What 10,000 lb tow bar do you use?

[dennis45]

Stuart, I have a custom windshield cover for my 13 CRV, a BlueOx Rockgard and a Roadmaster Rockgard that I have not used in the last 15,000 miles after removing the rear flap. If you're convinced these devices are still required, I will give you a heck of a deal.

[Crasher]

The Blue Ox Aventa towing a 6300# Chevy Avalanche with the big rubber flap removed. No problems and no stone chips on the Avalanche or custom painted trailer when we tow it.

[Mac99]

Why would you remove the big full width flap ?
Don't do it ! But, yes, add secondary protection with mud flaps
behind each of the rear duals, down close to the ground as possible,
and fully as wide as the duals.
I have no marks on my toad after 80,000 miles.
The bigger the flaps the better.

[Pigman1]

I have had 3 Blue Ox 10,000 lb rated tow bars including the Aventa and have switched to the Roadmaster Blackhawk. I tow a 6000 plus pound full size pickup and at times (when we're heading home from Alaska with over 17 cu ft of frozen fish) this can run to close to 9000 pounds. I have been pulling four down for over 200,000 miles. I found the end knuckles and other joints on the Blue Ox were wearing at an excessive rate where the pivot bolts went through or where the toad pins went through. As a result I had to shim these holes with steel shim stock on a constant basis. This was not due to lack of maintenance as I had the entire bar gone over annually by Blue Ox at Quartzsite. Replacing the parts which wore excessively seemed not to help. In fact, the new parts seemed to wear faster than the ones they replaced. When I attempted to address this issue with Blue Ox I was blown off.

Since replacing the bar with the Roadmaster I have not seen this type of wear in any joint and have continued to pull heavy and long. I won't go back to Blue Ox products.

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by macandphyl

Why would you remove the big full width flap ?
.

Because the big flap can flip small stones up into the toad. I along with many people have eliminated unwanted stone damage by removing that large advertising rock thrower.

[dnystrom]

BlackHawk2 Allterrain when I tow the truck. Very well built. Roadmaster is my choice when it comes to towing bars.

[StuartS]

Thanks for all the great info. This will be our first RV of any kind.

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by StuartS

Thanks for all the great info. This will be our first RV of any kind.

Keep the shiny side up and always watch for the nasties that sneak up on the sides when making turns. These like to rub your paint off.
Midway down the length of the coach is where they really like to make their presence known.
Those little steel posts around fuel pumps or the concrete islands are some examples......but, there are others. Be aware....

Enjoy your new coach....

[NevadaNick]

My experiance is the flap does nothing but kick up rocks. If all you do is drive on highways then ok, but i drive lots of miles on gravel. I raised the flap and that helped but its coming off as my Jeep is always covered in rocks.

[vapor3000]

Originally Posted by Crasher

Because the big flap can flip small stones up into the toad. I along with many people have eliminated unwanted stone damage by removing that large advertising rock thrower.

That's my experience which is why I remove the big flap and hung it on the shop wall where it belongs!!

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by NevadaNick

My experiance is the flap does nothing but kick up rocks. If all you do is drive on highways then ok, but i drive lots of miles on gravel. I raised the flap and that helped but its coming off as my Jeep is always covered in rocks.

90% of our driving is on the interstates. When on a desert gravel road, we are under 15 mph, so no stone throwing. After about 4000 miles of towing our enclosed trailer painted to match our MH, I found stone chips as high as six feet above the road. I paid $900 to have the trailer front repainted and removed the big flap. Another 4000+ miles and no more stone chips. I do not understand why people go out and buy products to protect their toad when all they have to do is remove the big flap. Our son went through the same thing with his new Mountain Aire with the same results.

[Pigman1]

If your full length mud flap is kicking up rocks into the toad, try raising it off the ground more. We pull cross country and to Alaska regularly and do not have these type problems; 60,000 miles in 3 1/2 years.

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

If your full length mud flap is kicking up rocks into the toad, try raising it off the ground more. We pull cross country and to Alaska regularly and do not have these type problems; 60,000 miles in 3 1/2 years.

Simply removing it solved the problem. Other than advertising your brand of coach it serves no useful purpose.

[Pigman1]

When you raise it, it works as it's supposed to. It keeps the rocks and MUD off the toad.