GEN 2 Transmission Failure while being towed

[Don S]

I tow a 2019 Ford Raptor behind my diesel pusher motorhome. There have been some reports on the RV Forums that a Raptor and other F-150 4x4's have destroyed the transmission while being towed. The trucks are designed for Recreational Towing (in the Manual) and are set to tow by following a procedure in the dash display.

Ford has allegedly denied some of the claims and fixed others. No one has determined why the issue is occurring, but there is speculation that the battery may be going dead, and the truck comes out of Neutral Tow. Even though these trucks are being towed while off, many people towing them use an auxiliary braking system that keeps the vacuum up in the brake booster and applies the brake pedal during hard stops. These systems do draw some power from the battery. I use this system but have never had battery issues.

Here is my question for the more electrically inclined on here. Many people who tow vehicles run a charge line from the coach to the truck/car battery. It's a pretty simple system. A 12-volt powered wire with a fuse and a diode to prevent back feeding into the coach when the motorhome is off. The wire is connected the motorhome starting batteries and would see the typical 14.2 volts when the coach batteries need charging from the alternator.

I know these trucks are very electrically sophisticated.....do you see an issue with running a charge line to the battery.

Thanks in advance

 

[MDJAK]

Would a light aluminum trailer be able to hold the raptor and not put too much stress on the motorhome? I never understand why people tow their vehicles like that but I realize I just don't know anything about it. And Yes, there was a thread here not too long ago about a guy who had that happen and Ford denied his claim. Maybe you should be sure to take a video of the dashboard showing you put it in the correct mode, etc.

 

[GordoJay]

I know these trucks are very electrically sophisticated.....do you see an issue with running a charge line to the battery.

When you put a battery tender on an F150, you need to connect the negative clip to the frame, not the battery terminal. That way the BMS will account for the charge state properly. I'd expect that you would want to do the same thing.

 

[Don S]

Would a light aluminum trailer be able to hold the raptor and not put too much stress on the motorhome? I never understand why people tow their vehicles like that but I realize I just don't know anything about it. And Yes, there was a thread here not too long ago about a guy who had that happen and Ford denied his claim. Maybe you should be sure to take a video of the dashboard showing you put it in the correct mode, etc.

Thanks, using a trailer is a pain and that's why most four down tow. Once you get to a campground you need a space for the RV truck and trailer. I do take a photo but hard to prove when it was taken. I also manually roll the truck a few inches to make sure it's in neutral.

 

[Don S]

GordoJay....thanks for that info, I knew there was something about where to attach the wires. The minute you said BMS, it came back to me. Thanks

 

[TrailWhale]

I have towed my 2018 over 30,000 miles and have not had any issues with dead batteries or transmission failures. Here is why, and why I did.
First, a charge line is a MUST! It connects from the motorhome trailer plug to a one way breaker and then to the battery. The breaker allows for wire protection and prevents voltage feedback from the truck to the motorhome.
The second thing I did…..and I think is the biggest thing…..instead of using my trucks tail lights and brake lights as the “trailer lights” when being towed, I got an inexpensive tailgate light bar off amazon. It has running, stop, and turn functions. This is tired directly to the plug on the front of my truck where the cord from the motorhome plugs into. This keeps the trucks brake lights, and tail lights from being activated and in turn keeps all the trucks modules from waking up.
Now, on a diesel pusher motorhome there is already an air brake line at the rear that you tap into and run into the trucks engine compartment and T into the brake booster. This is how you properly do a supplementary brake system in the truck. The ones that sit in the floor and attach to the brake pedal are prone to failures if not installed correctly.
If you are towing the truck with a gas RV, then the one that sits in the cab is an easier option, there are some cable systems but unless those are routed properly then they don’t work at all. But using either of those presents the issue of the brake pedal being pressed and therefore all the modules waking up…..this is why batteries die while being towed.
My first motorhome was a gas class A, and I used the floor mounted brake system. I also installed a “brake light cut out” so that when it was being towed, I would flip the switch and the brake lights would not illuminate and not wake up the modules.
I know this is a long reply, but it’s information that may help someone and hopefully not lose their truck Or motorhome.

 

[Don S]

Thanks, on my Dutch Star, I'm running the Air Force One air braking system. I also wired the taillights to the truck using diodes. It uses the coach power to turn on the taillights since they're isolated from the truck. I've towed the truck over 10K miles and never had an issue or even a low battery after two full days of towing and not starting the truck.

I'm attaching the charge line IN CASE the battery starts to get weak and goes dead, possibly from age. It's also a CYA thing in case I ever had to argue with Ford.

I've got everything connected correctly, just looking for any perceived issues of running a charge line to the battery since this thing is loaded with electronics.

 

[MDJAK]

Thanks, using a trailer is a pain and that's why most four down tow. Once you get to a campground you need a space for the RV truck and trailer. I do take a photo but hard to prove when it was taken. I also manually roll the truck a few inches to make sure it's in neutral.

I didn’t think about having to park it. But is it a big draw/effort for the motor home to pull a trailer with the car as opposed to without? My biggest I don’t want to say issue, but isn’t the mileage piling up in your Raptor as the wheels are spinning?

Also, yes, hard to prove when pic taken, so maybe short video stating date and time? Better than nothing.

 

[Don S]

There is no mileage accumulated when towing.

 

[TwizzleStix]

There is no mileage accumulated when towing.

Correct as the trans/engine aren’t turning the odometer doesn’t record. However, the wheel bearings, tires, and brakes are still getting the mileage real-time.