Community Forums

woodosgood · 02-13-2018, 01:29 PM

I picked up a brochure at the Tampa RV show this year from Tow Tower (towtower.com). It seems to be a solution to the ever shrinking population of no-mod 4 flat towable vehicles. The tow tower uses a base plate on the TOAD like the tow bar system, but it lifts up the front end and pulls the car on it's rear wheels, which may allow most front wheel drive cars to be towed. They claim you can back up while it is attached, but I have no real world experience with it. Just putting it out there to see if anyone has any actual experience with this device or have seen it work.

rgvtexan · 02-13-2018, 02:22 PM

There was a product years ago that used a winch to raise the front end and place on the trailer ball. It disappeared. Don't recall the name.

Quincy · 02-13-2018, 02:38 PM

I just went to their website. I hope I dont offend anyone but all that is missing from their site is a gun and a mask. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Rotten-Red · 02-13-2018, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quincy

I just went to their website. I hope I dont offend anyone but all that is missing from their site is a gun and a mask. They should be ashamed of themselves.

That holds true with just about any RV parts and accessory's.

Rotten-Red · 02-13-2018, 02:55 PM

The concept is good. The biggest problem I see is the weight that it places on the hitch. The heaviest part of the car is the front. I would make a guess that the tongue weight being placed on the hitch is at least 2,000#. You would have to have a tag axle with at least a 10,000# hitch to even consider this. Even then I'm not sure what the tongue weight rating is for a 10,000# hitch is.

Ken Gluckman · 02-13-2018, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quincy

I just went to their website. I hope I dont offend anyone but all that is missing from their site is a gun and a mask. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Well, you offended me. I am not sure what you mean by your negative comment, but this is a genuine product that works as claimed. Instead of snarky comments, if you think there is something wrong, then why not explain what it is rather than disparaging a product and the people who are marketing it?

The owner and inventor owns a lot in the same RV park as we do. I had a demonstration of the system last summer and it is brilliant. I can say that it worked as advertised when I saw it.

It may be a bit more complicated than I need to tow my Grand Cherokee, but it is certainly a great option for many people who want to tow a vehicle that can't be flat-towed.

MisterT · 02-13-2018, 03:02 PM

I think that if the overall cost, including any professional installation, was more inline with the cost of a tow dolly, this might be a good option :

: for those who may want to tow various vehicles, those who don't yet know what vehicle they want to tow, and those who don't want to deal with where to store a dolly or trailer. This would also eliminate the need, when using a dolly, to unload it before detaching it, especially when you only need to back up.

It also sounds like the base plate is a single model that is customized for each installation, versus specific base plates for the front of every type of vehicle for tow bars. I guess it's basically a 'receiver' hitch under the front end of your vehicle.

I'm not clear on how the unit works, though, whether Hydraulic or Electric. Where is it receiving power from? The 7-pin RV plug? Wiring to the House batteries?

The comment about the weight upon the hitch is also problematic, unless the vehicle, with the unit, weighs only 1,000lbs or less, when lifted.

Quincy · 02-14-2018, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Gluckman

Well, you offended me. I am not sure what you mean by your negative comment, but this is a genuine product that works as claimed. Instead of snarky comments, if you think there is something wrong, then why not explain what it is rather than disparaging a product and the people who are marketing it?

The owner and inventor owns a lot in the same RV park as we do. I had a demonstration of the system last summer and it is brilliant. I can say that it worked as advertised when I saw it.

It may be a bit more complicated than I need to tow my Grand Cherokee, but it is certainly a great option for many people who want to tow a vehicle that can't be flat-towed.

I did not think there was any room for doubt in my comment. I have seen many, many posts from people complaining about products, services and campgrounds and have never been offended once. I dont know why my humble opinion would offend you or anyone else.

Just to make sure though I went back and looked at all the pictures several times to see if I may have jumped the gun. I did come away with a different opinion of the product though. I now think its serious overkill. Way too much steel and motors to do what much less steel and motors can do using much less money. With much less tongue weight on the MH's receiver. Add in the installation cost (it appears a lift is required) and you are out of pocket even more. Really? a set of magnetic tail lights for over $100.

