using a tow bar

[351fifty]

is there any serious precautions to using a tow bar to move a vehicle for a pretty far distance? i gotta move a minivan and couldnt find a trailer to buy and sell quick enough so my option is to just go buy a tow bar and pull it, first couple of questions tho, can i actually flat tow a mini van anyway? just put it in neutral and not worry about it, or do i need to disconnect the front axle's much like when you put a pick up on a dolly and just drop the drive shaft, and would there be much sway at all, i realize i just throw the key in the on position so as to keep the wheel from locking, but tow doally's here cost around $800 and i refuse to pay more than $250 for a terd of a trailer to move a vehicle with.

thanks in advance guys

[lodiengineer]

U-haul. Rent a front wheel dolly.
Or disconnect the drivelines and use your tow bar. Don't tow it with the drive wheels on the ground, still connected to the transmission.

[jesilvas]

He said a dolly is too expensive.

But lodie is right when he says DC the drive wheels from the trans. If you go, even in neutral. that just means the engine is not connected to the trans. The trans will still turn up to the neutral clutch and will more than likely overheat it.

[351fifty]

ok, so i can tow it with the cv's disconnected and it should be fine, i know i see jeeps get flat towed often and some vehicles can do that when put in neutral, atleast the t-case in neutral anyway, but just wanted to know if anyone had insight, thanks again fella's

u-haul wants $600 to rent it and i will have it for like 2 weeks ish, and i could go buy a "decent" full car trailer for about that much, and everyone near me is asking for like 4-500 to buy a tow dolly in a used condition when they cost close to that new, i am looking to spend a couple hundred and i can afford to loose that much, but dont wanna waist 5-600 bones on a one time for me use kinda thing, i have a good 20 foot trailer i am picking up and bringing back, just need to move the minivan while the moving is good

[jesilvas]

When we install tow bars for ppl with MHs, they usually don't know what they need to do.
4wd jeeps and stuff are easy. TC in N and you're good, but your little Honda in N just might melt one day.

[lodiengineer]

Know any college kids you could pay 100 bucks plus bus fare back home to just drive it in caravan with you as you go? I know if it was near me my son would jump at the chance to make an easy C note driving someone's car a couple hundred miles. Granted I have no idea how far you're planning to travel, just a thought.