Tow Bar

[STEVEP220]

I am considering purchasing a new tow bar do to age of my present tow bar. the old one is a 10 year old Blue Ox and it works fine no rust or damage. But I am little worried about metal fatuge. How old is your tow bar and what is your recommendation? Thanks for your help.

[imgoin4it]

I had a Blue Ox,tow bar and used if for about 10 years. It was torn down reassembled by them several times. About the 3rd or 4th time they took it apart there was enough wear inside an was loose enough that it was obvious it needed to ho. Was at a rally and got a new one for fraction of the regular cost. They recommend look at replacing the tow bar at about 75,000 miles of use.

[Snomas]

My roadster 6000#b tow bar is 13 years old and I rebuilt it myself about 3 years ago. still works perfect! I towed an Osyssey (4300#) for 8years and my 2012 (4800#) explorer 5 years.

[Gjac]

What is your tow bar rated at? How heavy is your tow car? How many miles towing? Were you ever in an accident? Is it severely rusted if steel or corroded if Al? Have you ever disassembled it to clean it and inspect the locking mechanism? As an example, mine is the steel Demco bar rated at 10,000 lbs or more and my tow car weighs 2400 lbs. I have towed over 80,000 miles and have disassembled and cleaned it twice in 12 years and there is no abnormal wear or work hardening. I will keep it until something fails on it. As Wayne described in his strength of materials post as long as the material is not stress beyond its "elastic limit" you won't have a problem.

[WNJeffers]

Ivylog wrote:
Unless the tow bar is undersized and you are overloading it I would not do anything other than keep on using it.

I believe this is correct. One of the few things I can remember from my Strength of Materials class as an Engineering student (before I changed majors) many years ago, is that metal fatigue occurs when the load repeatedly exceeds the designed strength, but not by enough to cause an immediate catastrophic failure. There may be other valid reasons to replace it because of age, but I would not suspect metal fatigue unless it was overloaded repeatedly.

Wayne

[fpresto]

Ready Brute Elite also.

[Effy]

tropical36 wrote:

Effy wrote:
I think I have read on here that you can send your bar back to blue ox for an overhaul which is much cheaper than a new one.

I use a ready Brute Elite with integrated surge brake and love it. Pricey though.

I use the NSA brand, as well and felt that the total price was the most reasonable with the READYBRAKE/ELITE and considering that it came with the toad brake package.

yep, that's why I got it. That and that it's the most mechanically simple and less things to fiddle with or fail.

[tropical36]

Effy wrote:
I think I have read on here that you can send your bar back to blue ox for an overhaul which is much cheaper than a new one.

I use a ready Brute Elite with integrated surge brake and love it. Pricey though.

I use the NSA brand, as well and felt that the total price was the most reasonable with the READYBRAKE/ELITE and considering that it came with the toad brake package.

[Bob___Ann]

Steve
When our Blue Ox was ten years old I called the factory about having it rebuilt. They told me that it had to be replaced due to age even though it looked like new. They offered me a trade in program but the difference was greater then what I could buy one outright on my own. I decided to go with The Demco Dominator which has a much better warranty. We are glad that we made the change as we have enjoyed the Demco Dominator for over three years now. It is non binding, holds the safety cables as well as the light wiring plus it has a better warranty.

[JR45]

Here is the main reason I went with the Roadmaster BlackHawk 2 10,000 lb. All Terrain tow bar. Just to many problems with the Blue Ox.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/warning-blue-ox-towbar-failure-toad-damage-317073.html
JR

[wa8yxm]

Two options I would recommend with a 10 year old tow bar.. One I Will take advantage of. though I'm not yet sure which

1: If you happen to be in eastern NE.. Pender is about an hour north of Lincoln. the shop is just off the main road,, Three levels of road

You turn in a nice blacktop road that runs past the plant, And pull into the BLUE-OX Campground.. Nice 50 map sites, Hookups, Campfire ring (Central) if you are there during the busy time.. Hike to the plant about 100 years on a not very good dead end road (you are beside the building) connect to Blue-Ox Wi-Fi.

And make an appointment.... Oh, you will like the rates at that campground ($0.00 for customers) only downside.. There is a stockyards not far away.. if the wind is right you get that "Good old country Air" (Sinks something fierce) does not bother me.. IN my youth growing up on a dairy/swine farm, I shoveled tons of Poltical promises myself (No that's a joke not a satatement)

The other is Quartzsite in the last half of Jan.. Visit the Blue Ox Booth and make the appointment there.

[Tom_Barb]

Ivylog wrote:
Unless the tow bar is undersized and you are overloading it I would not do anything other than keep on using it.

Yep,, Me 2. 🙂

[Ivylog]

Unless the tow bar is undersized and you are overloading it I would not do anything other than keep on using it.

[Effy]

I think I have read on here that you can send your bar back to blue ox for an overhaul which is much cheaper than a new one.

I use a ready Brute Elite with integrated surge brake and love it. Pricey though.