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Frequently asked questions regarding dinghy towing |
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Any laws quoted in this document will vary from state to state and country to country. Check with local law enforcement agencies, before traveling, to verify what is required in your jurisdiction. Q. Why would I want to use a tow bar rather than a tow dolly or a trailer? A. Convenience is the simple answer. Tow bars give you the least amount of equipment to deal with to tow your vehicle. The biggest problem with dollies and trailers is what to do with them when you get to your campground. Many campgrounds do not have room to let you park a trailer or dolly on your site along with your motorhome and towed vehicle. In most cases you would have to unhook the trailer and park it somewhere away from your camp site. With a tow bar you can unhook and the towing equipment will fold-up and stay with your motorhome or your car and not take up any additional parking space. A tow bar is also lighter to carry than a dolly or trailer and prices for a tow bar start out lower than either a dolly or a trailer. Q. Which tow bar is right for me? A. There are certainly enough choices in tow bar models to make this an interesting and sometimes confusing question. There are three general types of tow bars:
Self aligning tow bars give you the opportunity to hook up by yourself. The self aligning feature allows you to drive up close to the hook-up position and then let the tow bar adjust to the error in the vehicle's position. Then the tow bar will extend back to its rigid tow position as you pull ahead with the tow vehicle. Many users have called these tow bars temper savers or marriage savers. The choice between car mounted or motorhome mounted is the choice you will need to make. Motorhome mounted tow bars are the newest innovation in tow bars. The first models were introduced in 1994 and they have quickly become the new industry standard for ease of use and security. The main advantage of a motorhome mounted tow bar is the replacement of the ball coupler with a swivel joint. This allows the tow bar to be used without a drop ball mount, which in many cases hangs low enough to drag when a motorhome drives through a dip or starts up a ramp. The storage of the tow bar on the motorhome is also a considerable advantage, as far as security is concerned. The tow bar can be locked into the receiver hitch of the motorhome to deter theft and the motorhome is less likely to be left in a place where theft is a major problem. This type of tow bar is also lighter and easier to handle than its car mounted counterpart. It will also make the front of your car look much nicer when you are not towing. Car mounted self aligning tow bars were the first folding self-aligning tow bars built. They were the industry standard for many years. When you are not towing with these tow bars they will fold and stay on the front of your car. Most models also have a quick release system so they can be taken off quickly and easily. If you have more than one tow vehicle, this may be the type of tow bar you can use best. This type of tow bar has served people who deliver new motorhomes and trucks or rental trucks very well. Car mounted are generally less expensive than motorhome mounted tow bars as well. The biggest drawback to a car mounted tow bar is that it is susceptible to damage while you are driving the car. Hitting a pole or a wall in parking lot is a common way to damage the tow bar. Also other people parking in front of your car can hit the tow bar as well. Being with the car also may leave the tow bar in an area where it can be easily stolen off the car while you are gone. Rigid tow bars, as their name implies, are a solid welded tow bar without any adjustment to give you help hooking-up. When you hookup you must drive the towed vehicle to the exact spot which will allow you to put the tow bar's coupler on the ball of the tow vehicle. It is often a two person job, one driving while the other holds the tow bar up and guides the driver. Rigid tow bars are the least expensive and generally the lightest tow bars you can buy. If you are in good health and have a driver you can trust that can help each time you hook-up this may be an option for you. Also, if you only tow once or twice a year this may be the type of tow bar for your situation. Rigid tow bars generally have to be removed from the car and stored when you are not using them. This decision varies from one person to next and depends on many things in your personal situation. It can be a hotly debated subject over coffee in a camp ground. Just ask your neighbors. You may get a different answer from each. Q. What does the Class rating on the towing equipment mean? A. Towing equipment is rated according to the weight of the towed vehicle it is intended to be used on . Since the weight of towed vehicles vary widely, standard weight ranges were established to make it easier to match towing equipment to tow and towed vehicles. These standards were set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The different weight ranges are called Classes. There are four (4) Classes of towing equipment.
