Hey

Can I tow my 93 Aerostar on all four wheels using the Bue Ox tow bar system behind my motorhome? Do you just put it in neutral?

My guess is that I can't because it will hurt the trans. Don't know. Does the drive shaft have to be removed? Is it a lot of work and will oil leak out of tranny and/or differential.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

only if it's a manual tranny.

NO if it's an automatic, no pump pressure lube to all the transmission. dry planetary gear/clutch packs turning and burning.

Double NO if it's AWD

get a tow dolly and put rear tires on it if a 2 wdr.

 

It is legal to two a vehicle from the rear?

I tried finding Youboob videos and saw none towed this way. If it is legal, this is what I'll do.

 

I've seen vehicles towed from the rear before, but it's a matter of whether the structure will allow it. The Aerostar's rear bumper is plastic, so you probably can't pick it up from there. If you have an extended length version, it's that much harder for those types that pick up the vehicle by the tires to reach the tires.

On my 4wd, if I remove the driveshaft from the transfer case, fluid will leak out.

 

dolly it with the rear up and lock/lash steering wheel down
can run your MH brake control unit in the AS, front disc work fine spinning either direction.
you'll need the extra braking power with 4000+lbs

tow dollys have brakes on their axle also.
Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories

 

If you're using a tow dolly, in many states your dolly will be required to have its own brakes. I believe that the limit is 2000 lbs towed vehicle weight max for no dolly brakes in this state, but don't quote me.

That said, I used to (carefully) tow Aeros on my brake-less dolly.

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I have never had good luck towing cars reversed on my dolly. I've tried three times, and it was not stable enough for me.

Having said that, you first asked about flat towing, which is a different situation. There are three methods of making this work with a modern automatic trans (if you have a manual trans, there's no issue).

• Disconnect the driveshaft while towing. Your '93 uses the later companion flange mating system to the differential, and IIRC you can use a quality 12mm box-end wrench and a short piece of pipe to increase your leverage. You will have to move the driveshaft at least once to be able to get to all four bolts. Remove all four bolts, slide the driveshaft forward (it will slip into the rear of the transmission at least an inch) then swing it to the passenger side, and use a bungee cord or mechanic's wire to tie it up out of the way. No oil loss from the transmission, no extension housing seal damage, no dirt in the trans. This is the method I use when I tow RWD AT vehicles.
  
• Install a driveshaft quick-disconnect. This is an expensive solution, but the path is well-trod in the RV world. You end up with a custom two-piece driveshaft that incorporates a sliding coupler and a cable system to allow you to disconnect the front half driveshaft from the rear half just by moving a lever in the passenger compartment. It's not cheap, but it's very convenient.
  
• Install an auxilliary electric ATF pump. There is at least one company that makes universal kits to add an electric ATF pump that pulls fluid from the pan and pumps it to a pressure test port on the side of the transmission. When you are towing, the pump runs and pressurizes the trans, insuring sufficient lubrication. It's also not a cheap solution, but it works.

Now you understand why you see so many older Jeeps being towed behind RVs: they have the older style transfer case that lets you just move the 2WD/4WD lever to neutral, and avoid all of this. That lets you have an AT plus be able to quickly isolate it from the rest of the drivetrain.