Flat towing › Cadillac › Escalade
Four wheels down behind a motorhome
Can you flat tow a Cadillac Escalade?
Only some versions: 4WD with 2-speed transfer case. The others must not be flat towed.
- Needs a 2-speed transfer case
- Transfer case in neutral tow
From the 2026 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual, p. 378 ↗
Photo: Mic from Reading - Berkshire, United Kin…, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsStep by step
How to flat tow the Escalade
4WD with 2-speed transfer case
- 1
Check the transfer case
Only versions with a 2-speed transfer case can be flat towed. If yours has a single-speed case, it can't.
- 2
Shift the transfer case to neutral tow
Set the parking brake before shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral).
- 3
Give it its own brakes
Ford's towing guide puts it for any towed vehicle: “Ford Motor Company recommends that a separate functional brake system be used on any towed vehicle, including those dolly-towed or towbar-towed.” p. 3 ↗
Steps from the 2026 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual, p. 379 ↗. Your owner's manual has the full procedure.
Every version
2026 Escalade: by version
Every version
2025 Escalade: by version
Every version
2024 Escalade: by version
Every version
2023 Escalade: by version
Every version
2022 Escalade: by version
Every version
2021 Escalade: by version
Every version
2020 Escalade: by version
What you'll need
A flat-tow setup, piece by piece
1. Base plate
Vehicle-specific brackets bolted behind the front bumper — the tow bar connects here. Look it up by year and model.
2. Tow bar
Connects the motorhome's hitch to the base plate. Tow bars carry a weight rating — check it against your vehicle.
3. Safety cables
Back up the tow bar if it ever disconnects.
4. Supplemental braking
A brake system in the towed vehicle so it helps stop itself.
5. Breakaway switch
Applies the towed vehicle's brakes if it separates from the motorhome.
6. Lights / wiring
Carries the motorhome's brake, turn and tail lights to the towed vehicle.
Find the base plate for your exact year and model: Roadmaster FitMaster ↗ · Demco base plates ↗ · Blue Ox ↗. This list is general flat-towing practice, not from Cadillac's documents — except the brakes, which Ford's towing guide recommends.
In the maker's words
Before you tow
- “Only dinghy tow four-wheel-drive vehicles with a two speed transfer case that has an N (Neutral) and a 4n setting.”
- “Set the parking brake before shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral).”
Other options
Similar vehicles you can flat tow
A version that can't go four wheels down can still travel on a car trailer or, where the maker allows, a tow dolly. Ford's towing guide adds: “Ford Motor Company recommends that a separate functional brake system be used on any towed vehicle, including those dolly-towed or towbar-towed.” p. 3 ↗
Questions people ask
Can you flat tow a 2026 Cadillac Escalade?
Only some versions. Only some versions: 4WD with 2-speed transfer case. The others must not be flat towed.
Does flat towing void the warranty?
Check Cadillac's warranty guide before modifying the vehicle for towing.
Source: 2026 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 19436546C, file dated 2026JUN08; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2025 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 17942216B, file dated 2024DEC10; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2024 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 85657853D, file dated 2025JUN26; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2023 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 85619197C, file dated 2025MAY19; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2022 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 84793868D, file dated 2025MAY13; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2021 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 84266974D, file dated 2025MAY09; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2020 Cadillac Escalade Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 84367245A, file dated 2019APR25; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.