Flat Tow capability to beat Jeep

[Froggy5326]

If you search “top ten TOAD (towed flat behind RV) vehicles” the top seven are all Jeeps. Essentially, it’s the only vehicle that appears to be designed from the factory to be flat towed.

As a result, they have cornered the market and are essentially the only thing towed behind RV’s.

I don’t like Jeeps. It’s why I built a Scout many years ago. I modified a Mini Cooper Clubman to be my toad, but you have to be very specific as to which model, and the latest one available is a 2013.

I’m very interested in a Scout SUV, and all of the marketing adds up to it being capable of being an incredible toad. Most RV parks have 50A plugs, so charging is easy. Many RV’s have giant generators (mine is 8K) so could top it off in a pinch, and the obvious capability to have the vehicle regenerate while braking is a slam dunk.

A Scout, or any EV designed with “Flat tow mode” would be a first. There are so many wonderful possible ways to make it even better, but merely the ability to unlock the hubs/axles and do it I would call a 95% victory.

For bonus points:

1) Make it brake itself in tow mode. No need for supplemental braking system.

2) Make sure the lights integrate with a tow package so that you have brake lights and indicators and don’t need extra lighting.

3) Even more points if you can have some form of light regen under way, so that you could choose to make the tow a little harder, but recharge the battery in the Scout while you drive. Mileage will suffer on the tow vehicle, but it might be something I’d be happy to sacrifice to be topped off in the next stop.

4) Integrate hard points for a tow bar hookup. Might just work perfectly with the existing tow cleats, might be something more rugged and advanced.

5) It is possible that the Scout could even “carry its own weight” so to speak in mountainous terrain. Just enough assistance to only be a moderate drag on the RV, but would allow smaller RV’s to crest higher summits. I would have this speed-limit to something pretty low (55mph or so) but I could see it being a massive help to smaller RV owners.

Almost none of this has ever been done. Jeep dominates merely by being able to be flat towed, with zero further integration necessary.

RV’ers have money, and our selection of a toad is restricted completely to what is available.

Lastly, this is a fixed requirement for my interest in a Scout. I ordered a Bronco Raptor because it can be flat towed, but then didn’t like the truck much when it came out and have stuck with the Mini. I won’t get a Jeep, but I should.

Pic of my old Scout for attention.

 

[Froggy5326]

Seems like by this point the folks at Scout would know whether it will be possible to flat tow… the hardware has to have been settled at this phase of the development, and any further delay is just hoping to get us to buy one anyway.

I want a Scout, I have my deposit down for one, but the ability to flat tow it is an absolute requirement. If it isn’t going to be supported, I will be buying a Jeep instead and probably saving myself $70k.

So, what’s it going to be Scout? Heroes or Zeros?

 

[Froggy5326]

FWIW, I think, at least not all that long ago, a decent amount of Ford Trucks could be flat towed. The problem - they were too heavy for many vehicles to really flat tow them. So while I do hope that the Scout can be flat towed - I also recognize that an EV the size of the Scout is going to weigh enough that not many will be flat towed. My F250 might handle it - but towing one with a 1/2 ton (which will probably be lighter than the Scout) or an under powered RV, not going to be fun.

This will be a concern for some. Not all.

I am currently flat towing my Chevrolet 3500HD. The Scout will certainly weigh less than this thing.

The Scout will weigh far less than the trailer with a car in it I also currently tow.

 

[Mousehunter]

I have towed 8k lbs with a 1/2 ton and now with a 3/4 ton diesel - The 1/2 ton could do it, but you could feel the strain. The 3/4 ton forces me to actively remember that I am towing it is so effortless. Some of that might be the extra vehicle weight, but a lot is the 900ft/lbs of torque. That said, I remember feeling the start of trailer wagging with the 1/2 ton a few times - never had that happen with the 3/4 ton. Of course, some of that was I was renting the trailer with the 1/2 ton and did not have it balanced perfectly.

 

[SrfnFly227]

This will be a concern for some. Not all.

I am currently flat towing my Chevrolet 3500HD. The Scout will certainly weigh less than this thing.

The Scout will weigh far less than the trailer with a car in it I also currently tow.

You may be surprised. The internet says that your 3500HD weighs around 7000 pounds. That's roughly the same as the quad motor Rivian R1S which shows 7200 pounds. The Cadillac Escalade IQ is over 9000. The BMW iX5 is supposed to be about 6400.

The Scout, with a solid axle, 35 inch tires, steel bumpers and skid plates, etc isn't going to be light.

 

[J Alynn]

Seems like by this point the folks at Scout would know whether it will be possible to flat tow… the hardware has to have been settled at this phase of the development, and any further delay is just hoping to get us to buy one anyway.

I want a Scout, I have my deposit down for one, but the ability to flat tow it is an absolute requirement. If it isn’t going to be supported, I will be buying a Jeep instead and probably saving myself $70k.

So, what’s it going to be Scout? Heroes or Zeros?

Perhaps the lack of the answer is the answer. That said there’s been other conversations here on the forum that note how difficult it is to make an EV flat towable. Guess more time will tell.

 

[strider]

Seems like by this point the folks at Scout would know whether it will be possible to flat tow… the hardware has to have been settled at this phase of the development, and any further delay is just hoping to get us to buy one anyway.

I want a Scout, I have my deposit down for one, but the ability to flat tow it is an absolute requirement. If it isn’t going to be supported, I will be buying a Jeep instead and probably saving myself $70k.

So, what’s it going to be Scout? Heroes or Zeros?

Way to ramp up the drama. Zeros? Bottom line is that there are ZERO EVs that can be flat towed. I will go out on a limb and say that because of the motor layout it will not be possible to flat tow a Scout. There would need to be clutches in both axles to disconnect the motors from the wheels. Based on the early reading I did on the American Axle product they are using, it did not mention this as a feature. Obviously that could have changed between then and now and/or I could have mimssed it in my research. Also, those clutches would introduce a failure point for a feature that few people will use (although it is common-ish in EVs to have a clutch to disconnect one motor to save energy while cruising).

Finally, don't take my word for it - I'm just some rando on the internet, do not speak for Scout, etc, etc.

 

[BeerParty]

You may be surprised. The internet says that your 3500HD weighs around 7000 pounds. That's roughly the same as the quad motor Rivian R1S which shows 7200 pounds. The Cadillac Escalade IQ is over 9000. The BMW iX5 is supposed to be about 6400.

The Scout, with a solid axle, 35 inch tires, steel bumpers and skid plates, etc isn't going to be light.

Add in the ~130 kWh of batteries (or more, they are going to have to be big to meet that 350 mile range requirement) and the BEV Traveler is going to be heavy even in stock trim. The final weight of the Scout trucks will certainly be close to the Rivian R1S.