4 Down Towing Basics?

[MCJones]

Very happy for two years with our: blue ox bars, wrangler'12 automatic, rv brake 2 system. I put a light bar on the hitch receiver of the wrangler activated by the RV lights. don't be afraid of automatic as long as it has a transfer case that can be put in neutral. (NOT all jeeps do.) hope this helps. mark

[SAVGirl]

CXhecklist critical. So much to do and once, we got in a hurry to get underway and both forgot to check that the toad was in neutral......yep, one dead TOAD engine later we realized importance of 1. not getting in a hurry, 2. always following a check list (why do you think pilots do it?) and 3. at least two sets of eyes on the hookups, brakebuddy, breakaway chains and neutral setting before taking off. Happy Trails to you....

[hoakken]

Originally Posted by Waiter21

You've asked a very nebulous question. Each of these answers have been given in the hundreds of threads on this forum. But here is my shot at keeping this short:

1) What type of tow bar will you use? Basically two types, solid or collapsible. The collapsible stays with the MH and hookup is reasonably easy. The solid usually stays with the TOAD and looks like a large "A". You may have seen these folded straight up on the front of a jeep or car driving down the road. Hookup process requires more precision, the TOAD must be precisely positioned so the the hitch is directly over the ball.

I use a solid, mine doesn't fold up vertically when I'm driving around. I completely remove the bar and pins when not in use and store them in the trunk of the TOAD. Connecting up requires I reinstall the pins, connect the bar to the pins, then the TOAD driver lines up the bars hitch with the MHs ball.

2) TOAD Brake systems are something that needs to be considered carefully. Do you absolutely have to have them, maybe. To me, the heavier the TOAD, the more important the brake system becomes. IMO - My TOAD weighs 2200 lbs, I don;'t have a brake system. If it weighed 4,000 lbs, Yes, I would definitely get a system.

3) Break away brakes -Stop the TOAD in the event it breaks away from the MH. A more important option is to prevent this from happening in the first place. Put systems into place that will prevent the break away from happening, i.e. safety cables / chains, inspection process, etc. More specifically, how/where are safety chains attached to the MH and the TOAD. My DW inspects the TOAD tow bar , pins, and chains at every stop. (as so I) this provides dual redundancy in the inspection process.

4) Backing a TOAD. If you can back a trailer, you can back a TOAD (maybe). I routinely back my TOAD, even into tight back-in spots at truck stops, RV parks, etc. Not a problem, its just a trailer. HOWEVER - before you do it, you need to find out how your TOAD behaves when backed. Do this in a large open parking lot, looking specifically for how the wheels caster and TOAD turning radius limits.

Check with your tow bar manufacture to see if they have a problem with backing. If they do, find out why. I cannot see how the forces on a tow bar while pushing or pulling on a TOAD while moving forward are any different than if pushing or pulling on a TOAD while going backward. But the Tow Bar manufacture may want to limit you if their design is not capable of handling backing a TOAD

5) Turning Radius - Know what the turning radius is and could the MH hit the TOAD (or bar) in the turn? Probably not a problem with long wheel base MH, but this is another piece of information you will need while on the road, How sharp can I turn? Find out - find a big parking lot and do a hard full turn complete circle, get out and look and see for yourself where the TOAD is when you make this turn.

Are any drawbacks to a solid tow bar other than a little harder to hook up? Price difference is several hundred dollars with most solid I have seen about $100. I can back a trailer reasonably well (boats,motorcycle trailers, towables and 5ers) as long as I most likely will not damage anything and rear camera helps keep an eye on things.
I would never pull anything without adequate safety chains installed so that is not an issue (trailer or 4 down).
I am not too worried about ugly brackets on the toad as others seem to be so a removable solid bar looks better and better( as long as it's not on the wifes car).
I'm sure that others will chime in with various opinions but the more info the better.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by sgtjoe

Depending on your State requirements and the weight of the Toad you may need to install a braking system for the Toad.

