For more information, please read "Towing
101" An Introduction to
Towing with an RV
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Equipment
In
order to properly tow your vehicle with a tow bar, a minimum of
five items are required:
- Tow
hitch
- Tow
bar
- Base
plate
- Safety
cables
- Taillight
kit or light bar
Other
items may be added to improve security, convenience and
handling. Blue Ox recommends these items:
- Supplemental
braking system (Autostop, Toadstop, Brakesafe, Apollo,
ToadStop II)
- KarGard
or RV Underskirt Vehicle Protector
- Locking
pins
- Tow
bar cover
Additional
accessories are available to make towing your vehicle as easy as
possible.
Towable Vehicles
Most
vehicles on the road today can be towed "four-wheels
down." Cars with manual transmissions are the easiest to
tow. These require little or no modification be towing. Some
automatics like the newer Chevy Cavaliers, Chevy Malibu's,
Pontiac Sunfires and all Saturn vehicles, as well as many
four-wheel drives are also designed for towing with no
modifications. However, most vehicles with automatic or
four-wheel drive transmissions require a lubrication pump or
driveline disconnection before towing. Ask your local car dealer
if you're unsure of your vehicle's towing requirements.
Towing Checklist
-
Read
and follow all instructions.
-
Make
sure restraints are installed correctly and are in good
condition.
-
Use
RV-actuated tail lights or light bar on the towed vehicle.
-
Make
sure hitch is snugly engaged and the safety pin is in
place to prevent accidental unhitching.
-
Inspect
all lights at the rear of the towed vehicle.
-
Don't
let anyone ride in a towed vehicle.
-
Use
an S.A.E. Class II hitch for vehicles up to 3,500 pounds.
-
Use
an S.A.E. Class III hitch for vehicles up to 5,000 pounds.
-
Make
sure all safety decals are readable.
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