New Equinox and Towing Setup

We purchased a new 2024 Chevy Equinox in September to replace our trusty 2014 CR-V as our towed vehicle. So, the first order of business was to get it set-up for towing.

We decided on a Chevy Equinox based on FMCA’s annual report on vehicles that can be flat towed (i.e., with all 4 tires on the ground). FMCA’s list keeps getting shorter and shorter, but several vehicles from Jeep, Ford and GM can still be towed. Our list was even shorter. We wanted a vehicle under 4,000 pounds with automatic transmission. It also needed to be roomy enough to comfortably carry 4 adults and have an excellent crash rating. We chose the Equinox after a test drive, because it fit these requirements and we liked the way it drove. We would have bought a 2025 Equinox, but these are no longer towable.

As a word of caution, download the owner’s manual for the specific model you want to tow. Make sure the manual confirms it can be towed 4-down. Read the process for towing and make sure you are comfortable with that.

Before purchasing, I also checked the online forums (i.e. iRV2.com) for folks that also towed the same year and model Equinox. This can be scary, as people usually only post about problems.

In the case of the Equinox, earlier model years had some issues with towing. Sometimes the steering wheel locked up in corners. Some also reported blowing fuses, and issues with brakes locking up.

Chevy responded to these issues by changing the setup process to include disconnecting the battery. Unfortunately, their process advises disconnecting the negative terminal. However, posters noted that it can still cause issues with your fuses when the lights try to find a ground. Luckily, many folks smarter than me explained how they resolved the issue by disconnecting everything on the positive terminal, instead. They used the RoadMaster battery disconnect, which is made just for this purpose.

I documented all this for my installer, to save time. Here is my diagram.

Battery Disconnect Diagram

You know you have a good installer when they are willing to take input like this. From my perspective, I didn’t want to have any post installation issues so the research was well worth it.

We had used RoadMaster for the CR-V for 10 years, so we had a preference for RoadMaster. They have a very well done website that lists all products needed for your particular year and model.

Here is the link to their website: https://fitmaster.roadmasterinc.com/towing-systems/

I decided to use them for the hitch, base plate, wiring package, battery disconnect, and charge kit. I’ll detail all this below.

I didn’t need anything else from RoadMaster, as I planned to use my existing RViBrake supplemental braking system and their hardwired 12V plug.

The next step was to find a reputable installer. It is so hard to hand over your new vehicle to an installer, once you know what has to be done. In our case, practically the entire front end needed to be dis-assembled and put back together again! So my first priority was finding company with a great reputation for installing tow packages.

The RoadMaster website will list installers in your area. Once again, iRV2.com is helpful here, and is Yelp. I found three that had good ratings, and decided to call each and discuss my project. I needed someone knowledgeable about RoadMaster. They also had to be willing to install the components I needed from RViBrake. Additionally, the installation had to be at a reasonable cost and time-frame.

In the end, I chose Leale’s in San Jose. They have had a really good reputation for decades. Savio, the Manager, was great to talk to and very flexible in terms of what I needed done. They were not the lowest price, but I wanted competence and quality, and was willing to pay a little more for it. We were about to leave on an RV trip, and he even suggested bringing it in early so they could get an early start on the project.

Savio agreed to ensure our “Nox” was indoors throughout the process. He even sent a few photos of the work in progress.

They finished on time and close to the estimated price. I couldn’t pick up the RV for a few weeks due to a medical issue, and Savio graciously offered to store the car for free until I could drive there. That meant a lot to me.

When I was feeling well enough, I drove the motorhome to Leale’s to test the setup while hooked up.

I had made a detailed checklist for using the RViBrake system with the Equinox. Thanks to the online community, it worked really well. The process is actually easier than the CR-V was. I’ll list the detailed procedures below, for those interested.

After testing everything, Savio and Manuel (the installer), waved goodbye and I was towing the Nox back home!

The drive was uneventful, just what I hoped for. In addition to being our daily driver, we have also towed on another RV trip and, just like the CR-V, you don’t even notice it there.

Overall, I have been very happy with the Equinox, RoadMaster, and Leale’s installation, and recommend them without reservation. Savio is great to work with and Manuel and his team are really competent.

Here’s a few photos of the install. Note how clean the front end looks. You barely notice the cutout on the bottom grill used to connect the baseplate to the tow bar. They did a great job!

The battery disconnect switch is a simple chrome button next to the lights on the dash. I don’t have to open the hood to disconnect the battery.

Under the dash, you can see the three connections to the positive battery post. The large red cable goes to the disconnect switch. The black wire goes to the 12V plug in the cab. This is used to power the RViBrake. The small cable with the yellow tip goes to the battery charger. When towing, this keeps the car battery charged.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment.

We hope to have as many years of trouble-free towing from the Equinox as we did from the CR-V.

Al & Deb

Parts Needed for Tow Package Installation

Checklist (Detailed) for connecting Equinox to Motorhome:

  • Hook up tow bar, connecting Motorhome power. (Do this before disconnecting car battery)
    • Connect tow bar to base
    • Add emergency cables
    • Add breakaway cable
    • Add 6-pin connector
  • Start Equinox
    • Turn off Park Assist button to avoid warning chime
    • Turn off lights, seat heating, roll up windows
    • Ensure parking brake released
  • Run 5 minutes
  • Put into neutral
  • Turn off (no foot on brake!), which puts it into accessory mode
    • Make sure steering wheel turns
  • Turn disconnect switch to off. Yes the accessory light goes off.
  • Add RVi brake system
    • Connect to brake pedal
    • Add disconnect cable
    • Plug in 12v power
    • Push button and follow procedures
    • In RV turn on router and control panel. 
  • Make sure tires are turning when RV moves.
  • When done, reverse steps.

11 thoughts on “New Equinox and Towing Setup”

  3. Thank you. My husband and I just bought a 2024 BS 3014 and want to tow. We looked at Chevy Equinox but all reviews complained about the lack of pick up due to the small engine. Your thoughts? Also which model did you buy? I saw it is Premier but was it Front Wheel or AWD? Did you weigh it to see its weight? Thank you for your help and useful article.

    1. Thanks, Elaine. We love the Equinox. It won’t win any races, but the turbo gives it plenty of HP for our needs. We have the FWD premiere model. We opted for the FWD as we very rarely drive in the snow, if at all. So far, we like the bells and whistles of the Premiere. We haven’t weighed it yet, but the posted weight is well under 4,000 pounds. We also went through the Costco Auto Program so there was no haggling. With 4 months and 2,500 miles, it has been perfect. Too early to tell, but so far so good.

      1. Thanks. So you have the 1.5 liter turbo 4 cylinder? I just want to be comfortable getting on and off major highways. I don’t need it to be super fast just good pickup for highways

  4. I just bought a 2024 Chevy Equinox RS. What base plate and tow bar do you have on yours? Thanks.

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