Doesn't matter what your home state requirements are! What matters is what the law is in each and every state you visit. There is no reciprocity on vehicle equipment like there is on drivers licenses and insurance.
But, the laws of physics will prevail. Just as it takes more power to move a heavier object it takes make braking power to stop it. Put brakes on the towed and be safe.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by SAVGirl

CXhecklist critical. So much to do and once, we got in a hurry to get underway and both forgot to check that the toad was in neutral......yep, one dead TOAD engine later we realized importance of 1. not getting in a hurry, 2. always following a check list (why do you think pilots do it?) and 3. at least two sets of eyes on the hookups, brakebuddy, breakaway chains and neutral setting before taking off. Happy Trails to you....

Well, I burned out the parking brakes on the Odyssey and my father burned out the parking brakes on their Honda towed some years ago.

[Thunderfoot]

The drawback to a solid bar is less user friendly- hookup & disconnect, weight, & storage. You mention a small car for a toad and an economical mind set. For this I'd recommend a lightly used quality towbar. I have purchased 3 used tow bars, 2 10k Blue Ox's, and a Roadmaster Stowmaster and each have performed flawlessly in the desired applications. If needed, these brands can be rebuilt/serviced by a DIY owner with readily available parts.

My economy setup for my TJ Wrangler is the Stowmaster with the quick connect brackets. The towbar was purchased used and came with the crossmember bar, safety cables, & wire harness for $250. The only additional brackets needed were the 1/2 set for the toad @ $49. They install easily with 1/2 bolts & backing plates to a flat surface... the front bumper of the Jeep works well. The telescoping design towbar is very ez to hookup/disconnect and the bar stays attached to the MH for storage. Link is attached for more info...

Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories

[Waiter21]

Hoakken;

A solid bar - Its like hooking up a trailer, except instead of backing the tow vehicle to line up the hitch/ball, you drive the trailer to line up the hitch/ball. If your bar stays mounted to the TOAD, I'd say it could take less time and hassle to hook this up than it would a collapsible.

On my civic (as with most base plates) the base plate mounts to the frame, then there are these two large tubes (I call them pins) that insert and lock into the base plate. The Tow bar then connects to these tubes with clevis pins. My tow bar is essentially three removable components, The tow bar (the "A") and the two large tube/pins that plug into the base plate tubes.

With the tow bar and tube/pins removed from the Civic, If you look at the front of the Civic, the only thing visible is two large tubes (about 2 inches in diameter) that can be seen in the lower front splash. Not unsightly at all.

Safety Chains. Every tow hitch I've ever seen has a loop on it to connect safety chains to. What happens if a weld breaks or bolts come undone and the entire hitch itself comes off the MH. In this case, the safety chains are worthless. The odds of this happening are extremely, extremely remote, but the consequences could be deadly.

To mitigate this very, very, very, very unlikely event, I bolt a piece of chain to the frame of my MH, The other end loops through the hitch's safety chain loop. This is permanently mounted. Now if the entire hitch somehow breaks loose from its mounts, at least the frame chain will keep the hitch attached to the MH.

On my TOAD I have a 1/4 steel cable that goes around the frame and through one of the base plates. If that base plate somehow becomes disconnected from the frame, the cable should hold it in place.

The goal of the additional safety chains/cables is to ensure the TOAD stays attached to the MH, regardless of what scenario I can come up with that could cause a break away.

Before you get serious about backing your TOAD, you need to know the limits of the TOAD (and your tow bar)

Particularly wheel castering, have an observer watch the TOADs steering wheels and front tires to see how they behave while backing up. On my Civic, the wheels caster nicely into a turn and go back straight when I straighten up. If your TOADs front wheels don't caster nicely while backing, this may limit to how/where you'll be able to back up.

If your TOAD has brakes, you also need to know what they do when your backing.

If you are not comfortable backing your TOAD, then don't do it. In order to gain comfort and experience, find that big parking lot and go play.

[Thunderfoot]

hoakken, a collapsible bar's components move on many planes: the head swivels (tilts), the arms extend and retract, it moves up & down and rotates as an assembly, and it "folds" for ez storage. Simply drive the toad near the "attaching zone" of the MH and use the available adjustability to connect the toad. It's not necessary to be perfectly aligned, or straight, and one person is all that's needed. Simple, quick, and easy.

