
Lincoln Nautilus: 2024 onward, hybrid only.

Manual-transmission cars

Manuals were the classic cheap dinghy, and they've been leaving the list as manuals leave the showroom. Subaru's manual models were approved through 2015 and none since. The Fiat 500 manual ran through 2019, the Chevrolet Spark manual through 2022, Toyota's Corolla and Yaris manuals through 2019, the Honda Fit manual in 2019 and 2020, the Nissan Versa manual through 2025, and the Nissan Z manual is on the list from 2024. The Mini Cooper has never been manufacturer-approved, whatever the forums say.

Three things about that list. It's built from the annual dinghy-towing guides, which is where the whole industry checks, and it changes every model year, so a vehicle can appear or vanish on a redesign. The procedures differ by make and sometimes contradict each other: Jeep has you leave a manual in gear with the transfer case in Neutral, GM has you disconnect the battery, some cars need the engine run for a few minutes every day. And the manual for your exact year and trim overrides anything on this page or in any guide. If the manufacturer doesn't say yes in writing, the answer is no.

Why flat tow

There are three ways to bring a vehicle along behind an RV. A trailer carries the whole Jeep. A tow dolly lifts the front wheels and lets the rear ones roll. Flat towing puts all four wheels on the ground and hooks the Jeep straight to the RV.

Flat towing wins on the part that matters most at camp: when I unhook, there's nothing left over to park or stash. The Jeep comes off, the RV stays put, and we go. It's also the least kit to carry. The tow bar folds up on the back of the RV, and everything else lives on the Jeep.

Weigh it first

Every piece of a flat-tow kit has a weight rating, and the weight that counts is the Jeep as you actually tow it. Mine is around 5,000 pounds before the canopy, the drawers, the roof rack, the tent and everything in them, and it is never empty. That number sets which tier of kit you need. A rating that clears a stock Jeep can be marginal on a built one, so buy margin, not the minimum. If you don't know what yours weighs loaded, a truck scale at a travel center will tell you for a few dollars.

The five parts of a flat-tow kit

From the front of the Jeep back to the RV. Each has one job, one thing to check before you buy, and a note on what I run.

1. The front attachment

A tow bar needs something on the front of the Jeep to grab. Usually that's a baseplate, a bracket bolted behind the stock bumper with two tabs the tow bar clips onto. The other route is a bumper with the flat-tow receiver built in.

Front bumper
LoD Offroad Jeep Front Bumper
View at LoD Offroad

I went the bumper route. My LoD Offroad bumper has the receiver built in, so the tow bar connects straight to it and there's no baseplate to buy or install. It's also where my light pods mount, so it earns its spot twice.

Check before you buy: whatever is on the front has to be made for the tow bar you're using and rated above the Jeep's loaded weight. Baseplates and tow bars come in brand patterns, and mixing brands means adapters. Choose them as a pair, not one at a time.

2. The tow bar and its safety cables

The tow bar is the link between the two vehicles. Modern ones mount in a receiver on the RV side, have two arms that self-align and lock as you pull forward, and fold up out of the way when the Jeep's off. Safety cables run alongside it as the backup if anything lets go.

Tow bar
Blue Ox BX7421 Avail Tow Bar
View on Amazon

Mine is the Blue Ox Avail. It's rated for 10,000 pounds, which gives a loaded Jeep real margin. Its latches don't bind, so it hooks up and releases even when the two vehicles aren't lined up perfectly, and its safety cables come in the box.

Check before you buy: the tow rating has to clear the Jeep's loaded weight with room to spare, the attachment pattern has to match your baseplate or bumper, and the bar's shank has to fit the receiver it's going into. That last one is where the next piece comes in.

3. The hitch adapter, and its pin

This is the piece people skip, and the piece I got wrong the first time. It can do two jobs at once. If the RV's receiver and the tow bar's shank are different sizes, the adapter converts one to the other. And if the RV's hitch and the Jeep's front attachment don't sit at the same height, the adapter's offset, installed pointing up or down, brings the tow bar close to level. A tow bar wants to run close to level, and its manual gives the exact tolerance.

