New to Flat Towing

I'm getting to the age where I really don't want to climb underneath my tow dolly to hook up my toad anymore. The wife and I planned on getting a new car this or next year and after doing considerable research, we've decided to buy a 2018 Chevy Equinox, wanting a crossover SUV that can be flat towed. Now, I have to determine the best equipment to have installed to do the job. It seems all the hitch installers here in town as well as my RV mechanic think Blue Ox is the best and I don't disagree as far as the face plate and tow bars are concerned. I'd appreciate opinions from those of you familiar with the equipment as well as its competition. I'm thinking of getting an Ascent, since it's aluminum and weighs less, and also is adjustable as opposed to fixed when trying to connect.

The brake system, though, is where my mechanic and I break away from Blue Ox since it appears from their website the only system they have is the Patriot, which is a portable system. My mechanic is of the opinion that portable systems can oftentimes fail because they can turn over or become dislodged between the brake pedal and the seat during turns. I don't mind having a permanent installation made for several reasons and am looking for opinions of what may be the best. We won't be trading this car so I don't have to worry about portability and I would prefer to already have the system installed so I don't have to mess with it every time I hook up the toad. So far, I have looked at the SMI DUO and the Roadmaster Invisibrake. Since the Invisibrake has a built in battery charger, it seems more practical and will negate the need to install a charger and voltage regulator that my mechanic indicated would be required. If anyone has experience with either of these systems, please share.

I've used the SMI Stay N Play Duo for several years, trouble free.

Look into Ready Brute tow bar with brake.  Worked for me and a lot of others.  True proportional braking and less expensive than the electronic/air/vacuum systems out there. I had Blue Ox base plates on four different vehicles and swear by them.  Also have had Blue Ox tow bars, but I prefer the simplicity of the Ready Brute tow bar.

I use roadmaster and brake buddy. No issues at all.

Most dealers recommend what they carry.

I have a BLue Ox and really like it.. Only thign that might be better is an add on for the Blue ox and that's the Readdy Brute with Readdy stop and Readdy brake.

I mean. Tow bar and brakes all in one. don't get better than that

To find out if you can tow google Remco Towing and find the proper link to enter your Ride's (Towed's) Vital Statistics, Make, Model year engine and tranny and such.

They will let you know what. if anything to add. Do not feel the need to take their advice on Tow bars or brakes, but do for Lube Pumps. Axle locks (You might not like that) or Drive Shaft Disconnect

The axle lock you have to get down and reach behind a wheel. you mentioned not liking getting down and up.

I'm interested in where this thread leads too.
Where would you get this stuff installed?

Road master is the only base plate manufacturer that admits to fitting my 2018 Explorer.

John,
I am sure you have done your homework, but the 2.0 L is NOT flat towable, nor is the 1.5 L AWD model.  The ones listed as flat towable on Remco include the 1.5 L FWD  and the 1.6 L diesel, FWD or AWD.

yolo said:

Look into Ready Brute tow bar with brake.  Worked for me and a lot of others.  True proportional braking and less expensive than the electronic/air/vacuum systems out there. I had Blue Ox base plates on four different vehicles and swear by them.  Also have had Blue Ox tow bars, but I prefer the simplicity of the Ready Brute tow bar.

Click to expand...

Bill, I love your signature line and wish I had thought of it myself.

I just researched the Ready Brute Elite, which is the tow bar plus brake built in. It sounds too good to be true and quite inexpensive. But I have one question before falling in love with it. I have surge brakes on my tow dolly now and am used to how they work, and thus far, am happy with them, so I am interested in this setup. But please tell me: if this works with surge only and no electrical, vacuum or air pressure, how does it work a dead brake pedal? I am under the impression from reading the other manufacturer's websites that you need vacuum or air pressure to pump back up the dead brake pedal on a car that doesn't have the engine running.

If this is a viable option, I'll definitely consider it due to the price and convenience. But I need to know if it really works as it is supposed to.

My second question is: how do you get this installed? I'm guessing I could install the brake line myself and therefore, would only need the base plate and electrical installed by my mechanic or hitch dealer. But will any reputable hitch dealer or mechanic be willing to install half of the system and allow me to do the rest?

John - thanks for the advice, but I already researched out what models I would need to consider and what needs to be done with them. I have the Remco and Motorhome Magazine Dinghy reports from 2011 to 2018 loaded on my computer and iPhone. One reason I chose the Equinox is because it requires no modifications, drive shaft drops or tranny lube pumps.

