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10-25-2008, 03:22 PM
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#29
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,264
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Quote:
Originally posted by porscheracer:
I know you've been checking every day for the last 6 months to see if anyone ever answered you.
Yes, it affects the dynamic. Probably not enough to matter, or even be noticeable.
My situation was the reverse of most. The Dakota's baseplate is about 7" higher than my hitch - so we installed an 8" drop hitch in the inverted mode (my siggy is an old pic). It also has the benefit of giving us about 10" of extra "swing" room for those really tight maneuvers.
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Thanks Norm. Since April I have swapped back and forth with the drop receiver and noticed the extra swing with the drop receiver installed. During a turn he toad tracks more in line with the coach and not outside the rear wheels. Have not noticed any problems with sway with the drop receiver either so I am keeping it on.
Thanks for the reply.
mark
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Dawn and Mark
06 HR Endeavor 40 PET
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10-26-2008, 06:41 AM
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#30
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Moderator Emeritus
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Conway, SC
Posts: 23,641
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Quote:
Originally posted by porscheracer:
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The downside is that I can't easily remove my towbar! It's starting to get a little corroded and rusty in places.
__________________
03 Adventurer 38G, Workhorse W22
F&R Track Bars, Safety+ , Ultrapower, Taylor Extremes, SGII
TST 507, Blue Ox, SMI, Koni FSD, CrossFire
RV/MH Hall of Fame - Lifetime Member
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05-19-2009, 01:25 PM
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#31
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Vancouver, USA (WA, that is) the first one!
Posts: 302
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Without a toad brake, I would be scared to death to hook it up behind my 36' gasser with a huge overhang. I run the brake a little high on sensitivity, and upon anything other than gentle normal braking, my red indicator light pops on, and almost immediately I can feel the "comealong" helping with the braking requirements. Also have to admit, my receiver is probably 5-6" above the base plate. Zero problems, so far.
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Ken & Carolee, 1994 36' Pace Arrow/Ford 7.5L, Mobil 1 full syn & Banks Pack. Towing a 1999 Saturn SL2 with Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain & Brake Buddy.
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06-25-2009, 12:23 PM
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#32
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 3
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I'm new here so please bear with me. I see many references to less than 4 inched height differences between the hitch and the attachment tabs on the toad. My Acclaim Manual 292-2205 1/01 Page 4 of 6 clear shows that I should have 7 nches between the center of the ball and the center of the attachment tabs. What is happening?
AJ
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06-25-2009, 01:03 PM
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#33
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,713
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Good question. The instructions differ depending on the type of hitch. Obviously the correct thing is to follow the instructions provided with the hitch (they are available on the Blue Ox site if you don't havethem).
For the Acclaim coupler type it says 7" height difference but then warns NOT to have the tow bar coupler at an angle and that the coupler must be parallel to the ground.
Quote:
Blue Ox tow bars are designed for the coupler to
be parallel to the ground when towing. The
height difference from the center of the attachment
tabs to the center of the 2" ball on the towing
vehicle should be approximately 7 inches. If the
tow bar coupler is at an angle, damage or
accident could occur. See figure below.
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See the Acclaim manual and diagram here:
http://www.blueox.us/Towbars/bx4330.pdf
The pintle hitch version of the same towbar says 4" difference instead of 7" but is otherwise the same warnings.
The Adventurer, also a coupler type, merely warns that the coupler must be parallel to the ground.
For the Aventa and Alladin tow bars it says no more than 4" up to the hitch.
It appears the Acclaim coupler type of drawbar is an exception to the general rule in the original post (Towing Physics 101). Subject, of course, to the requirement that the 7" does not make the coupler end up other than parallel to the ground.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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06-25-2009, 02:07 PM
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#34
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 3
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On the Acclaim the coupler is at an angle with the tow bars. When the coupler is parallel to the ground, the tow bars are at the angle associated with 7 inches on one end and the length of the bars. The picture in the manual is consistent. Given that the manual is corrrect as written and the reader is aware that the coupler can be parallel as an exception to the rule other other products, why do not the laws of physics and safety apply if the label on the product says Acclaim?
AJ
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06-25-2009, 05:25 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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Driver... I'm wondering if we have met fact to face, perhaps the Monday following Thanksgiving, 2006.....
You see. When I got my Damon Intruder I let the dealer measure the height of the tow bar.. I felt it was improper so on my trip west in 2006 my first stop was Benton Harbor... Lunch with my brother who lives on the other side of the state from me (He is a professional driver)
Second stop was Pender, NE. A very nice little campground (less the wind is coming from the stock yards) and a lovely town. Spent the weekend, Had the drop receiver replaced with one that was...(And is) a lot more to my liking, Custom adapter too (You welded on an additinal part to hold my bicycle carrier)
By the way.. I speak highly of Blue Ox.. You folks really treated me right.
