Towing a 2001 CR-V Behind a U-Haul—Is It Safe?

Hey everyone,
I’m planning on towing my first-gen CR-V across the country using a dolly behind a U-Haul. I’ve heard some people mention transmission problems if only the rear wheels are on the ground. Anyone have experience with this? Is it safe, or should I be worried about damaging anything? Any tips would be awesome!

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I’ve towed a CR-V before, but I made sure to have all four wheels off the ground. The transmission can be finicky if the rear wheels are the only ones rolling. You might wanna look into a full trailer instead of a dolly, just to be safe.

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Yeah, I agree with the above! AWD vehicles like the CR-V can have issues if only two wheels are on the ground. I would either disconnect the driveshaft or go for a full trailer. Better safe than sorry, right?

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I’ve done it without any issues, but I did stop every few hours to give the transmission a break. Just make sure the CR-V is in neutral and take it easy on the speed. That’s what worked for me!

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There’s definitely a risk of damaging the transmission if you’re towing with just the rear wheels down. If you don’t have the option for a full trailer, you could always try flat-towing instead, but I’d double-check with your manual first.

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Had a buddy tow his CR-V on a dolly, and it ended up costing him a new transmission. Not saying it’ll happen to you, but I’d seriously consider a different method. U-Haul should offer full car trailers too, which would solve the problem.

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