We have access to a 2012 CR-V with the automatic transmission - Could you elaborate on what would need to be done to tow 4 down behind a class C?
Three things:
First, select a tow bar system (ours is Blue Ox, but there’s other options). That will include a base plate specific to your CR-V and the tow bar itself that attaches to the receiver on your coach. This should include safety chains or cables that connect to existing places on your coach’s receiver and existing places on your base plate. These should cross underneath the tow bar so that if the tow bar fails, they will ‘cradle’ the tow bar and keep it from ‘pole vaulting’ your car into the rear of your coach.
You also need to have your tail and brake lights and turn signals on your car function in concert with those on your coach. This will require an umbilical cord that plugs into the existing plug on your coach and will require a plug on your car to be installed. You can get a light bar that attaches (magnetically) to the rear of your car and removes when you unhook or have the car’s existing lights wired to do this. (We opted to wire the car’s lights). The umbilical can optionally supply charging current for your car’s battery. If the auxiliary braking system (next paragraph) is electric powered, it can drain the car’s battery over time. (Took that happening one time for us to get this charging option set up.)
Finally, you’ll need some kind of auxiliary brake system that will activate your car’s brakes in concert with your coach’s brakes. It will require power, either electric or air should your coach have air brakes. Many options for this. Some require setting in place and removing every time you hookup and unhook your car, some that stay in place and you just flip a switch to turn it on or off. Most cars will require a fuse be pulled when towing. Installing a switch do do this greatly simplifies hooking up and unhooking the car. (This is to disable the car’s ABS, but it may disable other things, too.)
This should also include a breakaway cable that, should your system fail to the point of complete separation, it will fully apply the car’s brakes.
I had all the above professionally installed. There’s plenty of folks here who have done it themselves and saved considerable cost by doing so. While I know my way around a toolbox, I can no longer contort myself to positions most tasks require.
Just know: failing to do any one of most steps involved here correctly could be catastrophic, so be very confident if you decide to do the install yourself.
All of this is not specific to your CR-V. Your owner’s manual will detail what to do with the car in prep of, and during, towing.
I didn’t want to necessarily promote brands or options. There are many and if you search here you’ll find many threads debating different tow bars or braking systems. We’ve had Blue Ox since beginning in 2016, replaced the tow bar when it reached 10 years old. We started with an RVibrake2 (install and remove with every hookup and unhook) and switched to the SMI Stay-in-Play when we changed toads. I can’t recommend any of these brands over any others since I’ve no experience with any others, except to say these have performed flawlessly for us.
