Sonic Dinghy towing 4 wheels down

[Maddog2020]

I decided on the Dingy towing for 3 reasons.

1) Only 5 minutes to connect the car and tow, 5 minutes to disconnect the car and drive.

2) Lower total weight and almost no weight on the tow vehicle hitch.

3) Nothing extra to store at camp sites.

I considered trailer or dolly towing but both add more total weight and take longer to setup and tear down. I talked to several experienced RVers and they all recommended 4 wheel down. Most do the dolly or trailer towing because the vehicle they bring is not setup for 4 wheels down towing. Cost was around $1500 total to setup the Sonic. If I had an automatic I may have went with the dolly.

 

[Bill N]

I just set up my 2013 Sonic for dingy towing behind my motorhome but I do have one problem. The LT model has only one power outlet and it is located in front of the cupholders between the seats. I tow using Blue Ox tow bar and base plate and a Patriot Braking system which sits on the floor between the driver seat and the brake pedal. It operates off of 12 volt - which I presumed would be from the one power outlet right next to it. When I had the car set up for being towed, I also had a DLIS fuse bypass switch installed as removal of that fuse is required during towing. Now for the problem. When you bypass the DLIS fuse, you also kill power to the one and only Power Outlet in the vehicle, hence no power for the Patriot Brake System. So if I continue to use the fuse bypass I need to find a reliable power source for the brake system. I would thing I could run another power outlet cord from the fuse box as a source for the brake and then just roll it up when not in use. Any idea if there is a spare terminal on the fuse box that would provide 3+ amps of power for the brake system? Or perhaps I could rewire the power outlet to a spare fuse position but that looks like a daunting task since the fuse box is pretty well buried behind the panel.

 

[Bill N]

Hello,

Just came from the Dealer and the 2013 Sonic can be towed 4 down but only with a manual transmission.

When I bought my Sonic just a few weeks ago, I tried to do what many of the RV forums suggest and that is insure that the dealer is in agreement that towing my Sonic AT would not void the warranty as long as I complied with the owner manual requirements. All I got on those efforts were blank stares and it turned out I actually knew more than the dealer or his service people about what Chevy required to tow the Sonic.
Too bad your dealer gave you a bum steer. A simple reading of the vehicle manual would have allowed him to give you a correct answer. As you know doubt know by now, Sonics with the 1.8L engine and AT CAN definitely be towed four down.

 

[rcmn0022]

I just set up my 2013 Sonic for dingy towing behind my motorhome but I do have one problem. The LT model has only one power outlet and it is located in front of the cupholders between the seats. I tow using Blue Ox tow bar and base plate and a Patriot Braking system which sits on the floor between the driver seat and the brake pedal. It operates off of 12 volt - which I presumed would be from the one power outlet right next to it. When I had the car set up for being towed, I also had a DLIS fuse bypass switch installed as removal of that fuse is required during towing. Now for the problem. When you bypass the DLIS fuse, you also kill power to the one and only Power Outlet in the vehicle, hence no power for the Patriot Brake System. So if I continue to use the fuse bypass I need to find a reliable power source for the brake system. I would thing I could run another power outlet cord from the fuse box as a source for the brake and then just roll it up when not in use. Any idea if there is a spare terminal on the fuse box that would provide 3+ amps of power for the brake system? Or perhaps I could rewire the power outlet to a spare fuse position but that looks like a daunting task since the fuse box is pretty well buried behind the panel.

There are three open spots for additional fuses along the bottom of the fuse panel. They are all constantly powered as long as the battery is installed in the vehicle. The one is labeled DC-DC CONV and I believe that the rated fuses are in the 20-40A range.

You can either put a female connector over the blade that would normally go into the fuse, or you may be able to install a new blade into the back of the fuse panel and install a fuse into that location.

I'm planning on installing some additional power outlets once the weather warms up by installing new blades into the fuse panel. I'm also looking to see if I can successfully power my PBR300X4 amp from the available spots as well.

 

[Bill N]

Thanks for your reply. I took a flashlight and had a good look at the fuse panel and I see the spare terminals you mention and I even slipped a female connector over the blade so all I have to determine is what size inline fuse I will have to put in the new line to the new power outlet. Thanks for your help.

 

[Z71]

I would definitely tow only a manual transmission car with all four wheels on the ground. With an automatic you always risk damaging the transmission if you do nto stop periodically and keep the speed down.

 

[Maddog2020]

I just set up my 2013 Sonic for dingy towing behind my motorhome but I do have one problem. The LT model has only one power outlet and it is located in front of the cupholders between the seats. I tow using Blue Ox tow bar and base plate and a Patriot Braking system which sits on the floor between the driver seat and the brake pedal. It operates off of 12 volt - which I presumed would be from the one power outlet right next to it. When I had the car set up for being towed, I also had a DLIS fuse bypass switch installed as removal of that fuse is required during towing. Now for the problem. When you bypass the DLIS fuse, you also kill power to the one and only Power Outlet in the vehicle, hence no power for the Patriot Brake System. So if I continue to use the fuse bypass I need to find a reliable power source for the brake system. I would thing I could run another power outlet cord from the fuse box as a source for the brake and then just roll it up when not in use. Any idea if there is a spare terminal on the fuse box that would provide 3+ amps of power for the brake system? Or perhaps I could rewire the power outlet to a spare fuse position but that looks like a daunting task since the fuse box is pretty well buried behind the panel.

