 |
|
10-18-2014, 09:32 AM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Rexhall Owners Group
Join Date: May 2011
Location: South Central Ohio
Posts: 458
|
Blue-Ox tow bar pins
Two months ago I added a Blue Ox tow bar to the RV and base plate system to the CRV. I have had frequent difficulty removing the connector pins from the car mounted forks. I always try to park as level and flat as i can, and I have tried various gears, and putting the car in neutral, with the parking brake set, of course. I have had to resort to carrying a small hammer and center punch to drive the pins out. I know this is a commonly used tow bar system, and I hope that someone has some suggestions. After towing on a dolly for three years, personally I much prefer the RV mounted tow bar system.
__________________
2003 Rexhall Rexair, 3550 Ford V10 with Banks
2014 Honda CRV-AWD via Blue Ox
Travel with SWMBO and Golden Doodle co pilot
|
|
|
 |
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
10-18-2014, 09:37 AM
|
#2
|
Community Administrator
RV Trip Wizard
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 54,443
|
What angle is your tow bar from the receiver to the toad ? Blue Ox says not to have it more than 4". This may be the answer if it's more. A drop down receiver will solve this.
__________________
Cliff,Tallulah and Buddy ( 1999-2012 )
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 09:40 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Posts: 4,040
|
You can't pull the pins when there is any pressure on them.
- Put the car in Park or leave it in neutral with the Emergency brake on
- Push the release levers on the tow bars
- If the pins stick, start the car, turn the steering wheel lock to lock and try the pins again.
- Still stuck?, move the car forward (or backward depending on level) and get the pressure off the pins
You should never have to use the hammer again.
__________________
Roger & Mary
2017 Winnebago Navion 24V (Sold)
2014 Tiffin Phaeton 36GH (Sold)
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 09:47 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 11,009
|
Alignment of holes?????
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobb.25
Two months ago I added a Blue Ox tow bar to the RV and base plate system to the CRV. I have had frequent difficulty removing the connector pins from the car mounted forks. I always try to park as level and flat as i can, and I have tried various gears, and putting the car in neutral, with the parking brake set, of course. I have had to resort to carrying a small hammer and center punch to drive the pins out. I know this is a commonly used tow bar system, and I hope that someone has some suggestions. After towing on a dolly for three years, personally I much prefer the RV mounted tow bar system.
|
Hi Bob, How do the pins fit into the tow bar and the CRV when just testing the fit? Do they slide right in and out OK? If so.......for some reason, the tow bar/baseplate holes are not aligned properly or in a bind when hooked together. You might have to take the pin ends off the tow bar to see how the fit when trying to put the pins in. And if you find the bind is in the alignment of the holes, you are going to have to use a reamer to ream the holes out so the pins will go in and come out without the use of a hammer, you should be able to just grab the ring on the pin and pull it out by hand, and maybe a little twisting/rolling action, but it should be fairly easy.
__________________
2012 Essex 4544 2011 Jeep JK, M&G Braking, 2014 MTI 27' Hog Hauler, Wireless brake control, 2006 Ultra & 1989 Springer, 2003 Harley-Davidson
FLHR Road King Anniversary
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 09:58 AM
|
#5
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Arizona
Posts: 26
|
also in a bind
I also find that my toad is in a bind sometimes and cant release the levers on the arms. Hook up is fine just need to figure out the trick to get the bind off.
__________________
Craig and Kathy
2013 Entegra Anthem RBQ
06 Harley Ultra Classic
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 10:03 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Altoona, Iowa
Posts: 1,668
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvlabs
You can't pull the pins when there is any pressure on them.
- Put the car in Park or leave it in neutral with the Emergency brake on
- Push the release levers on the tow bars
- If the pins stick, start the car, turn the steering wheel lock to lock and try the pins again.
- Still stuck?, move the car forward (or backward depending on level) and get the pressure off the pins
You should never have to use the hammer again.
|
This is the way I do it if the pins don't come out easily. Always works and I've never had to use a hammer and that's in seven years of towing.
__________________
2010 Itasca Sunova 33C, (lots of upgrades and modifications)
2011 Honda CRV, 2004 Rubicon (many modifications)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 10:33 AM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
|
Yup, with everything in neutral, turn the steering wheel around a bit and the binding will be relieved.
