Stowmaster 5250 Tow Bar

[BuckeyeBoy]

I am pretty new to towing and have a couple of questions. I have towed my Ford Escape Hybrid a couple of times with no problems, but on the last trip I seemed to have more problems with the tow. It kind of felt like I was running my 25 boat down the freeway when it was poorly trimmed, with a floating of sorts that was very disconcerting.

My 2001 Winnebago, Class A, seemed to float when at higher speeds (above 50 mph). I just replaced the tires, and wonder if the tires could be a problem. I replaced the old Michelin tires with Les Schwab's Toyo (225 70R 19.5, low profile highway). I think they are pretty much the exact replacement. I have since replaced the bushing and pins that hold the rear springs to the RV body and these are tight and fine. I thought that might be the problem, and it might have contributed to the feel.

I am wondering if the tow bar may be malfunctioning. Does the tow bar have to be fully lock when extended. It seems that it may not be locking properly.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[DAN L]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeBoy

I am pretty new to towing and have a couple of questions. I have towed my Ford Escape Hybrid a couple of times with no problems, but on the last trip I seemed to have more problems with the tow. It kind of felt like I was running my 25 boat down the freeway when it was poorly trimmed, with a floating of sorts that was very disconcerting.

My 2001 Winnebago, Class A, seemed to float when at higher speeds (above 50 mph). I just replaced the tires, and wonder if the tires could be a problem. I replaced the old Michelin tires with Les Schwab's Toyo (225 70R 19.5, low profile highway). I think they are pretty much the exact replacement. I have since replaced the bushing and pins that hold the rear springs to the RV body and these are tight and fine. I thought that might be the problem, and it might have contributed to the feel.

I am wondering if the tow bar may be malfunctioning. Does the tow bar have to be fully lock when extended. It seems that it may not be locking properly.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

i don't know the ''floating'' term.
i installed koni fsd shocks all around and an ultrapower track bar on the rear axle.
the konis smoothed the ride and made it firmer at the same time. no more ''porpoising''. i got my konis from shocks.com and installed them myself. you will need an 1 1/8 socket or two and a 1 1/8 box end wrench and a pneumatic or electric impact wrench would help.
the track bar improved the directional stability. wind and passing vehicles do not effect the steering very much anymore. i got the track bar from brazels and installed it myself. the track bar was a pita to install. i used a harbor freight 625' # ''earthquake'' torque wrench. there are pics of my installation in the archives of this forum.