Tow car hookup by single person
I will be towing a vehicle and need to be able to easily (relatively) hook up the towed vehicle by myself. 1) Any recommendations for a particular tow bar brand? 2) Any hookup procedure recommenda...
Forum Discussion
Tow bar brand doesn't matter, type or which model within a brand does matter. You want an extensible towbar, rather than a rigid one, so that you get within range of extensibility rather than trying to move the towed vehicle to match up a connection within an inch or so.
You also need to work out your own procedures, which might be different for grades vs level ground. This mostly has to do with when to set a parking brake, when to release it, and takes some running back and forth if doing it all single. Basically, your towed vehicle needs to be free to tow it, sometimes to extend and lock the bar, but you don't want it free to move when you are standing between the RV and the toad. One thing I've found sometimes unhooking, I need the toad free to move in order to unlock the towbar arms, but want the parking brake on before I pull the pins.
Solo with a tow dolly is also doable, because you deal with hooking up the dolly when it is empty and presumably light enough to manhandle, and toad goes on and off the dolly only when it is hooked up and stabilized by the motorhome.
I'm using a Blue Ox Aladdin, the aluminum construction helps keep weight down for handling the equipment off the RV, 7500 pound capacity is adequate for my 2600 pound toad. Ready-Brute is in the same class with integrated braking available, Roadmaster's Sterling All-Terrain is equivalent, because while not aluminum, it has the equivalent capacity and is still lightweight. Roadmaster offers lighter capacities (Falcon) and heavier (Blackhawk) in their all-terrain lines (lever operated rather than push button).
Main reason for the Aladdin was a local RV dealer had one used, almost new, for about half price. If it had been a Falcon with the same deal, I probably would have bought that. My first tow was under 4000 pounds, and they've gotten smaller since.
You also need to work out your own procedures, which might be different for grades vs level ground. This mostly has to do with when to set a parking brake, when to release it, and takes some running back and forth if doing it all single. Basically, your towed vehicle needs to be free to tow it, sometimes to extend and lock the bar, but you don't want it free to move when you are standing between the RV and the toad. One thing I've found sometimes unhooking, I need the toad free to move in order to unlock the towbar arms, but want the parking brake on before I pull the pins.
Solo with a tow dolly is also doable, because you deal with hooking up the dolly when it is empty and presumably light enough to manhandle, and toad goes on and off the dolly only when it is hooked up and stabilized by the motorhome.
I'm using a Blue Ox Aladdin, the aluminum construction helps keep weight down for handling the equipment off the RV, 7500 pound capacity is adequate for my 2600 pound toad. Ready-Brute is in the same class with integrated braking available, Roadmaster's Sterling All-Terrain is equivalent, because while not aluminum, it has the equivalent capacity and is still lightweight. Roadmaster offers lighter capacities (Falcon) and heavier (Blackhawk) in their all-terrain lines (lever operated rather than push button).
Main reason for the Aladdin was a local RV dealer had one used, almost new, for about half price. If it had been a Falcon with the same deal, I probably would have bought that. My first tow was under 4000 pounds, and they've gotten smaller since.