The weights referred to are the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR. The GVWR is the maximum total weight of the trailer and its cargo. To determine which Class of equipment you need, you must know the loaded weight of the vehicle you are going to tow. When you are determining GVWR include the vehicle and everything you might carry in it. If you are borderline, go to the next higher Class. Most tow bars are rated for Class III or 5000 lbs GVWR. Q. If the hitch on my tow vehicle is rated for 3500 pounds and my tow bar is rated for 5000 pounds, how heavy of a vehicle can I tow? A. The most you can tow is 3,500 pounds. The lowest rated component of your towing system limits the whole towing system. Be sure you know what every part of the system is rated for so you will not overload the weak part and have a problem. Q. I'm going to purchase a vehicle for towing. What do you recommend? A. Many vehicles on the market are towable. The popularity of a certain vehicle depends upon geographic area and availability. Saturn, 1995-97 Chevrolet Cavalier and 1997 and newer Chevrolet Malibu both recommend their cars for towing and stand behind their warranties for automatic and manual transmissions. No other company openly recommends towing automatic transmissions. Honda is another model on the market that does not require freewheeling hubs, a driveshaft disconnect, or a transmission pump for towing. However, the Honda CR-V is the first and only model that Honda will warranty the transmission for towing. Q. The car I want to tow has been in an accident and repaired. Is it still OK to tow this car? A. It is generally not recommended that a car that has been in an accident be used as a tow car. The demands of towing requires that the front of the towed vehicle be in excellent condition. Though the car may drive fine, it may not track well while towing. Additionally, the baseplate mounts to the frame of the car, so if the repair work did not return the car to its original specifications, the baseplate fit and installation will be difficult and in some cases mounting points will have been weakened and be unusable. Q. When I call the auto manufacturer, they tell me their automobile cannot be towed. How can you claim it is towable? A. Blue Ox and Duncan both have baseplates to fit over 300 models of vehicles. Saturn, Pontiac, and Chevrolet acknowledge that their automatic transmissions are towable. Hyundai is advertising their standard transmission is towable. All other models on the Blue Ox and Duncan fit lists are towable by using the appropriate accessories, but may not be warranted by the auto manufacturer. Any exception is spelled out in Blue Ox and Duncan fit lists. Baseplates or brackets are not listed for these exceptions. Q. How do I know if I need a transmission disconnect? A. Any automatic transmission vehicle other than Saturn, Honda, and the 1995 and newer 4-speed automatic Chevrolet Cavalier, 97 and newer Malibu and Olds Cutlass, and 95 and newer Pontiac Sunfire needs a disconnect. No device is needed on automatic 4 wheel drive vehicles with manual shift (NP-241 only, Caution there are others) transfer case. No electronic transfer case 4 wheel drive is towable as is, however Ford has announced an add on kit for the 1996 and newer Explorer that will make it towable. See Transmission Concerns Section for more details. Q. What accessories do I need to legally tow my vehicle? A. For safety purposes the following are required in most states: safety cables and a light bar or wiring kit . Most states and Canadian provinces have laws on the books concerning braking for trailers. Brakes are required on trailers with GVWR's as low as 1,000 pounds in some states. Enforcement of these laws has not been followed most places in the United States. Interpretation of the law's application to cars in tow have probably been a big reason why these laws have not been enforced actively. British Columbia province in Canada has been actively enforcing this law, stopping people, writing tickets, and making them drive the tow car separately if they do not have the proper equipment. See the braking section for more information. Q. Will my car accumulate mileage while I tow it? A. Most newer vehicles will not add miles to the odometer while they are towed. Such vehicles have an electronic odometer which will work only if the key is in the "on" position. If your vehicle does not have an electronic odometer you will need to have a Speedometer Disconnect to keep miles from adding up on your towed vehicle. Q. Is it legal to disconnect my odometer? A. Yes, but only while the vehicle is being towed and if certain other conditions are met. When you sell the vehicle you will have to attest on the vehicle's title that the odometer was disconnected while the car was towed and provide an estimate of miles towed. Also, if you install a Speedometer Disconnect from Blue Ox or Remco the electrical power to operate the disconnect must come from the tow vehicle and not the towed vehicle the disconnect is installed