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by Rick Andersen

Towing a vehicle behind your motorhome can be a pleasant experience and allow you the flexibility to enjoy your lifestyle to its fullest. When it comes to seeing the sights, running to town for supplies or taking day trips, your towed vehicle will allow you a convenient option.

Towing Options

There are three ways to bring your towed car with you and you need to decide which option best suits your needs.

Transport Units/Trailers

The first one is using a trailer that allows you to raise all four wheels of your towed vehicle off of the ground. These are most commonly used with vehicles like Corvettes, Lexus or classic cars. Transport Units will vary in price from $1500 to $6000. 

Tow Dollies

The next option is a tow dolly. These get the front wheels of the towed vehicle off the ground. There are some advantages to using a dolly: 

By putting a front wheel drive vehicle on a dolly you will not need a lube pump or other device to make the vehicle towable.

Tow dollies are useful for vehicles you don’t want to or can’t tow 4 wheels down.

Dollies are a great option if you intend to use it with multiple vehicles or want to time-share it with friends. 

If braking is a concern, be sure to check if the manufacturer has this option available for immediate or possible future use.

Tow Bars

The final & most popular choice is to tow all 4 wheels down using a tow bar. The main reason for choosing a tow bar is convenience. Tow bars give you the least amount of equipment to deal with to tow your vehicle. The biggest disadvantage with dollies and trailers is what to do with them when you get to the campground. Many campgrounds do not have room to let you park a trailer or dolly on your site along with your motorhome and towed vehicle. In most cases you would have to unhook the trailer and park it somewhere away from your campsite. With a tow bar you can unhook and the towing equipment will fold up and stay with your motorhome or your car and not take up any additional parking space. A tow bar is also lighter to carry than a dolly or trailer and prices for a tow bar start out lower than either a dolly or a trailer.

There are three general types of tow bars available: (1) Self-Aligning Motorhome Mounted (Blue Ox Aventa II or Aladdin), (2) Self-Aligning Car Mounted (Blue Ox Acclaim) and (3) Rigid A-Frame (Blue Ox Ambassador). When choosing a tow bar, dolly or trailer be sure to check on the support that will be available as you travel across the country. Some smaller companies do not have the dealer network or ability to help you after the sale.

Rigid A-Frame

Rigid tow bars, as their name implies, are a solid welded tow bar without any adjustment to give you help hooking up. When you hookup you must drive the towed vehicle to the exact spot which will allow you to put the tow bar’s coupler on the ball of the tow vehicle. It is often a two-person job, one driving while the other holds the tow bar up and guides the driver. Rigid tow bars are the least expensive and generally some of the lightest tow bars you can buy. If you are in good health and have a driver you can trust that can help each time you hook-up this may be an option for you. Also, if you only tow once or twice a year this may be the type of tow bar for you situation. Rigid tow bars generally have to be removed from the car and stored when you are not using them.

Self Aligning

Self-aligning tow bars provide you with the opportunity to hook up by yourself. The self-aligning feature allows you to drive up close to the motorhome and then let the tow bar adjust to the vehicle’s position. Then the tow bar will extend out to its rigid tow position as you pull ahead with the motorhome. Many users have called these tow bars temper savers and marriage savers. The choice between car mounted or motorhome mounted is a choice you will need to make.

Car Mounted

Car mounted self-aligning tow bars were the first folding self-aligning tow bars built. They were the industry standard for several years. When you are not towing with these tow bars they will fold and stay on the front of your car. Most models also have a quick release system so they can be taken off quickly and easily. This type of tow bar has served people who deliver new motor homes and trucks or rental trucks very well. Hitting a pole or a wall in parking lots or other people parking in front of your car are common ways to damage the tow bar and possibly the bumper of your car. Being with the car may leave the tow bar in an area where it can be easily stolen off the car while you are gone. Also, leaving the extra weight of the tow bar on the front of the car affects the front suspension. Another disadvantage to this type of tow bar is cosmetics. Most people do not want to strain with the weight of these tow bars, so they will leave them on the car and this takes away from the look of your car.

