light weight towing package for woman

[Suzettenc]

Help please. Since my husbands recent passing I am going to have to travel alone in my 30 foot . I want to tow four wheels down.
I need the lightest weight but safe towing equipment that I can use to hook up a Honda fit. My husband always towed jeep , but I found that Honda fit is lighter and lower to ground so I can hopefully load my kayak on it easier.
I am 66 years old but not ready to quit living. Please help me choose best towing package for me.
Thanks!!

[dahkota]

We have the ready brute elite. While I have no problems carrying it, hooking it up alone is another matter. If you are very close to perfectly aligned, you can hook one side then the other. If you are off a little bit, it is a struggle to do it alone as the arms are awkward. Being 5'6" tall, my reach isn't as long as others which may cause some of the awkwardness. I think the arms of any tow bar would also be awkward, but I have no experience with them.

Typically, DH does the dumping while I do the toad. With practice, I am getting better at aligning the toad to the motorhome (we have only had this set up for four months) and it is getting easier. But that is the key - putting the toad in the right place. Once it is there, hooking up the ready brute elite is very simple and quick.

When unhooking, it is much easier if the toad is perfectly aligned with the rv. If not, one may have to hammer out one of the pins, as it can be pinched.

Because the ready brute elite uses an integrated brake, I only have one cable to attach. there is nothing I need to put into and set up in the towed (such as a brake box).

[Nutinelse2do]

As a smaller woman, I would definitely opt for one of the suggested, lightweight and/ or aluminum towbars that can stay on your coach all the time. We had a Roadmaster Stowmaster and it was way too heavy for me to handle.
I would also steer clear of the trailering. Dinghy is much easier to handle IMO.
Best of luck with your travels. Have a blast and be safe out there!

[afrescopXx]

sch911 wrote:
Trailer better/easier than 4 down, I don't agree...

I use a Blue OX Adventa II tow bar. Just about anyone should be able to handle it IMHO. And it stays on the MH.

Good luck.

x2. The Blue Ox is easy to hook up and unhook. Stays on the RV. I do not think there would be any issues for you.

Be certain the Fit can be flat towed. 2014 and old can be but I do not think Honda has any 2015 models that can be.

[cjoseph]

I suggest any aluminum tow bar with telescoping arms. Then, have the seller instal and get a cover for it. Leave it on all the time. Lock it on with a locking pin.

The aluminum arms are manageable. I went through a period when I had no strength and serious hernia problems and still managed my Ready Brute Elite. I did not take it off the hitch during that time but could still hook up and disconnect just fine.

If you want to make that tow system even more manageable, you can buy the tow bar and surge brake system separate instead of as one unit. It will be 8 to 10 inches longer, but that shouldn't be a problem. You will also have another pin connection to lock up. Removal of this system should be easier. The tow bars and surge brake would disconnect separately.

[sch911]

Trailer better/easier than 4 down, I don't agree...

I use a Blue OX Adventa II tow bar. Just about anyone should be able to handle it IMHO. And it stays on the MH.

Good luck.

[Liltippy]

Suzettenc wrote:
Help please. Since my husbands recent passing I am going to have to travel alone in my 30 foot . I want to tow four wheels down.
I need the lightest weight but safe towing equipment that I can use to hook up a Honda fit. My husband always towed jeep , but I found that Honda fit is lighter and lower to ground so I can hopefully load my kayak on it easier.
I am 66 years old but not ready to quit living. Please help me choose best towing package for me.
Thanks!!

Look at Ready Brute Elite system.

http://www.readybrake.com/store/p4/ReadyBrute™_Elite_RV_Tow_Bar.html

All aluminum, weight just 40 lbs. has 8,000 lb capacity (more then enough for a Fit). I have used mine for 2 years. No problems. Just completed 6,000 mile trip thru Western State and mountains. And the Elite model includes a very simple braking system that will work fine for your Fit.
Good luck.

[neil57]

Have you considered a aluminum trailer? Not that much weight, pulls easy, and can be backed up if in a tight spot. If you have a backup camera you can hookup easily alone. Loading the car is pulling two ramps, drive on, use a bolted down stop block and wheel straps or have mounts welded to the car for easy hookup. Your kayak would probably go beside a Honda Fit on the trailer. You can buy a side storage rack and bolt to trailer also.

[mowermech]

If the advertising says "steel" or "stainless steel", you probably don't want it.
My Roadmaster Stowmaster towbar is nearly too heavy for me to handle.
IMO, you want a 5000 lb. capacity aluminum towbar, preferably one that stays on the back of the motorhome so you don't have to lift it very often. I'm sure at least one company makes such a bar, but I don't know right off hand which one it is.
Try a google search for aluminum towbar, and see what you find.
Good luck.
P.S. I'm 73. Keep on RVing!