Blue Ox Ascent or Roadmaster Nighthawk towbar for CRV

[deputydog]

Hey Folks - I need some help making a decision!

I just installed a Blue Ox Baseplate (BX 2258) on my 2014 Honda CRV and am ready to order my tow bar. We've never towed a toad before - always a trailer with motorcycle or a boat.

Originally I was going with either the Blue Ox Alpha 2 or the Ascent and decided to go with the Ascent due to the aluminum construction and lighter weight. I went with the Blue Ox baseplate because I liked the fit and installation a bit better than the Roadmaster.

Being bored I was searching around and noticed the Roadmaster Nighthawk All Terrain which also caught my eye due to it's aluminum construction and the channels for the safety cables and elec. cable. That seems like a nice feature.

I assume you do not have to have a cross bar type baseplate for the Nighthawk??

I had to purchase an electrical cable in anticipation of the Blue Ox towbar but that comes with the Nighthawk so I could return that and save $80 but then I would have to purchase adapters for the Nighthawk to connect to my baseplate arms ($118). The Nighthawk is $1,145 with the adapters and the Ascent is $889 after I return the cable. Etrailer also has a blem Ascent for $720 after I return the cable. I don't want to waste money but that is not the driving factor in the decision either.

My RV is a 2005 Tiffin Allegro Bay that we have put 16,000 miles on since 2007 when we bought it so we are not exactly wearing stuff out, although we hope the Toad will motivate us to go a bit more since we have been towing a Goldwing motorcycle in a trailer which is OK but subject to weather considerations.

I like having all the same stuff (brand) on most stuff but not sure that makes a huge difference in a towbar if adapters are available and I end up with a better system. I'm just not sure in this instance what to do.

Any thoughts/comments are appreciated as to which might be a better choice.

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by deputydog

Hey Folks - I need some help making a decision!

I just installed a Blue Ox Baseplate (BX 2258) on my 2014 Honda CRV and am ready to order my tow bar. We've never towed a toad before - always a trailer with motorcycle or a boat.

Originally I was going with either the Blue Ox Alpha 2 or the Ascent and decided to go with the Ascent due to the aluminum construction and lighter weight. I went with the Blue Ox baseplate because I liked the fit and installation a bit better than the Roadmaster.

Being bored I was searching around and noticed the Roadmaster Nighthawk All Terrain which also caught my eye due to it's aluminum construction and the channels for the safety cables and elec. cable. That seems like a nice feature.

I assume you do not have to have a cross bar type baseplate for the Nighthawk??

I had to purchase an electrical cable in anticipation of the Blue Ox towbar but that comes with the Nighthawk so I could return that and save $80 but then I would have to purchase adapters for the Nighthawk to connect to my baseplate arms ($118). The Nighthawk is $1,145 with the adapters and the Ascent is $889 after I return the cable. Etrailer also has a blem Ascent for $720 after I return the cable. I don't want to waste money but that is not the driving factor in the decision either.

My RV is a 2005 Tiffin Allegro Bay that we have put 16,000 miles on since 2007 when we bought it so we are not exactly wearing stuff out, although we hope the Toad will motivate us to go a bit more since we have been towing a Goldwing motorcycle in a trailer which is OK but subject to weather considerations.

I like having all the same stuff (brand) on most stuff but not sure that makes a huge difference in a towbar if adapters are available and I end up with a better system. I'm just not sure in this instance what to do.

Any thoughts/comments are appreciated as to which might be a better choice.

I have experience with both towbars and would go with the Blue Ox. This is despite some very serious deficiencies in the Blue Ox system.



First the Roadmaster: We put a Roadmaster on the below toad and RV as I had serious problems with a Blue Ox base plate. I found the arm release levers worked better on the Roadmaster than the Blue Oc especially when releasing them under tension. The bar was well made but it appeared much lighter in construction than the Blue Ox. This was confirmed when we bent one of the stainless arms while making a tight turn at a fuel stop in Alaska. I was able to tow to my destination (about 400 miles) but it was not good. The concealed wiring was also a good point, but a few zip ties on the Blue Ox solves that issue. Lights are a non-issue as ours didn't have them.



Blue Ox: The Blue Ox towbar is as tough as they come but disconnecting under tension is sometimes impossible. A major deficiency with the BO is that fittings and joints wear fast and cannot be permanently repaired without replacing the knuckle blocks where they hook to the base plate, and at the flex joints and stinger. A considerable expense. I've had to shim these joints with steel shim material after as few as 50,000 tow miles. In addition, despite BO's protestations, their warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on. When I found a major design deficiency in their base plate for the Silverado they refused to even acknowledge the problem or fix it. Shortly after my pointing out the problem, with a complete engineering analysis and documenting pictures, they changed the design but still wouldn't address the problem with me. A deep search on this and other RV forums will find a number of problems with similar results.



Despite it's flawed nature as a company, and major deficiencies in some of it's products, I use a BO towbar and base plate, although these have been heavily modified and are inspected frequently and thoroughly throughout our travels. Just remember BLUE OX IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. and will not stand behind it's products. BTW I have over 250,000 tow miles towing large toads behind 3 brand new Class A's, a Class C and 3 different toads. My 2013 Bus has over 110,000 miles on it.

[NXR]

I'm buying the Nighthawk for my new Equinox along with the Roadmaster baseplate. The adapters for the Blue Ox baseplate should not be a concern at all.

