TYPES AND SOURCES FOR TOW BARS AND BASE PLATES
This is Part two of a two-part series about flat towing. This section provides a brief description of several style tow bars and base plates and provides information about the manufacturers.
By Jim Brightly
While tow dollies and trailers come with lights and can be equipped with brakes, motorhomers who choose to flat tow must equip the towed vehicle with a light kit or wire into the towed vehicle’s lighting system. These vehicles also should include a supplemental braking system and of course, a tow bar and base plate.
Tow Bars And Base Plates
In the RV world, several companies account for the majority of tow bars purchased, and they are highlighted in this story. While there are other tow bar manufacturers that produce quality products not listed here, investigating the products from one or more of these companies is a great place to begin your search.
Blue Ox offers an excellent brochure that includes its lineup of tow bars and towing accessories. The company produces 11 tow bars, but this article will highlight only those rated up to 10,000 pounds, although they make models rated up to 120,000 pounds. All of the featured tow bars include a three-year warranty.
The Blue Ox Aventa LX has a ball-in-socket design that is said to reduce wear points and to allow for an extremely strong and durable attachment between the motorhome and the towed vehicle. It is a Class IV tow bar rated for up to10,000 pounds. The tow bar weighs approximately 42 pounds and has rubber boots to protect it from road grime. Its 360-degree swivel allows the motorhome and towed vehicle to be out of alignment or on uneven surfaces during the hookup process. It includes a foldaway feature that allows the tow bar to be stored on the back of the motorhome.
The Aladdin aluminum tow bar is a Class III tow bar for use with towed vehicles up to 7,500 pounds. It weighs less than 36 pounds and stores on the back of the RV.
The Alpha tow bar is touted as an easy-to-use foldaway tow bar with a capacity of 6,500 pounds. It mounts and stores on the back of the RV, weighs less than 40 pounds, and includes 7,500-pound-rated safety cables.
The Acclaim is a Class III tow bar (tows vehicles up to 5,000 pounds) with easy-release handles and rubber-protected arms that give it a maintenance-free design. It weighs 35 pounds.
Blue Ox’s Adventurer is the newest tow bar in the company’s lineup and is aimed at part-time RVers who are interested in a less expensive, universal tow bar. It is a Class III tow bar for use with towed vehicles up to 5,000 pounds, and it can be adapted to almost any vehicle. Its legs, which fold together for easy storage, are adjustable from 16 inches to 34 inches. It has a 2-inch ball coupler and weighs less than 36 pounds.
Another Class III tow bar for use with towed vehicles up to 5,000 pounds, the Ambassador is an entry-level model said to offer a maintenance-free design at an inexpensive price. It can be used only with base plates that have 24-inch centers. The Ambassador offers quick mounting and dismounting, weighs 24 pounds, and attaches to the towed vehicle’s base plate.
The Allure is designed to fit and haul heavy-duty vehicles and offers 10,000 pounds of towing capacity. Its adjustable legs provide for easier coupling and uncoupling. The Allure stores in the motorhome’s receiver when not in use. It is said to have superior handling on rough terrain and a tight turning radius. It includes a clevis connection that is manufactured to the client’s specifications.
Demco Manufacturing Company may be best known for its lineup of tow dollies, but the company also offers several tow bars, all rated above 5,000 pounds towing capacity. All Demco tow bars come with safety cables.
The Commander weighs in at 41 pounds, is rated at 6,000 pounds towing capacity, and remains on the coach’s rear when not connected to the towed vehicle. Its independent, self-supporting arms facilitate hookup.
The Dominator weighs 30 pounds and has 7,500 pounds of towing capacity. It is constructed of marine- and aircraft-grade aluminum alloy with steel used in areas where the greatest wear occurs. It, too, has self-supporting arms. The Dominator remains on the coach’s rear.
The Excali-Bar II, which is also stored on the rear of the coach, is the company’s heftiest tow bar, with 10,500 pounds of rated towing capacity — assuming the hitch is also up to the task. It weighs 46 pounds and has solid stainless-steel connecting arms, as well as gold-sealed lock collars to prevent dirt, grime, and moisture from getting into the connecting arms.