on. Even if these conditions are met it is still illegal to install Speedometer Disconnects on vehicles licensed in the states of Washington or Oregon. For more info on Speedometer Disconnects click here. Q. No one makes a baseplate for my older vehicle. What do I do? A. A fabricator or hitch shop can make a baseplate or bracket for any model vehicle 1992 or older that is not listed on the Blue Ox or Duncan fit list. A general purpose baseplate which contains tabs, pins, and clips could be used by the fabricator to construct a baseplate for a Blue Ox tow bar. For a Duncan tow bar the fabricator would build the entire bracket. Q. No one makes a baseplate for my new vehicle. What can I do? A. Call up the manufacturer of the tow bar you would like to buy. They usually need a vehicle to use to design the baseplate. If they haven't designed a baseplate for that car yet and they are looking for a car, they may be able to use your car to design the baseplate. They usually have a fair compensation for the use of your car. Make these kind of arrangements before you buy a new car to tow. Q. Can I install the baseplate myself? A. There is no way that we can determine if anyone is capable of installing a baseplate or bracket. We can fax or mail you instructions and you can determine if you can complete the installation. For more information on baseplates, click here. Q. Should the steering on my towed car be locked or unlocked while towing? A. The steering on a towed car should always be unlocked while towing. The key should be in the unlocked position in your ignition. On most vehicles the unlocked position is one "click" ahead of the lock position. On some cars this is also the accessory position so you may have to make sure all your accessories, such as your radio and heater fan, are turned off while you are towing. Q. If I get into a tight situation and can not pull ahead, is it OK to back up with my car hooked-up? A. All of the tow bar manufacturers give a definite "No" in answer to this question. Backing up is the most common way of damaging your tow bar or towed car. If you have ever tried to unhook a tow bar that is in a bind, you have an idea of the amount of stress that can be put on the tow bar. Backing up creates that kind of stress and can multiply it if you "jack knife" the towed car while backing up. The safest thing for your car and tow bar is to unhook the tow bar before backing. Even if it is just a few feet. Q. Why should I cross the safety cables when I install them? A. Safety cables (or chains) should be installed so that the cables form an "X" pattern under the tow bar. That is the cable that is hooked to the passenger's side of the tow vehicle should attach to the driver's of the towed vehicle and the cable hooked to the driver's side of the tow vehicle should be hooked to the passenger's side of the towed vehicle. The cables should also be wrapped around the tow bar legs once or twice between the two vehicles. The "X" pattern is so that in case the tow bar comes unhooked, the crossed cables will catch the tow bar before it hits the ground and causes the tow car to run over the tow bar and which will damage the tow car and the tow bar. Wrapping the cables around the tow bar legs keeps the cables from dragging on the ground. Q. Why should the ball coupler on my tow bar be parallel to the ground when I tow? A. Proper ball height is the most important part of hooking up a coupler style tow bar. On a trailer the ball height is not as critical as it is on a tow bar. The trailer is long enough to smooth out the effects of bumps and dips on the ball height. Motorhomes and tow bars tend to put two of the worst case situations together. Many motorhomes have relatively long overhangs from the center of the rear wheels to the back of the motorhome. When the front end of the motorhome goes through a dip the rear of the coach will rise and fall accordingly. The longer the overhang, the more vertical movement the rear of the coach will experience. Also, the tow bar, being very short, (3 to 4 feet) is very sensitive to changes in height of the ball or the front end of the towed car. The combination of the long overhang and the short tow bar make for a lot of movement of the coupler around the ball. The tow bar coupler should be parallel to the ground when on the level to allow the coupler full use of the available vertical movement. If the coupler is not parallel when it is level, you are losing part of the available vertical movement. For example, if a tow bar is hooked to a ball four inches too high, the tow bar coupler will slope down from the ball to the towed car, reducing the vertical distance available for the towed car to drop or the motorhome to rise. If the towed car drops into a sharp dip, the tow bar coupler may exceed its vertical range of motion. When the coupler stops moving the car will still be pushing down on the tow bar. This can cause the coupler to pry itself off the ball or the tow bar legs to bend. Getting the exact ball height may not be possible with the combination of ball mounts available. Do not vary more than 1" to 1 1/2" high or low with your final configuration. Q. How can I determine the proper ball height for my tow bar? A. Park your towed vehicle on a smooth flat surface. Attach your tow bar to your towed car. Hold the coupler parallel to the ground and measure from the ground to the center of the ball cavity. This will be the proper ball height for your tow vehicle. |
