Although I've done it myself (flat towed the Lotus Cortina behind an older
Dodge Caravan), towing with front wheel drive is certainly trickier than rear
wheel drive. FWD tow vehicles area inherently lighter in the rear, and much
more prone to being "steered" by the trailer, especially under braking, and
also depending on the trailer load. That is one reason the towing capacities
of FWD vehicles are so limited as offered by the manufacturers. I would be
especially careful towing with FWD in the rain. An AWD van might be
preferred for any serious towing considerations.
Another towing concern is brakes. Unless the vehicle is set up for towing
specific, recommended loads, the brakes are sized for normal use with normal
loads. The Chrysler FWD vans already have brake rotor warping problems from
normal use (see last week's Autoweek...also have talked to numerous owners
with the same problems). Towing would only exaggerate this problem. Think
about that next time you're coming back down the Grapevine on I-5 with a full
load.
Myles H. Kitchen
1965 Lotus Cortina Mk 1 #128
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