Hello Dolly! (Towing your LEAF)

[LTLFTcomposite]

...this idea with LEAFscan is very clever.

It would be even more clever if LeafScan incorporated a bluetooth connection, instead of requiring a loooong cable to the RV.

Would BT reach that far? The RV dashboard could be 45-50 feet from the Leaf motor compartment, and the signal would have to go through the some barriers like the walls of the RV.

 

[garsh]

Would BT reach that far? The RV dashboard could be 45-50 feet from the Leaf motor compartment, and the signal would have to go through the some barriers like the walls of the RV.

In theory, it's possible, but you're right, it practice it may not be feasable.
BlueTooth range

 

[Ingineer]

There is the possibility I will be using LEAFSCAN for "critical" functions (TBA), so I wouldn't trust Bluetooth for that, and yes, running through several metal walls in a noisy electrical environment would need Class 1, and even then, no guarantees.

My goal is to make LEAFSCAN as flexible as possible, but at the same time, it can't be a kitchen sink. I've got to actually finish the design soon so it can go into production, and it's got to be low-cost so I can afford to actually do so.

As an engineer, I hate the thought that I will overlook or otherwise omit some feature that would be useful in the future, but I also can't allow the Perfect to be the enemy of the good. I've witnessed feature creep kill so many projects!

Besides, you're likely going to run wires back there for the lights, maybe even the remote shifter. What's a few more?

-Phil

 

[Beecher85]

i recently towed my Nissan Leaf on a uhaul car dolly 300 miles. This situation involves the front wheels being off the ground, the rear wheels were on the ground. NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER. The car was in park on the gear shift, obviously the parking brake you step on was released. Like other users have said, the rear axle is independent of the drive motor and is used to getting hauled around. Yes the manual recommends a flatbed likely for liability purposes but the car dolly works great.

 

[aroundlsu]

I recently towed mine with a Nissan Titan and Uhaul tow dolly from Dallas to Baton Rouge (about 450 miles) and had no issues. It was my first time towing anything and had to figure everything out myself. No one at the dealership would help hook it up. After getting the car strapped to the dolly the first few hours of towing through Dallas traffic were nerve racking but once I got out of the city I relaxed and all was good the entire way home.

 

[Beecher85]

I recently towed mine with a Nissan Titan and Uhaul tow dolly from Dallas to Baton Rouge (about 450 miles) and had no issues. It was my first time towing anything and had to figure everything out myself. No one at the dealership would help hook it up. After getting the car strapped to the dolly the first few hours of towing through Dallas traffic were nerve racking but once I got out of the city I relaxed and all was good the entire way home.

 

[deezflops]

Hello,

Have a 2013 LEAF and am purchasing an ACME EZE Tow Dolly: https://cartowdolly.com/

It seems for like a "normal" tow dolly, it has a spot that swivels, so you can leave the steering wheel column locked. In this case you can just drive up on the tow dolly, tie it down, make sure the parking brake is off, and go.

However, for the ACME EZE Tow it does not swivel, and you are supposed to unlock the steering column so that the steering wheel can freely turn while being towed. From what I can tell, the 2015 year is the first year the LEAF was made without the steering column lock, so my 2013 should have one. Can anyone confirm that, and also how to ensure the steering column is unlocked?

Any other advice? No need to turn the car on and put it in nuetral or anything, right? Do people recommend the ACME EZE Tow, or not? It seems to have a bit of a cult following the in the tow dolly world...

Thank you!

 

[jjeff]

^^ nice video, looks to be a well designed dolly
I just went out to my '13 Leaf and I don't think I've ever tried this before but even though the car was OFF I was able to turn the steering wheel. Note it turned quite hard as normally it's power steering but it was NOT locked. Good news for you and dolly
Oh I just checked my '12 and it also turns when off, seemed to turn even harder than my '13 but that could have been due to it being currently parked on rougher concrete than my '13.

 

[GerryAZ]

Thanks for posting the link for the ACME EZE tow dolly. I like the design because it eliminates the biggest concerns I have when using rental tow dollies. The U Hauls which I have used have fixed ramps which are attached to moving turn tables. Some small cars are narrow enough so the tires hang over the inside of the ramps while the LEAF is wide enough to have the tires at the outside edge of the ramps. The fixed ramps can hit the underside of a car with low ground clearance if you tow it through too much of a dip in the road while the fenders can hit the side of a wide car (like the LEAF) if you turn too sharp. Also, one must be careful to leave sufficient slack in the safety chains between the car and dolly frame to allow for turn table movement. The ACME EZE tow appears to be well built, eliminates those concerns, and would be easy to store at home.

The LEAF is a heavy car so get either electric or hydraulic brakes. The torque of the electric motor makes it easy to drive up the ramps slowly and gently. Make sure you get both front wheels tight against the stops before tightening the wheel straps. Do not disconnect the 12-volt battery--just unplug anything connected to the OBDII port and make sure the car is completely off. Check wheel straps, ball hitch, and safety chains after towing about 5 miles. If everything is OK, then check whenever you stop for breaks or fuel. If anything needs adjustment, check again after another 5 miles.

Gerry

 

[IssacZachary]

Since I'm in the market for a second vehicle and have been mainly looking at vehicles that can tow a Leaf I've also been contemplating another idea so as to be able to tow the Leaf with virtually any vehicle.

The main problem with towing with a smaller vehicle is that during acceleration and deceleration there are forces that wreak havoc on the frame, drive train, transmission, engine and brakes. But it would seem to me that those forces could be largely eliminated by putting all four wheels of the Leaf on the ground while towing it and then figure out a way to apply it's power and braking when the deceleration and acceleration forces are greater than reasonable.

That way instead of having to buy a full sized van or SUV to tow the Leaf I could perhaps do so with a minivan.

There are hydraulic tongues that are for hydraulic trailer brakes. Such a tongue could push hydraulic fluid though a hose into a slightly open window on the Leaf and to a hydraulic piston that activates the brake pedal. Also the Leaf could bet left on and in B mode and the accelerator pedal could be unplugged and perhaps rewired into the towing vehicle somehow. There seems to be a certain accelerator pedal signal that applies zero power to the motor so essentially acts like neutral. If you could send that signal to the wires that the pedal normally controls for cruising, then go to regen when slowing down and then to some power during acceleration you could theoretically tow the Leaf with a smaller vehicle.