Compare that to a solid bar's only adjustment of up & down without re-positing the toad. With the bar attached to the toad, the "target" area for hookup is the diameter of the trailer ball which requires perfect alignment between the ball and towbar. The operator most likely will not get this perfect on the first try and will need to reposition the toad and/or make repeated trips in and out of the toad to check alignment and raise or lower the bar as needed. If available during this process, utilizing two people will make the process much easier, quicker, and with less chance of damage. Anything less than perfectly flat terrain will exacerbate the difference in design of the towbars.

The facts are either setup will pull a toad down the road and the solid bar scores highly in initial cost comparison. In your travels you will probably find you're attaching/detaching the toad in inclement weather, on unlevel ground, or by yourself. That's when you'll appreciate the extra money spent on a collapsible bar.

For the record I tow something on every trip in the MH and use trailers, Blue Ox or Roadmaster tow bars, or a tow dolly. The only piece of equipment that I own and NEVER use is a solid tow bar... the least used piece is the tow dolly. FWIW.

[flaggship1]

The Roadmaster Sterling All Terrain is properly named. Although it's worth it's weight in platinum to me.

[CampDaven]

Interesting how many types and styles of bars and brakes that pretty much do what they should.
Glad I have had a good one for over 15 years!
Also interesting how many fantasies in the use and function are posted.
And some are so "experienced" they can do things others know not to.

[owr]

What about tow dollies ? Any words of wisdom there ? I own a prius and it would much rather be towed with the front wheels not turning for a number of reasons.... i have actually purchased a scooter (600 cc) and that will most likely be my toad ....so I can back up! ...and additional thoughts on those would be appreciated as well....thanks

[JohnBoyToo]

Hoakken - we are leaving in the morning if you want to come to the house tonight and see our rig parked out front - can give u a primer in 15 minutes...

I don't know all this new to us Monaco has to offer yet, but got the 4 down towing training done in the 80's

We are between Mansfield and Burleson just north of 1187...
and here tis ready to go !

[Waiter21]

HOAKKEN;

As Thunderfoot said, the collapsible is easier to attach and disconnect than the solid bar. As he said, look at the used market for bars, base plates, and brakes.

( I found the base plate for my civic on craigs list, 1/3 the cost of new)

With the solid (see photo), its best to have two people, I hold the bar up by the chains, just a little higher than the ball, and the DW is very good at driving the TOAD so the hitch drops right on the ball.

I make sure I stay out of her view, and I hold the hitch up so if she overshoots, the hitch will hit the bumper and not go thru the back of the MH.

I've done this by myself, but its a little more cumbersome. I get the TOAD close to the MH and attach the bar, I then use a short piece of rope attached to the ladder and tie the front of the hitch so its an inch above the ball, I then drive the TOAD so the hitch is above the ball. (The DW is a lot better at aiming than I am.)

I agree with CampDaven, there are a lot of good systems out there to choose from. He's been using the same system for 15 years, thats a pretty good product endorsement in my opinion. Theres also a tremendous knowledge and experience base of the users on this forum.

Check with the manufacture of the equipment your looking at and see what they say as far as limitations and capacities, ask your questions, then make your decisions.

Keep us posted on what you ultimately come up with.

[Thunderfoot]

Originally Posted by CampDaven

Interesting how many types and styles of bars and brakes that pretty much do what they should.
Glad I have had a good one for over 15 years!
Also interesting how many fantasies in the use and function are posted.
And some are so "experienced" they can do things others know not to.

Dave, I know the feeling! I called Blue Ox recently for some parts for my Aventa 7330 and the tech had to get a supervisor as it is no longer in the system! When I asked the supervisor how old this bar was he replied "I've been here 20 years and have never seen a NEW one." After a good look through the parts bin he found a complete rebuild kit for just a few bucks more than the parts I needed. Now it's good as new and ready for a few more years of travel. You don't find that level of customer service and a product that will outlast most RV'ers time on the road very often these days.