Nothing wrong with that. It’s an important piece of equipment to pull vacationers out of a snowy ditch. Or move a downed tree off the road.
After years of screwing around I finally just put a winch on my truck. The tow straps are still needed to secure a vehicle, or to attach a pulley to a tree to change the angle of attack. A good length of chain (or three of them) is more handy, because it’s easier to adjust the length, but chain is also a lot heavier.
I’ve a 20’ 1/2 inch logging chain that weighs ~50lbs. I did use it to self recover a D4H Cat dozer that I had rented. THAT was a long day. It was so stuck I thought I was going to have to buy that machine.
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### Author:  [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/24 "2015-03-07T17:49:05Z")
> [@halman](#):
>
> Something many people don’t realize is that towing cars with automatic transmissions is a very bad idea, unless it just a few hundred yards. :smack:
That’s not really true. Even back when most car makers recommended against towing an automatic with the drive wheels on the ground and the engine off, they still usually said you could do it for something like 50 miles at speeds up to 45 MPH. These days most of them say it’s fine to do it indefinitely. (In neutral of course!)
Considering that some cars switched their towing recommendation without any apparent mechanical changes, I suspect the situation was that towing with the engine off shortens the life of the transmission by some immeasurably small amount and so they recommended against it, but figured it wasn’t that big of an issue once they realized they were losing potential sales to RV people who wanted tow-behind “dingys.”
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/25 "2015-03-07T18:45:35Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#):
>
> That’s not really true. Even back when most car makers recommended against towing an automatic with the drive wheels on the ground and the engine off, they still usually said you could do it for something like 50 miles at speeds up to 45 MPH. These days most of them say it’s fine to do it indefinitely. (In neutral of course!)
>
> Considering that some cars switched their towing recommendation without any apparent mechanical changes, I suspect the situation was that towing with the engine off shortens the life of the transmission by some immeasurably small amount and so they recommended against it, but figured it wasn’t that big of an issue once they realized they were losing potential sales to RV people who wanted tow-behind “dingys.”
Good to know GreasyJack.
I’ve a kind of funny sad story. My Brother was moving his new girlfriend and kid 600 miles to his house. Did the UHaul thing. Not something that my Bro is unfamiliar with (He currently is a semi driver, knows his shit)
Anyway, a Pontiac Fiero was hooked up to the back of the UHaul, it was in neutral until somebody put a basket of laundry in it and knocked into gear (manual transmission of course). This did not end well for the Pontiac.
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### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/26 "2015-03-07T20:11:52Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> The mention of gliders reminds me of some trivia that I think I picked up here.
> When an airplane picks up a banner (the kind you see flying over stadiums and beaches). They pick it up ‘backwards’. That is, When the plane is coming in, the end they want to grab is facing them. When they grab it, it then sort of rolls over itself. If you think about it, if it was laid out the ‘right’ way, when they grabbed the loop it would jerk it off the ground and probably ruin it, but this way it was some time to get up to speed.
> It’s a bit counter-intuitive, and I’m guessing the people that first started flying with banners ruined quite a few before they figured it out, but it makes sense [when you see it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9K5-ejX7gg#t=1m0s)
If you hadn’t included a link I would have thought this was a joke. The planes pick up the banners _after_ they take off? I always assumed they were tied to the plane beforehand and unfurled or unrolled once they were in the air. Amazing.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/27 "2015-03-07T20:52:02Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#):
>
> If you hadn’t included a link I would have thought this was a joke. The planes pick up the banners _after_ they take off? I always assumed they were tied to the plane beforehand and unfurled or unrolled once they were in the air. Amazing.
Wow. I had no idea either.
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/28 "2015-03-11T14:19:59Z")
When I was a kid ([=132204950&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0#/user/1967gearhead/media/Brad%20and%20Honda\_zpsajzowdsi.jpg.html?filters%5Buser%5D=132204950&filters%5Brecent%5D=1&sort=1&o=0&\_suid=1426083399572017725888298868736"]age 7-9]([Photobucket | Make your memories fun!](http://s1339.photobucket.com/user/1967gearhead/media/Brad%20and%20Honda_zpsajzowdsi.jpg.html?filters)[user)) it wasn’t uncommon for someone in the dirtbike group to run out of gas on the trail. No grownups around of course, they were all at work. We’d tow each other home with a rope probably a mile or two on a forest trail. 15 years later it was the MG Midget that gave me opportunities to refresh my techniques. But only a couple times. One day the beast crapped out on me and I beat it to smithereens on the side of the road with a softball bat and left it for dead.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/29 "2015-03-11T17:12:45Z")
I own a Jeep. I have the fucking Olympic Gold Medal of Towing.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/30 "2015-03-11T18:33:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> I just saw a car being towed by a line go by the house. Seemed a bit fast, and they were headed for the hill down to the beach.
