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purplekeenah's avatar
purplekeenah
Explorer
Mar 27, 2022

Blue-Ox Karguard

Is anyone using the Blue-Ox Kargard to protect their towed dinghy? What is your opinion of the product, also have you witnessed any overheating of the toad drive system after a 6 - 8 hour day of towing in the summer months?
Thank you1
  • I'm confused...why would the toad drive system overheat when being towed?
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Many towed's do not properly lubricate an automatic tranny or a transfer case and will overheat if towed any distance (These vehicles should not be towed unless modified by something like a drive shaft disconnect, axel lock or lube pump. I've used the last 2)

    I also used the KarGuard back when it was called an RV underskirt (That towed had the axel lock) no problems to speak of however A hole got wore into it.. Likely due to improper install by owner. (me)... I know it made a big difference in the amount of "Grit" on the towed after a long trip.
  • rdhetrick, sorry for the confusion,but, I had to replace my '13 Equinox last week. I bought a new Equinox after confirming that it can be dinghy towed. In the manual there is a blurb that reads "Use of a shield mounted in front of the vehicle grille could restrict airflow and cause damage to the transmission. Repairs would not be covered by vehicle warranty. If using a shield, only use one that attaches to the towing vehicle."
    I basically believe the wordage is legal-beagle B.S., but I can interpret "in front of" a couple different ways.
    The Kargard gets mounted to the tow bar arms and appears to be approx. l0" in front of the grille, and the Blue-Ox towbar is attached to the rig, so, in essence, the shield is attached to the towing vehicle.
    Personally, I don't see where the shield would be restricting air to the degree of overheating anything.
  • rdhetrick wrote:
    I'm confused...why would the toad drive system overheat when being towed?


    On my Explorer you need airflow to cool the PTU (transfer case) and at a half quart capacity you need all the cooling you can get!
  • Wow, I knew about the auxiliary pumps and driveshaft disconnects, but I had no idea it had anything to do with cooling - I thought it was purely lubrication....interesting!

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