How is a Tow Bar supposed to work?

[Mr_D]

RoadMaster uses 1 1/2 or 2" solid steel round bars to attach the towbar to their bracket on my Jeep and the bracket is pretty solid too.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by doc

I hope it works out for you. I have a question on the towed - is BMW approved for recreational towing? For some reason ( as a retired guy I pt'd for a BMW dealer) I didn't think BMWs could be flat towed.

What does an approval process entail, and who would supply such an approval?

Think about it, you're wanting a vehicle that has a frame that something can be attached to......they all have a frame, AFAIK.

You want a transmission that allows itself to turn with the engine OFF....some can and many can't, and some can be modified with external pumps. A BMW's 5-speed transmission is of the type that Can.

You want a steering wheel that free-wheels....they can all do that one way or another. This BMW just requires that the key be in the ignition.

So, after a lot of help from this forum, and after a lot of work and thinking about things, it can be said that I give my approval, pending a road test coming up in a couple of weeks

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by neub

It depends on the design of the 5 speed. I made the mistake of buying an Isuzu Rodeo 5sp rwd planning on using it as a toad and found out later after talking to remco that ths 5 sp transmision would not get lubed unless the engine was running. They said it all depends on how the lube pump/transmission is designed on which manual transmissions can be flat towed in neutral. Unfortunately Remco didnt make a driveshaft disconnect for it so i took a bath on it when i sold it after already putting a couple thousand into it.

Sometimes blissful ignorance makes the difference, though. Being old-school, my thought has been that any manual tranny can be pushed or towed, so I found a BMW with a 5-speed manual and put it on the tow dolly. Several thousand miles later, the car continues to run as it should.

Sorry to hear about the Isuzu, though. I wonder whether Remco knows for sure, or it just wasn't on their list? Maybe it's the type of transmission (mine is a ZF, with seemingly known ability to be towed, but because nobody makes a base plate for it, they say it can't be done)

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by neub

It depends on the design of the 5 speed. I made the mistake of buying an Isuzu Rodeo 5sp rwd planning on using it as a toad and found out later after talking to remco that ths 5 sp transmision would not get lubed unless the engine was running. They said it all depends on how the lube pump/transmission is designed on which manual transmissions can be flat towed in neutral. Unfortunately Remco didnt make a driveshaft disconnect for it so i took a bath on it when i sold it after already putting a couple thousand into it.

Well i haven't looked inside a manual transmission in years (or decades) but when I was an NIASE Certified Mechanic I was inside them all the time and I never saw a manual transmission with a lube pump - they are all splash lubricated.

Not to say that it isn't possible some manual transmission doesn't have an integrated lube pump like an automatic transmission - in fact I seem to recall that some use ATF instead of 90 weight gear oil now-a-days, and maybe those are "designed" in such a way as to be non-towable, but they are the exception to the rule that most manual transmissions are towable.

[Triple H]

Originally Posted by bamaboy473

What does an approval process entail, and who would supply such an approval?

Think about it, you're wanting a vehicle that has a frame that something can be attached to......they all have a frame, AFAIK.

You want a transmission that allows itself to turn with the engine OFF....some can and many can't, and some can be modified with external pumps. A BMW's 5-speed transmission is of the type that Can.

You want a steering wheel that free-wheels....they can all do that one way or another. This BMW just requires that the key be in the ignition.

So, after a lot of help from this forum, and after a lot of work and thinking about things, it can be said that I give my approval, pending a road test coming up in a couple of weeks

Stop being condescending and quit acting like your on the cusp of space flight or that you’ve come up with some revolutionary new concept.

This is project will fail. Not because it can’t be done, but because of how it’s being attempted.

[mikeh2obury]

When you figure out that this jury rig will not work and cost you almost as much as the proper designed baseplate, you will be so happy! The expense of a safe and efficient baseplate is worth every penny.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by mikeh2obury

When you figure out that this jury rig will not work and cost you almost as much as the proper designed baseplate, you will be so happy! The expense of a safe and efficient baseplate is worth every penny.

You lost sight of the simple fact that they don't make base plates for all cars, so if somebody wants one for a non-standard car, it gets built.

By the way, the proper term is, "Jerry" rig, a nod to German soldiers doing everything they could to keep their equipment working in the waning months of WWII.

