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okiegirl2u · 04-14-2019, 02:13 PM

We have the Class C scheduled for a steering stabilizer Saf T Plus upgrade in hopes of improving handling especially while towing. Today we ran across a great deal on a Fiat Abarth so we have decided to forego trying to tow the F150 . The weight was so close on the truck; we decided the Fiat was a better choice and it was priced right. We have Blue Ox Aventa Tow bar; 10,000 lbs rated. I assume their is not a reason we can’t use it on the Fiat ? Hoping we can use it; and just add base plate to Fiat. What about braking? The Fiat weighs 2500 lb.s compared to the F150 at 5,900 ; do we really need a brake. If so, recommendations? The F150 has the Roadmaster Invisibrake and it has been great system but I am hoping not to need to something or at least not that expensive. Thanks!

Old-Biscuit · 04-14-2019, 02:21 PM

Which transmission?

6 speed AUTO.........NOPE---has to be on dolly
5 speed MANUAL...Yes can be towed 4 down

Confirm in owners manual
http://http://test-m.tsintl.fiatusa....als/index.html

Healeyman · 04-14-2019, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okiegirl2u

What about braking?

Dan,

I know 2 guys currently towing MANUAL 500s. 1 in our RV group. Neither of them use an auxillary braking system.

I have towed 3 MANUAL 2,400+# Miatas over 75,000 miles without a brake and know more than 100 Miata towers who do not use a brake. I have physically checked my stopping difference with and without the Miata and see NO increase with.

That said, I would suggest that you increase your following distance and be especially alert for a lane-jumper ahead of you.

Tim

okiegirl2u · 04-14-2019, 04:18 PM

Great, that is what we were thinking on the brake. Thanks ! And yes, it is manual shift tranny.

johnhicks · 04-14-2019, 09:34 PM

I towed a Chevy Tracker with a Roadmaster brake system and all was well. When the Tracker died I replaced it with a Fiat 500 with no brake.

Perhaps the experts could explain how I boiled my brake fluid in _flat Florida_. The pedal going to the floor was rather unwelcome.

The Fiat will have a brake before I head out again. Unfortunately the Roadmaster will not work so it's another $1500. It's just money....

okiegirl2u · 04-15-2019, 12:21 PM

Ugh ! Sorry about that brake John. That doesn’t sound good. Our coach is only 24’ ; we are going to give it a couple short trips . If we don’t like it we will put brake on. For today we will wait a minute while we recover from the Fiat purchase and the new baseplate . Thank goodness we had everything else; I forgot how expensive the set up is. I can’t remember how much the invisabrake cost installled but I do remember they were pretty proud of it. Lol

johnhicks · 04-15-2019, 08:57 PM

I was lucky getting the baseplate installed on the Fiat in southern Indiana; I found a mechanic who had never done it before but had a lift and was willing to try because I had installed the baseplate, lights and Brakemaster system in my old Tracker. One of us held parts, one held the power driver and the other read the instructions. And now we have a baseplate installer in Charlestown, Indiana. <g>

Unfortunately the Brakemaster won't work with the Fiat because of the brake pedal design. Since I was unable to get a brake system installed there or on the the way I pulled the Fiat down to Florida and that last 80-mile stretch may have been a stretch too far. The GVWR is about 20,000 and we're right at 20,000 or just above not to mention the 2350# car; I think we were just overloaded and the brake fluid was a little tired.

We're staying here a year or two for repair and refit and part of that will of course be sorting out the MH brakes and the toad brakes. I'm leaning toward the Stay-in-Play Duo for simplicity's sake. It'll be tough staying in south central Florida at a cheap CG but I think we'll manage. We've been on the road moving often for the past three years and it's time to stop and fix things.

I've had a couple of knowledgeable RV mechanics tell me that the MH is more than capable of handling a lightweight toad without a brake. And they're right as long as all is optimum. But on a hot day in Florida running up to 45-50 and then stopping over and over with three-year-old brake fluid in an overloaded MH, all was not optimum.