I don't use a breaking system on my Sonic, most states do not require it for a vehicle under 3000 lbs (Sonic is about 2700 lbs). I have about 6000 towing miles so far without any problems. I do worry a little when driving through a state that has a lower weight restriction (like Ohio).

The reason you pull the DLIS fuse is to prevent the battery from being drained while towing. The drain with the fuse in is very low so as long as you don't turn on the radio or something like that the battery should be fine. If I used a breaking system I would probably leave the DLIS fuse in or use an external battery to power the breaking system. If you use the Sonic battery to power the breaking system you still run the risk of draining the Sonic battery. Make sure you have jumper cables or a battery charger.

 

[Bill N]

I would definitely tow only a manual transmission car with all four wheels on the ground. With an automatic you always risk damaging the transmission if you do nto stop periodically and keep the speed down.

For the huge majority of the time, the Sonic is driven by my wife and, at 70 years old, she doesn't cotton to learning a stick shift - and I don't blame her. In fact, we traded an automatic Cruze for this Sonic because the Cruse had to be dollyed whereas the Sonic can be dinghy towed as per the Chevy Sonic owners manual. There are a few requirements such as running the car for 5 minutes in the morning and at fuel stops to keep the transmission lubricated. Also do not exceed 65 mph which I have no plans on doing anyway. RV owners by a huge majority favor dinghy over dolly towing (as I have learned over the past few months). I do realize that pulling the DLIS fuse is just an insurance policy to avoid a dead battery and if my motorhome breaks down, I would really be happy to have the Sonic start. Since I invested about $1700 to get the car set up for towing, I figure less than $20 more to rig up a added 12 volt outlet won't hurt. I do thank all you folks for your replies as it has helped me solve the problem.

As for the brake system, I know that the 3000 lb limit is in effect in many states but several that I plan to visit say anything towed needs brakes. Nevertheless, I just don't think the idea of a 2700 lb car pushing me down a mountain grade is very appealing and my 22,000 lbs will not need that extra push behind it. But I can understand why some people choose not to set up a brake system.

 

[rcmn0022]

I finally got time to look at the fuse panel.

1. DCDC CONV 30A
2. PTC2 60A
3. PTC1 40A

All three all along the bottom row in the order of 1, then another fuse, then 2, and finally 3

 

[brainpause]

Bill, or others who use dinghy brakes, how did you end up powering the unit? I'm going with the Brake Buddy Vantage. I don't have my Sonic; it is sitting at Camping World, so I can't go check and see if my 2014 has at least 1 powered outlet.

Larry

 

[brainpause]

Bill, or others who use dinghy brakes, how did you end up powering the unit? I'm going with the Brake Buddy Vantage. I don't have my Sonic; it is sitting at Camping World, so I can't go check and see if my 2014 has at least 1 powered outlet.

Larry

Camping World took care of me. They wired another 12 volt receptacle into the cabin area so that my Brake buddy will be powered. I myself wired the Roadmaster switch because I did not want to have to fool with pulling diffuse all the time.

Larry

 

[CCsonic]

I'm a new Sonic owner. 2015 Ltz HB automatic. I have read all I can find about flat towing and have a good idea of what I need. This thread seemed to be the most informative. The one thing that was bothering me was the pulling the fuse. With no steering wheel lock, it seems the only issue is getting the key out of the switch after putting the car in neutral. I knew there was an emergency shifter interlock bypass near the shifter so.... I bypassed the interlock and shifted the car to neutral without having to put the key in the ignition. Am I missing something or could it be that easy? I made sure the car would roll and the steering would turn. I shifted back to park and made sure the car was actually in park, then started the engine. There seemed to be no ill effects. With the interlock cover removed, it takes about 2 seconds to bypass.

 

[brainpause]

I'm a new Sonic owner. 2015 Ltz HB automatic. I have read all I can find about flat towing and have a good idea of what I need. This thread seemed to be the most informative. The one thing that was bothering me was the pulling the fuse. With no steering wheel lock, it seems the only issue is getting the key out of the switch after putting the car in neutral. I knew there was an emergency shifter interlock bypass near the shifter so.... I bypassed the interlock and shifted the car to neutral without having to put the key in the ignition. Am I missing something or could it be that easy? I made sure the car would roll and the steering would turn. I shifted back to park and made sure the car was actually in park, then started the engine. There seemed to be no ill effects. With the interlock cover removed, it takes about 2 seconds to bypass.

I wired a switch to the dash so that I wouldn't have to remove a fuse every time.

I left my keys in whenever towing, but I put the car in park and locked it whenever I was away from my toad.

Larry

 

[Maddog2020]

I also use a switch to bypass the fuse. It works great, and is much easier then pulling the fuse with my old eyes. I have a manual but I still leave the key in the accessory position since my steering wheel will lock otherwise.

 

[CCsonic]

The fuse is only a part of my solution, bypassing the interlock means you don't need to leave the keys in the ignition. I just wondered if there was a downside to doing it this way?