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04-06-2016, 04:56 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 773
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New to Flat Towing....
Okay I am new to the flat towing and have seen threads about servicing and sticking tow arms. My question is do you take the tow bars off your rig and put them on when you tow or just leave them on all season long?
Alan & Terry
__________________
Alan & Terry 2016 Bounder 34T
Blue Ox Alpha Tow Bar, RVi brake 2system
2023 Ford Maverick Hybrid(Toad),WeBoost,Tire Minder TPMS. 1000 watts of Solar
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04-06-2016, 05:25 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: White Rock, BC
Posts: 782
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We leave ours on all the time, covering them with the cover that came with our Blue Ox system if the coach is stationary for more than a couple of days. We also leave our cables attached most of the time. We do take the cables off when parked in many free camping spots with transient traffic and when the coach is in storage.
We get our tow system serviced about every 10k miles, typically by Blue Ox at a rally or other gathering such as Quartzsite.
__________________
Retired and livin' the RV dream!
2005 Newmar 43 ft. MADP, Cummins ISL 400HP, 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sahara
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04-06-2016, 11:16 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 224
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Our tow bar stays on the back of the coach all the time.
I've seen some that stay on the towed vehicle, not very pleasant looking as far as I'm concerned since we drive the toad around a lot and it is my daily driver.
As Ron stated, I put a vinyl cover on the Blue Ox Aladdin when not in use.
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2016 Newmar Dutch Star 3736
2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited toad
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04-06-2016, 11:27 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
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Our RoadMaster Sterling stays attached to the RV all the time. I do clean and lube the sliding bars and cover it between uses.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
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04-07-2016, 12:01 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Our Blue Ox tow bar stays on the Motorhome. Covered with Blue Ox cover. Remove it about once a year for lube and cleaning. Every couple three years have it inspected and serviced by Blue Ox when at a rally event where they attend and service.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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04-07-2016, 02:20 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Clovis, CA, USA
Posts: 13,149
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My Sterling Tow Bars have been attached to the coach for about 12 years now. I clean and lube them about twice a year.
__________________
2004 Monaco La Palma 36DBD, W22, 8.1, 7.1 MPG
2000 LEXUS RX300 FWD 22MPG 4020 LBS
Criticism is easier than Craftsmanship
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04-07-2016, 06:18 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,973
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Our coach gets two or three uses each season. I take the towbar off between uses. We have a cover, which we apply when on the road (and not towing).
__________________
Mark
2008 Holiday Rambler Admiral 30PDD (Ford F-53 chassis)
2009 Honda Fit Sport
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04-07-2016, 08:37 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 225
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We leave our Roadmaster Stirling on year round. I have it locked on with a locking hitch pin.
I keep it lubed and covered.
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Tom & Denise N
2016 Winnebago Forza 36G Freightliner XS-C, Cummins 340HP, 2011 Ford Edge
Uniontown, OH
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04-07-2016, 08:39 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 163
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RVGeeks produced a decent video on servicing a tow bar here: http://youtu.be/OOw08HzLHo8
Blue Ox also had a more detailed service video if you search YouTube.
__________________
Cheers! Don
2019 Grand Design Imagine 2500RL
2020 Ram 1500 Limited 4X4
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04-07-2016, 01:47 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 773
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Thanks for your comments.
I just got the Blue Ox tow bar and baseplate but they did not come with a cover I guess I have to order on or have the DW make one. I plan to take it off once in a while to clean the receiver. I had a 2 inch ball hitch on a truck that I left on for years when I wanted to trade it in they could not get the receiver out! It became a challenge for the mechanics at the Ford dealership they tried everything that hitch just rusted in the receiver really bad. I do not want that to happen with the tow bar.
Alan
__________________
Alan & Terry 2016 Bounder 34T
Blue Ox Alpha Tow Bar, RVi brake 2system
2023 Ford Maverick Hybrid(Toad),WeBoost,Tire Minder TPMS. 1000 watts of Solar
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04-07-2016, 02:13 PM
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#11
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Community Moderator
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Posts: 31,550
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Our Blue Ox is on all the time, with the exception of winter storage. Then we take it off and put it in the basement till spring. I keep the covers that came with it on whenever it's on the hitch.
__________________
Tony & Ruth........... FMCA#F416727
2016 London Aire 4519, Freightliner chassis, Cummins ISX, 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Blue Ox Avail with AF1. TST 507 TPMS
No amount of money can buy you an extra second of time.
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04-09-2016, 01:15 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 143
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I personally don't like the herculite covers that most manufacturers supply. They dont "breath", and tend to trap any water and water vapor, leading to corrosion. Once the DW gets used to her new sewing machine, we'll make a new one out of a Gore Tex type material
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04-09-2016, 01:23 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanTerry
I just got the Blue Ox tow bar and baseplate but they did not come with a cover I guess I have to order on or have the DW make one. I plan to take it off once in a while to clean the receiver. I had a 2 inch ball hitch on a truck that I left on for years when I wanted to trade it in they could not get the receiver out! It became a challenge for the mechanics at the Ford dealership they tried everything that hitch just rusted in the receiver really bad. I do not want that to happen with the tow bar.
Alan
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I have had similar experience. As I mentioned above I service my tow bar periodically, which includes removing it from the receiver to preclude removal problems down the road.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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04-09-2016, 09:23 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 57
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We take ours off between trips. Store beneath the jack-knife and the dinette.
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