Towing A Chevy Silverado 1500
I’ve been towing a 2012 Chevy Cruze equipped with a standard transmission behind my 2012 Thor Tuscany 42RQ. I use a Blue Ox base plate and a Roadmaster 9400 Even Brake system. I need only to put the transmission in neutral and pull fuse #22, and then put the ignition key in the first ACC position. (The Cruze has two ACC positions.)
I now plan to tow my 2014 Chevrolet Silverado four wheels down. I’ve had a Blue Ox base plate installed on the Silverado along with an ICX transmitter for the Even Brake. All of the wiring for the system has been installed in the truck. Family Motor Coaching’s 2014 towing guide says that the negative battery cable must be removed from the battery before the 2014 Silverado 1500 can be towed. My vehicle satisfies all other criteria; that is, both the transmission and the transfer case can be put into neutral.
Now the rub: I have taken the truck to the two major Carson City, Nevada, facilities that work on coaches and towing systems and asked whether disconnecting the negative battery cable was (1) necessary and (2) doable by installing a simple “on-off” switch for the battery. The answers were an emphatic “No!” In fact, technicians at both facilities stated that by disconnecting the negative cable, I would lose all stored data in the onboard computer system; also, the technicians said they had never heard of having to disconnect the negative battery cable to operate a towed vehicle braking system. Both centers flatly refused to install an on-off switch; technicians at one center stated that whoever told me to disconnect the negative cable before towing should explain why. Help! What’s the deal?
Phil Tucker, F391390
Smith, Nevada
We emailed your question to Chevrolet’s communications office, asking for clarification. A Chevy representative responded by emailing a copy of a September 29, 2014, service bulletin (13-00-89-007A). The bulletin provides detailed flat-towing procedures for the 2014 Silverado 1500 with two-speed transfer case (that has a neutral and four-low position). The bulletin’s instructions state, in part: “Depower the vehicle by removing the negative cable at the battery. This procedure must be followed or the steering column could be damaged.”
The Chevy representative also noted: “The key needs to be in the accessory position to unlock the steering column. Disconnecting the battery helps keep the battery from running down. This will erase presets on the radio, etc., so it is not the ideal solution. . . . For vehicles with pushbutton start, disconnecting the battery is usually required to ensure that the column is unlocked, so this issue is not going away.”
Antenna Problem
I have a Winegard RT4000S satellite TV antenna that automatically finds a satellite. Until two months ago, I operated it like this: Turn on the search switch, and when a good signal is received, turn off the switch. The antenna would be pointed in the right direction, and we would proceed to watch. Then one day, things changed. Now when I turn off the switch (after seeing a good signal on the signal meter), the antenna stops, but the signal disappears. If I turn on the search switch again, the same thing happens — every time. I have opened the dome and found nothing. Connections are good.
John Migliavacca, F390960
Houston, Texas
I suggest you contact Wine.gard technical support: (800) 788-4417. Hours (Central Standard Time) are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Or send an email to help@winegard.com