Towing behind a motorhome

[G-115161]

It says in your cited manual pages that AWD wheels down is OK...... below 70mph.

Books say a lot of things. Try and do it.

 

[G-610895]

Not sure if original post got all his questions answered ....

WE HAVE the 2021 Encore GX AWD Essence Model. Follow the manual, make sure vehicle is in AWD mode, confirm operation with dealer.
We have now towed it several times, including to Florida & back from Quebec. All is well. It has all the sensor & safety features; the proper baseplate does not interfere with anything. It was installed by a reputable hitch dealer.
I recall that back last year the baseplate for the Sport Touring model (that car had a red trim in front grille) may not be suitable; today I don't know. We don't have the sport model.
We find the Essence model excellent, peppy with the turbo, roomy with rear seats down, for 2 golf bags, lawn chairs electric walk golf cart, etc. This year we had a 2" rear hitch installed & plan to take our 2 bikes to Florida.
The only nuisance is the required disconnect of negative battery terminal ... tight space sine we also have electronic rustproofing attachement at battery. I simply unscrew the negative & place a plastic battery terminal cap over the negative. For the Brake Buddy Safety switch brake cable release we have a portable battery booster with separate connection in rear sear leg space (so GX battery remains disconnected). Investigated using a battery disconnect instead of manuly disconnecting / connecting before / after tow but decided it wasn't that inconvenient to manually disconnect battery. Just make sure you do all the operations, attach tow bar, install Brake Buddy claw to vehicle pedal, AWD tow mode, etc. that require vehicle battery. Remember that power door locks will not work with battery disconnected, but Buick FOB has a key & then one can open driver side to reach rear door lever as well, or to open Buick hood. It will take a learning curve but so does everything.

So far very happy with Buick 2021 Encore GX Essence.
Happy travels.

 

[G-203572]

We've been, doing it, for a year and 3,400 miles now, no problem.

 

[wrapped]

We've been, doing it, for 1 year and 3,400 miles, no problems. Our 21 GX tows great,comfortable and gets great gas mileage.

 

[Clohman]

Books say a lot of things. Try and do it.

I have a 2020 encore GX and have been pulling it for about 6 months now. Get the correct base plate installed but a goo grade tow bar. I also added the battery disconnect switch, whic makes it a breeze to hook up. My wife works for GM and they have said there is no problem towing this car. I am very happy with the way it tracks and pulls.

We've been, doing it, for 1 year and 3,400 miles, no problems. Our 21 GX tows great,comfortable and gets great gas mileage.

We tow ours…. 2020 Encore GX. 1 summer now. Keep it under 70 and buy good tow equipment. Ignore all the na sayers. Listen to those doing it. I also added a battery disconnect switch which makes hook-up a breeze.

 

[Sutton239]

Finished wiring taillights with diodes 3hrs,battery disconnect switch 2hrs, battery charger and brake a way switch 1hr. Very happy with everything, first tow all goods

Do you recall the wiring (wire colors) for hooking up the lights?

 

[G-448208]

I bought my GX and then explored the option of towing all wheels down but if you get the option package with the front bumper sensors (parking assist, I believe), you can’t use a tow bar. If you get FWD, you can use a tow dolly.

If you have the front sensor you can use a tow bar just have to get different base plats for the tow bar and just in my opinion I think it would be safer to trailer your AWD then flat tow unless it has a N button or lever to put your transfer case in N or it’s a 4x4 with that option so you don’t end up messing up your vehicle

 

[Clohman]

You CAN tow a GX a four wheels down, I have done it for 2 years now and there is no damage occuring to the drivetrain. The owners manual says you can do it, so all warranty WILL be covered. P.S. My wife works for a Buick Dealership.

Chris R. Lohman
2020 Buick Encore GX

 

[wrapped]

18 months 4 down towing awd gt sport touring no problems tows excellent,better than our older jeeps.

 

[bgneumann]

Have towed our 2021 Encore GX (Essence, in AWD mode) many times now ... no problems.

One item: when we stop overnight on a longer trip, we of course shut down the motorhome. I always wonder ... after motorhome shut down & with Encore battery still disconnected, will the Encore remain in AWD mode when driving motorhome again the next morning. I see no reason why AWD should not stay AWD, since Encore battery remained disconnected.

Have asked gmcare.via email & they say they do not give any replies via email & suggest asking dealer where vehicle purchased. Did so & dealer of course had no idea. The answer is probably obvious ie. no change since battery remains disconnected. But am always wary, maybe too much so, & will try to contact Buick head office if only I can find an email contact. They are very hard to find ... guess they are very worried about legal repercussions maybe too many incidents.

Would be wonderful if they could simply answer a simple question.

 

[wrapped]

We've left everything hooked up for overnight stops, just pull over shut off motorhome, wakeup and hit the road don't touch anything. Never had a problem.

 

[bgneumann]

We've left everything hooked up for overnight stops, just pull over shut off motorhome, wakeup and hit the road don't touch anything. Never had a problem.

