irseg

I've noticed in my travels that when an RV is towing a car, more than half the time it's a Saturn. Has anyone else noticed this? Is there something about Saturns that makes them better suited to being towed, or did a manufacturer run a big "buy an RV, get a free Saturn" promo? Just curious, I thought it was odd considering how often you see them in tow compared to how rare they are otherwise by comparison.

Wingless

Actually it's the same RV; the people inside have been lost for years!

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StanT

Probably weight, Saturns are damn light.

Boo

We see alot of them here in Alaska. Saturns, Goe Trackers and Rav-4s. The roads are just covered with RV's for @5 months. I only wish they would read the %(#&*% signs about pulling over if 5 cars are stuck behind you. I almost got hit this summer by an asshat trying to pass an RV. When the RV finally pulled over to let people pass I politely briefed the couple in the RV about why the road has the rule.

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TexanAvenger

Saturns are also fairly cheap and wear pretty well if you take care of them. I know my Saturn was a tow-behind before I bought it, with ~185,000 miles on it, and it's running pretty nicely.

BadNick

That Saturn is pushing the RV, I've seen it too. Didn't you ever see that commercial where the guy's car ends up towing the big tow truck? same thing but different

yellowchef

theyre light, small, and cheap. Many of my neighbors have RV's and they all tow small cars. One couple has a geo, one has a cavalier, and the other has a Honda civic lol. They all say they have small cars to tow behind because theyre just putzing around the towns theyre in and they dont need the car to carry a lot of things. Its just the couple usually so theres pleanty of room for 2.

Averett

You know, when I saw this thread on the main board all you can see is "Why are RV's always towing" I filled the blank in with Saturns.

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irseg

Well yeah I know Saturns are light, but so are any number of other small cars (Metro, Cavalier, Sunfire, Civic, Corolla, Tercel, Echo, Neon, Focus, Golf, Accent, Lancer, Sentra, Miata......).

Thing is, when an RV is towing a car, about 60% of the time (at least!) it's a Saturn. But compared to all the other small cars you see driving around, Saturns are quite rare by comparison.

bodypainter

Are any Saturns RWD? I ask because we know a couple with a giant RV that tow a Chevy Malibu. When I asked them why the Malibu they said it was because it's RWD and there's an easy to access fuse that does something to the transmission that makes it ready to tow.

heh - check this out:

http://techquarium.com/gallery/y2k4Daytona500/P2161393

That's us leaving after the Daytona 500 last year. A 43 foot RV towing a Chevy Malibu with 4 bicycles hanging off the back. We were a fucking freight train on the interstate!

thadon

Saturn's plastic body panels make it more dent resistent, that way desbris from towing like rocks, rubber pieces and chit won't ding up the hood and fenders

laconic1

I don't think any Saturns are rear wheel drive. I think the VUE is all wheel drive and all other Saturns are front wheel drive. Oh and the Malibu in that picture is front wheel drive.

irseg

There are no RWD Saturns that I know of. And the plastic body panels are cool but again, it doesn't explain why RV owners buy them up in droves yet they aren't very popular among normal car buyers.

Well I did some searching in Google and found an explanation for this phenomenon. Apparently Saturns are made so they can be towed with all 4 wheels on the ground with no distance/speed restrictions and it will not hurt the transmission or void the warranty. Evidently this is a pretty unique feature, and Saturn markets heavily to the RV community because of it. So there's our answer.

And as crazybill pointed out that Malibu in the photo is FWD. However it's very possible it has the same/similar tow-friendly transmission as Saturns have, which would also make it a good choice.

bodypainter

arrrrgggg - I hate being wrong!

desal75

I think it just has a lot to do with the demographic involved. Many RV owners are older couples and I think Saturn marketed heavily to that same group.

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Willravel

Saturns are dent resistant. They would make a cheap but effective rear bumper.

lk_3000

haha it is true. i saw an RV towing a saturn the other day, it was a greenish color.

laconic1

That would explain a lot. I've seen in numerous owners manuals that most cars arent supposed to be towed over 45 or 55 mph with all four wheels on the ground, but I've never looked at a Saturn book before.

Hardknock

My wife has a Saturn and she bought it from her friend that worked at the dealership at them time. Apparently, there’s a switch somewhere on Saturn’s that when they're being towed behind RV's the odometer doesn't add any additional miles to the car. Maybe this has something to do with it?

RaDiAn

My grandparents have a large (ClassA) motorhome (bus home) and they tow the Saturn behind. From what my Grandfather said Saturn offers a tow package for this purpose + I believe an electric brake kit is necessary when towing that cause the car to brake + (as said before)the switch for odometer. Well that's what I remember, next time I see him I will ask.

Scorps

LMAO, thats a good one