SAFETY WARNING FOR TOADS

aksnowman wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
I'm not sure of the height difference between the hitch and the toad base plate but common sense says that if there is a huge difference in height, this can put undue strain on the hitch. A typical toad with a tow bar has basically zero hitch weight but during acceleration, braking, and bumps, the bending force from the tow bar can cause a hitch to bend, or in this case, maybe the frame to tear, even if the tow bar is level.

Wasn't there but saw the end product of the base plate installation when he was here last summer... The installation of the Base plate was one of the best I had ever seen. The tow bar was level with the RV when hooked up. So there was no extra down or up pressure on the system, the stress was forward and backward, level distribution of stressors. I have seen other towers connected that have inclines that I would be scared of and even the installation allows for a slight angle to the hookup bars. His, again was level. Your thought that bumps, braking and other normal operations would cause this are unfounded and ill-conceived. If you were correct this type of damage should be seen on all tow systems which are designed to take the bumps, stops starts and emergency stops and maneuvers.

I believe that this has to do with whether the toad will tend to submarine, or ride over the tow setup when breaking, not the stress on the hitch or mounting. The frames are pressed into shape, not forged. This does create some stress points at the curves. Ford does give some rules for drilling and welding on their frames. From the one picture, Thor has complied with these requirements.