Tow car hookup by single person

[jepalmer]

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 recommendations?

Thanks.

[msmith1199]

I just glanced through everything so far and didn't see this mentioned. I did see a lot of comments about type of tow bar not mattering. That isn't really true. There are different types of tow bar. For example you could get a rigid tow bar. I saw those mentioned on here and those are very difficult to hook up alone. There is zero play in them and you have to get the ball perfectly lined up under the hitch or it won't connect. But you probably aren't getting one of those.

Of the other types, you have the ones that hang off the back of the motorhome and the ones that hang off the toad. Once you have them mounted they basically work the same way and have play in the bars so you just have to get the toad within the envelope and you can hook it up. The biggest difference being if you get the type that hangs off the back of the motorhome, you can just leave it on the motorhome and never take it off if you don't want to. The tow bar can be heavy and you have to have a place to store and then have to lug it out to put it on the vehicle. If it's on the motorhome you never have to do that if you don't want to. Just put a cover on it if you store it outside. If you get the tow bar that mounts on the toad, you probably won't be leaving it there all the time. So you'll be doing what I do and that's carrying it from it's storage spot on the side of the garage to put it on the toad. I don't know how much the thing weighs, but it isn't light, and I can see that getting harder and harder to do as I get older. But if I ever replace it I'll get one that hangs on the motorhome and since I store the motorhome inside I'll just leave it on all the time.

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

We have Ready Brute Elite tow bars. It is a quick and simple job for one person to connect/disconnect. We tow a 2015 Chevy Malibu with a Roadmaster tow plate. Love it for a towed car and it is a great daily driver.

Wayne

[Rick_Jay]

I use a Demco Aluminator (extendable arms) with our Honda Odyssey. If wifey is available, I direct her to drive the Ody up to the motorhome to connect, I connect, and then she backs up slowly. I watch the arms as they extend and have her turn the front wheels as needed to get both arms to lock at just about the same point. Then I do the magical Honda shifting routine while I connect the safety cables, electrical and do other checks. Then it's off we go and I check to make sure the auxiliary braking system is functioning as we drive off.

If wifey isn't available, it's the same procedure, but I just drive up to the moho myself. You get pretty good at estimating the distance after a while. Once I connect, I look at the arms and again turn the wheels on the toad accordingly. (Turn wheels in the direction of the arms closest to locking up. This will cause the shorter arm to travel further while backing, evening things up.) Back up a bit and recheck the arms and adjust the steering wheel if needed. Then I finish backing up until I hear them lock and then continue with making the Ody ready. If one arm should lock before the other, turning the steering wheel hard in the direction of the locked arm and stepping on the gas slightly is usually enough to lock the second arm.

I've tried the "driving forward" method, but it's a much longer walk from the front of the motorhome to the hitch than from the front of the Ody to the hitch, so I find it easier and quicker to just back up the toad.

Keeping the tow bar in proper condition so the arms lock as they should is and important part of the process as well.

Different strokes for different folks. My major recommendation for anyone purchasing a towbar is to get one which is extendable. In my opinion, it's worth the few extra bucks in initial expense to alleviate potential headaches for years down the road. It just makes like much easier, ESPECIALLY in those situations where you're trying to connect on uneven ground or you can't get a straight approach to the motorhome. When I'm on vacation, I'm looking to minimize aggravation. 🙂

~Rick

[FromNH]

I tow a Silverado 2500 and can't judge how close I am. I got a laser tape measurer, measured the length of my hood and added 3 feet to it. That gets me close enough to hook up the BlueOx tow bar.

[BennieH]

We have a Demco Excalibar. It has locking arms that allow about a foot of adjustment. How I connect:
I line up with the coach then pull up and set the parking brake
Connect the arms with the pins (I use locking ones)
Release the parking brake and slowly back until the arms lock (easy to tell when and there is a visual indication)
Attach Cables, Connect wiring.
Set car for tow mode (varies with all cars), setup brake buddy, test it and then check all the lights.
Takes 10 - 15 minutes.

[tropical36]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

tropical36 wrote:

crawford wrote:
why not just drive coach forward to lock pins like everyone else ?

Easier for us this way and once we or I'm done, we're ready to go, without further ado and someone watching to make sure the bars indeed locked in. It's not like we didn't go that route in the early days of towing and besides, why should one have to do things, like everyone else? Nothing new to be learned, that way... :C
Always used to hate the answer of ...we have always done it this way...from other engineers during my career. :R

I guess we're not "everyone else" either. We just back the toad up a bit to lock in our ReadyBrute bars too. Works for us...

