Talk about dodging a BULLET !!!

DSDP Don wrote:
Guys.....First off, I don't think Dennis is promoting ReadyBrake, but was more of a reference to just having a break away system. If you watch the video, the base plates are still securely attached to the front end. The front end is what separated from the car.

This video brings up a great point. I've had three toads, they've all been trucks with substantial front frames. I exclusively use Roadmaster baseplates because I like to use the same baseplates as my tow bar. I know on my trucks, the baseplates are securely mounted to the frame which is solid steel and runs the length of the truck. The frame would have to crack and break for it to separate.

With that said, the majority of cars being towed today are all unibody construction where thin metal is used, but strength is achieved through the front end being all one piece or bolted/riveted to other front end body structure. This works great to make a lightweight vehicle that is structurally strong, but very weak when you attach something like a baseplate that is pulling hard at a localized point.

I recently installed base plates for a friend on his Hyundai Tucson. They attached in several places and the front bumper support had to be drilled trough to add some long bolts. Looking back, this is pretty much what the driver had in the video. If the front end were to fatigue on this Hyundai or any of these other lightweight front ends, they're going to fail.

On the first truck that I towed, the base plate included a short safety cable that looped from the base plate back to the frame. This was separate of the safety cables coming from the coach. I think if I owned one of these small lightweight vehicles, I would add a safety cable from the baseplate back to the frame PAST the point where front end is attached to the body. I know I wouldn't want to crawl under and attach these every trip, so I would have them permanently installed so they stay connected to the frame and connected to the part of the baseplate that is not removable.

Lastly, I have the SMI brake system with the breakaway tank. It uses a small cable that pulls a plug out of a socket and applies the brake. I occasionally pull the plug when I disconnect and it locks up my brakes until I insert the dummy plug for normal driving. My point, make sure your breakaway actuator is mounted to something other than what can come loose in a catastrophic failure.

Don, I also have AF1 on both a CRV and now a new F150. In both cases, the breakaway switch is mounted to the plastic face of the vehicle. I plan to explore options to mount that switch to some part of the vehicle that would not separate if the baseplate came off (assuming the baseplate would take much of the fascia off with it).

The CRV is the only vehicle I've towed that has no real frame but I was satisfied with how the Blue Ox mounted to the car. However, the side-to-side yanking on the unibody would be a concern.

All this said, if the baseplates are mounted correctly, it would seem these cases are rare.