Flat towing › GMC › Canyon
Four wheels down behind a motorhome
Can you flat tow a GMC Canyon?
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 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual, p. 304 ↗
Photo: Mic from Reading - Berkshire, United Kin…, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsStep by step
How to flat tow the Canyon
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 and use wheel blocks 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 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual, p. 304 ↗. Your owner's manual has the full procedure.
Every version
2026 Canyon: by version
Every version
2025 Canyon: by version
Every version
2024 Canyon: by version
Every version
2023 Canyon: by version
Every version
2022 Canyon: by version
Every version
2021 Canyon: by version
Every version
2020 Canyon: 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 GMC'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 have an N (Neutral) and a 4 n (Four-Wheel Drive Low) setting.”
- “Set the parking brake and use wheel blocks 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 GMC Canyon?
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 GMC's warranty guide before modifying the vehicle for towing.
Source: 2026 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 19451452B, file dated 2025OCT02; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2025 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 18509143B, file dated 2025FEB18; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2024 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 17725387B, file dated 2024MAR05; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2023 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 16510661B, file dated 2023MAY09; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2022 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 84754497B, file dated 2021NOV16; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2021 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 84426904C, file dated 2021FEB19; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.
Source: 2020 GMC Canyon Owner's Manual (General Motors, Part 84354076B, file dated 2019OCT08; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.