I'll be interested in hearing from anyone else who has used the Ready Brute system because it seems to be a very good and viable alternative to the more expensive individually pieced and priced systems.

Grashley - I have already researched this and know I have to get a 1.5L 2wd engine. This has already been discussed with the dealer. Thanks for the advice.

I have been running blue ox tow bar and invisibrake for years and love it. I ran the 12volt supply from the coach instead of using the Jeep battery. Also installed the aux bulbs in my rear taillights so it does not use the vehicles battery. My wife and I can hook and unhook in less than 2mins. Makes it nice when it is raining. We love the set up. Close to 20k miles and never any problems.

The ReadyBrute Elite/ReadyBrake system works quite well with a "dead" brake pedal in most cases, just as the portable systems do. With the ReadyBrake system installed, it's easy to test to see if the optional vacuum pump would make any noticeable difference. Just run a preselected route with a number of stops, varying the braking to note the differences. Then rerun the same route with the toad engine running to maintain brake booster vacuum for a comparison. If you don't notice any significant difference, as most wouldn't, then save your money. if you do decide to add the pump, it's a pretty easy installation, requiring just the insertion of a 'T' in the existing booster vacuum line. Everything needed comes with the pump. We've towed over 50,000 miles with our ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system and Blue OX base plate with no significant problems.

I've used the SMI Stay N Play Duo for several years, trouble free and so easy to flick the on or off switch once I hooked up to the Blue Ox bars. Love how well it operates and stops the Cadillac SRX being towed behind my little motorhome.

Check out the Blue Ox install instructions before you jump in.  Blue Ox wanted me to hack the rad support apart to install on our CRV where as the Roadmaster was a simple bolt on.

Where are you located? 

Southwest Driveline in Yuma AZ is an excellent shop that could do everything for you.

Arch Hoagland said:

Where are you located? 

Southwest Driveline in Yuma AZ is an excellent shop that could do everything for you.

Click to expand...

That's the other side of the country for me. I'm in SW Florida.

John,I have towed a 2007 saturn outlook,with a blue ox base plate and the ready brute towbar with intergrated brake system ,no problems with the surge brake,I later bought a 2011 chevy HHR installed a blue ox baseplate 0n it i am still using the same tow bar and will probably use it till i no longer RV.cant go wrong with it.We have travelled thousands of miles across this great nation with out any towing problems.

They don't seem to get a lot of press, but Demco makes some pretty good baseplates too.

Whether the Ready Brute Elite is great or a PITA depends largely on the ease of installing the brake cable. On some late model cars, finding a path from the base plate area through the fire wall to the brake pedal mechanism can be a major challenge. Or even impossible.  A transverse engine mount in a small car doesn't often leave a straight path for the brake cable.  I have no idea how to install it on an '18 Equinox, so I offer this only as a caution and not a condemnation. A properly set up Ready Brute Elite works fine and is an economical solution.

The ReadyBrute Elite or ReadyBrake cable does not need a straight path to the firewall since the cable housing is fairly flexible. The cable also does not need to pass through the firewall directly in line with the brake peddle arm, but rather can be 3-4 inches off center if needed. An off center cable just uses a different attachment method than the standard clamp arrangement. Even double wall firewalls don't create significant cable routing challenges. All installations require a bit of thought and careful measuring before punching holes in the firewall, but it isn't rocket science. I've done installations where I used wedges to temporarily hold brake or fuel lines out of the way while I drilled through the firewall, and others where the lines required slight relocating or bending, but it was all doable. Installing the ReadyStop cable can be a little more problematic at times though, since it doesn't use a housing and does need a relatively straight pull path. The ReadyStop actuator doesn't need to be centered though, giving it quite a bit of flexibility in mounting locations.

If I wanted to I could route the cable off to one side, bring it in at a 90 degree angle (or most any other) and it would still work

HOW can you do that... Use a Pulley like US Gear does on the Unified braked decelerator

The major issue with the Ready brake is salt and corrosion.. Just like the parking brake. Same cable in fact (Well same type)

I've been using the same ReadyBrake cable assembly on two different toads since 2008, including winter conditions in upstate NY, with no noticeable corrosion issues. I spray dry silicone into the cable housing annually, but no other maintenance has been needed on the toad installation.