How to get towing most economically

[rfoster]

Ray: FWIW - a site available compliments of the towing industry that list ads to buy or sell used towing componets. Maybe something on there that will fit the budget.
http://www.hitchtrader.com/

[win42]

Ray: You received good advice above. Call roadmaster and order the kit for your car to the Roadmaster bar. Theres 10 hitch installers within 5 miles of your house that will install the kit. Forget about the bar being ugly, You want to see ugly stand back and look at your Honda, now thats ugly. Mango has the correct solution to the lights. Take them with you to the hitch guys and let them hook them up for you. UHAUL in our area has a hitch shop that does outside work. Forget the brake for the small car on this trip.
Thats my 2 cents worth.
H

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Jon, spend your money on LEDs instead? Hmmmmm. Ray, We also pull a half ton Ram P.U. it weighs 6200 dry, probably closer to 7000 with cap and loaded up. No brakes, built the tow bar and the brackets for the front of it myself and magnetic tail lights out back. When we priced all this stuff it seemed a little steep for what it is. We are however giving up 700 for a driveshaft we can disengage from the cab instead of disconnecting it at the rear-end. We also have a dolly to pull a Taurus on shorter trips or when needed. No brakes there either.

[Jerry Winchester]

Ray,

You should just go with the South Texas tow bar set up. The most recent version included a nylon strap run thru a 5' piece of 2 3/8" tubing which is attached to the respective bumpers.

It should be noted that this setup requires a driver for the toad, but saves on the external brake system costs.

In other news, we tow the H2 with a Roadmaster Falcon All-Terrain tow bar and a Silent Partner brake system (that I am mostly unimpressed with). I can't tell much difference with or without the brake system unlike when I am towing my Featherlight trailer loaded with the trailer brakes. Big impact there.

[Ray Davis]

Interesting comment about the Silent Partner brake system. I had been reading a long thread on rv.net regarding braking systems, and most people raved about the SMI systems. Perhaps there is some adjustment necessary?

If anyone else is interested in braking systems, here's a link to rv.net thread which lists most of the available systems and their operating characteristics. Interesting read:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/13200019.cfm

[Ray Davis]

Thanks all for the comments. Lot's of good ideas, and it seems that if I forego braking for the moment, I can get hooked up reasonably.

Ray

[Jerry Winchester]

Ray,

You are of course right about the Silent Partner. It does need to be adjusted but the yokel that installed it knew little more about it than I did. I have yet to take it back over there and will most likely call the SMI folks (very easy to talk to on the phone) and let them walk me thru recalibrating it.

It got good marks when I researched it, so that was why I bought it. I just can't tell how well it works pulling a relatively small vehicle like the H3.

[Ray Davis]

Jerry, I'd be interested to hear your final outcome on the SMI. It was one of the units I was considering.

So, strangely enough I just called Blue Ox, who told me there was no baseplate for my Honda Civic Hybrid. Indeed their website had a civic hybrid baseplate, but indicated "No CVT". As far as I know, all the hybrids were CVT. They suggested I contact Remco Towing, and their phone system indicated that Honda Civic Hybrids were non-towable.

From reading other threads, I know that Ken and Ellen have indicated they were towing a Honda Civic (I thought it was a hybrid), with a Blue Ox baseplate. Hmm. Has something changed?

[Coloradobus]

For Ford, the Escape Hybrid 4X4, is towable per the owners manual.

[ken&ellen]

Yes we tow the Honda Hybrid. We purchased the base plate from Blue Ox and we towed the car all over the East Coast. Unfortunately we had a rear wheel bearing seize and distroyed the tire & wheel. American Honda claimed that we must have had the emergency brake on....which would have damaged both wheels..! Then they said we should have been using a tow dolly.....hey...wouldn't the rear wheel still be on the ground? We drive the Honda daily without incident and still tow it from time to time. Ellen purchase a Jeep Liberty that was the same color as the Prevost. Ken