Successfully flat towing your Broncos?

[Mhguy]

How many of you are successfully flat towing your Bronco, and what have you done to be able to do it?

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[grtharris]

This is a good place to start reading. :https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/flat-tow-equipment-needed-to-flat-tow-the-2021-bronco.19759/

 

[Mhguy]

I should have been more precise with my question, sorry!
I am specifically looking for information relating to the timing out of the electronic brake booster, and the destruction of the transmission and/or, the transfer case. Has there been a Ford update, that has definitely cured the problem, or are the people who are flat towing successfully, doing some sort of a work around?
I have read everything I can get my hands on, and have not seen a reliable factory fix.
I’m hoping I have missed something.
I have a 23 Wildtrak arriving next week and bought it to be able to tow it behind my motorhome! I’m extremely concerned about doing it!!
Thank you all, in advance!
Greg

 

[ksdon]

We have towed since the brake booster time out issue was on going and have done so since the fix. We had the dealer do the time out fix some months back.
We follow the tow procedure exactly as in the owners e-directions. I keep a check list in the Bronco and read it each time we hook up to flat tow. To date we have not had any problems. We have towed the Bronco 1,000 plus miles since the fix was done.

I can not explain the damage some have had. But so far we have not experienced it.

 

[Bsenecal]

We have towed since the brake booster time out issue was on going and have done so since the fix. We had the dealer do the time out fix some months back.
We follow the tow procedure exactly as in the owners e-directions. I keep a check list in the Bronco and read it each time we hook up to flat tow. To date we have not had any problems. We have towed the Bronco 1,000 plus miles since the fix was done.

I can not explain the damage some have had. But so far we have not experienced it.

This is only if you have a 2.7 engine correct?
The track system on the 2.3 is different and has not had the “timeout” issues.
Brian

 

[ksdon]

I believe it is/was only the 2.7

 

[PhillyGuy]

I should have been more precise with my question, sorry!
I am specifically looking for information relating to the timing out of the electronic brake booster, and the destruction of the transmission and/or, the transfer case. Has there been a Ford update, that has definitely cured the problem, or are the people who are flat towing successfully, doing some sort of a work around?
I have read everything I can get my hands on, and have not seen a reliable factory fix.
I’m hoping I have missed something.
I have a 23 Wildtrak arriving next week and bought it to be able to tow it behind my motorhome! I’m extremely concerned about doing it!!
Thank you all, in advance!
Greg

No issues at all. Flat towing a 4 door 2022 Outer Banks with the 2.7L engine. I use a Demco Stay-n-Play configuration that's been great and have had no issues with it not braking when needed. We usually drive 7-9 hours a day and never had the battery die or not have the braking system engage. If you search the flat tow topic you'll find detailed configurations.

Congrats on your new Bronco!

 

[Mhguy]

Thank you PhillyGuy! That is encouraging!
I’m working on making a comprehensive check list I can use every time I hook up to tow.
Happy travels!

 

[dgorsett]

Two years, maybe 5000 miles, 2.3, RVI brake, recently added battery charge line: no issues.

 

[smrpilot]

Two Years, 4-5 thousand miles, 2.3 Manual, Demco Stay-n-play, hooking straight to the Mod Bumper with a Road Master Nighthawk. Zero issues.

 

[Bill K]

2.3L Big Bend Automatic with Blue Ox base plate on modular bumper along with Blue Ox tow bar, and Patriot Proportional brake. Have towed around 5K miles on 2 trips with no real issues thus far. Have a good checklist for engaging and disengaging flat tow, and a charge line run to the battery from the RV.

Only nagging issue is sometimes coming out of flat tow, the electronic parking brake will say it's engaged... I'll apply and disengage a couple of times, and listen to the brake engage/disengage, and the light might stay on despite the brake not being engaged (verified by the Bronco rolling easily). After a few miles, the light will turn itself off.

 

[Mhguy]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!
Bill, Will you share your check list?
I’m working on one and want to make sure I haven’t missed anything!

 

[Pilgrim]

Thanks for the thread Mhguy. I'm in the same boat. Getting ready to start towing, but nervous as hell,,, lol. Would love to see someones check list. I have to continually check over my work.

 

[Mhguy]

Yeah, I’m looking for a common thread connecting all the people who are towing successfully. I sure don’t want to make a $10,000 mistake!
I am really questioning my decision to sell my Wrangler and buy the Bronco. Trouble is, I just didn’t fit in the Wrangler!! I’m 6’7, and just don’t fold like I did in my younger days !LOL!

 

[Tilzbow]

I towed a little over 2,000 miles before the EBB fix and more than 5,000 miles since the fix to disable the EBB. During these trips the Bronco was placed in and taken out of flat tow mode over 40 times. My software was successfully updated via Ford’s OTA update system while my Bronco was parked in my garage and connected to my home WiFi. I’ve got air brakes on my motorhome and use the Demco Air Force 1 system set up to work without EBB.

For a checklist I simply printed the instructions from the manual and follow those. After 30 years of working in a high paced environment (like most here) I’m pretty sure I’ve got learned ADD and really have to slow down, eliminate all distractions and make sure I execute each step on the instructions. If I don’t feel the brake pedal release and hear the transfer case disengage, per the higllighted note in the instructions I posted below, I take my Bronco out of flat tow per the instructions and then redo the entire procedure. I’ve had to do that a few times and I’m convinced it’s because I missed a step despite my best efforts not to.

Once the steps in the instructions are complete and I’m confident the Bronco is in flat tow mode, my wife helps me check the lights (turn signals, brake lights) on the Bronco then I start driving the motorhome forward slowly and she watches to make sure the tow bars are fully engaged, the Bronco wheels are spinning and the front wheels on the Bronco are turning to follow the motorhome when it turns. She then gets in the motorhome and we’re off. I do watch the Bronco during the trip around corners and in the rear view camera to make sure everything is working as expected. If something feels different I’ll pull over and check but I’ve only done that once over 7,000 miles and it turned out the cable for the Air Force One brake system actuator had broken, due to a installation error, and because of that the Bronco brakes weren‘t working and I could feel the Bronco pushing the 40,000# motorhome down the grade we were traveling.

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