Lynn
I run the Demco Excali-Bar which is an excellent all steel, 10,000# system, which is a seriously strong tow bar. It is also very easy to use, to hitch, and lock. I am only towing a Honda CR-V which is only about 33500#, but the process will be similar. I also use the Air Force One system. I can connect the toad and do a full hook up easily in 3 or 4 minutes, (usually much less). Here are the important things to remember.
.5) You will get a black plastic cap to cover the brass pneumatic connector on the toad and another on the front of the truck. The one on the coach is a big connector and the the one on the coach is a smaller connector. It is very important to ALWAYS put the plastic connector covers on when you are not towing so that dirt and debris does not get in the connector. I keep the covers in the coin tray of my toad when connected to the coach, and as soon as I remover the pneumatic line from coach to toad when done towing, the caps go on, and the pneumatic line (and break away line) go in the console of the toad. Take one thing off and put the other thing on, then reverse. Also, always pull back on the air line connectors when you have it inserted. It will insert sometimes but not fully catch, and then drop off and drag on the road if it is not fully latched. Simply, push in, then pull back firmly to ensure it has seated. I learned this lesson once... never again.
1.) You NEVER are going to back up when towing your truck. NEVER!! Don't make a turn unless you are sure that you have the swing to make the turn. If you find that you made a mistake, you get out, unhook the toad and you then finish the turn with the coach and do whatever it takes with the toad. My focus when towing is ALWAYS, "Can I make the turn easily without worrying about the toad?".
2.) The reason that you virtually never back up up is that the toad will jack-knife very quickly, or the toad steering wheels will turn sharply and you will be trying to push the front of the car some direction it does not want to go. I watched a fellow two weeks ago try to back up with a toad on grass 2 or 3 feet and his jeep steer tires went to full lock in about a foot. I saw another guy back up about 3 car lengts which is the longest I have seen, but he was pulling his toad in a straight line, and he was doing it on a hard surface, and he never moved the steering wheel on the coach. I have done it successfully about a car length. However, ONLY when the coach and toad were in a perfectly straight line.
3.) Your truck may track shorter than my Honda CR-V. I have found that my Honda will essentially follow my rear tires in the same track. You can see it when you turn, but I don't need to worry about where the tires are going to run... If I don't hit something with my rear dual/tag, then I am not going to hit it with either tire of the toad.
4.) I always research my stops by using Google earth satellite or street view if I can. If I can't, then I try to research the Park or State Park or whatever by Googling the destination. My DW uses TripAdvisor or
RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks and gets a lot of good information about what we may encounter before we go. For example, about a month ago we were going to spend 4 days at LeFluer State Park. In her research, several people said that the entrance past the park ranger office was tight with metal gate poles close to the road. Further, the entrance road had a much sharper turn than the exit road. So, I decided to stop short of the park entrance by 100 yards, and shed the toad so I could do the entrance by myself. Also, several people suggested that you use the exit road rather than the entrance road since the turn was less sharp. I did that. It was GOOD ADVICE. On the way out, the DW drove the toad until outside park, and then I hooked up after all the tight turns were done.
5.) Sharp, hard, tight turns at slow speeds are hard on the tow bar and the toad. When you are making small corrections at 60 MPH, the stress on the toad is minimal. But if you get yourself in a tight situation and have to go full lock on the turn at 2 or 5 MPH, you are really putting a lot of stress on the whole system. It is designed to do that, but be aware of it. Also, remember that the hitch end of your coach is 8 to 10' behind your tag axle, so when you turn the coach left, the rear end of the coach actually swings slightly to the right first and then to the left. If you watched your toad closely in the rear view camera, you will see it turn slightly the wrong way, and then the right way. This is also why I never put the tires right up to the curb in a parking lot or street and then turn hard to get the coach away from the curb, as you are pushing the toad up tight against the curb for a short distance as the rear of your coach actually swings toward the curb.
All in all, it is not hard and not much to worry about. It is why you want the toad braking system. There is a lot of weight back there and in a panic stop situation, that RAM is trying to push you through the intersection or stop.
One more thing. This is why I don't drive 70 or 75 when pulling the toad. I am quite concerned about road debris. A thrown truck retread is no big deal for our diesel pushers to clear in many cases, but it is a real bear for a Honda CR-V to clear after the coach clears it (think exhaust system). I drive about 62 MPH. Its great for fuel efficiency and mileage, and almost everyone passes me and keeps on going, which means that I have lots of visual field in seeing what is coming up in front of me. Also, follow even further behind the vehicle in front of you than you do now, as the added weight, even with the air force one, means that you don't want to make any panic stops. And then relax. Swing wide on corners, look for corners with telephone pole or signs right on the curb at the corner and swing even wider on those, and if you get in a jam, as embarrassing as it might be, either pull the toad very slowly up over the curb or obstruction, or get out and unhitch.
Gary