I'm going flat

[Scottybee]

I've decided to switch over to flat towing my toad. Which means I need a new (or new to me) toad. Wife say's has to be SUV so I'm thinking Jeep Cherokee. Also like Ford Escape Hybrid and would like to hear any other suggestions.
I have a 16 Winnebago Adventurer on the F-53 chassis. So the hitch is very high. Does a tow bar need to be at the same height as the baseplate on the car?
What is the best tow bar and braking system? Is the ready brute any good?

[BCam]

Originally Posted by Scottybee

Does a tow bar need to be at the same height as the baseplate on the car?

Different manufacturers may have different specs but usually it's +/- 3" from level. Make sure you measure on flat ground, loaded for travel.

[2 Stroker]

Like BCam said +or- 3" ready for the road. I like the Roadmaster setup. I have the 6" high-low hitch and it's right on. I also like the Ford Edge an EZ tow, mine is a 2011 also we use the tow defender works great.
2stroker

[asuperheat]

I think the tow bar is what you get use to, I use Blue Ox. On my second one. Mostly because I use a after market bumper to tow with and no base plate. They have the accessories to make that work and I prefer to not have a base plate because I off-road with my jeep. It aslo makes it much cleaner when not being towed.

I do also like the Roadmaster tow bars and will look at them next time I shop for one.

[phil-t]

Originally Posted by 2 Stroker

Like BCam said +or- 3" ready for the road. I like the Roadmaster setup. I have the 6" high-low hitch and it's right on. I also like the Ford Edge an EZ tow, mine is a 2011 also we use the tow defender works great.
2stroker

2stroker, is there a reason your tow defender is riding on top of your towbar? I just purchased one and it is installed under the towbar and associated tow components.

[georgelesley]

On flat ground measure your motorhome hitch height then call all the baseplate makers you are interested in and find out which is highest off the ground. For our Jeep Cherokee that was Demco. We still needed a 4” drop hitch to get the bar within Demco specs for level.

We have been very satisfied with the Jeep and the Demco setup including their duo braking system. Not the cheapest, but we like are happy with it.

Considering what we spend on the MH to begin with and the toad, a few dollars saved on a towing setup seemed foolish to us, spend the money and get what you want and feel safe with.

[Lued]

Really like our 99 Jeep Cherokee ,sport or classic will work, we have tow 18 years no problems . I like the one 1998 to 2001 4x4

[153stars]

The ready brute gets good reviews on here as well as their add on brake that goes on front of other brands tow bar. Their break away unit adds to price when other electric systems is included . I have seen reduced prices of original units as the 2nd gen rolls out.
The jeeps and Cherokee are very popular near top. The high teen year Cherokees need/highly recommended extra harness for electric steering .

[triplewide]

Originally Posted by Scottybee

I've decided to switch over to flat towing my toad. Which means I need a new (or new to me) toad. Wife say's has to be SUV so I'm thinking Jeep Cherokee. Also like Ford Escape Hybrid and would like to hear any other suggestions.
I have a 16 Winnebago Adventurer on the F-53 chassis. So the hitch is very high. Does a tow bar need to be at the same height as the baseplate on the car?
What is the best tow bar and braking system? Is the ready brute any good?

We tow a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with a Miramar 34.2. F53, V10. Using a Roadmaster Sterling AllTerrain tow bar, with a 2" drop adapter.
Invisibrake braking system.

Previous toad was a 2002 Grand Cherokee with Invisibrake.


Good things about the Jeep Cherokee toad:

"Base plate" is just 2 adapters that bolt in place of the two front tow hooks on the Traihawk.

Cherokee Trailhawk is a little lighter than than the Grand Cherokee.

Not so good things about the Traihawk:

Installation of the "base plates" require removal of the grill and front fenders

2017 and older require "anti wobble" harness install.

Invisibrake install required removal of driver's seat, driver and passenger door and moldings.


Anti wobble harness required removal of center console and engine fuse block assembly.


Complete tow setup on toad took me about 40 hours over 10 days. Old man tinkering in the garage pace. Probably take a good shop 10-20 hours.



The Ford Hybrid may be a better choice from a setup point of view. You can get adapters for your hitch sleeve that will get you easily within +/_ 2" of level regardless of brands for the tow bar and baseplate.


My most liked items are:
Invisibrake system, nothing to hook and unhook when towing.
All Terrain tow bar, handles uneven ground very well without binding.


Some adapters:


https://www.amazon.com/Kuat-Racks-Hi...8814493&sr=8-4


https://www.amazon.com/Roadmaster-07...8814557&sr=8-6

[Roy-c]

We use the Ready Brute system with our 2015 Jeep Wrangler and are very happy with it. Easy DIY install, fast hookup and disconnect and all self contained and mechanical. KISS design. No extra wiring, air hoses or complicated control units.

[bludog87]

We tow the Ford Escape Hybrid and love it. Used Blue Ox with stay-in-play duo and line charger.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Scottybee

I've decided to switch over to flat towing my toad. Which means I need a new (or new to me) toad. Wife say's has to be SUV so I'm thinking Jeep Cherokee. Also like Ford Escape Hybrid and would like to hear any other suggestions.
I have a 16 Winnebago Adventurer on the F-53 chassis.

I have not heard weight mentioned yet. I looked at the specs for the 2016 Adventurer and your towing capacity will vary depending on exactly which model you have.

What are your GVWR and GCWR ratings?

GCWR minus GVWR = the amount of weight you can tow without needing to restrict what you carry in the motorhome.

The 22,000 GVWR chassis is 4,000 lbs while the 24,000 lb chassis is 6,000 lbs BUT a 5,000 lb hitch is usually installed on both.

The "curb weight" is the very low end of what the towed car will weigh when being towed.

Ray

[2 Stroker]

Originally Posted by phil-t

2stroker, is there a reason your tow defender is riding on top of your towbar? I just purchased one and it is installed under the towbar and associated tow components.

I don't see how it can be mounted under your tow bar, you can't hook up the bar to the mounts as seen in the videos. I have been running this way of over 5 years. I also have the hard rock guard called the Alaska Package.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...r/RM-4700.html
Protect a tow is the only one I know of that goes under the tow bar, my daughter has one and they have had to fix there cover a few times, plus when you unhook you have to wad it up where mine is on all the time rolled up when not in use.

https://www.amazon.com/Protect-Tow-M...-1&tag=mh0b-20

2 stroker

[BCam]

Originally Posted by Roy-c

We use the Ready Brute system with our 2015 Jeep Wrangler and are very happy with it. Easy DIY install, fast hookup and disconnect and all self contained and mechanical. KISS design. No extra wiring, air hoses or complicated control units.

Another vote for the Ready Brute. I have the Ready Brake since I already had a tow bar but, if I was starting from scratch, I'd get the Ready Brute. In addition to the advantages mentioned by Roy-c, it's much less expensive than many of the other options.