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Q. No one makes a baseplate for my new vehicle. What can I do? A. Call up the manufacturer of the tow bar you would like to buy. They usually need a vehicle to use to design the baseplate. If they haven't designed a baseplate for that car yet and they are looking for a car, they may be able to use your car to design the baseplate. They usually have a fair compensation for the use of your car. Make these kind of arrangements before you buy a new car to tow. Q. If I purchase a new vehicle, can I use the baseplate off of my old car? A. This would be determined by checking the baseplate fit list. If the baseplate part number is the same for the old and the new vehicle, then the same baseplate or bracket can be used. Q. If I trade cars and purchase a new baseplate, can I use my old tow bar? A. For the Reese Tow Champ, Valley, Draw-tite and Eaz-lift folding tow bars, the adapter kit BX8833 will work with the Blue Ox baseplate. For the Blue Ox Rangefinder II and all Blue Ox A-frame tow bars over 5 years old, the only true way for the customer to know if it will work with the baseplate is to measure the baseplate and tow bar from center point. A measurement of 24 inches will adapt to the Blue Ox baseplate. The Blue Ox Aventa tow bar will fit most Blue Ox plates ever produced. To adapt a Duncan bracket to Reese, Valley, Draw-tite, and Eaz-lift folding tow bars, no adapter is needed. Blue Ox tow bars can be adapted to Duncan brackets with a BX1108. All current Duncan tow bars will fit any Duncan brackets ever produced. Q. If I have a baseplate installed on both of my cars, can I tow both of them? A. Yes, all Blue Ox baseplates and Blue Ox tow bars are interchangeable, if the baseplate attachment tabs measure 24 inches center to center. If you have the Blue Ox Rangefinder II tow bar, the baseplate towing tabs must have the 2nd set of support holes or ;you will need to drill 5/16" holes for the support pins. Blue Ox baseplates are adaptable to Draw-tite, Tow Champ, Valley, and Eaz-Lift tow bars when Adapter Kit BX8833 is added. Any/all Duncan brackets are interchangeable with Duncan tow bars, Draw-tite, Valley, Reese Tow Champ and Eaz-Lift folding bars. No adapter is needed. Q. If I get into a tight situation and can not pull ahead, is it OK to back up with my car hooked-up? A. All of the tow bar manufacturers give a definite "No" in answer to this question. Backing up is the most common way of damaging your tow bar or towed car. If you have ever tried to unhook a tow bar that is in a bind, you have an idea of the amount of stress that can be put on the tow bar. Backing up creates that kind of stress and can multiply it if you "jack knife" the towed car while backing up. The safest thing for your car and tow bar is to unhook the tow bar before backing. Even if it is just a few feet. Q. Should the steering on my towed car be locked or unlocked while towing? A. The steering on a towed car should always be unlocked while towing. The key should be in the unlocked position in your ignition. On most vehicles the unlocked position is one "click" ahead of the lock position. On some cars this is also the accessory position so you may have to make sure all your accessories, such as your radio and heater fan, are turned off while you are towing. |
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Q. What accessories do I need to legally tow my vehicle? A. For safety purposes the following are required in most states: safety cables and a light bar or wiring kit. Most states and Canadian provinces have laws on the books concerning braking for trailers. Brakes are required on trailers with GVWR's as low as 1,000 pounds in some states. Enforcement of these laws has not been followed most places in the United States. Interpretation of the law's application to cars in tow have probably been a big reason why these laws have not been enforced actively. British Columbia province in Canada has been actively enforcing this law, stopping people, writing tickets, and making them drive the tow car separately if they do not have the proper equipment. See the braking section for more information. Q. Why would I use a Blue Ox wiring kit rather than wire direct? A. The Blue Ox wiring kits contain diodes. This component is required to keep the electrical current flowing in one direction. Without the diode, electric feedback from car to coach is possible, which could damage the coach. The Blue Ox wiring kit will prevent such occurrences. A special wiring kit is available to handle Saturn installations, which require heavier diodes due to