The cost to fabricate a base plate has been more than what a normal base plate costs. R&D is hardly ever inexpensive.

BTW, base plates from Blue Ox have failed, so nothing is infallible.

It's still early morning, and you've already learned four things

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by Triple H

Stop being condescending and quit acting like your on the cusp of space flight or that you’ve come up with some revolutionary new concept.

This is project will fail. Not because it can’t be done, but because of how it’s being attempted.

There is a reason why the phrase, "...back to the drawing board", exists. My guess is that you're an arrogant, entitled, millennial that has never tried to build or fix anything in their life, and thus knows nothing about...are you ready for another one? "..trial and error".

You like this thread, and continue to read it, but 6 posts with ZERO attempts to add value, simply snarky trolling, are not garnering any respect for your mind-set or sense of community.

It might fail, it might work. Given that I'll be using it before the end of the month, we'll all know which it was. Let me know your location and if it's on the way, I'll swing by your mansion and blow that air horn to say Hi.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by bamaboy473

You lost sight of the simple fact that they don't make base plates for all cars, so if somebody wants one for a non-standard car, it gets built.

By the way, the proper term is, "Jerry" rig, a nod to German soldiers doing everything they could to keep their equipment working in the waning months of WWII.

The cost to fabricate a base plate has been more than what a normal base plate costs. R&D is hardly ever inexpensive.

BTW, base plates from Blue Ox have failed, so nothing is infallible.

It's still early morning, and you've already learned four things

Great response! These are probably the same safety Sallys that don't believe a $100 tow bar can do the job as well as a $1000 tow bar. Talk about condescending!

[Spdracr39]

I don't see that it has been mentioned but on my factory blue ox base plate the base plate itself is safety cabled around the frame and the safety cables going to the MH are attached to the baseplate. You could do this type of set-up without chains dangling out of the fascia and still be safety cable compliant.

I am also suprised no one has mentioned a brake system and breakaway cable since the safety police are beating down on you.

[JpalmerCass]

I've come across the term "jury rigged" in books about sailing ships that were written well before WW II. The term is evidently a nautical one from the days of sail and refers to a temporary and expedient fix of damaged rigging; usually damage from storms, also damage from battle.

[Unplanned Tourist]

This post is becoming a book with a few chapters that are irrelevant to the plot.
My 2 cents would be to weld a couple of pieces onto the horizontal plates that come out from the main cross plate. They need to be vertical to strengthen the horizontal plates.
If you (bamaboy) get that done, it will be much stronger.
I made my own mounts for my 2010 Ranger pickup and use a solid tow bar that I got on sale at Princess Auto for around $50.00. I have pulled for over 30,000 km. and never had a problem other than actually bending my 5,000 pound rated hitch! I was backing up, doing a 3 point turn and the wheels cocked off. Got a bit too much side force on the hitch, but I made it.
So building your own base plate set-up is possible. You just need the experience and ability to go there.
And yes, I do have proper safety chains and a Brake Buddy.
Happy Glamping.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

I don't see that it has been mentioned but on my factory blue ox base plate the base plate itself is safety cabled around the frame and the safety cables going to the MH are attached to the baseplate. You could do this type of set-up without chains dangling out of the fascia and still be safety cable compliant.

I am also suprised no one has mentioned a brake system and breakaway cable since the safety police are beating down on you.

Those systems were one of the first suggestions, because I was wondering whether they were needed since the car weighs a tad over 3,000 pounds, and the coach with air brakes would be stopped a bit over 8% extra weight.

Seems that the law answered that question for me, so I got Invisibrake with break-away and installed it.

I'm going to look at doing that cable attaching and tie it to the tab, as you said. Good idea Thanks.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by JpalmerCass

I've come across the term "jury rigged" in books about sailing ships that were written well before WW II. The term is evidently a nautical one from the days of sail and refers to a temporary and expedient fix of damaged rigging; usually damage from storms, also damage from battle.

Well, the internet is our friend:

Something poorly built is “jerry-built.”

Something rigged up temporarily in a makeshift manner with materials at hand, often in an ingenious manner, is “jury-rigged.”

“Jerry-built” always has a negative connotation, whereas one can be impressed by the cleverness of a jury-rigged solution.

Seems that my serial basher on this thread tossed a compliment, instead of a grenade.