Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-26-2021, 08:12 PM   #21
2005 Sightseer 30B
 
LadyFaire's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Posts: 97
Quote:
Originally Posted by 68SILVER View Post
I guess when you day Blue Ox you mean tow bar and brakebudy your sux. brake. Jeep Wrangler is a good yode in my opinion and you would need baseplates for the tode
I have toed Trackers Equanox and Wranglers. Probably prefer the Wrangle
. I will not to see if without a auxiliary break system
.. I have bin doing this since 1999.

Part of the stuff that came with the coach is marked "Blue Ox" and part is marked "Brake Buddy". I've trailered a car and I've used a tow dolly. I have ZERO idea what the Blue Ox/Brake Buddy equipment that came with the coach IS, to be honest. I know the previous owner had an Equinox that she dinghy towed behind the coach using the equipment - and that is ALL I know about it. Well, that and the fact that she greatly exaggerated the fuel efficiency while towing. I don't get 13 MPG WITHOUT towing anything!! The best I've done is 10 MPG.
__________________
TINSTAAFL - "there is no such thing as a free lunch" Any farmer can tell you: "you don't work, you don't eat." It is that simple.
2005 Winnebago Sightseer 30B
LadyFaire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-2021, 03:08 AM   #22
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 58
My recommendation for a base plate would be Etrailer. Their customer service is outstanding that helps people like yourself. I have a 2014 Honda CRV awd that I flat tow. It was the last year the crv is capable of being towed, with all 4 wheels down. Jeeps are another mfg that offer many that can be flat towed. I wouldn't have any other way than flat towed, so easy to hook and unhook. I'm a 200# man and I had a difficult time wrestling with a car dolly years ago. It's not what I want to do after a day on the road. I cant help you with your brake question, as I don't even bother with one.
Hope this helps, as I know first hand that ETRAILER has helped me get setup....
Dibbsvtx1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-2021, 05:46 AM   #23
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 3,574
Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyFaire View Post
Part of the stuff that came with the coach is marked "Blue Ox" and part is marked "Brake Buddy". I've trailered a car and I've used a tow dolly. I have ZERO idea what the Blue Ox/Brake Buddy equipment that came with the coach IS, to be honest. I know the previous owner had an Equinox that she dinghy towed behind the coach using the equipment - and that is ALL I know about it. Well, that and the fact that she greatly exaggerated the fuel efficiency while towing. I don't get 13 MPG WITHOUT towing anything!! The best I've done is 10 MPG.
The Blue Ox parts are probably the towbar and related parts. The Brake Buddy is a supplemental braking system that you put in the car you're towing so, when you step on your MH's brakes, the towed car's brakes are activated. The towbar is V shaped and attaches the car to the motorhome. The point of the V attaches to your motorhome's trailer hitch and the two arms attach to the vehicle you're towing via a "baseplate" installed on the front of the towed car (aka "Toad" or "Dinghy").

This may help:

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-towing-...-overview.aspx
__________________
Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
BobC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2021, 05:49 PM   #24
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 221
Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyFaire View Post
We picked up a flatbed, car hauler that will handle more than the coach! We didn't want to have to buy yet another vehicle, since neither of the ones we have can be dinghy towed or even just with a dolly. One is all wheel drive and the other is 4 wheel drive. I am NOT interested in learning how to drop a drive shaft, thank you [grin]. With the flatbed, we can haul hubby's compact SUV so only have the $1200 we paid for the trailer. Since it is a flatbed, I can sell my utility trailer, so the yard/driveway isn't going to be overly crowded with vehicles. Anyone interested in a Blue Ox/Brake Buddy?? I don't even know if it is complete or what it is worth.
OK, so here is where you need to be very careful. If your Sightseer is like ours, you have limited towing capacity as it relates to the hitch.

Your maximum weight is limited to 5,000 lbs. How much does your empty trailer and the vehicle weigh? It's best to not guess on this one. Those types of trailers are usually quite heavy and haul best with 10% to 15% of the overall weight as tongue weight. A little higher is even better.

Your maximum tongue weight is 500 lbs. That is very easy to exceed with a heavy-duty car hauler trailer and the vehicle.