BTW Rotten Red and Mr T, I fully agree with you both.

JMHO

RKins · 02-14-2018, 01:58 PM

The only thing of concern with the design that I see is the bar that mounts below the vehicle - one speed bump on a low vehicle and it might damage something under there. Unless you're supposed to remove it at your destination, which makes you wonder .....

C.Martin · 02-14-2018, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKins

The only thing of concern with the design that I see is the bar that mounts below the vehicle - one speed bump on a low vehicle and it might damage something under there. Unless you're supposed to remove it at your destination, which makes you wonder .....

The two things that concern me are...

If the motor that lifts the toad goes tango uniform...your hosed. At least four down, or tow dolly...Your not relying on a motor...don’t know if there is a manual backup on this device...and if there is, that I would want to be hand cranking/pumping it.

The other thing is that chunk of steel welded underneath the car. I cannot for the life of me see how that doesn’t send up Red flags. Most cars front impact ratings are based on crumple zones, and letting the engine submerge..instead of going thru the firewall. Does anyone think that having a heavy square steel “T” won’t somehow affect front impact safety? Maybe it won’t...but I am not modifying a vehicle in such a way without front impact testing... I pray that nobody finds out the hard way.

My $0.02

Ken Gluckman · 02-14-2018, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.Martin

The two things that concern me are...
The other thing is that chunk of steel welded underneath the car. I cannot for the life of me see how that doesn’t send up Red flags. Most cars front impact ratings are based on crumple zones, and letting the engine submerge..instead of going thru the firewall. Does anyone think that having a heavy square steel “T” won’t somehow affect front impact safety? Maybe it won’t...but I am not modifying a vehicle in such a way without front impact testing... I pray that nobody finds out the hard way.

Your concern about changing the front structure is valid. But any tow system requires adding structure to the front of the toad. Maybe this is more substantial than most base plates. I just don't know.

I had the same concern when adding the Blue Ox system to my Jeep, but what are the alternatives?

Quincy · 02-14-2018, 02:55 PM

Blue Ox has been around for thirty years now. Any fears about how the Blue Ox system affects front ends should have been resolved by now.

JMHO

C.Martin · 02-14-2018, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Gluckman

Your concern about changing the front structure is valid. But any tow system requires adding structure to the front of the toad. Maybe this is more substantial than most base plates. I just don't know.

I had the same concern when adding the Blue Ox system to my Jeep, but what are the alternatives?

The Blue Ox base plate on my Jeep is attached to the front of the frame beams...the bumper still protrudes to protect components, like the radiator, etc...on light impacts...and the frame beams can still fold as designed on high impact. The bolts holding the base plate wouldn’t be as large as those connected to the tow tower bar...because the base plate doesn’t have to lift the vehicle. I imagine they would sheer...on a high speed front impact and the base plate would have no affect on the frontal impact safety of the vehicle. No part of our baseplate is under the engine...so it cannot possibly prevent the engine and drive train from submerging under the front seat occupants upon high speed frontal impact. I installed my base plate...and have no concerns about the safety of our vehicle. I do not believe there is the slightest reason for concern.

Looking at the photos of the cross beam installed on a vehicle on their website. I am not certain that upon high speed frontal impact that the engine will not be partially caged...and either prevent or hinder it from submerging. If I ventured to guess...the impact could drive the longitudinal tube aft...bending the horizontal tube in the middle...further displacing it under the engine...and the front axles would likely twist inward. This would act to further preclude a clear zone for the engine to submerge. If the front of the longitudinal tube is rotated downward...it may cause the rear of the tube while being deformed to lift the engine into the cabin of the vehicle.

I just don’t see proof that the designers have tested their design for safety...or have evidence that it was even a consideration.

RKins · 02-14-2018, 05:39 PM

That's why I asked if maybe it's designed to be removed after towing - which makes it useless.
My guess is that he tried to lift the car by attaching to a normal base plate but couldn't lift it high enough to get the wheels off the ground so he attached to the frame.
My $.02 - bad design and I'm surprised Foretravel allowed him to be part of their booth (unless he owns that company)