Have the motorhome, bought the toad - now what?

[jndcruisers]

I have a '99 Dutchstar diesel pusher that is rated to tow 10kLBS and have been RVing the last year and a half, mostly on weekends.  We recently decided we wanted the flexibility of having a tow vehicle for our extended trips and it was time for a new every day vehicle so we bought a 2012 Cadillac SRX a couple of weeks ago. We read that we can tow four down with this SUV and confirmed it with the dealership before we took delivery. So getting back to the subject line, we have the motorhome and we have a tow vehicle, but I really don't know what all I need to get and/or have done to the car. Although I can do DIY projects, I don't think this is one I'm willing to undertake. I could go to Camping World or two area dealers in Fort Worth, TX (Vogt RV or Pro Sales RV) but I'm a little concerned they may have high margin products they will push that won't necessarily be the best solution for what I have. Where should I have this done? (Cadillac said they wouldn't touch it, btw) The rig already has a weight distributed hitch and the prior owner had some sort of Remco device installed.

So where do I go from here? I know very little about what equipment to buy and the differences between some of the different products. For example, what are the differences between a $500 tow bar and a $1000 tow bar? I do know I will want some sort of protective guard to shield the front of the SUV but don't know if that matters in which tow bar to get. Also, I have the standard 'Newmar' mud/rock flap on the coach but have seen other Newmar motorhomes that tow a vehicle with a different guard. I don't know if those owners found the standard flap doesn't protect the tow vehicle adequately and should be replaced or what. As you can see, I'm the toad newb so any help, suggestions, and advice is appreciated!

 

[ArdraF]

Janddcruisers,

I'm sure other people will chime in, but to get it started, two of the biggest tow bar manufacturers are Roadmaster and Blue Ox.  Both are reputable and are what most of us use.  We've had Roadmasters on several motorhomes and are quite happy with the product.  If you attend any large rallies such as FMCA they're often present and will come around and service your tow bar.  They often have a tent set up for larger jobs as well.  I believe Blue Ox does the same thing.

I'm glad your Cadillac dealer passed on the tow package installation.  You definitely need to have it done by people who are experts, especially because you're not yet familiar with what's involved.

While you're waiting for other people's comments, you can use the Search button above for terms like Roadmaster or Blue Ox and you also can peruse the Towing and Towables message board.  There have been numerous threads through the years pertaining to towing and what's needed, such as the tow bar and appropriate plates.

ArdraF

 

[taoshum]

FWIW, go to a RV place and learn about tow plates, tow bars, lights and brakes.  While you are trying to recover from the "estimate shock" they will give you, you can decide whether you wanna pay them to do it or at least do part of it yourself.  There's only a few companies that make this stuff, RoadMaster, BlueOx, DemCo and ReadyBrake... maybe some others.  The tow plates are vehicle specific, the tow bars are sold by tow capacity and there are many brake options.  The "library" on this forum has a lot of info.  Check it out.  The least expensive approach is to find someone who has been towing the same vehicle and wants to sell the whole assembly, although they usually want to include the RV, LOL.  My 2 cents, FWIW.

 

[Dar]

Baseplate, towbar, lighting, braking & protection. Sounds overwhelming because it can be, just one item at a time and you'll keep your sanity ;D . I provided a protection suggestion, you will get tons of suggestions on the rest so I will leave that to them. I love our setup and wouldn't change a thing but having a DP gives you some different braking options that other DP owners will attest to. Good luck and congrads on your MH/tow car union.

 

[ArdraF]

Do you have air brakes in your DP?  If so, your auxiliary braking system can be tied into the motorhome's air brake system and daily hookup is a lot easier because there's no "box" to hook up at the driver's seat floor.  The air line goes between the motorhome and the toad and when you put the motorhome brakes on, the toad's also go on.

Auxiliary braking systems are a huge safety feature and required in many states and all the provinces.  They prevent jackknifing of the toad on downgrades.  More important, they "save" the service brakes so you have them when you need them.  If you've ever been in hills and watched a vehicle with air brakes going downhill, it may appear they're "riding" their brakes when in fact they put the air brakes on at the top of the hill and keep them on until the vehicle passes the point of gaining unwanted downhill speed.  We have a Jake Brake on this motorhome and we had a Pac Brake on our previous one and I've loved them both, especially out here in the west where we have very long grades (such as 15-20 miles).

