Flat Tow support for Slate truck in the works [confirmed]

[Driven5]

Anybody trying to come up with a salable aftermarket solution will be faced with the same challenge as Slate... How much are how many actual Slate buyers willing to pay for it?

Are there 10,000 Slate buyers willing to pay $500?
Are there 1,000 Slate buyers willing to pay $1,000?
Are there 100 Slate buyers willing to pay $2,000?

If there are only 100 Slate buyers that are only willing to pay $1,000, then there's probably not much point.

On something more like an at-cost 10 forum member group-buy, it would take 10 forum members including both someone to donate the engineering AND donate the custom machining.

 

[AZFox]

Anybody trying to come up with a salable aftermarket solution will be faced with the same challenge as Slate... How much are how many actual Slate buyers willing to pay for it?

That made me curious what people are paying now, so I got out my AI Slop Ladle and scooped these helpings:

The cost to convert a car for flat towing behind an RV typically ranges from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on the vehicle and the equipment needed, including a tow bar, braking system, and wiring. Installation costs can vary significantly based on labor rates and the complexity of the setup.​

and

The cost to convert a car for flat towing behind an RV typically ranges from $3,000 to $7,000, depending on the vehicle and whether the work is done professionally or self-installed. This includes equipment such as a tow bar, base plates, a supplemental braking system, and wiring kits, with labor costs adding significantly to the total.​

That's more than I expected.

 

[Thutchis]

I would guess that's for top of the line, all "professionally" installed equipment. I think I set up my 96 GEO Tracker with a used tow bar, DIY lights, Inertial Braking DIY for way less than $1000. But it's not a cheap process for sure.

That made me curious what people are paying now, so I got out my AI Slop Ladle and scooped these helpings:

 

[AZFox]

I would guess that's for top of the line, all "professionally" installed equipment. I think I set up my 96 GEO Tracker with a used tow bar, DIY lights, Inertial Braking DIY for way less than $1000. But it's not a cheap process for sure.

My only point of reference was a Ford Sport Trac I test-drove that had the typical driveshaft-disconnect apparatus that RVers install on those. The seller said it cost $1,300 for parts and labor. That was a long time ago.

The reason I posted the AI output was to show that a $2-3K price for a Locking Hubs accessory probably wouldn't send RVers into sticker shock.

 

[KevinRS]

Since much of the Slate is made with stock parts, it may be possible to put together a flat towing setup without custom parts. I don't know the details, but basically if the CV shafts and hubs need to be swapped, and are already standard parts, there may be standard parts in the parts catalogs of the correct dimensions that would make if flat towable. That would be best case scenario, but AFAIK with Slate's design strategy of using off the shelf parts, it is possible. We won't know until someone gets a truck, pulls the shafts and tries swapping them.