use of more bulbs in their brake/turn signal system. Q. Blue Ox offers four different tail light wiring kits. Which one do I need for my vehicle? A. The BX8811 Universal Kit is the kit used by most vehicles. It has a universal instruction sheet and all the hardware necessary for most installations. We do not recommend this kit for installation on Saturn and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. There are special kits for Saturns and a second universal kit that works better with the Grand Cherokee. There are two wiring kits that are strictly for Saturn cars. The Saturn cars use multiple light bulbs in their lights and require a heavier diode. The Saturn kits are divided for motorhomes with red turn signals (BX8847) or motorhomes with amber turn signals (BX8848). Motorhomes with red turn signals use the same light bulb to signal turns and braking. Motorhomes with amber turn signals have separated the bulbs for these functions. The kit for red turn signals will wire your Saturn to blink its brake lights as turn signals just like the motorhome does. The amber kit will blink the amber turn signals on the car. The amber kit saves you from having to buy a converter to combine the brakes and turn signals on your amber signaled motorhome. If your amber signaled motorhome already has this converter you can use the red turn signal kit on your Saturn and blink the red brake lights on the towed car. These two kits contain detailed instructions specific to Saturn cars. The BX8869 "Bulb and Socket" wiring kit is recommended for the Jeep Grand Cherokee or other vehicles that have a bulb out indicator system. The bulb out sensors are usually fooled by the splicing into the wiring done during the installation of the BX8811 universal kit. The sensors will give a false bulb out reading all the time after the kit is installed. The bulb and socket kit is an answer for that problem. This kit provides a separate light system that does not require splicing into the vehicle's existing wiring. The kit has bulb holders that will snap into a 1 1/8" hole you drill in the back of the taillight lens. You then wire these bulbs to the motorhome. You must have an open area in the back of the tail or brake light lens that is big enough to fit the new socket. Most pickups, vans, and sport utilities will have adequate space in their lens for this wiring kit. Many cars will not. You will need to carefully check the tail lights of your towed vehicle before ordering this kit. Universal instructions are included with this kit. Q. Is there another option besides using a wiring kit to get operating lights on the towed vehicle? A. Yes. You can use a removable light bar. The light bar consists of a pair of lights mounted on a light weight frame which can be strapped on the trunk or hatch of the towed car. It must be removed when the vehicle is not being towed. The light bar is a good option if you have more than one car to tow. The disadvantage of the light bar is that it can be stolen in just a few seconds. Q. What length of safety cable do I need? A. The best way to determine the proper length is to measure from motor home to vehicle. However, when that is not feasible, the general consensus is: if the cables hook within 8-12 inches either side of the hitch on the motor home, a 5 foot cable is needed. If the cable hook 20 inches or more on each side of the hitch on the motor home, a 6 foot cable is needed. Q. What weight rating should my safety cables have? A. Each safety cable should be rated for the entire weight that is being towed. All components of the cable (hooks and quick links) must also carry this rating. For example, a cable kit rated for 5000 pounds will have each cable assembly in the kit capable of pulling 5000 pounds. The specifications for safety cables are set by the Society for Automotive Engineers. Q. Why should I cross the safety cables when I install them? A. Safety cables (or chains) should be installed so that the cables form an "X" pattern under the tow bar. That is the cable that is hooked to the passenger's side of the tow vehicle should attach to the driver's of the towed vehicle and the cable hooked to the driver's side of the tow vehicle should be hooked to the passenger's side of the towed vehicle. The cables should also be wrapped around the tow bar legs once or twice between the two vehicles. The "X" pattern is so that in case the tow bar comes unhooked, the crossed cables will catch the tow bar before it hits the ground and causes the tow car to run over the tow bar and cause damage to the car and the tow bar. Wrapping the cables around the tow bar legs keeps the cables from dragging on the ground. Q. The safety cable kits available from the tow bar manufacturers seem really expensive. I can get chain and hooks from a hardware store for less. Why should I pay more for the cable kit? A. The expense of this type of accessory is not in the materials, but in the research and testing behind the product. The weight rating of the product has had careful laboratory testing and the materials have been selected to meet legal requirements. Cables are lighter than chains and easier to handle while hooking and unhooking. The plastic coating on the cables protects the finish of the tow bar and vehicles while in use. |
