Can A Ford Bronco Be Flat Towed?

If you're looking to go on a summer adventure with your big RV, but you want to bring a second vehicle along, there's a likelihood that you'll be flat-towing something. You'll need to brush up on flat towing and what it entails before hooking up just any vehicle, but if you're in the market for an off-roader to bring on your RV-powered journey, the retro-vibed Ford Bronco might fit the bill. After all, the Bronco is the kind of rough-and-tumble SUV that can handle serious off-road adventures when you arrive at your summer vacation destination, so why not bring it along for the ride?

Not all vehicles can be flat towed, though. Some vehicles require a dolly or to be pulled on a flatbed trailer to avoid damage to the drivetrain components. Thankfully, the Bronco can be flat towed behind an RV or pickup truck. There are some important caveats, however, and there's some information from Ford that you should know before hooking up your new Bronco and going on that long road trip.

Like most automotive endeavors, it's usually a good idea to read the manual before you get started. And according to the Bronco's service manual (PDF), "You can only tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground by placing the transfer case in its neutral position by engaging the recreational tow feature." For Broncos with a manual transmission, engaging the recreational towing mode requires putting the Bronco into accessory mode, pressing the 2H (2 High) button on the four-wheel drive mode selection, leaving the shifter in neutral, and selecting Neutral Tow on the Bronco's instrument cluster.

To get the Bronco back into regular driving mode, there are some steps to reverse the process as well, but it's relatively simple. Flat towing a Bronco with an automatic transmission requires similar steps, but be sure to consult your manual before doing flat towing of any kind. Ford also says that the Bronco Raptor can be flat towed, however, with the smaller Bronco Sport it isn't recommended. 

While Ford says it's okay to flat tow your Bronco, it's worth noting that a few Bronco-owner forums don't recommend it. Anecdotal stories of owners damaging their Bronco have popped up in a few places, with some stating that Ford refusing to cover the cost of repair. It's hard to verify whether these owners used the proper towing procedures, but that's even more reason to be cautious when towing your vehicle.