Hitch height adapter
Roadmaster 058-4 Hi-Low Receiver Hitch Adapter (4" Offset, 2.5" Receiver, 10K)
View on Amazon

I needed both jobs in one part. The RV's receiver is 2.5 inches, the tow bar's shank is 2 inches, and the two hitches sit at different heights, so I run the Roadmaster Hi-Low with a 4-inch offset that takes a 2.5-inch receiver and gives a 2-inch one. It's rated for 10,000 pounds, the same as the bar. One thing nobody tells you: the adapter needs its own hitch pin to hold it in the RV's receiver, and it doesn't come in the box. I had to order that separately, after the adapter had already arrived.

Check before you buy: measure on level ground, with both vehicles loaded the way you tow. Measure the RV's receiver opening and the tow bar's shank. Then measure from the ground to the top of the RV's receiver and from the ground to the tow bar's attachment point on the Jeep, and subtract. That difference is the offset you need. Order the adapter, its pin, and a locking pin for the tow bar together.

4. The supplemental brake

A towed vehicle that can't brake for itself makes every stop longer, and many states require a supplemental braking system for a towed vehicle this heavy. There are three kinds. A surge brake mounts at the hitch and works mechanically off the push of the Jeep. A portable brake sits on the driver's floor and presses the pedal. An installed brake wires into the Jeep permanently and works off the RV's brakes.

Flat-tow brake system
Curt RVibrake Shadow 2 Flat Tow Brake System
View on Amazon

I run the installed kind. The Curt RVibrake Shadow 2 stays in the Jeep, senses when it's being towed and switches itself on, applies the Jeep's own brakes within half a second of the RV braking, and keeps the Jeep's battery charged while we roll. A wireless monitor up front in the RV shows me it's working. There's nothing to set up before each trip, which is the whole reason I chose it.

Check before you buy: whether your RV has hydraulic or air brakes, because some installed systems only work with one; whether the breakaway switch is included or a separate part; and whether you want to carry and position a box before every tow. The portable ones cost less and travel between vehicles, and the installed ones cost more and disappear.

5. Lights and the cable between the vehicles

The Jeep's brake lights and turn signals have to follow the RV's. There are two ways to get there. Magnetic lights stick to the back of the Jeep and plug into the RV with their own harness. A wiring harness taps the Jeep's own tail lights so they do the job, with diodes to keep the Jeep's electrics separate from the RV's. Either way you need the coiled electrical cable that runs between the two vehicles, and no tow bar includes it.

I'd go the harness route on any Jeep you'll tow more than once. It's a one-time install, there's nothing to stick on or stow, and the Jeep's own lights always match the RV's.

The kit at three budgets

I run the premium column, and those are the only parts here I've towed with. The budget and mid picks are the ones I'd look at first if I were spending less: established flat-tow brands, well reviewed, matched so the parts work together, and checked as buyable new the day I wrote this. Some of these links pay me a small commission. It costs you nothing.

Part	Budget	Mid	Premium (what I run)
Front attachment	Blue Ox BX1145 Gladiator baseplate	Same baseplate	LoD Offroad bumper with the receiver built in
Tow bar	NSA Ready Brute II, 8,000 lb	Blue Ox Alpha II, 6,500 lb	Blue Ox Avail, 10,000 lb
Hitch adapter	Roadmaster 072, 2-inch offset, 6,000 lb	Roadmaster 048-4, 4-inch offset, 10,000 lb	Roadmaster 058-4, 4-inch offset, 2.5 to 2-inch, 10,000 lb
Brake	NSA ReadyBrake surge brake	Demco Stay-IN-Play DUO, installed	Curt RVibrake Shadow 2, installed
Lights	MaxxHaul magnetic LED kit	CURT harness for the Gladiator	Harness route, same pick as mid

Read these before you pick a column:

Weight decides the tier, not price. The mid tow bar is rated for 6,500 pounds. That clears a stock Gladiator and gets thin on a built one. If yours carries a canopy, drawers and a tent, step the tow bar up to the premium column even if the rest stays mid.
The baseplate is the same in both lower columns because it's the one Gladiator-specific plate on Amazon from a major brand, and both of those tow bars attach to it without adapters. It fits the Mojave.
The budget brake mounts at the hitch, adds about two feet of length there, and its breakaway cable is a separate part. The mid brake only works with an RV that has hydraulic brakes; an air-brake coach needs a different Demco model.
The magnetic lights come with a 20-foot harness. On a Gladiator that may not reach the RV's socket from the tailgate, so plan on an extension. The CURT harness is plug-and-play and fits the 2026 Gladiator.
Buy the pins. The adapter needs a hitch pin and the tow bar should get a locking one. Neither is in any of these boxes.