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Q. Why should the ball coupler on my tow bar be parallel to the ground when I tow? A. Proper ball height is the most important part of hooking up a coupler style tow bar. On a trailer the ball height is not as critical as it is on a tow bar. The trailer is long enough to smooth out the effects of bumps and dips on the ball height. Motorhomes and tow bars tend to put two of the worst case situations together. Many motorhomes have relatively long overhangs from the center of the rear wheels to the back of the motorhome. When the front end of the motorhome goes through a dip the rear of the coach will rise and fall accordingly. The longer the overhang, the more vertical movement the rear of the coach will experience. Also, the tow bar being very short, (3 to 4 feet) is very sensitive to changes in height of the ball or the front end of the towed car. The combination of the long overhang and the short tow bar make for a lot of movement of the coupler around the ball. the tow bar coupler should be parallel to the ground when on the level to allow the coupler full use of the available vertical movement. If the coupler is not parallel when it is level, you are losing part of the available vertical movement. For example, if a tow bar is hooked to a ball four inches too high, the tow bar will slope down from the ball to the towed car, reducing the vertical distance available for the towed car to drop or the motorhome to rise. If the towed car drops into a sharp dip, the tow bar coupler may exceed its vertical range of motion. When the coupler stops moving the car will still be pushing down on the tow bar. This can cause the coupler to pry itself off the ball or the tow bar legs to bend. Getting the exact ball height may not be possible with the combination of ball mounts available. Do not vary more than 1" to 1 1/2" high or low with your final configuration. Q. How can I determine the proper ball height for my tow bar? A. Park your towed vehicle on a smooth flat surface. Attach your tow bar to your towed car. Hold the coupler parallel to the ground and measure from the ground to the center of the ball cavity. This will be the proper ball height for your tow vehicle. Q. Why should I cross the safety cables when I install them? A. Safety cables (or chains) should be installed in so that the cables form an "X" pattern under the tow bar. That is the cable that is hooked to the passenger's side of the tow vehicle should attach to the driver's of the towed vehicle and the cable hooked to the driver's side of the tow vehicle should be hooked to the passenger's side of the towed vehicle. The cables should also be wrapped around the tow bar legs once or twice between the two vehicles. The "X" pattern is so that in case the tow bar comes unhooked, the crossed cables will catch the tow bar before it hits the ground and causes the tow car to run over the tow bar and cause damage to the car and the tow bar. Wrapping the cables around the tow bar legs keeps the cables from dragging on the ground. Q. My self aligning tow bar doesn't lock right away. Sometimes I have to drive a block or more before it latches. What's wrong? A. Assuming that the tow bar functions properly when you latch it by hand, the problem is probably that the leg has not had a chance to latch until you have driven for a considerable distance. Most of the time when you hook up, one leg of the tow bar will latch immediately and the other will not. To make both legs latch immediately, try this method. After hooking up, back up the towed vehicle until one leg latches. Then, turn the top of the steering wheel of the towed vehicle toward the leg of the tow bar that has not latched about 3/4 of a turn. (Counterclockwise if the driver's side leg has not latched, and clockwise if the passenger's side leg has not latched.) The remaining leg should latch within about 10 feet when you pull the motorhome ahead. Warning: Never start on a towing trip without making sure both legs have latched on your self aligning tow bar. Q. My tow bar can be very difficult to unhook sometimes. Why does this happen and what can I do to keep it from happening? A. Pressure is put on the tow bar when the towed vehicle is in a turn or in an uphill or downhill attitude. This pressure can be considerable and make the coupler difficult to release or the legs on a self-aligning tow bar difficult to release. The only good solution is to unhook on a paved level surface, where these pressures will be minimal. Since the world is not ideal you will find yourself unhooking in a bind sometimes. Contact the manufacturer of your tow bar for methods to release the latches on your particular model of tow bar. Some manufacturers offer a release tool for unhooking leg latches in a bind. |
