New to dinghy TOAD towing
So I went ahead and bought myself a used 2000 Saturn SL2 automatic vehicle, really great deal just under $1,000. but what i didn't do was look into the cost of a tow package and braking system. the fe...
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etrailer.com for prices on new equipment. Then look for it used at half price or less.
Saturn S-series baseplate or towing brackets will be $300 to $450 new depending on brand and model. This part is a necessity. Used baseplates are hard to find, proper installation is usually meant to be permanent. It is probably easier to find a Saturn S with brackets installed than it is to find the brackets used.
Rigid towbars range from just over $100 to $400 or more. If you get Roadmaster towing brackets instead of a baseplate because the brackets were $100 less, then you will pay about $100 more for a Roadmaster towbar, which includes the crossbar necessary to make the brackets a proper baseplate.
If you want an extensible motorhome-mounted towbar for easy hookup, expect to pay $600 to $1000 for the tow bar (prices new). When I was shopping, I bought an $800 towbar slightly used for $400. Because it happened to be Blue OX, this meant buying a Blue OX baseplate, about $400 new for my Honda Fit.
Towed vehicle braking systems add $400 to $1500 to the parts cost, cable-pull surge brake solutions at the lower end of the scale, permanently-installed active braking at the top prices, pedal-pushing boxes around $800-1200.
Lighting solutions vary as well. I paid about $30 for a set of magnetic lights, high-end products are as much as $250. A lighting kit to hook up and use your existing vehicle lights might be $50 to $150 for the kit, before installation.
Installation is a big part, probably more than half, of the estimated cost you are seeing from RV dealers. Baseplates can require a lot of labor, much of it removal and replacement of body parts on the towed vehicle. I did my own baseplate installation, it took me 10 hours spread over two days to do the job alone in my driveway over a July weekend. The dealer wanted $300 for installation, if I had it to do over again I would pay him. Permanent lighting solutions can be expensive on installation, as can low-cost surge brakes or permanently installed brakes. Solutions you have to install yourself every time you tow will have lower, maybe zero, up front installation costs.
You could probably be ready to tow, without a braking solution, for under $1000 dollars, with the least expensive parts, if you can do the baseplate installation yourself. This might require buying a couple hundred dollars worth of tools for one-time use, particularly drill bits you will wear out.
The dealers are giving you the price of a complete "luxury" solution, the one that provides the most convenience and least work each time you tow.
Saturn S-series baseplate or towing brackets will be $300 to $450 new depending on brand and model. This part is a necessity. Used baseplates are hard to find, proper installation is usually meant to be permanent. It is probably easier to find a Saturn S with brackets installed than it is to find the brackets used.
Rigid towbars range from just over $100 to $400 or more. If you get Roadmaster towing brackets instead of a baseplate because the brackets were $100 less, then you will pay about $100 more for a Roadmaster towbar, which includes the crossbar necessary to make the brackets a proper baseplate.
If you want an extensible motorhome-mounted towbar for easy hookup, expect to pay $600 to $1000 for the tow bar (prices new). When I was shopping, I bought an $800 towbar slightly used for $400. Because it happened to be Blue OX, this meant buying a Blue OX baseplate, about $400 new for my Honda Fit.
Towed vehicle braking systems add $400 to $1500 to the parts cost, cable-pull surge brake solutions at the lower end of the scale, permanently-installed active braking at the top prices, pedal-pushing boxes around $800-1200.
Lighting solutions vary as well. I paid about $30 for a set of magnetic lights, high-end products are as much as $250. A lighting kit to hook up and use your existing vehicle lights might be $50 to $150 for the kit, before installation.
Installation is a big part, probably more than half, of the estimated cost you are seeing from RV dealers. Baseplates can require a lot of labor, much of it removal and replacement of body parts on the towed vehicle. I did my own baseplate installation, it took me 10 hours spread over two days to do the job alone in my driveway over a July weekend. The dealer wanted $300 for installation, if I had it to do over again I would pay him. Permanent lighting solutions can be expensive on installation, as can low-cost surge brakes or permanently installed brakes. Solutions you have to install yourself every time you tow will have lower, maybe zero, up front installation costs.
You could probably be ready to tow, without a braking solution, for under $1000 dollars, with the least expensive parts, if you can do the baseplate installation yourself. This might require buying a couple hundred dollars worth of tools for one-time use, particularly drill bits you will wear out.
The dealers are giving you the price of a complete "luxury" solution, the one that provides the most convenience and least work each time you tow.