Motorhome Mounted

Motorhome mounted tow bars are the latest & most popular innovation in tow bars. The main advantage of a motorhome mounted tow bar is the replacement of the ball coupler with a swivel joint. This allows the tow bar to be used without a drop ball mount, which in many cases hangs low enough to drag when a motorhome drives through a dip or starts up a ramp. The storage of the tow bar on the motorhome leaves the front of your car look much nicer when you are not towing. The motorhome is less likely to be left in a place where theft is a major problem and the tow bar can be locked into the receiver hitch of the motorhome to deter theft. This type of tow bar is also lighter and easier to handle than its car mounted counterpart.

Baseplates

When researching a towing system, do not overlook the baseplate. The baseplate bolts to the frame and is custom designed for each specific towed vehicle. Different baseplates will show significantly more than others will and a few require cutting of the bumper for installation. Some of the newer models have removable attachment tabs, which allows you to remove all exposed parts from the front of the vehicle. Baseplates come with all the necessary hardware to install them and will bolt to a secure place on the towed vehicle. On occasion you will need to drill holes in the frame to attach the baseplate, but no special tools are needed.

Accessories Available

Blue Ox provides all of the accessories that you may need or want for towing. For safety purposes, federal law requires RV activated taillights and safety cables. Also, most states and Canadian provinces have laws on the books concerning braking for trailers. Brakes are required on trailers with GVWR’s as low as 1,000 pounds in some states. Enforcement of these laws has not been followed most places in the United States. Interpretation of the law’s application to cars in tow has probably been a big reason why these laws have not been actively enforced. British Columbia province in Canada has been actively enforcing this law, stopping people, writing tickets and making them drive the tow car separately if they do not have the proper equipment. The main thing to remember with auxiliary braking systems is that they are just what they state - auxiliary brakes. They are not meant to stop your motorhome any faster. They are designed to assist in slowing down the towed vehicle and reduce the stopping distance that was changed due to the addition of the towed car.

Towability Issues

Most front wheel drive manual transmission cars can be towed with all four wheels on the ground with no modification. Most front wheel drive automatic transmission vehicles will need a lube pump or similar device in order to tow it four wheels down. Rear wheel drive automatics will require a device to disconnect the driveshaft in order to tow four down.

There are some front wheel drive automatic transmission vehicles that can be towed without modification. Here are some examples: All Honda and Acura vehicles; All Saturn vehicles; 1995 and newer Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire with 4T40E transmission; 1997 and newer Chevrolet Malibu and Olds Cutlass with 4T40E transmission; 1999 and newer Pontiac Grand Am with 4T40E transmission. Also, some 4 wheel drive vehicles can be towed (both automatic and manual transmission). Refer to your vehicle's owners manual for specific instructions and limitations.

Towing Safety Checklist

Inspect the tow bar, dolly or trailer for loose bolts and worn parts. Tighten loose bolts and replace worn parts before hooking up. If you have bolts that are consistently coming loose, use Loctite or put on a double nut to keep them tight.

During Hook Up:

1. Hook up on a flat smooth surface.

2. If you have a coupler style tow bar; check the fit of the coupler on the ball. Adjust the coupler if necessary.

3. Hook up the tow bar.

4. Set up the towed vehicle’s steering and transmission to tow.

5. Check your parking brake to ensure it is disengaged.

6. Latch the legs on a self-aligning tow bar.

7. Attach the safety cables. Cross the cables between the vehicles and wrap the cables around the tow bar legs to keep them from dragging.