I saw a video review on the Nighthawk hooked to a Blue Ox baseplate. Jump to 3:45 in the video to bypass the commentary. He mentions the Blue Ox adapters at about 4:00. The video displays the Roadmaster logo, for whatever that is worth.

I like the channels for holding the wiring and safety cables, the fact that it's less than 50 pounds, the "no bind" feature, and that the design is now in its third year., not its first year And the cool lights.

The Nighthawk will install "direct connect" to a baseplate with no crossbar and that is also shown in the video.

But I see the Ascent is like 50% lighter? 31 lbs versus 48 lbs? Some of that would be the 7,500 versus 8,000 lb rating but certainly not 15+ pounds. Could the Ascent have hollow tow bar arms instead of solid like the Nighthawk does?

I do like the rubber arm "slinky" cover on the Blue Ox to help keep dirt off the arms but I do not have any experience with those. Maybe Roadmaster doesn't use them because they can trap moisture or something.

HTH,

Ray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXaO67q-4tU

[MSHappyCampers]

Have you considered the NSA Hercules towbars? Rated to pull 12,000 lbs with lifetime warranty!

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

I have experience with both towbars...

Since I have not purchased yet, would you please note which specific Roadmaster and Blue Ox models you've used as well as their approximate age?

Thanks,

Ray

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by NXR

Since I have not purchased yet, would you please note which specific Roadmaster and Blue Ox models you've used as well as their approximate age?

Thanks,

Ray

The Blue Ox baseplate I had my problems with on the Silverado was bought in 2011 when the truck was brand new and used that year for Alaska, the following winter for Arizona and again in 2012-13 for Arizona. My major problems on the base plate started on the way back to Alaska in 2013. At that time I was using the Blue Ox towbar with the large knuckle (round) where the pull arms separate from the stinger. It's no longer listed on the BO site. I nursed it home by tightening base plate connections each night. As my fight progressed with BO, I purchased a Roadmaster Blackhawk towbar due to excessive wear in that knuckle joint and others that could not be repaired. I also redesigned the BO base plate attachments to the truck and had them welded in by a certified welder. Our next trip north in 2015 bent the arm on the Roadmaster and I had a BO Avail shipped to me up there. When we head north our Silverado is running in the neighborhood of 7,200 lb and coming home we're about 8,100-8,200 lb. I have since replaced the BO arm knuckle ends twice and the entire stinger assembly. BO will not sell only that joint.

[Granite17]

Have you looked at the Blue Ox Avail? No bind arms is what I like about the unit and the towing capacity. Very easy to hook up and unhook, even on an un level drive. I tow a GMC Canyon.

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by Granite17

Have you looked at the Blue Ox Avail? No bind arms is what I like about the unit and the towing capacity. Very easy to hook up and unhook, even on an un level drive. I tow a GMC Canyon.

Not sure if this question was directed to me or not. Since I just replaced the stinger so I could get a new 4 axis joint and both knuckle joints, I'll stay with the rebuild I just completed. These knuckle joints are the joint with fingers that attach to the toad. Surprisingly, it was not the toad connection where the pins go that was severely worn, it was the joint where that piece joined to the towbar arms that was getting so loose I could feel the impact load as the toad overran the coach when braking or just coming off the throttle. Based on micrometer measurements I found it wasn't the bolt that was wearing, it was the BO fitting that the bolt went through that caused the problem.

[deputydog]

Thanks for all the input! I appreciate your time in responding.

I ended up ordering a Blue Ox Ascent. It's aluminum so it only weighs 31 pounds. It's rated for 7500# and for towing a Honda CRV it's nearly twice what is needed.

I looked at the Avail for about the same price but it's significantly more weight and I have no use for 10,000# rating for either my toad or RV.

[Mr.Goodbar]

I have the same baseplate on my 2014 Honda CR-V. I was a newbie so I went to Camping World and they did not carry Blue Ox (at least 12/2016) so I went with Roadmaster Falcon 2. Roadmaster Falcon 2 can be ordered with Blue Ox tabs to connect to the BO base plate. I have not had any real issues in 3.5 years, although I just ordered these Blue Ox locking pins because one of the hairpin clips fell out, the locking pin came out and we almost lost the toad. Thank God for the rear camera as I immediately noticed the Honda weaving back and forth behind the coach and was able to get it stopped and there was NO damage to the towbar.

[Fiesta48]

Always go with Roadmaster. Far less problems.

[rffowler55]

We also use the Roadmaster Falcon 2 along with the Blue-Ox receiver locks from Amazon. All locks are keyed the same and provide an additional level of peace of mind.

[Newmar2856]

You might consider the weight of the towbar itself. Not from a capacity standpoint, but from a lugging it around standpoint. The Falcon 2 weighs about 66lbs, while the Nighthawk weighs 38lbs.

Since I have to pull my towbar off each time I park the MH on a return trip so it doesn’t catch on the incline in the driveway, I keep telling myself that the next towbar will be a Nighthawk or the Sterling All Terrain.

[deputydog]

Originally Posted by Newmar2856

You might consider the weight of the towbar itself. Not from a capacity standpoint, but from a lugging it around standpoint. The Falcon 2 weighs about 66lbs, while the Nighthawk weighs 38lbs.

Since I have to pull my towbar off each time I park the MH on a return trip so it doesn’t catch on the incline in the driveway, I keep telling myself that the next towbar will be a Nighthawk or the Sterling All Terrain.

That's why I ordered the Ascent - 31pounds