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Old 12-03-2018, 07:22 PM   #21
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The whole idea of it having a bend in it makes what little hair I have: stand on end!

I think that I'd cut it into little pieces, and use them for paperweights...

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Old 12-03-2018, 07:29 PM   #22
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The hitch/receiver on most motorhomes is way higher than it normally would be on car or standard truck (approx 18"). What you said about the hitch "coupler" being level makes sense. With the hitch coupler being level, the tow bars would actually descend down at a slight angle to the front of the toad. Your receiver on the coach is lower than what the tow assembly was designed for. Maybe that's why the PO sold it. Your other option is to put a 6" riser hitch ball on the receiver of the coach, creating the descend to the toad necessary to keep the "coupler" level on the ball.
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Old 12-03-2018, 07:45 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton View Post
The hitch/receiver on most motorhomes is way higher than it normally would be on car or standard truck (approx 18"). What you said about the hitch "coupler" being level makes sense. With the hitch coupler being level, the tow bars would actually descend down at a slight angle to the front of the toad. Your receiver on the coach is lower than what the tow assembly was designed for. Maybe that's why the PO sold it. Your other option is to put a 6" riser hitch ball on the receiver of the coach, creating the descend to the toad necessary to keep the "coupler" level on the ball.
Yes, what I did and thanks.
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Old 12-03-2018, 07:47 PM   #24
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I never seen anything like this. Looking carefully at the pictures on the eTrailer site it certainly seems to be made with a bend. Sounds like the bend would be a weak point.
If the objective is to have the tow bar go straight from the RV to the TOAD why would you make a tow bar with a bend in it? That just doesn't make any sense to me.
They do emphasize that the hitch part that goes on the ball should be level with the ground. In your case that means adjusting the height of the ball with an adapter.
I just wish I could understand their thinking when the made the tow bar with a bend in it. Some smart engineering guy must have thought it was a good solution but I don't understand why.
I question this design myself but I went to school for computers, not engineering.

"In your case that means adjusting the height of the ball with an adapter."

Absolutely correct. I finally got my hands on a manual. From the manual (BX4330):

"It is important that the tow bar coupler be parallel to the ground. The height from the center of the ball to the centerline of the attachment tabs should be approximately 7”. If the tow bar coupler is at an angle, an accident or damage can occur. The use of a drop/rise receiver is recommended to ensure the coupler stays parallel to the ground".

