Potential TOAD Setup THOR ARIA 40'and 2021 JEEP Wrangler High Altitude

["EZ"]

I highly recommend the Air Force One auxilliary brake system. It does a great job. I however chose to go with the Blue Ox tow bar.

 

[MapNerd]

Purely anecdotal and I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes or disparage anyone for their choices or preferences. I just have noticed recently, in the last few months, multiple reports of significant blue ox failures whereas I cannot find a single report of a Roadmaster failure anywhere. If there is a Roadmaster failure report, I would love to see it. Sincerely - please share it with me

 

["EZ"]

Purely anecdotal and I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes or disparage anyone for their choices or preferences. I just have noticed recently, in the last few months, multiple reports of significant blue ox failures whereas I cannot find a single report of a Roadmaster failure anywhere. If there is a Roadmaster failure report, I would love to see it. Sincerely - please share it with me

Do you know which model of Blue Ox has had failures? Where did you read about these failures? I'd like to see what's going on. So far I've had no issues whatsoever. But if mine is one of the models with issues, then I may want to get a different one.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[MapNerd]

Do you know which model of Blue Ox has had failures? Where did you read about these failures? I'd like to see what's going on. So far I've had no issues whatsoever. But if mine is one of the models with issues, then I may want to get a different one.

Thanks for the heads up!

I read about them on iRV2 but a Google search for “blue ox failure” turns up lots of results, not just on irv2. Also, me having read about them recently doesn’t necessarily mean they occurred recently. Some might have, some might have not. I’ve not gone back and reread, it just occurred to me that I was seeing these kinds of posts more frequently, but it could very will be just people commenting at the end of very old posts, which typically brings them to the top of forums with a kind of Lazarus effect

blue ox failure - Google Search

a similar Google search for “Roadmaster failure” turns up just a fraction of hits, many of which have nothing to do with Roadmaster tow bars and/or base plates. Changing the search term to “Roadmaster towbar baseplate failure” doesn’t really change the results much either.

 

["EZ"]

I read about them on iRV2 but a Google search for “blue ox failure” turns up lots of results, not just on irv2. Also, me having read about them recently doesn’t necessarily mean they occurred recently. Some might have, some might have not. I’ve not gone back and reread, it just occurred to me that I was seeing these kinds of posts more frequently, but it could very will be just people commenting at the end of very old posts, which typically brings them to the top of forums with a kind of Lazarus effect

blue ox failure - Google Search

a similar Google search for “Roadmaster failure” turns up just a fraction of hits, many of which have nothing to do with Roadmaster tow bars and/or base plates. Changing the search term to “Roadmaster towbar baseplate failure” doesn’t really change the results much either.

I found this while searching a few minutes ago. This was on the RV Forum.net website. At least this one was no fault of Blue Ox and they even gave him a new tow bar! I'll keep reading and will go check my tow bar later!!!

In our case, we skidded the motor home and that caused the toad (a Ford Ranger) to whipsaw back and forth. On the back, it hit a concrete wall causing considerable damage to the truck (totalled ) and the subsequent swings placed extraordindary side loads on the tow bar that it was never designed to sustain in normal use. Even 3" tubing will only take so much abuse The safety chains held however. I use real chains, not cable nor swaged fittings.

 

["EZ"]

I've read 3 more stories about failed Blue Ox two bars. All 3 were the same. The poster comes on swearing that Blue Ox is junk and it caused all this damage when it failed. Then people start asking questions and the original poster goes away and never clarifies or answers any questions. I'm thinking that a lot of these people may have caused the failure of the tow bars themselves due to misuse. There were twice as many stories in the threads about watching idiots backing up with the TOAD still attached while "pushing" it into the camp site and stuff like that. lol. It's hard to know who to believe, right?

One thing about it. I will be inspecting my Blue Ox aluminum tow bar very carefully before and after each use from now on. I'd suggest you do the same regardless of which brand you own.

 

[MapNerd]

I'm thinking that a lot of these people may have caused the failure of the tow bars themselves due to misuse.

“User Error. Please replace user” is always a possible, and sometimes regularly occurring failure code!

 

[Cardiff RV]

Okay, things did not go as planned. Hitch Tube bent down.

We are way under tongue weight but maybe the rear positioning of the bikes and bounce compounded with the extensions caused the problem.

Going to need to have the hitch replaced.

The question is how can I safely accomplish this setup?

Can try to eliminate the hitch extension to the tow bar. Get a bike rack that does not extend as much (This one was long so it can also be used on the Jeep and extend past the Jeep's spare) Can also swap the Gen-Y with something else? Open to all ideas at this point.

Thanks

 

["EZ"]

OMG!!!! That first pic tells the whole story there. You basically have a 3 foot long lever that you used to bend the hitch down. I can't believe you had a tow bar attached to that contraption. It just LOOKS dangerous.

BTW.............did you read the part where the manufacturer of the hitch extension says that the towing capacity is cut in HALF when using their hitch extender? This is for a 12' extension I believe. It would be reduced even more for the extremely long hitch extension that you have. Get them bicycles off there before you really cost yourself some serious money when that mess fails completely. Put the bikes on the back of the TOAD.