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Q. How do I know if I need a transmission disconnect? A. Any automatic transmission vehicle other than Saturn, Honda, and the 1995 and newer 4-speed automatic Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire, and 1997 and newer Chevrolet Malibu and Olds Cutlass needs a lube pump or a disconnect. No device is needed on automatic 4 wheel drive vehicles with manual shift (transfer case model # NP-241 only, Caution there are others) transfer case. No electronic transfer case 4 wheel drive is towable as is, however Ford has announced an add on kit for the 1996 and newer Explorer that will make it towable. Q. I have a 4WD vehicle with an automatic transmission. Can I tow it without any modification? A. The answer depends on what type of transfer case you have. If you have an NP-241 transfer case that is manually shifted and has a neutral position, leave your automatic transmission in park and shift the transfer case into neutral. This will allow the drive line to be disconnected at the transfer case and will allow the vehicle to be towed. (Your dealer can help you identify which transfer case you have.) Many foreign make vehicles can not be towed in this manner. If your transfer case has a button in the dash type of shifting system (NP-243 electronic shift transfer case), there will not be a neutral position available and the vehicle will need a drive shaft disconnect to be towed. (Ford Explorer is an exception. See below) There are exceptions to both of these guidelines, so before buying a vehicle contact us to find out more. Q. Can a Ford Explorer with an electronic shift transfer case be towed? A. Yes. Explorers built after December 1, 1995 with a 4.0 liter engine and an electronic shift transfer case can be towed four down if they have a "Neutral Tow Kit" installed by a Ford dealer. Ford estimates the cost at $115. The owner's manual contains information on operating this kit. Q. I have a 1995 or newer Pontiac Sunfire with a 4 speed automatic transmission. Is it towable like the 1995 and newer Chevrolet Cavaliers? A. Yes. It is the same transmission that is used in the Cavalier. It is towable just like the Cavalier. Your Pontiac and Chevrolet dealers have Service Bulletins that confirm this. Please note that the 3 speed automatic transmissions can not be towed without a lube pump. Q. I have a 1995 or newer Pontiac Sunfire or Chevrolet Cavalier with a 3 speed automatic transmission. Is it towable like the 1995 and newer Pontiac Sunfire and Chevrolet Cavaliers with the 4 speed automatic transmission? A. No. This transmission will be damaged if it is towed without a lube pump or a driveshaft coupling. Q. Do I have to follow a special procedure before towing with my Honda/Acura automatic transmission? A. Yes. All Honda and Acura automatic transmission vehicles, any model, any year, can be towed without special pumps or drive shaft disconnects. Please note however that Honda and Acura automatic transmissions for 1989 & later were modified so they cannot be shifted rapidly from reverse to drive. Rapid shifting from reverse to drive can damage any automatic transmission. Honda advises that the modification leaves a portion of the automatic transmission in reverse when it is only shifted from reverse to neutral. This partial neutral condition cannot be detected by revving the engine, because the car will not move even though a portion of the transmission is still in reverse. If the car is towed on all four wheels in this false-neutral condition, the automatic transmission will be damaged. To make sure that the automatic transmission is completely in neutral, it must be shifted to drive and then to neutral before turning the engine off and towing the car on all four wheels. In other words, a 1989 and later model Honda or Acura car equipped with an automatic transmission can be towed on all four wheels without damaging the transmission, if the transmission lever is shifted from the drive position to the neutral position before the engine is turned off. If the transmission lever is shifted from the reverse position to the neutral position, the automatic transmission will be damaged when the car is towed on all four wheels. |
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6. Legal Issues |
