BE SAFE, BE LEGAL, 4 DOWN TOWING behind a Motorhome
62,977
Published 2022-04-30
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Once I bought the Ready Brute Elite Tow Bar, I chose to ditch the coiled safety cables and went with high tensile strength chain. Everything we need to connect and disconnect we carry in a bag in the car. That way we are never hunting for or losing any of our equipment.
I love the fact that with the Ready Brute Elite Tow Bar I actually have two braking systems. The "Ready Brake" that’s built into the Ready Brute Elite Tow Bar, but it also uses the existing brakes on the car. Now in addition to the braking system, I also installed an emergency break away cable. This cable and hardware will set and hold the brakes on our car in the event it should ever become separated from our RV while towing. Great safety feature and it’s required in some US states and in Canada.
I decided to not use the factory connecting pins. I chose locking pins to connect the tow bar to the RV, the hitch and to the car.
Cost of our system towing 4 down:
For me it was right around $3K but I bought everything new:
• To purchase the Base plate and installation was right around $850
• The Tow Bar itself was right around $1,150 or so at the time and it didn’t come with Blue OX Clevis’
• So I had to buy 2 - Blue OX Clevis’ for the ends of the tow bar
• The over and under hitch
• 3 Rattle Clamps
• Chains and fabric covers
• 6 locking pins all keyed the same
• The bike rack and bike cover
• The tow bar cover and straps
• My tool bag, gloves etc.
Add it all up and with tax was right around 3K but mind it was well worth it. We’ve been using it now for 5 years and haven’t had a lick of trouble with it.
SAFETY
• ALWAYS check your towing equipment and car after you’ve stopped at a rest stop or anything like that. This is why I chose pins with locks. I have read and seen where some people had their pins tampered with and the cotter pin had been removed. It wasn’t pretty. Also make sure your breakaway body hasn’t been tampered with by someone pulling the cable. That’s why I use a zip tie to that area like I showed you.
• Never start talking to someone while hooking up. This is where you can become distracted and make mistakes
Stay safe everybody and take hooking up your tow vehicle seriously. Hope to see many more of you on the road.
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DISCLAIMER:
We are in no way experts or professional mechanics. But being a journeyman millwright for years & being EX Military, has proven to be very helpful in my lifetime learning how to care for & maintain all sorts of machinery & equipment like: helicopters, airplanes, tanks, motorcycles & many types of other vehicles. That, along with 18 months preparing & upgrading our RV before we went full time, & now traveling for several years has gained us a lot of knowledge. Regardless of what we recommend, consult a professional if you're unsure about working on your RV. Work you perform or products you purchase based on any information we provide is at your own r
All Comments (21)
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The locking pins I bought that were all keyed the same: www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Pins-and-Clips/Blue-Ox/BX88… Your size may vary and you'll have to call and order them and have them keyed all the same for a small extra fee The way I installed the dash light so I could verify the braking system was working correctly was to splice a wire into the main harness at the back, then a little more wire to splice from under the dash from that same wire, then I bought a small 12V indicator light, drilled a hole in the dash and mounted it. The light was two piece....the light with a threaded stem and a lock ring on the back with two posts for the wiring from under the dash. I forget where I bought the light but their easy to find.
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I want to thank you for making this wonderful video. We hooked it up with no problems. Thank you again 🤗
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Great video! We will share a story with you guys. We bought ourselves a diesel pusher after retirement along with a top of the line flat tow system and a receiver to get us level. Everything from the the same company. Three years later while traveling down the road the receiver broke at the weld and down went the tow bar. Fortunately everything worked as it should and no damage. My wife followed in the car to our destination, we talked to the manufacturer, they next day air a new receiver, we sent them the failed receiver and now waiting to hear back. It pays to flat tow correctly as your video points out.
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Thank you for your service and sacrifice Sir. Great video. Thanks.
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Martin you're always full of fantastic information, great work.
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Awesome class, I learned a lot. I don’t currently tow behind my rig, but when I do I will definitely be rewatching this video for all the great tips and advice.
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This is excellent! This is the same setup I intend to use for my 2022 Jeep Cherokee when we start full-timing this fall. Thanks and safe travels!!!
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Top notch videos Martin! Always love learning more about RV tips and tricks. Vibration is a major problem traveling across the country. The roads on our highways are so bumping it can jar connections and mounted items loose. Keep up the good work and maybe one day we will meet y'all on the road one day! Happy RVing!
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Very clear and comprehensive overview. Thanks!
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Great video and very timely Martin. I was just starting my research on a flat tow system after our trip to Myrtle Beach when we had no car for 10 days. Ended up renting one, but after that trip we said time to get a toad! Thanks for sharing once again!
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So glad you reminded everyone to check the connections when the attached tow has been left alone. It's becoming more common to hear about these issues that can really ruin an RV Experience. Thanks again.
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Appreciate 99.9999% of all of your videos (at least 100 )that we have looked at Martin. This video was especially helpful for me. My wife and I have been trying for sometime to get to where we can enjoy the Rv life. We are almost there. Thank you and Joanie so much. Tommy and Bonita.
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Nicely done Martin! Love your vids! Keep up the great content and stay safe on the road! 😎👍🏼
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Thank you so much Martin. It’s like going to school. Your a great teacher. And I am forever going to be a student So don’t get tired of lack of experience. When I need your awesome advance and help. And your playlist. Whoa. What a great idea. Once again thank you so much for caring You will definitely make my rv life a pleasure. I am a newbie
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Great information. I tow a Chevy spark with manual transmission that has a non locking steering and love it. Our tow bag has all the essentials with a small rubber mat for protecting my knees when attaching and or removing. The small zip tie on the emergency breakaway on the base plate is brilliant and will apply to my own.
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We love our Ready Brute Elite2. It has been a simple and effective toad system. We tow a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek with manual transmission.
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Masterclass. Thank you so very much for your comprehensive video. Safe travels.
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Great job!!! I really appreciated how thorough you were in explaining even the smallest details! Your obviously a perfectionist and a great teacher!
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Great vid ! .... Clicked on this vid to get some pointers for using a tow bar while moving an old car for restoration. So glad that I did ... the info here will surely save lives. This guy should be teaching at some high end university. Thanks for the info !
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Thank you. I’ve been using this same set up for 4.5 years. This is the first time seeing how to maintain it. I also picked up some other good pointers.