ArdraF

 

[Jim Godward]

>>I have a '99 Dutchstar diesel pusher that is rated to tow 10kLBS<<

Check carefully as I believe the hitch that came on the '99 DS was rated for 5000# and not the full 10,000#.  I know that the hitch on my 2001 DS was rated for only 5,000#.  I recently changed it out for a different hitch but only added 1,000# of capability so I now have a 6,000# hitch which is more that adequate for my Grand Cherokee.  Also be sure to check the GCWR for that MH as I believe the MH itself s rated for 27,500# plus the additional for towing in the GCWR.  How heavy is the car?

Take it to Vogt RV and talk to "Brent" one of the RV techs there.  He participates in the "newmarowners" list on Yahoo
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newmarowners/
and has been highly recommended by local members of that group. 

 

[jndcruisers]

Thanks for the replies to date.

So is it accurate to say a base plate is a base plate so long as you buy one specific to your vehicle? If so, that seems like it will be hard for me to screw up at least the purchase of it. ;D

The curb weight for the SRX is about 4300 LBS. The previous owner of the rig may have upgraded the hitch as it is weight distributed and claims it is rated for 10K LBS. It will be something I double check with the installer but in either case it seems like I should be covered.

I do have an air brake system. Not having to hook up the extra box on the drivers seat floor would be nice. I assume there is still something I'll need to buy for the aux braking system for the car?

The protection system that Dar posted - I haven't seen that set up before. Would that be preferable to the ~$400 plastic guard I've seen some folks use with their tow vehicle? If anything, your suggestion FINALLY explains why the rig has the eye hooks in the bumper. I've wondered why those were there when I bought the rig, I presume the previous owner had a similar set up.

Thanks for the suggestion to post to the Newmar group. I am a member (mostly a lurker) but will see what those fine folks recommend as well.

So as far as driving is concerned, it took a little getting use to handling the 38' coach but now turns and overall driving is a pleasure versus the white knuckles I had the first several outings. I've read driving with a tow vehicle is practically the same as without. Is that a true statement or am I in for more white knuckles? Also, is the connect/disconnect a two person job or will I be able to get everything hooked up by myself?

In terms of my goal for equipment, I'm looking for the easiest way to connect/disconnect and the fewest number of steps to decrease the number of things I might forget and damage my car. While I'm not made of money by any stretch, I don't mind paying a little more to buy a quality solution that will last me and stay with me for years to come -- especially if it might save me from some chipped paint on the car (best case) or an incident that could harm others (worst case).

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and tips. I really appreciate it.

Jeff

 

[Dar]

So is it accurate to say a base plate is a base plate so long as you buy one specific to your vehicle? If so, that seems like it will be hard for me to screw up at least the purchase of it. ;D

We chose Blue Ox for the baseplate because of where the connection nibs ended up we would not need a drop receiver on the MH as compared to the other base plates we looked at. Additional it was quicker/easier to just remove the nibs and have the front end clean with no add'l bars on the front. I understand that other manufacturers have immitated the design since 2009 and therefore it may be irrelivant.

The protection system that Dar posted - I haven't seen that set up before. Would that be preferable to the ~$400 plastic guard I've seen some folks use with their tow vehicle? If anything, your suggestion FINALLY explains why the rig has the eye hooks in the bumper. I've wondered why those were there when I bought the rig, I presume the previous owner had a similar set up.

Sorry, I should have clerified why I recomended it. I asked the same question a while back and basically it came down to the long mud flap is mostly show & does nothing (at least most responses reflected this) and the plastic guards on the front of the toad apparently has a tendency of reflecting rocks/gravel to the back of the MH and created damage there. The one I linked to has a great rep for protecting the toad, MH back end and the tow bar, also helps to keep all cleaner.

 

[ArdraF]

I do have an air brake system. Not having to hook up the extra box on the drivers seat floor would be nice. I assume there is still something I'll need to buy for the aux braking system for the car?

We got the M&G braking system.  Go to the M&G web site:  http://m-gengineering.com

ArdraF

 

[Tin man]

I was in your shoes in June I researched on this blog and bought thr blue ox and the air force 1 and have been satisfied.  I just emailed blue ox today Sunday because I lost a few pieces because of my learning curve or lck of it and about a half hour ago blue ox called me to tell me they were going to ship me he lost pieces. SUNDAY! 

I wanted to give them my credit card and they refused.

What more can I say.