These constraints are not really limited by the hitch. The limit is based on the rear chassis extension size. Crawl under there and take a look. The hitch is usually not mounted to the main chassis frame on a gasoline powered motor home.
DryCreek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2021, 08:24 PM   #25
2005 Sightseer 30B
 
LadyFaire's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Posts: 97
We thought about that, and it should be fine - the trailer and the car together come under the 5K weight. The trailer is quite long, and we will center the weight of the car over the axle so as to not make it front heavy and put too much on the tongue. I might also have the mechanic take a look to see if we should strengthen the hitch - I know what I mean, but not HOW to say it....
__________________
TINSTAAFL - "there is no such thing as a free lunch" Any farmer can tell you: "you don't work, you don't eat." It is that simple.
2005 Winnebago Sightseer 30B
LadyFaire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2021, 03:12 AM   #26
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 58
Understand, all good. Hope everything works out for you
Dibbsvtx1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2021, 06:46 PM   #27
Winnie-Wise
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 343
I pretty much did the same thing as you are doing LadyFaire. I bought a 16' Aluma aluminum car hauler that weighs about 1100#, and with a car I am still under the 5,000# limit. I also had my receiver modified by a local welding shop. They dropped the tube 2", basically by welding a new tube below the existing, and added some braces to strengthen it. This allows me to use a shorter drop hitch, and I bought a Weigh-Safe 4" drop hitch so I can see exactly what I have for tongue weight.

https://www.weigh-safe.com/wp-conten...2-1024x910.jpg

Is it as simple and easy as flat towing? No. But I can't flat tow two of my cars or more importantly my Polaris UTV. So option 1 is buy a flat tow setup for the CR-V, a dolly for the other two cars, and a trailer for the UTV. I chose option 2 and bought a trailer to haul all of the above.
__________________
2015 Vista 27N
wyocamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2021, 04:15 PM   #28
Adventures with Beagles
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 11
We were shocked at what it cost us to get set up to tow our Ford CMax. We bought used Blue Ox tow bar and Patriot brake. Had base plate installed by a Blue Ox dealer who showed us how to use the whole setup. I'm very glad we did it - but so much more than expected!
BeaglesRUs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2021, 04:30 PM   #29
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 58
I did everything myself, installation that is. Nothing hard except patience.....
Dibbsvtx1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2021, 04:56 PM   #30
Winnie-Wise
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 356
Quote:
Originally Posted by BeaglesRUs View Post
We were shocked at what it cost us to get set up to tow our Ford CMax. We bought used Blue Ox tow bar and Patriot brake. Had base plate installed by a Blue Ox dealer who showed us how to use the whole setup. I'm very glad we did it - but so much more than expected!
That's why I dolly tow. No set-up cost when you change toads.
Mtn Charlie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2021, 05:51 PM   #31
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 58
Understand
Dibbsvtx1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2021, 06:00 PM   #32
Adventures with Beagles
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 11
I watched a video a few times on installing the base plate in my CMax and decided I wasn't going to do it myself. The mechanic at the authorized dealer said that he usually does 2-3 base plate installs per week and mine was the hardest one he has ever done. He showed me the cuts and scrapes on his arms. Glad I didn't attempt it.
BeaglesRUs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2021, 07:00 PM   #33
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 3,574
One thing, Dolly towing requires a bit more physical exertion, getting down on the ground, etc. so if you're at that point in life where these things are difficult, it might not be for you. Flat towing, on the other hand, requires very little physical effort.

I know someone will chime in and say they can set up their dolly in 10 minutes and it's a piece of cake. I ordered and received a dolly back in May but, since then, have had some physical challenges and am starting to question if it's going to be too much for me. My 2010 Mazda 5 isn't flat towable so I really want it to work. Time will tell.

My 2011 Honda Odyssey officially isn't but unofficially is and it's equipped for flat towing. It, however, is fully handicapped equipped for my wife, and I'm a bit leary of having the transmission go out if I have an electrical issue. Apparently the transmission requires electric power when towing to circulate the transmission fluid while flat towing. I have a charging circuit but the last time I flat towed, the battery was down when we arrived at my destination. I need to troubleshoot the charging circuit. I hope I find a fixable problem.

The Honda is also pretty heavy, putting me close to my 5,000# tow limit at about 4500#. The Mazda is about 1000# lighter so, with my 380# dolly is still lighter than the Honda.

My situation is somewhat unique but everybody's situation is different so there's no one answer that fits everyone.
__________________
Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
BobC is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
tow, towing


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Towing a Travel Trailer With a GVWR That Exceed's the Vehicle's Towing Capacity rasman59 Winnebago General Discussions 14 09-23-2021 10:08 AM
Dinghy towing a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee RonBonoSr Winnebago Class A Motorhomes 0 05-06-2020 06:05 PM
Dinging towing (flat towing) Toyota F J Cruiser akasusie Towing, Hitching and Vehicles 15 11-27-2007 10:18 AM
Flatbed Dinghy Towing JC2 Towing, Hitching and Vehicles 14 03-02-2007 12:03 PM
dinghy towing jest4fun Towing, Hitching and Vehicles 9 07-22-2005 01:09 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.