Seems like Mr Mark with his CR-V doesn't do it like everyone else, either, so.......
Wasn't trying to be sarcastic or overcritical here. Just that others might find some of this info useful.

[Dutch_12078]

tropical36 wrote:

crawford wrote:
why not just drive coach forward to lock pins like everyone else ?

Easier for us this way and once we or I'm done, we're ready to go, without further ado and someone watching to make sure the bars indeed locked in. It's not like we didn't go that route in the early days of towing and besides, why should one have to do things, like everyone else? Nothing new to be learned, that way... :C
Always used to hate the answer of ...we have always done it this way...from other engineers during my career. :R

I guess we're not "everyone else" either. We just back the toad up a bit to lock in our ReadyBrute bars too. Works for us...

[tropical36]

crawford wrote:
why not just drive coach forward to lock pins like everyone else ?

Easier for us this way and once we or I'm done, we're ready to go, without further ado and someone watching to make sure the bars indeed locked in. It's not like we didn't go that route in the early days of towing and besides, why should one have to do things, like everyone else? Nothing new to be learned, that way... :C
Always used to hate the answer of ...we have always done it this way...from other engineers during my career. :R

[tropical36]

Finally Time wrote:
Tropical36,
Preparing the CR-V for towing requires starting the engine, shifting through all the gears, then stopping in drive for at least five seconds and then into neutral for at least 3 minutes before turning it off. Generally I start with this, and while it is idling for the 3 minutes in neutral I hook up the tow bar. If I tried idling back to lock the pins, I would have to go through the whole procedure again before I could drive off with the CR-V in tow.

OK....and you should know by now. It's different toads for different folks and what their needs are... 🙂

[Mr_Mark1]

Mr. FT,

I pull the CR-V up behind the coach then connect everything.

Then, I get in the Honda, put it in reverse to lock the arms on our Blue-Ox tow bar. After that, I run through the gears as you do and then stop in neutral, turn the key to the accessory position, then turn off the switch that controls the fuse to the Nav/radio.

Then off we go!

MM.

[crawford]

why not just drive coach forward to lock pins like everyone else ?

[Finally_Time]

Tropical36,
Preparing the CR-V for towing requires starting the engine, shifting through all the gears, then stopping in drive for at least five seconds and then into neutral for at least 3 minutes before turning it off. Generally I start with this, and while it is idling for the 3 minutes in neutral I hook up the tow bar. If I tried idling back to lock the pins, I would have to go through the whole procedure again before I could drive off with the CR-V in tow.

[Big_Blue]

Roadmaster hitch here - toad is a 2015 Subaru Forester.

I do nearly every hookup without assistance. Close enough is important. I have a piece of tape in just the right spot. Then put yourself in the deliberate zone of mindfulness. One thing at a time. Every item as a time, space and place. If you get interrupted, back up several steps to review and re-enter the zone.

[tropical36]

Finally Time wrote:
I travel solo and hook-up the toad solo. I use a Ready Brute Elite. It takes me just under 5 minutes to hook-up and go. (Part of that time is due to having to go through a prep procedure for the Honda CR-V.) I am a check list fanatic, here's mine for the hook-up.
Hooking CRV to Motorhome

1. Move towbar legs up & out in a V position with legs retracted
2. Turn handles to right angles with legs
3. Drive car close to MH
4. Drop towbar from stow shackle
5. Pull out one leg and hook clevis to car
6. Pull out other leg and hook clevis to car
7. Turn handles parallel (in-line) with towbar legs
8. Wrap each safety cable over each leg & hook to car
9. Plug in light cable
10. Check that lights function
11. Hook up brake cable
12. Drive MH forward & check that arms are extended
and that pins have snapped down
If one pin does not snap down, drive MH forward
turning in direction of pin that didn’t snap down

Un-Hooking CRV from Motorhome
1. Park as straight & level as possible
2. Set car in PARK and set emergency brake
3. Unhook safety cables light cable, brake cable
4. Rotate towbar handles 90 degrees to legs
5. Remove cotter pins and bent pins
If pins too tight start engine, turn wheel right & left
6. Collapse legs and push together.
7. Turn handles parallel to legs
8. Push legs to one side, lift up and hook shackle over tow strap
9. Put cover over towbar legs
10. Put strap over shackle
11. If driving with towbar in stow position, tie legs together
and support with strap(s) to MH ladder & bumper

Even though, my DW is usually in the toad, during setup and follows my direction, there's something that you may want to try.
Once you have your bars connected, turn the toad wheels accordingly and idle back to lock them in. Takes a little practice, but now can't remember when the last time was for driving the coach forward to attain this.