INSTRUCTOR: Steve Koehn
This is about pulling cars behind motorhome.
Two dominant players on towbars, mounting brackets, and towing equipment -- Blue Ox and Roadmaster
Drawbacks to tow dollies: Initial cost (but some towbar packages cost as much or more); maintenance, licensing, insurance, storage costs. Some CGs don't have space for them. Today most people will choose towbars because of convenience. Easy to hook up, light weight, little maintenance cost.
10 years ago it was simple deal. $100 ought to cover it. But some packages cost thousands. Self aligning, self storing, ease of use, etc.
Most cars will require a mounting bracket. They come in two different styles, reflecting the two companies. Blue Ox uses under bumper mounts. RoadMaster built platfor that stuck out in front of bumber, and can store the towbar on top. It was the first self-aligning towbar. Next step was Blue Ox designed towbar which left towbar on back of motorhome, rather than in front of the tow car. This accommodated taller MHs with small cars, as it eliminated the need for a ball hitch. So Roadmaster saw benefit and adopted that style, with the Falcon. Blue Ox has Aventa or Alladdin (steel/aluminium). These differences can be difficult to visualize. The important think is to have the dealer talk you all the way through the entire process of hooking up and detaching your toad. How many steps are involved? How many "pieces" are involved? How easy is it to do on your particular tow car?
Safety cables. Federally required. But always cross them, so the cables will "cradle" the towbar if it should come loose. Also, it equalizes length of cable on corners.
Tow Cars: Which cars can be towed? Honda is a good tow vehicle, even though they don't specifically endorse doing so. Saturn is highly towable. Jeep Grand Cherokee is a popular choice. It's important to choose the "right" towable. See www.towingworld.com
Towed Vehicle Braking Systems
More consumers are taking an interest in this subject. The British Columbia statute required auxilliary braking systems for towing in BC -- and for a period they enforced it. Also Ford & Chevy chassis began saying in their limitations that max towing design was under 2,000 pounds. Today there are is no significant enforcement on braking systems, even though most states require and enforce auxilliary braking systems on normal travel trailers over a relatively low threshold weight limit. Since the laws on toads are already there, there is potential liabiiity in the future.
It's therefore essentially a safety consideration. The urgency for an auxilliary braking system depends in part on comparing the size of motorhome versus size of toad.
Three basic approaches to braking systems.
1. Mechancal surge break in Autostop (Blue Ox). When MH brakes applied, toad pushes against receiver. That movement is translated into mechanical application of toad brakes. Anytime the toad's brakes are working, a light on the dash confirms they're working. Drawbacks: Needs to be level; and can't back up. To do so would be to apply the brakes on the toad. Something would give... By federal law, every car needs to be able to stop w/out power assist, thus the fact there is no "power" brake in operation is overcome. Two hour installation. It's adjustable so that easily changed to ease off on braking when e.g. downhill using an exhaust brake you don't wear out toad brakes.
2. Hydrolic brakes. Problem here is most people don't want to assume the liability. Complex, cost, installation time, risks.
3. Air systems. Generally use air system to push the brake down.
Many are non-proportional systems, meaning in panic stop, you'll get standard braking.
How easy are these things to hook up? Be sure to check that when looking at braking systems.
Breakaway systems. Most people aren't using breakaway systems. Braking systems are outselling breakaway systems by over 100 to 1.