Thanks for reply .... I also never had a problem, just being extra cautious. Also just checked that setting remained in AWD mode, after having put it in AWD yesterday & wife driving it today stop & go several times .... setting stayed in AWD.
So pretty sure if electrics (negative battery disconnected) are off, AWD also stays as is.

I probably worry too much.

 

[Tizeye]

Great thread, and two points...
1) For those advocating dolly or trailer towing, that introduces a whole new set of issues and for many RV'er that is NOT an option and the reason people buy the AWD to 4 wheels down tow over other models with the CVT transmission to dolly/trailer tow. 4 down towing is more convenient and efficient 5 minute operation vs the others, plus axels are not wider load than the car and no storage issues at space limited campsites - or even home/storage. Additionally, weight becomes a HUGE issue, particularly on RV's that are weight challenged built on Mercedes Sprinter (and Ford Transit) chassis with tow rating of 4300lbs (4000 lb Transit) and the Mercedes typically below 1000 lb cargo capacity - including passengers - (more typical 1500 for Transit). The weight of that dolly directly subtracts from what you can tow - but at least the Encore GX at around 3400lbs gives you that flexibility. HOWEVER, enter tongue weight that directly impacts carrying capacity (referred to as OCCC and posted on RV's). 4 down towing essentially has none as level hitch and 100lb for tow bar shared between the closest axels of RV/car. A loaded dolly/trailer pivoting off its axel exerts downward pressure creating hitch weight reducing carrying capacity by that amount. 4 down towing is the only way to go, and within the 3000-4000lb weight class, the AWD Encore GX (and AWD Trailblazer 'twin') is one of 5 currently produced cars that is even eligible among all the manufacturers.

2) Now the real reason for the post. I just bought an Encore GX Select trim with sport package and will be adding a baseplate. Since there is a bias against AWD in FL, I had to go to son's in CT to find them on dealer's lot in Select or Essence trim. Now comes a baseplate - Roadmaster vs Blue Ox. The good news is that both now make a model for the Sport Pkg. For those that have them which would you recommend on the Sport Pkg trim. While always have to trim a small (one segment) of the grill to accommodate the removable mount, the issue centers around the permanent safety chain connecting tabs. How far do the chain connector tabs protrude from the grill/bumper, as by photo, Roadmaster appears to be less noticeable. Also, while no video on the Roadmaster with the Sport Pkg, the video on e-trailer of a Blue Ox install appeared to require additional trimming (suggesting completely removing) of the solid red bar. Is this true, and does Roadmaster have a better design with it protruding above or below the red bar requiring no trimming for the chain connector tabs (still trimming for the removable bar connectors, of course)?

 

[wrapped]

Congratulations. Check post #47 I posted a picture of my roadmaster baseplate on my gx with sport touring pkg. Roadmaster was the only baseplate available when I purchased my gx but it was an easy installation and looks good it blends in very well. You can download the installation directions on e trailer website to get an idea degree of difficulty and see if it's something you can do and trimming involved.

 

[wrapped]

If you also check post #45 & 46 I describe my towing equipment and wiring installation.

 

[G-216991]

I have a 2020 Encore GX AWD and have been towing it behind my motorhome for over a year now. The manual says you can, the dealer my wife works for says you can, and I am doing it with no problems. Follow the advice of the owners manual and you will be fine. They would not state you can do it in the owners manual if you shouldn't.

 

[K.S.R.]

I am considering purchasing a 2021 Encore GX AWD Essence for the purposes of flat towing behind a motorhome. I know the owners manual states it can be done and how to do it.

There appear to be several 2021 Trailblazer AWD owners doing this. We like the Buick interior better than the Trailblazer.

I'd like to know if any of you has experience in doing this and if there is anything to be aware of prior to purchasing the GX.

We purchased a 2022 Encore GX AWD specifically because we wanted to flat tow behind our motorhome. For several months, have been working with Camping World to work out details of what equipment is needed and have hit a dead end. Even though manual specifically states that it can be flat towed, for some reason Buick will not commit to saying that it can be done (even after trying to get answers through various channels). Manual states battery must be disconnected but Buick seems unsure how brakes and steering will work without power applied. I'm at the point of not knowing what to do and considering purchasing another vehicle that I know will work. Very disappointed at the false claims by Buick and lack of support in getting information.

 

[timingchain]

Because it's AWD and you can't disengage the rear wheels from the driveline. No AWD car can be dolly towed.

Would it work if you're willing to disconnect driveshaft from rear wheels?

 

[wrapped]

Please read this thread from the beginning many of us flat tow our GX's with no problems and we explain what equipment we use and how we installed everything.

 

[BarryK2017]

I am getting our 2021 Encore GX AWD w/Sport Touring set up with Blue Ox equipment and Patriot brake system next week. I also purchased a roadmaster battery disconnect based on the info you provided here. (THANKS!) I wonder if you could post a picture of the battery disconnect in the wheel well. Curious how that's working out for you.

Garry Bergstrom

I bought a 23 encore gx. Roadmaster said I needed a battery disconnect. I bought the push button one. My question is when you disconnect the battery do you loose all of your electronic settings