The Kwik-Tow collapsible rigid tow bar is rated at 5,000 pounds and can be carried on the front of the towable or removed, collapsed, and placed in a motorhome’s storage compartment when not in use. It weighs 40 pounds. The arms adjust from 20 inches to 36.5 inches.
Roadmaster Inc. offers several tow bar models and designs with base plates to match — that are split into two subcategories: Classic and All-Terrain.
The Classics start with the Tracker, which is Roadmaster’s basic tow bar. The Tracker is a rigid A-frame tow bar that is rated at 5,000 pounds, weighs only 22 pounds, and comes with a safety crossbar to fit Roadmaster mounting brackets. Its design holds the tow bar rigid while in use, but the A-frame can be folded so that the tow bar legs come together for easier storage.
The StowMaster is rated at 6,000 pounds, mounts and stores on the front of the towed vehicle, but can be removed easily with just two pins. The Stowmaster utilizes stainless-steel arms, an internal safety collar that prevents separation of the tow bar, a full-length safety crossbar, self-lubricating nylon bushings to eliminate friction between the inner and outer arms, and Roadmaster’s trademarked Autowlok, which allows the arms to be adjusted for easy, one-person hookup. The Stowmaster is available with a pintle ring connector or a ball coupler.
The Falcon 2 is rated at 6,000 pounds, stores on the back of the motorhome, includes a full-length steel crossbar, solid stainless-steel inner arms, a stainless-steel locking mechanism, a powder-coat finish, and a patented automatic storage latch that doesn’t require a pin to secure.
Roadmaster’s All-Terrain tow bar lineup starts with the Sterling, which offers 6,000 pounds of towing capacity, and comes with safety cables and a wiring cord that are routed through the center channel guides. Sterling has a unique design due to its aluminum outer arms and solid stainless-steel inner arms.
The Falcon All-Terrain has the same features as the Falcon 2, with the addition of Roadmaster’s nonbinding technology. According to factory literature, with the All-Terrain Freedom Latch, you’ll never struggle to connect or disconnect your tow bar — the Freedom Latch releases the tow bar at any angle, level, or bind.
The StowMaster All-Terrain has all the same features as the 6,000-pound-rated StowMaster Classic, with the addition of Roadmaster’s All-Terrain nonbinding technology.
If you wish to tow a full-size van, pickup, or a Hummer and your motorhome has a hitch with the necessary rating and a GCWR high enough to handle the weight of these vehicles, the BlackHawk 2 All-Terrain merits consideration. Rated at 10,000 pounds towing capacity, it is one of the highest-rated folding tow bars on the market.
A relative newcomer to the tow bar market is NSA RV Products Inc. and its ReadyBrute RV Tow Bar. The ReadyBrute is an all-aluminum tow bar that is rated at 8,000 pounds towing capacity. This self-locking tow bar features a nonbinding clevis design that is said to make it easy to hook up and unhook, even when the tow bar is not aligned with the motorhome. The ReadyBrute includes rubber boots that cover the arm extension to help keep operation smooth, and a powder-coat finish for extra durability. The tow bar weighs 30 pounds and stores on the back of the motorhome when not in use.
Summation
Several options are available for those who wish to tow another vehicle when traveling. Although motorhomers have their preferences — and this story focuses on flat towing — there is no consensus as to the “best” way or “best” vehicle to tow. Whichever towing method you choose, make sure to follow all safety recommendations, check the equipment for excessive wear or damage on a regular basis, and understand how the extra weight will affect the handling and maneuverability of your motorhome.
Blue Ox
One Mill Road
Industrial Park
Pender, NE 68047
(800) 228-9289
(402) 385-3051
www.blueox.us
Demco Manufacturing Co.
4010 320th St.
Boyden, IA 51234
(800) 543-3626
(712) 725-2311
www.demco-products.com
NSA Products Inc.
129 N. Kentucky
Iola, KS 66749
(800) 933-3372
(620) 365-7714
www.readybrake.com
Remco Mfg.
14260 23rd Ave. N.
Plymouth, MN 55447
(800) 228-2481
www.remcotowing.com
Roadmaster Inc.
6110 N.E. 127th Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98682
(800) 669-9690
(503) 288-9898
www.roadmasterinc.com
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Originally Posted by Dale Farley