__________________
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.
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 10:34 AM
|
#8
|
Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvlabs
You can't pull the pins when there is any pressure on them.
- Put the car in Park or leave it in neutral with the Emergency brake on
- Push the release levers on the tow bars
- If the pins stick, start the car, turn the steering wheel lock to lock and try the pins again.
- Still stuck?, move the car forward (or backward depending on level) and get the pressure off the pins
You should never have to use the hammer again.
|
   Exactly! You should never need or use force.
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP

|
|
|
10-18-2014, 10:42 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 733
|
I try to unhook while in a straight condition. I have noticed if you are not straight they do come out hard. I tap them with a rubber hammer if all else fails. As mentioned previously sometimes moving the steering will help.
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 10:48 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Mcdonough, Ga.
Posts: 5,992
|
The secret is to pull straight ahead so that motorhome and car are both in line. If there is a difference in alignment, It binds the pins. During a show I may drive thirty motorhomes in a day from the lot to the show building. It works every time.
__________________
1998 Pace Arrow 35 ft. F53 Ford V10 2014 Honda CRV toad
32 years mechanic at Delta Air Lines 15 year motorhome service manager. 3 popups....2 travel trailers....5 motorhomes....loved them all.
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 11:16 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 455
|
I'd just about bet my last dollar that Blue Ox would cringe hearing anyone is using a hammer or mallet to remove the pins!
If you have to resort to that, like my Daddy used to say: "You ain't doin' it right!"
I got stuck (stupidity on my part) in a small gas station in New Hamphire where the toad was at about a 85 degree angle to the motorhome (the left front fender of the toad was just about touching the left rear corner of the MH. It took me a couple of minutes, but I did manage to disconnect the toad without using a hammer. Granted there was some trial and error: a little forward pressure, try the locks, a little rearward pressure, try the locks, turning wheels full left, try the locks, turning wheels full right . . . bottom line is I DID manage to get pressure off the locks to release them and thereby take pressure off the pins to remove them with just my old, fat little fingers.
My toad is an automatic and, normally, I have found that, if I inch forward until I feel resistance, then put it in park, it will relieve the pressure on the locks.
Again this works most of the time that I am not doing something stupid like "Hey, there's a 5 pound gas station, I think I can get my 10 pound motorhome in there"
Been using Blue Ox since 2005 (90,000+ miles) on three different motorhomes and 4 different toads and have never had to use anything but my hands to pull the pins.
__________________
Stik
Full Timing since 2005
09 Journey 34Y, 2015 Grand Cherokee Toad
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 11:41 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 830
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvlabs
You can't pull the pins when there is any pressure on them.
- Put the car in Park or leave it in neutral with the Emergency brake on
- Push the release levers on the tow bars
- If the pins stick, start the car, turn the steering wheel lock to lock and try the pins again.
- Still stuck?, move the car forward (or backward depending on level) and get the pressure off the pins
You should never have to use the hammer again.
|
Great advise since I started doing as in the above I have had no problems.
And I tow alot
__________________
2012 Winnebago Journey 36M Cummins 360
2023 Jeep Cherokee , 41 National Parks, 43 States camped in
512 Campgrounds, 2465 nights camping since 2009 and 112 K Winnebago miles
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 04:23 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Rexhall Owners Group
Join Date: May 2011
Location: South Central Ohio
Posts: 458
|
Thanks for all of the replies. I will print them out and add them to my clipboard checklist of things to remember. Next trip will be snowbird time in late December.
Bob
__________________
2003 Rexhall Rexair, 3550 Ford V10 with Banks
2014 Honda CRV-AWD via Blue Ox
Travel with SWMBO and Golden Doodle co pilot
|
|
|
10-18-2014, 05:54 PM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
|
Blue Ox says try turning the wheels left and right.
Here is my suggestion.
If you have any reason to think there is tension on the bar (IE you depress the release and it remains fully extended) Then while depressing BOTH release levers stand on one of the safety cables This should pull the car forward just a bit.
Now while standing on the cable pull the pin on that side,
Cross over or walk around and do the other side. Same way.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
|
|
|
 |
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|