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Home is where I park it!
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06-26-2009, 08:35 AM
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#36
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Pond Piggies Club Appalachian Campers Mid Atlantic Campers
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA
Posts: 4,671
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Anyone care to post Blue Ox's manual??
My Roadmaster Sterling tow bar manual is quoted below:
-Tom
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Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA · FMCA 335149 · W3TLN 2005 Suncruiser 38R · W24, no chassis mods needed · 2013 Honda Accord EX-L · 2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
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06-27-2009, 02:43 AM
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#37
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 3
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9. Blue Ox tow bars are designed for the coupler to
be parallel to the ground when towing. The
height difference from the center of the attachment
tabs to the center of the 2" ball on the towing
vehicle should be approximately 7 inches. If the
tow bar coupler is at an angle, damage or
accident could occur. See figure below.
Here is the link to the manual: (I'm not smart enough to paste the figure, but this paragraph and related figure in on page 4 of 6):
http://www.blueox.us/Towbars/bx4330.pdf
AJ
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09-20-2009, 09:17 PM
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#38
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Back at the stix'n'brix - East End, AR.
Posts: 553
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The reason you can't copy and paste it is because it's in an Acrobat pdf file.
The Aventa LX (with an integrated hitch) manual ( http://www.blueox.us/PDFS/BX7445.pdf ) says the mounting pins should be 0 to 4" below the drawbar.
__________________
Norm & Janet
FMCA; WIT; FCOA; Good Sam; Passport
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09-24-2009, 11:39 AM
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#39
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Moderator Emeritus
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Conway, SC
Posts: 23,641
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If the tow bar is slightly uphill from the toad to the motorhome that would great in my opinion. I would feel very cautious if the bar were going downhill from the toad to the motorhome. I would do something about that to at least get the tow bar as level as possible.
I just spoke with Jerry from Blue Ox who is working here at Bounder Rally and Jerry said that in all of seminars he tells people to never tow a car at a negative angle, it adversely affects the tires and suspension on the toad vehicle. One other thing to be concerned about is the leverage that is imparted on the attachment points when the car immediately dives when the brakes on the RV are applied. Once the toad brake kicks in all is well if you have a good auxilliary brake. The rear of the motorhome has a tendency to go upward while the front suspension on the car nose dives into the road surface which isn't a good thing. Just pulling the vehicle down the road with a negative angle can also damage your toad in the event you hit some type of weird road topology.
He also told me that RoadMaster and Sterling say it's OK but if Jerry says it isn't so; then I believe the Blue Ox guy.
A level tow bar is a happy tow bar!
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10-25-2013, 08:43 AM
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#40
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Rural Independence, OR
Posts: 951
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The height difference between the center of the receiver and the center of the baseplate clevis becomes more critical when employing a surge braking system like the NSA ReadyBrake or Blue Ox AutoStop. ReadyBrake and ReadyBrute Elite requirements state baseplate no more than two inches high or low from the receiver and AutoStop requirements state baseplate no more than one or two inches lower but never higher than the receiver. Level is ideal with both systems.
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10-25-2013, 10:16 AM
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#41
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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On another forum I recall reading the story of an RVer (NOT THE POSTER) who had a towed with a very high hitch point.
As he pulled up to the stop light the poster observed his towed climb up and slam into a tire on the back of the motor home, and as he pulled away it WHAMMED back onto the ground (Wonder what that did to it's suspension)
I did not see this myself, nor do I ever care to.
I think I heard the MH should be no more than 3" higher or 4" lower..And that's how mine is, the MH is like 2" higher than the drop receiver I use.
As for using a drop receiver as a Rise receiver if the towed is the higher hitch point.
Yes, makes no difference to the drop/rise receiver if it's installed the other way up..Works the same both ways.
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Home is where I park it!
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10-25-2013, 02:08 PM
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#42
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RV Mutant #14
Winnebago Owners Club Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 17,217
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Well, I guess I got disillusioned because I called Blue Ox and I was told that they have modified their specifications. They now say 3" up or down.
Give them a call with that specific questions. I did and I'm sticking with their new specs, although I'm 1/4 inch from being level.
Edited: From page 2 of the Blue Ox Aventa LX manual: (This is for the newer models. I don't know what year that they started this.)
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Wayne MSGT USMC (Ret) & Earlene (CinCHouse) RVM14 (ARS: KE5QG)
Lexi - Goldendoodle
2015 Winnebago Tour 42QD - 2020 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve
It is what it is, and then it is what you make of it.
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