4WD and SUV towing in Adelaide
Rolling an all-wheel-drive SUV on two wheels can cook its centre diff, and a lifted 4WD with a bar and drawers weighs more than it looks. Both ride on our tilt tray with all four wheels off the road.
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In short
An AWD or full-time 4WD should travel with all four wheels off the road, so its centre diff can’t wind up. SA Best Towing carries 4WDs and SUVs around Adelaide on a tilt tray, including lifted and modified rigs. Give the model, tyre size and roof gear when you ring 0457 300 057.
What we move
- Lifted and modified 4WDs
- LandCruisers, Patrols and Pajeros
- Prados, Everests and other seven-seaters
- AWD SUVs like the Q5, Forester and RAV4
- Compact SUVs
- 4WDs with snorkels, bars and roof racks
An AWD Audi on the tray, a Ranger on the lift
A white Audi Q5 sits on the tray with its front corner smashed and a deployed airbag showing through the side glass. Behind it, a white Ford Ranger dual cab with an alloy tray rides the rear lift with its back end raised. On a two-vehicle load the all-wheel-drive car takes the tray, where none of its wheels can turn. The rear lift raises one end of the second vehicle, which rolls behind on its other axle, and the driver picks which end to lift.
How 4WDs and SUVs go onto the tray
The tray tilts until its tail touches the road. Here’s the order it goes in for 4WDs and SUVs.
Ask about the drivetrain on the phone
Full-time 4WDs and AWD SUVs link the front and rear axles through a centre diff or coupling. Turn one axle while the other stays still and the coupling takes the strain, which can overheat it. We book an AWD for the tray while you’re still on the phone.
Line it up straight with the tray
A lifted 4WD climbs the tilted tray with clearance to spare. Width is the tight part, with big tyres and flares leaving little room either side of the deck, so the driver lines it up dead straight before the winch pulls.
Check the height with the roof gear on
Roof racks, light bars, rooftop tents and aerials stack height on top of a lift kit. Give us the total height with the roof gear on when you call, and we’ll tell you whether it suits the truck.
Strap all four tyres
Wheel straps go over each tyre and ratchet down to the deck. A touring rig with a steel bar, winch and drawers weighs far more than it did on the showroom floor, so we ask about the extras before booking.
What the driver watches for
Free-wheeling hubs and transfer levers
Manual hubs should be unlocked and the transfer case in 2H, if the lever will move. If a lever’s stuck in low range or 4WD, the vehicle still goes on the tray, and we won’t try it on two wheels.
Bars, steps and sliders that sit low
Recovery points, side steps and rock sliders hang lower than the body. Mention them when you call, since they can catch on the tray tail as the 4WD climbs.
Electronic park brakes on newer SUVs
Plenty of newer SUVs hold an electronic park brake on when the battery goes flat. Some have a release procedure in the owner’s manual. If it stays locked, tell us when you call so the driver can plan the load.
What changes the price
Every job is priced on the phone before it’s booked. These are the things that move the number.
- How far the 4WD is from Angle Park, and how far it’s going
- Extra weight from bars, winches, drawers and water tanks
- A pickup on dirt, gravel or a steep driveway
- A vehicle stuck in Park or with its park brake locked on
- Bringing a second vehicle along on the rear lift
“The driver arrived quickly and was very professional and friendly. He handled my vehicle with care and explained everything clearly. The whole process was smooth, and I really appreciated how helpful and reassuring he was during a stressful situation.”
Questions about 4WDs and SUVs
Answers to common questions. If yours isn’t here, ring and ask.
Can you tow an automatic AWD car?
Yes, on the tilt tray with all four wheels off the road. Most AWD makers ask for that, because rolling the car on two wheels strains the centre diff or coupling. Put it in neutral if it’ll go, or tell us it’s stuck in Park so the driver can plan the load.
Can you tow a lifted 4WD with big tyres?
A lift and bigger tyres make loading easier, since the 4WD climbs the tray without scraping. We ask about width across the tyres, height with the roof gear on, and weight once the bar, winch and drawers are added. Give us those on the phone and we’ll say whether it suits the truck.
Can you tow a 4WD with a rooftop tent?
Most can go. A closed rooftop tent adds height but little width. Tell us its closed height, and whether there’s an awning, jerry cans or a spare up there too. With those figures we can tell you on the phone whether it fits.
Can you pick up a 4WD that’s bogged?
We don’t do off-road recoveries. If the 4WD has slid a short way onto a soft verge, tell us exactly where it is, and we’ll say on the phone whether the winch can reach it. A vehicle bogged off-road, on a beach or a bush track, needs a recovery first. Once it’s on firm ground, we can load it.
Do I need to empty my 4WD before it’s towed?
Take out valuables and anything you need while it’s away. Heavy gear can stay if it’s tied down, but tell us about it, because a packed touring 4WD can weigh a lot more than the brochure says. Pack loose items low, since they slide when the tray tilts.
Also on the tray
Ute towing
Dual cabs, single cabs, work utes with canopies and performance utes, strapped by the tyres on the tray.
Car towing
Sedans, hatches, sports cars, EVs and hybrids, carried on the tray with all four wheels off the road.
Van towing
HiAces, Sprinters, delivery vans and people movers, including high-roof vans and two-van fleet moves.
Related services
- Breakdown towingA flat battery or a cooked engine. We carry the car on the tilt tray to the mechanic you choose.
- Tilt tray towingThe whole vehicle rides flat on the tray, wheels off the road. A second one can follow on the rear lift.
- Accident towingAfter a crash, we move the damaged car from the holding yard to the repairer, assessor, home or wrecker.