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Any laws quoted in this section may vary from state to state and country to country. Check with local law enforcement agencies, before traveling, to verify what is required in your jurisdiction. Q. What accessories do I need to legally tow my vehicle? A. For safety purposes the following are required in most states: safety cables and a light bar or wiring kit. Brakes for your towed car should also be used on every installation. Most states and Canadian provinces have laws on the books concerning braking for trailers. Brakes are required on trailers with GVWR's as low as 1,000 pounds in some states. Enforcement of these laws has not been followed most places in the United States. Interpretation of the law's application to cars in tow have probably been a big reason why these laws have not been enforced actively. British Columbia province in Canada has been actively enforcing this law, stopping people, writing tickets, and making them drive the tow car separately if they do not have the proper equipment. See the Towing Accessories and Braking Concerns sections for more information. Q. Is it legal to disconnect my odometer? A. Yes, but only while the vehicle is being towed and if certain other conditions are met. When you sell the vehicle you will have to attest on the vehicle's title that the odometer was disconnected while the car was towed and provide an estimate of miles towed. Also, if you install a Speedometer Disconnect from Blue Ox or Remco the electrical power to operate the disconnect must come from the tow vehicle and not the towed vehicle the disconnect is installed on. Even if these conditions are met it is still illegal to install Speedometer Disconnects on vehicles licensed in the states of Washington or Oregon. |
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7. Baseplates |
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Q. Will I have to cut my bumper plastic or alter my vehicle to install a baseplate? A. Some baseplate installations will require that bumper plastic be cut or notched to allow the installation of the baseplate. Also most installations will require that mounting holes be drilled in the frame for the baseplate. No welding is required to install any Duncan or Blue Ox baseplate. Any drilling or plastic cutting that is necessary is outlined in the footnotes attached to each baseplate on the fit list. If you want detailed information on the installation you can call us at (800-566-9869) and get a copy of the instruction sheet. Q. No one makes a baseplate for my new vehicle. What can I do? A. Call up the manufacturer of the tow bar you would like to buy. They usually need a vehicle to use to design the baseplate. If they haven't designed a baseplate for that car yet and they are looking for a car, they may be able to use your car to design the baseplate. They usually have a fair compensation for the use of your car. Make these kind of arrangements before you buy a new car to tow. Q. No one makes a baseplate for my older vehicle. What do I do? A. A fabricator or hitch shop can make a baseplate or bracket for any model vehicle 1992 or older that is not listed on the Blue Ox or Duncan fit list. A general purpose baseplate which contains tabs, pins, and clips could be used by the fabricator to construct a baseplate for a Blue Ox tow bar. For a Duncan tow bar the fabricator would build the entire bracket. Q. Can I install the baseplate myself? A. There is no way that we can determine if anyone is capable of installing a baseplate or bracket. We can fax or mail you instruction and you can determine if you can complete the installation. For more information on baseplates, click here. |
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Q. Do I need brakes on my towed vehicle to be legal? A. Brakes for your towed car should be used on every installation. Most states and Canadian provinces have laws on the books concerning braking for trailers. Brakes are required on trailers with GVWR's as low as 1,000 pounds in some states. Enforcement of these laws has not been followed most places in the United States. Interpretation of the law's application to cars in tow have probably been a big reason why these laws have not been enforced actively. British Columbia province in Canada has been actively enforcing this law, stopping people, writing tickets, and making them drive the tow car separately if they do not have the proper equipment. Q. Can I tow more than the limits marked on my towing equipment if I have brakes for my towed vehicle? A. No. Brakes only aid you in stopping. It does not make the towed vehicles any easier to tow. Q. What do the chassis manufacturers rate their chassis to tow? A. Chevrolet literature states any trailer over 1,000 pounds loaded must have its own adequate brakes. Ford literature states that a separate functional brake system be used on any tow vehicle. Ford does not state a weight, but notes that most states require brakes on trailers over 1,500 pounds. Other chassis manufacturers have similar limits. Please check with the manufacturer of your chassis before towing. If a warranty issue concerning braking is raised on your chassis and you are outside their guidelines, be sure it will be used against you. Q. Does Towing World offer a braking system for a towed vehicle? A. Towing World currently offers two braking systems. The AutoStop uses a mechanical surge type receiver and cable system to activate the towed vehicles brakes while it is in tow. It is easy to install, fits any vehicle, and does not tap into any brake lines on the tow or towed vehicle. Models are currently available for ball and coupler type tow bars, as well as the Blue Ox Aventa, Aladdin, Aventa II and Duncan KarBar (hitch receiver style tow bars). |