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10-24-2021, 06:20 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLERMONT FL
Posts: 530
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Broken receiver bar
While leaving a VA rest stop, heard loud bang. Was not yet on entrance ramp, so doing 20 mph? Pulled over and checked. The bar into the receiver was broken and blue ox lying on the ground. Cables only connection with RV. Attaching picture of receiver. I have a 2020 FORZA 34T, towing a 2011 Ford Edge. (Edge has been towed 45 k miles +/-) I always check connection when we stop, and did not notice anything. Where the break happened would be hidden. Slight damage to rear of RV, front of Edge getting repaired. Looks like the Blue Ox bounced up and hit the edge. Blue Ox has bent arm, will replace with all new hook up. Any ideas why or how this happened?? Harness is 10 yrs. old (?). Could metal fatigue be the answer?? Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks!!
__________________
Tom n Jan 2020 FORZA 34T
/CHEVY EQUANOX 2020 US ARMY RETDon't dream your life away, but live your dream
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10-24-2021, 06:51 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 240
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Glad to hear the damage was minimal. I’m surprised the hitch was built with tubing, as ours is solid bar stock. I dont see much, if any weld in the picture, so I’m guessing yeah, metal fatigue. Was the hitch itself Blue Ox also? Do you recall
the # rating? Thanks for posting, a reminder to us all to check things more often.
__________________
Questios, questions, questions. Yeah, I’m that guy. But, I’m learnin!
2009 American Tradition 42P. ISL Cummins 425hp, Spartan chassis w/ tag, Allison trans,
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10-24-2021, 07:17 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 979
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The receiver on your coach needs to be as near horizontal/level as possible to the receivers on your toad. Any variation up or down puts tension on the tow bar contributing to failure.
__________________
U.S. Army Retired, 2002 Beaver Patriot Thunder
40 Ft, CAT C12, 455 HP, 1550 Ft Lbs Torque
Towing 2019 Chevy Equinox, AWD Turbo Diesel
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10-24-2021, 08:28 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Solo Rvers Club Coastal Campers
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 1,775
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Second the surprise at tubing being used. My Curt tow bar is solid steel.
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2009 Monaco Camelot 42PDQ
2011 JK
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10-24-2021, 12:07 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SW Louisiana
Posts: 8,957
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The picture is too small to see any details
__________________
2002 Safari Trek 2830 on P32 Chassis with 8.1L w/ 400 watts solar 420Ah LiFePo4
2017 Jeep Cherokee Overland & 2007 Toyota Yaris TOADs with Even Brake,
Demco Commander tow bar and Blue Ox / Roadmaster base plates
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10-24-2021, 12:11 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 4,283
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Infamous Blue Oxs.
__________________
Full Timers.
2015 Fleetwood Discovery 40E on a Freightliner XCS chassis with a Cummins ISL9 pulling 1 and/or 2 motorcycles, '07 Honda Accord OR a 17' Runabout Boat.
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10-24-2021, 12:45 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: 5 miles south of Lakeville, Mn
Posts: 3,047
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiesta48
Infamous Blue Oxs.
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Our Blue Ox has served us well for thousands of miles towing a Ford Explorer. Not one problem. 
__________________
Jim and Carol Cooper with Oreo the Kitty
FAA ATC ret, VFW, AL, VVA, NRA
US Army Aviation, MACV Vietnam 65-66
2012 Journey 36M, Cummings 360hp
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10-24-2021, 02:29 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Central, SC
Posts: 759
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Is this an extension or the tow bar? While the picture is low quality, it is obvious that fatigue is what caused the failure. The wall thickness should be at least 2 times that if not more.
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10-24-2021, 03:21 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 970
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The way the op wrote this it sounds as if it was not actually anything that Blue Ox made broke, except a bent tow bar arm.
Looks like a cheap extension/drop was used
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10-25-2021, 06:35 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 979
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cooperhawk
Our Blue Ox has served us well for thousands of miles towing a Ford Explorer. Not one problem. |
Ditto…. Same here. Blue Ox is top quality.
__________________
U.S. Army Retired, 2002 Beaver Patriot Thunder
40 Ft, CAT C12, 455 HP, 1550 Ft Lbs Torque
Towing 2019 Chevy Equinox, AWD Turbo Diesel
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10-25-2021, 10:06 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 8,638
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Picture kinda fuzzy, looks like a lot of rust and a hole on top of tube which would be strange.
__________________
2007 Fleetwood Revolution LE 40V
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10-25-2021, 10:19 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Estacada Oregon
Posts: 2,001
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Long Island Mac
While leaving a VA rest stop, heard loud bang. Was not yet on entrance ramp, so doing 20 mph? Pulled over and checked. The bar into the receiver was broken and blue ox lying on the ground. Cables only connection with RV. Attaching picture of receiver. I have a 2020 FORZA 34T, towing a 2011 Ford Edge. (Edge has been towed 45 k miles +/-) I always check connection when we stop, and did not notice anything. Where the break happened would be hidden. Slight damage to rear of RV, front of Edge getting repaired. Looks like the Blue Ox bounced up and hit the edge. Blue Ox has bent arm, will replace with all new hook up. Any ideas why or how this happened?? Harness is 10 yrs. old (?). Could metal fatigue be the answer?? Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks!!
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Can we see a better quality of photo? Have never seen a non solid drop bar in over 40 years of towing! 
__________________
2014 F 350 SD 4 wheel drive
2014 38' Montana 5 th wheel
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10-25-2021, 11:26 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLERMONT FL
Posts: 530
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Broken receiver bar
Yes, it is hollow. Went to a few stores looking at bars. Only solid was for ball towing. Have used this assembly on three MH's. FORZA rating 10K rating on hitch, 6k rating on the ROADMASTER Sterling assembly, auto 4k. Yes when towing, straight alignment is what you need. Unfortunately keeping the same vehicle, does not always allow straight lines when several MH are of different heights it the hitch. New assembly, on a new car would add 2K+ added to cost of replacement. Check IRV2 toad ads, but never anything close. I will be replacing with a BlueOx, the Roadmaster served me well. Doubt that I will have that straight line. Thanks for all you comments. Stay safe!!!
__________________
Tom n Jan 2020 FORZA 34T
/CHEVY EQUANOX 2020 US ARMY RETDon't dream your life away, but live your dream
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10-25-2021, 10:30 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Alaska in Summer Snow Birds in Winter
Posts: 2,073
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Mustang
Can we see a better quality of photo? Have never seen a non solid drop bar in over 40 years of towing! |
My Blue Ox Avail was hollow. 2x2x 1/4” wall thickness tubing. Never really liked how sloppy everything was. Glad its gone.
I agree, we need better pictures. Even a hollow shaft shouldn’t have snapped off like that. It would take massive stresses to shear off like what is pictured. I suspect there may be contributing factors.
__________________
Tom and Sherry W.
06 Winnebago Adventurer 38J Workhorse W24 Lots of motor and suspension mods in the works
02 Itasca Suncruiser 35U. Workhorse W22 w/Safe-T-Plus, Koni FSDs, UltraTrac, etc, etc.
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