Makes me wonder if they weren’t trying to clutch start the car.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/31 "2015-03-11T20:03:34Z")
Back in the day, the 70s & 80s, this was simply how you towed a car. Either this or call a tow truck. Tow bars didn’t exist. I remember me & my cousin going and getting his car that was broken down on the highway. As we were tying the rope on a state trooper pulled up, but all he did was ask if we were ok, and said to make sure the tow rope wasn’t too long. We once towed a car with a rope all the way back from NJ, over 100 miles on Interstates! Nowadays I’m pretty certain towing a car with a rope (or cable, chain etc.) for all but the shortest of distances is illegal.
All you need to know about doing it is this: **KEEP THE LINE TAUGHT AT ALL TIMES!** Accelerating, braking _and coasting_, there always has to be some tension on the line or bad things will happen. This is why it’s illegal, most people aren’t smart enough to be able to do this properly or safely!
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/32 "2015-03-12T18:15:31Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#):
>
> I have moved many cars that way. I did not enjoy doing it, but it was the cheapest way I could get them home. Towing cars like that is now illegal in Georgia. A tow bar is the minimum legal rig.
^This.
I have plenty of experience as the “puller” and as the “pullee” at various times. Without a doubt I would rather be controlling the car being towed. That way I don’t have to worry about he other person screwing up and piling into my rear end!
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### Author:  [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/33 "2015-03-12T19:31:57Z")
I’ve done it once or twice in high school but it was only a block or two. I was in Salt Lake City last year and I saw some idiot towing a car with a rope going like 55mph on the freeway. Me, I get speeding tickets for driving 75 on the 280.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/34 "2015-03-12T19:34:33Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#):
>
> I’m pretty sure you need to keep them in the same order of which you started.
I love this because this is pretty much the extent of my knowledge, too.
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### Author:  [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/35 "2015-03-12T20:01:02Z")
I realize that there may be times where it really is the only option, but I’m pretty sure that the proper method for this is quite simple: “Don’t”.
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### Author:  [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/36 "2015-03-12T20:05:46Z")
Much safer if the bumpers line up is to push the downed car. A tire between cars can be used if the bumpers are not quite right.
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/37 "2015-03-12T20:20:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> I own a Jeep. I have the fucking Olympic Gold Medal of Towing.
I used to off-road a Land Rover Discovery, along with two friends that also owned Discoverys.
Between Lucas Electrics and other fun British eccentricities we became quite adept at towing each other.
Not to mention the dozen or so times I rescued strangers from snowbanks, or in one memorable case, a guy in the ditch who turned out to be drunk (whom I then had to follow as I reported his location to the county police!)
So I claim the Lifetime Achievement award.
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### Author:  [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/38 "2015-03-12T20:30:28Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#):
>
> In my youth, I was both tower and towee… on motorbikes. Scares me now to think about it.
Yep. Back in the old days when I used to ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles, in particular an old ironhead Sportster, tows were a semi-regular thing for me.
Being towed while on a bike is scary. All the same stuff that applies to cars, plus the fear of the tow rope/cable/strap/whatever snapping and taking your face off just adds to the fear.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/39 "2015-03-12T20:50:42Z")
> [@Lanzy](#):
>
> Much safer if the bumpers line up is to push the downed car. A tire between cars can be used if the bumpers are not quite right.
Dad used to tie a tire to the front of his Hilux for pushing.
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### Author:  [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-to-tow-a-car-be-towed-in-a-car-with-a-tow-line/714382/40 "2015-03-12T21:01:05Z")
Brake Eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarly, no even earlier than that. The game you are playing is slow so early that you never have to stop for a red light.
done this recently more times than I care to think about (grumbles about last summer AKA the summer of broken down cars Repeatedly 3 cars and at one point I was biking around town on my mountain bike)
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