Towing a CRV Behind an RV: The Best Flat Tow Car
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Last updated on July 4, 2025
Do you dream of towing a Honda CRV behind an RV? You’ve come to the right place! We recently purchased a 2001 Honda CRV specifically to tow it behind our 24-foot class C RV, Dita. Despite full-time RVing for six years, we had no idea what it was like to pull a car behind an RV.
We knew we wanted to flat tow a car. But not every vehicle can be flat towed, so we had to select our car carefully. Honda CRVs are one of the most popular cars to flat tow behind an RV, but not every age CRV will work as a towed car.
If you have a CRV already or are trying to select the best car to flat tow, this post explains everything you need to know about towing a CRV behind an RV. Including why we went with an older CRV, which Honda CRVs can and cannot be towed, and the necessary equipment for towing a CRV behind an RV.
Full disclosure, this post is sponsored by Roadmaster, a US-manufactured RV towing system and suspension company, and the company we used for our towing system. While we worked with them to create this post, the opinions are solely our own. If you’re interested in purchasing any of the products mentioned in this post, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Now, let’s dive into why we chose a Honda CRV to tow behind our RV and our exact process of towing a CRV behind an RV.
Table of Contents
Why we chose a Honda CRV to flat tow behind an RV
Until Honda switched its engine and transmission system in 2015, the Honda CRV was one of the most popular tow vehicles to flat tow behind an RV.
It’s easy to see why. It checks all of the boxes.
- It’s small and easy to maneuver as you’re driving.
- It has four-wheel drive so we can take it on some off-road areas without worry.
- It gets great gas mileage around 21 to 25 miles per gallon.
- It’s comfortable inside and has an enclosed trunk area so we can bring some of our fun outdoor gear with us like our blow-up paddle board.
- They are fairly affordable (especially compared to Jeeps) and when maintained, are built to last.
We decided to buy a well-maintained 2001 Honda CRV 4-wheel dry in electric blue. This was a limited edition color that wasn’t offered for long and is a striking color when towing. We absolutely love our little Honda CRV and feel it’s the best car to tow behind a motorhome.
After Honda changed the transmission system in 2015, CRVs can no longer be safely flat towed. If you want to flat tow a CRV it must be a 2014 or older.
Common questions about towing a CRV behind an RV
Here are a few of the most common questions about towing a CRV behind an RV.
Does flat towing add to my CRV’s mileage?
If you have an electronic mileage meter, flat towing will not add to your odometer reading because the odometer doesn’t connect to the drive shaft. If you have an older, mechanical odometer, like we do it will add to your odometer reading.
Can you tow any CR-V behind an RV?
Unfortunately, not every CRV can be flat towed. Honda changed the engine and transmission systems making all 2015 and newer CR-Vs unable to flat tow behind an RV.
If the CR-V was made in 2014 or prior, the only way to tow it behind an RV is by using the four-down or flat towing method.
We explain what it means to flat tow a car behind an RV and what components are needed for that setup here.
According to Honda’s manufacturer’s guide, you can drive up to 65 miles per hour flat towing the CRV with the proper towing systems installed. The manual recommends stopping every 300 miles to reset the vehicle moving through the gears as outlined below. We normally do this when we stop for a bathroom break or to fill up gas.
Can you tow a manual CRV?
You can flat tow a manual or automatic CRV that is two or four-wheel drive if it’s a 2014 or older. Just remember to consult your specific manual for exact towing instructions.
➡ Read Next: A Complete Guide to Flat Towing a Vehicle Behind an RV ⬅
How we are towing a CRV behind an RV
There are basic components needed for safely towing a CRV behind an RV. We talk about our exact flat towing system in this blog post, but I’ll give you a recap of our CRV system.
To flat tow a Honda CRV, you need a:
Baseplate
We installed a BlueOx baseplate on the front of our Honda CRV. We had a framing issue from a prior crash, so we had to go to a shop to correct the frame. Due to the timing constraints and the framing complications, we just had the shop install the baseplate too.
However, it is something you can DIY install if you’re confident with vehicle installations or repairs. You will need to remove the plastic front bumper and radiator cover to attach it to the car’s frame rail.
If you aren’t confident working on cars or comfortable with tool-intensive DIY installations have the baseplate professionally installed.
Tow bar
We installed a Roadmaster Nighthawk tow bar to the rear hitch of our RV. The tow bar connects to our Honda CR-V’s baseplate and helps keep our electrical wiring system and safety cables organized and safe.
We got the universal wiring kit to ensure all of the cables were connected properly, but the tow bar has a dedicated cable management system built into it to keep it safe while driving. This towbar is amazing and makes flat towing a CRV behind an RV so easy.
The bar is super high quality made from 100% raw steel, stainless steel and aluminum with a baked-on powder coat finish to prevent rusting. It can handle up to 8,000 lbs which is more than enough to tow our 2001 Honda CR-V and it’s extremely easy to connect and disconnect.
