Towing Issues: Towing a automatic transmission, fellow rv, rv owner

Question
My parents have an RV and want to tow a car behind it.
They are shopping for a towable car to buy. They have found several they like,they are front wheel drive with an automatic transmissions.A fellow RV owner said they pull thier car that has a auto-trans, without a tow dolly. I disagree about that setup. unless somthing new is out (vehicle) that wont burn up the auto-trans being towed on all four wheels. Can you offer any advise.
                                  Thanks Mike

Answer
Usually you do not want to tow an automatic car with the drive wheels on the ground unless you remove the driveshaft.  With AWD and FWD you can't do that easily.

The reason is that the wheels will move certain internal parts of the transmission that need lubrication, but that comes from the engine running the pump.  That is why some towing companies that have to tow cars with the drive wheels on the ground will sometimes leave the engine running and the tranny in neutral, but that won't work for long distances.

Here is a good site with towing guides for the best vehicles to flat tow behind a motorhome.  check with the manufacturer of any vehicle you consider buying BEFORE you buy just to make sure.

http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/dinghytowingguide/index.cfm

Don