1997 Toyota RAV4 Dingy towing

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HRDWRK

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We are looking for car to tow behind our class C. Unfortunately our 2013 subaru forester cannot be towed 4 down and we really don't want any kind or trailer to tow a car. We were thinking to trade our Subaru for a 2014 RAV4 AWD whihc can be towed 4 down if you put a pump on it but then we came across this possibility. Although 1997 seems to be an older vehicle but our friend has this RAV4 which she bought it new herself and it has relatively very low mileage for its age., It is a front wheel drive only with an auto transmission. I have not been able to find any information online (remco or other websites eitehr) about if this car can be towed 4 wheel down. Since it is an older model and it is not 4 AWD, I assume it can, but I thought somebody may have more information than I don since this is our first RV and dingy towing.


Thanks,
 
As said, give Remco a call. Don't take my word for it, but if that '97 auto FWD has an A140E transmission (check driver's side door post labels), I believe it will be 4-down towable with the addition of a lube pump.
 
Thanks. I guess calling Remco is my best option as it suggested. I checked their website, it didn't go far back to 1997.

 
Let us know what Remco says, but if you need a pump, I'd go ahead with buying the 2014 RAV4. We love our RAV4, and have towed our current one and the 2002 it replaced over 40,000 miles with the same Remco pump installed with zero problems.
 
Not knocking the Rav4 at all (I own a 98 myself!), but if I was buying a late model SUV to use as a toad, it would not be one that needs a lube pump. There are several that do not, e.g. the '14 & earlier CRV, Equinox, Terrain, Flex, C-Max. And if it doesn't need to be an SUV, there are more choices.

A lube pump works fine, but it is an expensive add-on!
 
I agree, Gary, unless you really like the RAV4 as a daily driver enough to pay the price. When we first wanted to tow, we already had our paid for 2002 RAV4 and liked it, so it was cheaper to add the Remco pump than to trade it in for something we might not like as well. Then in 2011 when it was time to get something newer, our existing pump setup could be swapped right into the 2011 RAV4, so that's what we bought and are very happy with. The only thing we had to buy was a new base plate, which of course we would have needed no matter what brand we bought. I do my own installations, so labor costs were never an issue.
 
NY_Dutch... I just started towing a 2009 RAV4 FWD, 4 cylinder with the REMCO pump and Stay-In-Play Duo braking system.  I noticed after towing a while, my ABS light in the RAV comes on.  It does re-set (goes off) after a couple of drives but I was wondering if your does the same and if you think there is any problem being caused.

I also do my own work and put everything in the RAV for 4 down towing.  It was quite a job.

hoosierrun - John
 
hoosierrun said:
NY_Dutch... I just started towing a 2009 RAV4 FWD, 4 cylinder with the REMCO pump and Stay-In-Play Duo braking system.  I noticed after towing a while, my ABS light in the RAV comes on.  It does re-set (goes off) after a couple of drives but I was wondering if your does the same and if you think there is any problem being caused.

I also do my own work and put everything in the RAV for 4 down towing.  It was quite a job.

hoosierrun - John
Click to expand...
We have a few instances with the 2011 RAV4 where on or more warning light was on, including the ABS light, the first couple of restarts after a long tow. Nothing shows up on an ECU scan, so I haven't been concerned about it. Come to think of it, the charge wire from the coach battery to the toad battery broke several months ago, and I haven't fixed it yet. Instead, I just make sure the key gets shut off and removed each night if we're not disconnecting. I haven't seen the dash lights issue since though, but I don't know if it's related. We've gone several months before without seeing the it anyway. Our 2002 RAV4 never had the problem. The 2011  now has about 20,000 towing miles on it, with zero operational problems.
 
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