Aviator – Four Wheel Trends

Are you an RV'er who's interested in having a tow behind vehicle so you can explore more? You are not alone. There are only certain vehicles that can be flat towed. One of the newest vehicles on the market is the new Lincoln Aviator. This leads to the question, can a Lincoln Aviator be flat towed? I did some research and this is what I found. Can A Lincoln Aviator Be Flat Towed? The Lincoln Aviator can be flat towed behind an RV. However, there are different procedures for rear-wheel drive (RWD) vs. all-wheel drive (AWD) Lincoln Aviators. If you did not know, the Lincoln Aviator does come with both options. Here is what the Edmunds’ website had to say about its latest 2021 Lincoln Aviator: The Aviator is a three-row SUV that comes in five trim levels: Standard, Reserve, Black Label, Grand Touring, and Grand Touring Black Label. The first three are powered by a turbocharged V6 engine, while the latter two are equipped with the more powerful hybrid version. Rear-wheel drive is standard with optional all-wheel drive on the first two trims — all others are AWD-only. A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard across the board. Whether your Lincoln Aviator can be flat towed or not depends on the model that you choose. Going with the first two trim levels, you will get the rear-wheel-drive standard with the optional all-wheel but all the other trim levels are all-wheel drive only. Lincoln Aviator Rear Wheel Drive Vs All Wheel Drive When choosing which trim level you want to get for your Lincoln Aviator (or looking at the Lincoln Aviator you have now) you will want to consider the wheel option. This means if you choose the all-wheel option then you need to know how to flat tow it in a way where the all-wheel option does not damage your car and the same goes for the rear wheel option (remember the rear-wheel drive is standard on the first two trim levels). Do Not Get All Wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive Confused This is actually a very common misconception. This is because most people think they are so similar that they are basically the same thing. Here is the breakdown: Four-wheel drive (Lincoln Aviator Trim levels: Standard, Reserve): generally optimized for off-road use (off-roading, etc).Part-time four-wheel-drive systems allow drivers to manually engage all four wheels at low speeds while full-time four-wheel-drive systems work similarly to all-wheel drive (this is where people tend to get them confused) as it allows drivers to keep all four wheels engaged.Most four-wheel drives use front and rear differentials as well as a transfer case for engaging the front and or rear axles.All-wheel drive (Lincoln Aviator Trim Levels: Standard (optional), Reserve (optional), Black Label, Grand Touring, and Grand Touring Black Label.)All-wheel drive systems are great for on-road use and all-wheel drive systems typically use front and rear differentials, similar to four-wheel-drive systems. The difference is there is an addition of a viscous or electronic coupling used to split the power between each set of axles or basically, individual wheels.Most all-wheel-drive systems also permanently engage to varying extents this meansit is impossible to disengage without removing a drive shaft. Can Your Lincoln Aviator Be Towed Without Damage? When you are flat towing your Lincoln Aviator, it means that you are pulling it behind a recreational vehicle (also known as an RV) with all four of the wheels on the road. It is easy and hassle-free but keeps in mind that not all vehicles can be towed this way without some damage being done. Just to be sure and give you much-needed peace of mind (after all, we do not want to damage our car permanently just by making an impulsive decision). Down below is a quick checklist you can quickly go through before you decide to flat tow your Lincoln Aviator. ● Is the Lincoln Aviator a good candidate for flat towing? One stipulation to whether or not your Lincoln Aviator is a good candidate for flat towing is to see if it has a self-lubricating transmission when the engine is off.If you flat tow your Lincoln Aviator without proper lubrication then the transmission can be irreparably damaged (and we definitely do not want that). ● Check the owner’s manual on your Lincoln Aviator Most people neglect their car’s owner manual when in reality it is one of the most helpful tools that they have. This is because each owner’s manual is unique to its car and it can give you in-depth information about the car, much better than the information that you might find digging online.Your Lincoln Aviator’s owner manual will tell you if you can tow it with all four wheels on the road or whether you will need to elevate the drive wheels or use a trailer.Please note, while the 2021 Lincoln Aviator comes with rear-wheel drive (on the first two trim levels) and all-wheel drive (on all trim levels but optional on the first two) it does not mean that older models follow the same pattern.Bonus tip: search for the following terms in your manual to find out the answer for your specific make, model, and year: dinghy towing, four-down towing, and flat towing.Your Lincoln Aviator owner’s manual will also outline a very detailed procedure for flat towing your car. Please keep in mind that this will vary from model to model as well as year to year. ● Contact Your Lincoln Manufacturer Honestly, sometimes it is better to hear the words straight from the horse's mouth. And who would know more about the Lincoln Navigator than the people that work for the company, right?Give them a call if you have lost or misplace your owner’s manual and they can help you out. As long as you know the year and trim level of your Lincoln Aviator, then you will be good. ● After-market parts Most people are not a fan of after-market parts because they are more traditional and they also might not trust if the parts are quality material. That is one hundred percent understandable. Some might opt to not go that route because once you have an after-market part installed, your dealership will not want to touch your car anymore. After all, you are no longer using their parts; hence, they either do not know how to work around these after-market parts or it is company protocol that they do not.Either way, you should know the risks before you install after-market parts. Installing after-market price on a brand new vehicle does have its risks as it can void your vehicle’s warranty.However, do not let this scare you off because after-market parts are great. In fact, most car lovers stick to after-market parts because they feel they are well priced. Please note, well priced does not mean cheap or inexpensive. Sometimes after-market parrots can be very expensive but they might not be as inexpensive as the parts you can buy from the car company themselves. Sometimes you only save a few dollars which in that case you might as well opt for the official part from the car company but other times, you can save hundreds of dollars.In fact, the car professionals at Edumnds.com note that with the right after-market parts just about any model can be flat towed.Your Lincoln Aviator can be flat towed but how to do it well without damage, means you will need to do a bit of research on your own. Closing Thoughts The Lincoln Aviator not only offers great looks, comfort and fuel economy, it also works well for travelers and explorers who want to tow their Aviator behind and RV. As someone who appreciates the RV lifestyle, I have to say it is a great thing that Lincoln built the Aviator so it can be towed behind an RV.