Jim W

 

[Jim Godward]

Jeff,

>>So is it accurate to say a base plate is a base plate so long as you buy one specific to your vehicle? If so, that seems like it will be hard for me to screw up at least the purchase of it. ;D<<

Yes, each of the towbar makers have base plates for their system but also have adapters to mate the base plate with any of the other makers towbars.

>>The curb weight for the SRX is about 4300 LBS. <<

That is comparable to my Grand Cherokee.  I use a Demco Commander towbar with a Demco baseplate and have no problem hooking up alone although my wife usually drives the towed to position it for me.  I can do it myself but it is easier if she does it.

>>I do have an air brake system. Not having to hook up the extra box on the drivers seat floor would be nice. I assume there is still something I'll need to buy for the aux braking system for the car?<<

I have the BrakeMaster from Roadmaster.  This system requires I place a device in the drivers area to push the brake pedal.  The M&G modifies the position of the master cylinder in the car and I didn't want to do that, thus the choice of the Brakemaster.

>>The protection system that Dar posted - I haven't seen that set up before. <<

That system is a good one.  I use the one for the front of the car that attaches to the towbar/baseplate.  The one I have is from Demco and is slanted forward so debris hitting it is deflected down to the roadway.  In over 15 years, I have had no signficant problems even on gravel roads here in MT.  I do have pitting of the windshield but so does everyone else  in MT!   I have more damage from the roads while driving them in the GC than the over 60,000 miles of towing the GC.

 

[Mavarick]

I do have an air brake system. Not having to hook up the extra box on the drivers seat floor would be nice. I assume there is still something I'll need to buy for the aux braking system for the car?

I just started looking into the Invisibrake system. A friend is using a similar system and this is the latest if you want to avoid using a brake box in the toad. So far it looks like the simplest once it is installed and I have not heard or found any negative feedback.
http://www.roadmasterinc.com/products/braking/invisibrake/index.html

 

[Bob Maxwell]

The US Gear Break makes use of the brakes on the vehicle without having to have a pedal pusher. It is part of the setup I had installed on my Nisan Frontier Crew Cab Nismo 4x4. I put in a complete Blue Ox system, Remco Drive Shaft Disconnect and the US Gear Brake on top of a 1st install of a Jake brake in my 94 Suncruiser DP. We've some long grades here in the west.

I researched a lot of threads on the subject and I've total confidence in this system and the truck itself.

My 1st major trip with it is next week to Dallas and we're getting excited!

 

[caltex]

I just started looking into the Invisibrake system.

I looked at systems that used the brake light signal to activate the toad brakes, but on my motorhome at the time, the brake lights came on whenever the engine brake activated.  On long downgrades, I was concerned that the toad brakes would be on all the way down the hill.

 

[Mavarick]

I looked at systems that used the brake light signal to activate the toad brakes, but on my motorhome at the time, the brake lights came on whenever the engine brake activated.  On long downgrades, I was concerned that the toad brakes would be on all the way down the hill.

Bob, I was concerned about this as well. The Invisibrake uses a pressure adjustment dial to set the pressure for the toad's brakes regarding how hard they apply. When using the system with an exhaust brake the toad's brakes come on for 15 sec then release automatically. If for some reason they come on for 20 sec or longer it rings an audible alarm in the cab so the driver knows something is wrong or he is riding the brake pedal. All in all I thought it was a plus.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

In the better brake-activated systems, the toad brake is trigger from the brake light switch, not the brake lights themselves. A diode prevents the brake light current from back-feeding into the toad brake circuit, so the engine/exhaust brake doesn't trigger it.

In a system like the Brakemaster or M&G, there is no electrical trigger. The toad brake is air-pressure driven from the coach air brakes.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The difference in tow bars is convenience. The high end models, Blue Ox Aventa LX and Roadmaster All-Terrain models, are easier to hook-up and detach under a wide variety of conditions. I think the extra money is well-spent if you do it often. And the older you get, the more you appreciate "easy".

 

[Bob Maxwell]

The difference in tow bars is convenience. The high end models, Blue Ox Aventa LX and Roadmaster All-Terrain models, are easier to hook-up and detach under a wide variety of conditions. I think the extra money is well-spent if you do it often. And the older you get, the more you appreciate "easy".

I resemble that remark!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Me too, Bob. In fact, I'm starting to exemplify it!

 

[taoshum]

Where's Sarge?  He's not so happy with B. Ox.  They are easy though