I have met another fellow RVer who is doing something almost everybody else says is wrong. He has a motorhome that tows a Toyota Matrix on trips. The Matrix has an automatic. He says he hooks up, starts his engine, leaves it in idle, and off he goes. No transmission cooling pump. Certainly no factory set up that allows this. He's another of a small few that have tried this successfully. So far I haven't heard anyone chime into a forum saying they tried this and it failed.

So someone talk me out of trying this with my 2008 F150.

 

What would be the purpose of idling a towed vehicle? Unless it was really cold like - 0* outside and you wanted to keep the block from freezing?

 

Idling a towed vehicle will circulate the transmission fluid through the transmission as well as the radiator to cool and lubricate it. Just as a stand alone transmission pump would do. On most models anyway. I know 2 different people that have towed cars that can't tow 4 wheels down. One was a Ford Taurus, the other a Toyota Matrix. Both automatics.