Seeking Tow Equipment & Vehicle Model Recommendation

[MikeTip]

Hello Fellow Newmarians,
It’s me again! I promise this will be my last question for the week. We are considering getting a vehicle to tow behind our 2020 London Aire. We would love your expert advice on:
1. Type of Tow System?
2. Where/Who should install it?
3. Type of preferred vehicle to tow? (We see many jeeps being towed, is there a reason that brand is preferable?)
Thank you in advance for your time!

 

[Buly]

I Chose the 2014 top of the line Honda CRV front wheel dr. Because:
Automatic Transmission
Light weight
Can be towed 4 down
Was able to install myself the BlueOx towing kit
Installed InvisiBrake brake system
No complaints after 3 years.
That’s my story.

 

[flyboy013]

We went with a Blue Ox base plate and tow bar and the SMI Air Force One (AFO) braking system. We had it installed by Dan’s Service Center in Elkhart during our factory pickup. They did a great job. There’s plenty of threads around on the different braking systems. Most folks are bias to the system they have installed. Typically the ones that are easier to use (ie. AFO) are a bit more expensive but IMHO are better systems. Dan’s Service Center did a great job installing the braking system, base plate, and wiring on our 2015 Jeep GC. I would have them do it again. I know the Spartan chassis comes with a air brake line for the toad connection (Safe Haul), not sure about the Freightliner chassis but I would expect that it does. If not, the AFO system comes with a “ping tank” which supplies air for the toad.

The Jeep GC can be flat towed. Its as easy as connecting the tow bar, safety cables, light cable, air cable, and the breakaway safety cable which pulls a pin on the toad to automatically activate the brakes in the event the toad comes disconnected from the MH. You then start the vehicle, put it in neutral, and use a pen to push a button to put the transfer case into neutral. Oh yeah, push a button to bring the Jeep up to ride height as the model we have has air suspension. With my setup there is no braking unit to place on the floor at the driver’s seat, no fuse to pull, no need to leave the ignition key turned on, etc. The connection and disconnection process can be completed in a few minutes.

 

[RandyB]

One of the first sources for towable dinghys is here:

Downloadable Dinghy Towing Guides | MotorHome Magazine

Get MotorHome's annual guides to dinghy towing in PDF format for free. Our flat-towing guides include automobiles, SUVs and trucks built between 1990-2018

www.motorhome.com

The 2021 version should be published sometime soon.

I have found that if you are going to research vehicles other than what is on the Dinghy guide, the vehicle owner's manual is the best source. I download them as a PDF from the internet websites and read, read, read. It takes quite a bit of time to drill down to the details. Vehicle dealerships cannot be 100% trusted as verifiable.

I chose the Blue Ox system for tow bar and baseplate.

 

[JRW-NAW]

I missed having a truck, so we are now towing a 2020 Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4x4 with Roadmaster base plate, tow bar and Air Force 1 brake system. I did the installs myself. Had the Roadmaster/AF1 setup on our previous toad (2012 Jeep Cherokee).

Safe Travels.

 

[NWIP]

I think what you tow is really a personal choice. I would recommend something that can be towed 4 wheels down for the convenience, no trailer or dolly. I chose the Colorado for this reason and put a cap on the back which gave more storage as we full time. Braking system is Invisibrake with no complaints but would look at AF1.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I Chose the 2014 top of the line Honda CRV front wheel dr. Because:
Automatic Transmission
Light weight
Can be towed 4 down
Was able to install myself the BlueOx towing kit
Installed InvisiBrake brake system
No complaints after 3 years.
That’s my story.

We tow the 2014 Honda CR-V (ours is AWD) as @Buly does and it has worked well over some five years.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the 2014 CR-V was the last year you could tow four-wheels-down. The 2015 and later CR-Vs cannot be flat-towed due to a different transmission being used in them.

If we had to replace the CR-V, we'd be looking at one of the Jeeps or, possibly, a Chevy Colorado diesel p/u. Since LadyDi already has a 2020 Lincoln Nautilus that is flat-tow capable, we will be setting it up to replace our CR-V soon. If you are looking for a high-end option, that's another way to go.

For anyone with a 2019 or later (and the higher-end 2018s) Spartan-chassis Newmar, the Air Force One braking unit is the best choice, IMHO, because the coach half of the system is built in as the "Safe Haul" feature. You just have to install the "Toad" half in your towed vehicle and it is plug-and-play time. That's what we've done on our 2018 MADP that came with Safe Haul. And, you get true proportional braking on the towed vehicle plus no setup/takedown of a pedal actuator.

TJ

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Factor 1 - IT MUST BE ABLE TO BE TOWED WITH “ALL FOUR DOWN”.

Factor 2 - pick the TOAD that suits your “exploring” style. So, if all you wanna do is travel around the towns and make some nice scenic drives, then get the appropriate vehicle for that use. IOW, don’t plop $50k down for a nice Rubicon of you’re not gonna go off-road (unless you just love the looks and have the money.)

Factor 3 - pick the TOAD that suits your “exploring” style. So, if all you wanna do is travel around the towns and make some nice scenic drives, then get the appropriate vehicle for that use. IOW, don’t plop $50k down for a nice Rubicon of you’re not gonna go off-road (unless you just love the looks and have the money.)

Factor 4 - evaluate the system in which it can be towed; ie, electrical drain of the battery is not disconnected. Many arguments come from this. But our Raptor does NOT require this to be done. It also is switched to Neutral Tow via electronic menu selection. Some folks can’t stand this and would rather have a level to throw.

Factor 5 - select the Base Plate that is best suited for your vehicle. Consult with other experts with the same vehicle, including the installer. Makes a big difference on some vehicles like the F-150 in which the RoadMaster is a cleaner install. So, the RM tow bar became the sole choice and was based upon my TOAD’s weight.

Factor 6 - and not a factor but more of a suggestion: get the Air Force One. The Spartans already have the Coach side of it installed. Why not do the rest?

Hope that helps point you in the right direction.

 

[Tip&Tina]

^^Edited to add: What Captain Gizmo said...?

We went with a Jeep Wrangler. 2018 JL Sport. Very easy to tow. We ordered a Rockhard bumper and base plate. I installed it myself (I’m a woman, late 50’s), so it wasn’t that hard. Did it in the garage.

We had NIRVC in Atlanta wire it up for the BlueOX brake. We were in a Canyon Star so no ability to use AF One. In our soon to be ordered DS, we will use the same equipment. The Jeep towed like nothing was behind the CS. Super simple to hook up and unhook.

Happy traveling in your LA!!

 

[MikeTip]

Great information. Did you purchase the tow system directly from Dan’s Service Center? How long was the installation time, a day or two?

^^Edited to add: What Captain Gizmo said...?

We went with a Jeep Wrangler. 2018 JL Sport. Very easy to tow. We ordered a Rockhard bumper and base plate. I installed it myself (I’m a woman, late 50’s), so it wasn’t that hard. Did it in the garage.

We had NIRVC in Atlanta wire it up for the BlueOX brake. We were in a Canyon Star so no ability to use AF One. In our soon to be ordered DS, we will use the same equipment. The Jeep towed like nothing was behind the CS. Super simple to hook up and unhook.

Happy traveling in your LA!!