Towing the Smart Car

Looking for info/comments on towing the Smart car behind a Motorhome.

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Permalink Reply by Tom & Marlene Lightfoot on October 9, 2008 at 5:01pm
James,
From the information that has been stated on previous comments at this site and from a article in a recent Motorhome Magazine about the smart, it is towable four down. Both Blue-Ox and Roadmaster have Bracket Kits and installation instructions available. I do not have my smart yet but I have resaerched the Roadmaster and the Blue Ox web sites. The Roadmnaster kit is Kit #52285-1. I have reviewed both the Blue Ox and the Roadmaster instructions and they seem pretty similar. I have opted for Roadmaster as I already have a Roadmaster Tow Bar. Hope this helps
Permalink Reply by Drew on October 9, 2008 at 5:57pm
Hey - This is Drew, I posted this same question a couple of weeks ago and besides Tom & Marlene Lightfoot responding to me (thanks!) and giving me the information about BlueOx and Roadmaster, I also stoped at CampingWorld and inquired w/them. They said no problem with the towing and that they have done a number of them already. Also when I picked up my adopted Blue/Silver this week I asked the Brand Manager at Smart Center SF and he said yes to the towing and that in the Owner's Manual is a mis-print about towing only up to 30 miles per hour - So now I can't wait to get hitched and go on my first camping trip w/the 4Two!

The only down side to the flat towing is the added miles that I'm not enjoying while driving!
Permalink Reply by jim rankin on October 10, 2008 at 11:51am
I am going to tow my smart with my motorhome. My Smart is in port but not yet at my dealer. I tow my Jeep with my motorhome with a blue ox setup. I look forward to adding a base plate on my Smart and towing a lot less weight. You can log on to Blue Ox web site and look for mercedes under tow bars. You can down load the instructions on installing the base plate. For me, I'm just going to let the local dealer install it over the winter so I'll be reade for next year.....if the stock market ever stops falling.
Permalink Reply by Rhett on October 11, 2008 at 2:04pm
If you would like to pull it on a trailer, see smarttrailerusa.com. They make trailers for various cars, one of which is the Smart. Not cheap, but it keeps the wheels off the ground.

I'm hoping to get my Smartie in the next couple of months, and I plan to tow it behind my Winnebago. Haven't decided whether to spend the extra money for the trailer, but it's an option.
Permalink Reply by Glen Bezanson on October 11, 2008 at 8:42pm
If you leave the key in the 'neutral' position and not on, you will not rack up miles. That is how we have been towing ours so far.
Permalink Reply by Deborah Eason on October 19, 2008 at 2:42pm
Hi everyone,
I would also like to flat tow my smart behind my motorhome. The manual says to put on the parking brake and regular brake, move the key from the 0 position to I, shift to neutral, then move the key back to 0, then release the parking brake and regular brake. My key will not completely turn from I to 0 and cannot be removed. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for any info you can give.
Permalink Reply by James M. Benson on October 19, 2008 at 11:46pm
Thanks for all who have replied. Some very helpful advice. Our car will be delivered in Portland OR hopefully before the end of the year-about 320 from where we live. There is a Camping World RV business near Portland where we hope to have the base attached and buy a tow bar.
Again thanks.
JIm
Permalink Reply by Steven HAMBURGER on October 23, 2008 at 3:00pm
I'm going to have the Roadmaster base plate installed (I have fog lights and cannot use the Blue Ox) and am looking for information on breaking systems that others have used. There's no space under the hood in front to put a break system. Are others using a portable system?
Permalink Reply by Dody West on November 1, 2008 at 2:49pm
I picked up my Smart in Houston in early September and found a local dealer who had already installed tow equipment on a Smart and so I purchased the Roadmaster from him and had it installed. You don't need to trailer it, as it will tow 4 down just fine. Do follow the correct directions with key position as posted above. You are correct, Deborah, the key stays in the ignition in that special position and does not come out. So be sure to keep the second key with you! With key in that position, the odometer does not register towed mileage, either (contrary to what I was originally told by Smart USA). Before I had much chance to drive my new baby for more than just a few miles, Hurricane Ike chased me out of Houston. So I hitched up my Smartie and towed it more than 500 miles north to Branson, MO. I had to keep my motorhome's rear camera on so I could tell I was towing something and to make sure it was back there! It is a dream to tow. I've been continuing to drive my Smart all over the Ozarks as I tour around here and have picked up a part-time job with the Silver Dollar City Christmas Parade until the end of the year. My car has been causing a sensation here and it was suggested that my car be added to the parade wrapped in a big ribbon with a huge bow on the roof. When I remove the tow bar from the car's front end, the attached receivers are almost invisible. It was everything I had hoped for a towd car.
Permalink Reply by James M. Benson on December 20, 2008 at 5:15pm
We picked up our Smart Car in Portland OR Dec 17 during winter storm conditions, took it to Vancouver WA to have Roadmaster install towbar system for Smart car. 08and 09 models take same system. Within 4 hours we were on the road. New 09 Smart car manual indicates a battery turn off switch should be installed. Smart car does not do this and we only noticed this in manual after being on the road- it was a cold-29-33- snowy, windy sleet, potential freezing weather so we headed home without fully reading entire manual. Made it home to Brookings OR . Called smart car Portland about battery switch . Tech said may be helpful but did not think it was essential. Battery in SC seems OK. We will ask Smart Car HQ.
Only wife has driven our SC and she loves it. I get to drive the Motorhome.
Permalink Reply by Marc Moreland on December 26, 2008 at 11:59pm
all you have to do is disconect the battery . forget the switch.
Permalink Reply by Kent Smith on January 1, 2009 at 1:36pm
I have three question about towing the Smartfortwo.
1. How come the key must be turned on (or set in neutral)? I assume this unlocks the steering wheel? If so then why use a bungie to strapped down the steering wheel?

2. How do you get the indicator light to work on the Smartfortwo as when towing a trailer?

3. Is it required to have a break system installed in the Smartfortwo? Or because it only weighs 1800 # it's not required?

I'm new to RVing and towing so apologize if this is basic knowledge.

Thanks,

--Kent

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