I've been a full-timer in my motor home for more than fifteen years and recently had to give up my Saturn as a Toad to pull along behind. I purchased a 2001 Kia Sportage 5-speed 4WD and have in my possession a memo from Kia that says I can tow my Sportage no more than 55-MPH and for no farther than 400 miles at a time.
Are there any Kia specialists reading this forum who may know if I can fudge that speed up to 60-MPH? I can live with the 400 miles but there are times when it's more prudent for me to go 60 or 65-MPH.
I suppose my basic question is, "was 55-MPH set by KIA engineers to be ultra safe or is 55-MPH actually the top speed one can tow a Sportage without burning up the transmission or transfer case?"
The transmission WILL build high pump pressures with the wheels driven SO...
Drop the drive shaft to the rear wheels (shouldn't be hard), Lift the front wheels (car carrier 2 wheel dolly - like at Uhaul) and go. The rear wheels will just freewheel without the drive shaft and the front wheels will be sitting on a "dolly".
Ask one of the "do it yourself moving truck" companies.
Dave
I've never heard of complications from towing a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission. They don't have transmission fluid pumps, so will be lubricated the same whether it's being driven or towed.
The sportage does NOT build up pressures in the manual tranny, the transfer case is put in neutral and the only things turning are the front wheels on the bearings, the rear rear wheels and axle, rear driveline and the drive shaft in the transfer case that is not engaged.
I don't know why they want you to drive it after 400 miles.
One of my wife's employees has 175000 on her 2 door 2000 4wd that was towed for 5 years and about 100k miles. The guy said they might go for a week without driving it...up to 2000 miles. Sometimes 800 miles in a day.
It is still running strong...
Have never read about a problem with towing a Sportage. As far as the 55 mph, guess you'll have to let us know what you experience
Just for insurance, I would change the oil in the transfer case with a high quality synthetic.
Missed the "5 speed" and was going with an automatic in the car... Still I'd follow what the manufactor has in their "memos" or the OM...They designed and built the car.. The stresses from the wheels to the transmission(towing) may be totally different than from the transmission to the wheels(driving).
Dave
Looking back at my original post I see where I should have said 5-speed MANUAL transmission and four-wheel-drive. Being new as a Kia owner, I'm not up to speed on the various drivetrains of the 2001 Sportage.
This is very interesting feedback and I appreciate hearing from each of you. Being an old fart and not as "toned" as I was in my youth I need to pull my Sportage with all four wheels down. I purchased this particular Kia because it already had a tow package attached to it and was ready to go behind my motor home.
To tow it I put the transfer case and the transmission in neutral and place the key in "Accessory" position so the steering wheel will turn. After about thirty miles on my first trip I stopped at a rest area and felt the hub covers and they both felt normal ... not hot ... so there's no doubt everything is fine at 55-MPH.
The reason I'm asking about going faster is because sometimes I find myself on two-lane roads with 70-MPH speed limits and I simply fear going 55-MPH will create too much of a traffic backup, especially when I have no place to pull over and let traffic pass. If I felt that I could get away with going 60 or 65-MPH for brief periods (half-hour or so) maybe I wouldn't get as many one-finger waves from people passing me.
I would still be interested in hearing from someone who works or has worked on Sportages for a living with input on pulling them down the highway faster than 55-MPH. Until then I'll try to stay on freeways so at least there's a way to get around me.
By the way, I'm liking this Sportage the more I drive it and am quickly becoming a fan. A special thanks to the Mods here for this fine forum. I know I'll be using it a lot ... both reading answers and asking questions.
As I understand it, the manual 4x4 is the only Sportage you can tow safely. The issue is with lubrication of the gearboxes. A 2wd manual being towed would have the output shaft inside the transmission spinning with no lubrication because the input side is where the submerged gears are. An automatic would have the same issue because the pump is driven by the engine. The 4x4 automatic has no Neutral selection on the transfer case therefore the transmission cannot be effectively disconnected from the drivetrain like the 4x4 manual can. The transfer case will still be lubricated even when in neutral. There is no concern with the front end because the hubs are unlocked.
The speed recommendation is just for safety. You can probably tow faster without damaging anything, but as always, more speed is more dangerous.
Inxquve, you make a lot of sense and you have cleared up my understanding of the Kia Sportage 4X4 5-speed manual. And you are right on about the safety issue. This Sportage is about 1,000-pounds heavier than my previous Toad and even with my air brakes stopping me and my Cummins pushing me down the highway, I can tell there is more behind me than I had before ... both stopping and getting up to speed.
From what you are saying, it sounds like all the proper components are being splashed with enough lubrication in both the transfer case and the transmission as long as I stay at reasonable speeds. Now I won't be afraid to kick it up to 60 MPH from time to time when conditions dictate that I should do so.
I really don't want to hurt this Sportage so if a transmission specialist reads this thread and sees where I'm getting the wrong idea, I would greatly appreciate more feedback. Thanks again to those of you who spoke up.
I want to setup my 96 Kia Sportage 4WD 5 speed manual for flat towing behind my motorhome. How do you setup yours when towing. I called Kia and they indicated it will damage the drivetrain. I haven't been able to locate a user manual to verify. Do you have further info? I'm hesitate to get base plate, etc. before knowing for sure.
Thanks, Hal
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