Go figure. I replaced what you see with a 6.25" rise receiver. The coupler is level and there's the 7" difference as cited.
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Old 12-03-2018, 07:55 PM   #25
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Now...that's the ticket!!! I've been experimenting with my tow options as well. Gonna pull the 89 YJ on a 16' car hauler trailer for long hauls but I'll pull it with the tow bar that came with the Jeep for local and short trips. Because the Jeep has a 3.5" lift with 33" tires, the tow bar lines up perfectly level with the receiver of the coach...lucky me! Now I've got re-engineer the set up for the trailer as it's the standard 18" height. Nothing is normal...everything costs double.
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Old 12-03-2018, 08:03 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton View Post
Now...that's the ticket!!! I've been experimenting with my tow options as well. Gonna pull the 89 YJ on a 16' car hauler trailer for long hauls but I'll pull it with the tow bar that came with the Jeep for local and short trips. Because the Jeep has a 3.5" lift with 33" tires, the tow bar lines up perfectly level with the receiver of the coach...lucky me! Now I've got re-engineer the set up for the trailer as it's the standard 18" height. Nothing is normal...everything costs double.
Six of one, half dozen of another. Always something.
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Old 12-03-2018, 08:10 PM   #27
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I fail to understand why some folks go to e-trailer for tow bar information, they don't make anything. I went to the MANUFACTURE's web site to help Ed and everything was plain and clear. There are major design differences between a coach mounted bar and a toad mounted bar. As long as installed per the manufacture's design they both will work equally well. The shop that did our installation (26 yrs in the business) gave us the option of which way we wanted to go. I elected to have the weight of the stored bar on the coach and not have it hanging on the front of the Jeep. But either would have worked well. The shop said most delivery companies opt for toad mounted so they can just unhook and go after delivery and these guys go all over the country, safely.
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Old 12-03-2018, 08:56 PM   #28
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KISS...I'll keep the tow bar on the Jeep to make things really quick. When I hit the trails or get the Jeep around to the campsite, I'll pull two pins and throw it to the side. This also gives me the option to pull it with my 2500HD, my Express 2500 or any other vehicle that has a hitch, not needing a full "Blue Ox" type system. With the folding type you have, and glad it works for you, you can only tow it with your coach. I bought the Jeep for other purposes other than just a toad and can tow it anywhere with anything that has a hitch. the coach has enough balls that expensive braking systems are not needed...just as in the example above with the delivery guys...that do this safely.
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Old 12-04-2018, 06:46 PM   #29
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Looks like the center connecting plate upside down. The 2” sq tube would it be used for a bicycle rack just saying looks like it was put together wrong
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Old 12-14-2018, 03:28 PM   #30
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Interestingly, on my recent trip to Elkhart I ran into a rep with Blue Ox one evening while dining out. His explanation...the angle from the coach hitch to the bumper of the toad must be in a downward position to prevent the forward inertia from the toad to cause the front of the toad to come up off the ground in an "emergency, hard breaking situation". If the tow bar were level or in a position upward from the coach to the toad, this would allow an upward pivot point and the toad could "run under" the tow bar. Otherwise, in the correct position, this same inertia will put downward pressure on the front of the toad, keeping all 4 wheels on the ground.
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Old 12-14-2018, 04:18 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton View Post
Interestingly, on my recent trip to Elkhart I ran into a rep with Blue Ox one evening while dining out. His explanation...the angle from the coach hitch to the bumper of the toad must be in a downward position to prevent the forward inertia from the toad to cause the front of the toad to come up off the ground in an "emergency, hard breaking situation". If the tow bar were level or in a position upward from the coach to the toad, this would allow an upward pivot point and the toad could "run under" the tow bar. Otherwise, in the correct position, this same inertia will put downward pressure on the front of the toad, keeping all 4 wheels on the ground.
Now that makes sense. I like my little 'bend' a whole lot more now. Thanks for sharing what you've learned.
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Old 12-14-2018, 06:22 PM   #32
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It's a nice success story to see a member start AND end a thread on a good note!! It'll cost you a rum-n-coke if we ever hook up somewhere. The towbar that came with the used Jeep I bought had the same angle issue to the coach as yours. His explanation made me feel better about it too. I will mostly tow on a 16' trailer I bought but may occasionally tow with bar only on short trips to racetrack, festivals and drag strip around here. The "green light" clicked for me too. He also added...make sure the hitch ball itself is heavy duty with large shank, as this is the weak link under that "hard breaking" condition.
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Old 12-14-2018, 07:40 PM   #33
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It's a nice success story to see a member start AND end a thread on a good note!! It'll cost you a rum-n-coke if we ever hook up somewhere. The towbar that came with the used Jeep I bought had the same angle issue to the coach as yours. His explanation made me feel better about it too. I will mostly tow on a 16' trailer I bought but may occasionally tow with bar only on short trips to racetrack, festivals and drag strip around here. The "green light" clicked for me too. He also added...make sure the hitch ball itself is heavy duty with large shank, as this is the weak link under that "hard breaking" condition.
Yes Sir. All's well that ends well. I went with a 6.25" rise. It's perfectly level. The truck weighs 3020 without me in it so I got a 6k ball for the rise. Twice the truck's weight, so hoping I'm good there. Shank is a tight fit in the riser's bore so couldn't go bigger if I wanted to.

Just one R&C? Maybe, if the glass is this big


Thanks again.
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Old 12-14-2018, 07:53 PM   #34
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That's a shot glass!!
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Old 12-14-2018, 08:35 PM   #35
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That's a shot glass!!
Yeah, you're right. Might as well skip the coke while you're at it and just raid the cellar
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Old 01-26-2019, 03:26 AM   #36
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Closing the loop

Just wanted to close the loop on this. After seeing many BO tow bars out there liken to mine, there seems to be a common thread and the Gritz brought conviction to the table.
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