8. Attach the electrical cable.

9. Check the function of all lights on both vehicles.

10. Locate your spare key and lock the towed vehicle’s doors.

11. Drive with care and remember your vehicle will be about 25 feet longer while towing. 

Each time you stop, check the tow bar, base plate and cables to make sure they are still properly attached. Check the tires of the towed vehicle to make sure they are not going flat. If you are using a dolly or trailer, check the wheels to make sure they are not hot to the touch. If the wheels are hot, it may indicate a brake or bearing problem.

Each day before you start check the lights to make sure they are working properly.

Between trips clean the towbar and cables to keep them in good shape. Also, clean and lubricate the tow bar as recommended by the manufacturer’s instructions.

by Rick Andersen

Before rubber roof days the common roof was made of thin aluminum and was very difficult to install.  Manufacturers were either having to invest in skilled laborers to install the metal or suffering with leaky trailers and/or motor homes.  Most R.V. manufactures tried different ways to cut cost only to result in “leakers”.

Many R.V. owners have suffered ruined vacations, dry rotted roofs, and in some extreme cases dry rotted structural damage.  Not only did owners have to reseal their roofs annually but having to do it was a considered a painful job.  Motor home and travel trailer owner manuals specify that sealing the unit every year is necessary to maintain the warranty. 

Often, manufactures did not place any support underneath the roof making it impossible to walk on without damaging the thin aluminum. Lots of owners ended up either damaging their roofs when walking on them or not sealing them at all.  There is no permanent fix for holes that are punched in the aluminum roofs and because of that many owners and insurance companies suffered large losses when roofs had to be replaced entirely. 

THE GOOD

About ten years ago the RV industry was (seemingly) blessed with a new rubber roof system. They are easy to install with technicians being trained in a matter of days. The Rubber roof came as a system with all components designed to work together. This new roof can be permanently patched and has appropriate support underneath allowing owners and shops to effectively repair them. These new rubber roofs do not require any sealing for the first five years and companies offer ten-year warranties on them.

THE BAD

Like most things in life there are some draw backs to a rubber roof. They require good washing at least two times a year to remove any growth and prevent deterioration. UV treatments need to be applied at least once if not twice a year. Certain types of moss and other growths can deteriorate the rubber roofs. RV Pro has seen rubber roofs “eaten up” in as little as 8/12 years. Branches and other objects hanging over roadways can snag the rubber leaving holes allowing water to get in and begin the dry rot process. 

THE UGLY

After 12 years most rubber roofs need replacing. This can be cost any where from $3800 to $7000 out of pocket. The price of a new rubber roof will depend on where you go and how large the vehicle is. Some coatings available can be applied to your roof that will extend the life of the surface but these are not to be done outside. The atmosphere needs to be very controlled; the temperature must stay above 65 degrees in order for the material to cure, the surface needs to be clean dry and no dust should be in the area. One tip I offer when attempting any home coatings is to do your homework. Read labels, ask questions and make sure you follow directions to the letter. If not done properly some products will actually bubble up or melt the rubber they are applied to. Some could not stick at all and could come off in one large sheet or only stick in some places.

Professionally applied coatings can extend the roof life up to five years or more. Costs for the installed coatings are $1500 to $2500, depending on the amount of damage or deterioration and the size of the unit.

Rubber roofs; good bad or ugly, now you can decide.

Demonstrating how simple and easy it is to convert your interior RV fluorescent lights to efficient LED lights. The Convert-A-Light 1200 is available in both Natural & Soft White color and comes with wiring harness. Replaces 120 watt lighting.

Demonstrating how simple and easy it is to convert your interior RV halogen, tungsten & incandescent lights to efficient LED lights. The Convert-A-Light 300 is available in both Natural & Soft White color and comes with bulb adapters. Replaces 30 watt lighting and your light fixture doesn't need to be removed to be converted.

Demonstrating the power savings by converting you interior RV lights to LED. LED lights are brighter, use less power and produce less heat than traditional lights. Blackhawk LED Lights have light conversion kits that make it very simple and easy to convert your RV interior lights to LED, even when you are on the road.