Hooking up, every time

Once the kit is on, a hookup is the same short routine each time. Ten minutes the first time, under five once you've done it a few times.

Both vehicles on flat ground, in a straight line, RV in park. Level ground makes every later step easier.
Put the Jeep into flat-tow mode exactly as the manual says, and leave the parking brake on for now.
Tow bar arms onto the Jeep, pins in and locked. On the RV side the bar sits in the receiver with a locking pin.
Safety cables on, crossed under the bar and clipped to the Jeep. Crossed cables make a cradle that catches the bar if it ever lets go. They should never touch the ground.
Plug in the electrical cable, and the breakaway cable if your brake system has one.
Lights and brake, with a friend watching. Brakes, left signal, right signal, hazards, then have them press the RV's brake pedal and confirm the Jeep's brake engages.
Release the Jeep's parking brake. Pull the RV forward slowly, turning slightly left and then right, until both tow bar arms extend and lock. Then stop and walk around once. Look at the latches with your eyes, not the backup camera.

Unhooking

Pull in as straight as you can, because arms under side-load bind. Set the RV's parking brake, put the Jeep in park, then release the tension on each arm. A modern bar has a release on each arm for exactly this. Unclip the cables and the electrical cable, take the bar off the Jeep, fold it up on the RV, and take the Jeep out of flat-tow mode the way the manual says.

One rule with no exceptions: never back up with the Jeep hooked on. The arms aren't built for it and the Jeep's front wheels will go their own way. If you've pulled into a spot you can't drive out of forward, unhook first.

Questions I get

Can you flat tow a Jeep Gladiator?

Yes. The Gladiator is flat-tow capable from the factory with the transfer case in neutral and the transmission in park. The owner's manual has the exact procedure, and it's the only version to follow.

Do I need a supplemental brake?

Many states require a supplemental braking system for a towed vehicle this heavy, and every tow-bar maker assumes you have one. Beyond the law, the Jeep is a lot of weight to stop with the RV's brakes alone. I'd run one either way.

Bumper receiver or baseplate?

If you're keeping the stock bumper, a baseplate. If you're replacing the bumper anyway, one with the flat-tow receiver built in takes the baseplate question off the table and gives you a winch and light mount at the same time.

Can I back up with the Jeep attached?

No. Unhook first, every time.

What other vehicles can be flat towed?

Every Jeep Wrangler and every Gladiator, the 4WD pickups from Ford, Ram, Chevrolet and GMC with a two-speed transfer case, the Ford Bronco from 2021, the big GM and Ford SUVs in 4WD, a few hybrids like the Ford Maverick and Escape, and a shrinking list of manual-transmission cars. The list above gives each one's model years and the condition that matters. It changes every year, so the manual for your exact year and trim is the final word.

How do I know which hitch adapter to buy?

Measure two things on level ground: the receiver and shank sizes, and the height difference between the RV's receiver and the Jeep's attachment point. The size tells you whether you need a converter, the height tells you the offset, and one adapter can do both. Buy its pin with it.

What I'd tell a friend

Read the manual's flat-tow section first, not the forums. Weigh the Jeep the way you tow it and buy ratings with margin. Measure both hitches before you order the adapter, and order the pins with it. Put a brake in the Jeep that needs nothing from you on the day. And do your first hookup in an empty parking lot with nobody watching. It's where I learned, and it worked.

Every piece above, and the rest of what's on the Jeep, is on the full gear page.

Updated September 22, 2026. Some of the links above pay me a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

How I flat tow a Jeep Gladiator behind the RV: the complete setup