We also love that it has LED lights to help our tow car be more identifiable if we’re driving at night. It’s important to check the height of your tow bar with your CRV. According to Roadmaster’s instructions, the tow bar shouldn’t be more than 3 inches out of level in either direction. If your motorhome’s hitch is higher or lower than 3 inches purchase a Roadmaster drop receiver to get the tow bar to a level height.
If you want to get the Roadmaster Nighthawk, use this link and contact Roadmaster directly for your order. If you use the code EAT SEE RV at check out they will add over $100 in free products to your Nighthawk order!
Braking system
The last component we had to install on our CRV was a supplemental braking system. This system connects our brakes between our RV and car, so when we slow the motorhome the tow vehicle slows with it. It also regulates the additional weight keeping us safe on the road.
A supplemental braking system is not optional if you want to flat tow in the United States or Canada. It is required by law!
There are loads of different supplemental braking systems to choose from, but we went with the InvisiBrake system which we purchased from Roadmaster.
It’s an all-in-one solution that once installed, eliminates extra steps to operate. It’s tucked away under our driver’s seat so it doesn’t get in the way when we’re not towing, and has a built-in vacuum pump to control our brakes efficiently.
Our steps for towing a CRV behind an RV
Below are our exact steps for towing our 2001 Honda CRV behind our Class C RV. You can also see how we hook up our CRV for flat towing in the video below.
Step 1
Park the car on level ground behind the RV to connect the safety cables, electrical wires, and pins of the tow bar to the baseplate. This takes us around 1 minute to do thanks to the easy clipping system of the Roadmaster Nighthawk tow bar.
Step 2
Start the car.
To properly enter neutral, we have to move our shifter through every position all the way to 1st gear and then back to neutral. We let the car run for a few minutes, then turn the car off and leave the key in the ignition (accessory position) in neutral.
If you don’t have the Invisibrake system, know that leaving your car in the accessory position can drain the battery after long drive days. Luckily, our Invisibrake system trickle-charges our car’s battery so we don’t have to worry.
Step 3
Connect the InvisiBrake chord and release the parking brake in the vehicle. We then drive our motorhome slowly forward a foot or tow ensure the bars are engaged and do a safety check on lights and connections.
It’s really important to make sure the steering system is not locked. If the wheel locks before you begin towing you can do major damage to your transmission!
Tips for towing a CRV behind an RV
Here are a few tips to enhance your experience towing a CRV behind an RV.
1. Use a quality towing system
We specifically went with the Roadmaster Nighthawk tow bar because we knew it was the best tow bar out there. We also love that Roadmaster is a true American manufacturer. Many other brands have sub-components made overseas and assembled in the US.
While Roadmaster makes nearly all of the components that create their tow bars. This allows them to control the quality which leads to easier-to-use products that work and last longer.
Their tow bar uses superior materials, with an aluminum and steel frame with longer two arms and easy latch solutions. While it’s slightly more expensive than other tow bars out there, around a 10% – 15% premium, its quality makes a huge difference in the flat towing experience.
Get over $100 in free products when you order the Nighthawk tow bar and other towing components from Roadmaster directly. Use this link to explore their site and when you place your order over the phone tell them “Eat See RV” sent you. They’ll include a tow bar cover, Lubemaster spray, and hitch pin lock for free! 👏🏼
2. Check your tires for signs of wear
Flat towing a car means your wheels are more susceptible to wear and tear from the road. Do routine checks to find signs of wear before driving. The last thing you want when you’re towing is a blowout!
3. Keep an eye on your transmission fluid
Honda’s manual suggests changing your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles. However, when flat towing, we recommend checking the fluid more often and keeping an eye out for signs to replace the fluid sooner. Sticky shifting, noisy shifting, or slipping out of gears is a big warning sign that the transmission fluid needs to be changed.
4. Drive the recommended speed limit of 65 mph or less
Honda says the maximum towing speed should be 65 mph. Driving faster could cause damage to the vehicle or the towing system. We like to take it slow when we travel by RV anyway, sticking to 60 mph normally.
5. Make sure you are level and as straight as possible when connecting
Being as straight as possible behind your RV on a flat, level surface is helpful when hooking up to tow. While you can be a slight angle, the straighter and more level you are the easier the experience.
6. Don’t reverse if you’re connected
One of the biggest drawbacks of flat towing a car behind an RV is that you shouldn’t reverse your motorhome if you are towing. You need to disconnect the CRV or other vehicle before you reverse or you can cause major damage to your car and motorhome.
Thankfully, our Nighthawk tow bar makes it really easy to connect and disconnect so it’s not a huge issue if we do need to detach quickly to reverse. Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand why we chose a CRV to tow behind our RV and see what the towing process is like.
Remember, the easiest way to order your Roadmaster towing setup is to contact them directly. They can help you order the right products for your car and RV model. If you order through them directly and mention “Eat See RV” you can also get $100 in free products including a tow bar cover, Lubemaster spray, and hitch pin lock for free!
If you have any questions let me know below and I’ll make sure to answer them.
Honda Elements are even better, especially if it’s just 2 people. Basically the same car but with larger cargo capacity. It’s a small shed on wheels. We can roll our ebikes into it without taking off the wheels.