Tow Set-Up Southern California November 16, 2010, 10:36:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118299We're about to go forward with setting up our '07 CRV as a toad for our '04 RB and are wondering who anyone might have used to complete the project. Thanks for any suggestions.Julie and Sue
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #1 – November 17, 2010, 02:01:49 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118306Quote We're about to go forward with setting up our '07 CRV as a toad for our '04 RB and are wondering who anyone might have used to complete the project. Thanks for any suggestions.Julie and Sue Where are you? We have 04mb and 2000crv package. us gear brake and blue ox tow bar with 6-wire cable. has worked well for us for a lot of years. use step down receiver to keep bar level between LD and toad. our crvs are very different so customizing will not be the same, but basics should compare. Solid mounting plate on LD a must.
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #2 – November 17, 2010, 02:19:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118307We're about to go forward with setting up our '07 CRV as a toad for our '04 RB and are wondering who anyone might have used to complete the project.Julie and Sue The tow bar and base plate will come from either Roadmaster or Blue Ox. Check their websites for your car model and compare how the base plates look when not towing. Both companies build good stuff. http://www.roadmasterinc.com/> http://www.blueox.us/> A built in toad-braking system is the most convenient as long as you only one tow car. Products from US Gear and SMI are widely used. http://www.usgear.cc/utb_brakingnews.htm> http://smibrake.com/stay-in-play-duo.html>Larry
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #3 – November 17, 2010, 02:28:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118309We have an 05MB and an 05 CRV. We use a Blue Ox tow bar and a Brake Buddy. We have had zero problems in 66,000 miles.
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #4 – November 17, 2010, 03:20:45 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118310You should also consider NSA RV Products' "ReadyBrute" towbar with integrated braking system:http://www.readybrake.com/ It's gotten good recommendations from users, and it's a significantly less expensive solution than a towbar + separate toad brake system. It also has the advantage of being usable with multiple towed vehicles, without the many drawbacks of "brake in a box" systems such as Brake Buddy.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #5 – November 17, 2010, 04:30:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118311Andy: I got the Ready Brake pretty much on your recommendation for my '00 Ford Ranger. Had it installed by Safe Steer in Deming NM as I was passing through on the way to Baloon Fiesta. Works great and less than $600 with indicator lite and breakaway. Using it with Falcon 2 towbar. A little extra time hooking up but I thought it was a great value. Just remember to compensate safety cable length for the added length of the add on brake unit. I stretched a safety cable pretty good before I got some extenders at Camping World
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #6 – November 17, 2010, 05:42:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118312We have an 06 Mid-bath with a 2010 CR-V. We went for the Stay-in-Play system, since we do not change vehicles very often - maybe once every ten or so years. Haven't used the system too often, but am very pleased with it. It actually saved me from getting into a bad accident at one point. For twenty or so years, we towed a Saturn without an additional brake system, and had we not had the Stay-in-play, we definitely would have hit one or more cars in front of us in a quick stop situation.SMI manufacturing web site is www.smibrake.com. We also invested in a protectatow cover for between the MB and our CR-V. It's simple to install and looks like it will last. And not very expensive. Their website is www.protectatow.com.If you have any questions, let me know.Barry "O"[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #7 – November 17, 2010, 05:43:10 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118313Andy, What are the many drawbacks of "Brake in a box" systems like Brake Buddy. I hear they are pretty good. Dale from Downey.__
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #8 – November 17, 2010, 05:49:25 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118314Quote "Andy, What are the many drawbacks of "Brake in a box" systems like Brake Buddy. I hear they are pretty good." Dale from Downey. Dale, if you Google "drawback of brake in a box system like Brake Buddy" you will find some interesting thread discussions of the pros and cons.Chris
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #9 – November 17, 2010, 06:20:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118315Julie and Sue, I do not think you can go wrong with a Blue Ox tow bar setup. Now braking is going to be another issue. A breaking system is required in Calif and in most all of the other states. The integral towbar braking systems are the most economical, but are the least effective. I had one, it worked, but it is not the best. The Brake Buddy type system also works well....can be easily transferred to another car, but when you are not towing it has to be stored somewhere and when you hook up again, you have to install the Brake Buddy. The Brake Buddy is not the problem, it's the brake pedal connection....on hands and knees with head under the steering wheel. I have the "Unified Tow Brake" by US Gear. It's not cheap, but it is the best. It has proportional braking so that you can balance the braking load between vehicles, all components are hidden and out of site and you can adjust the gain when conditions require it......like when going down a steep grade. I have had the US Gear system for over 9 years without a single problem. Good luck and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.Chuck Gray
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #10 – November 17, 2010, 06:43:56 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118316wrote: if you Google "drawback of brake in a box system like Brake Buddy" you will find some interesting thread discussions of the pros and cons. --- And, although I have no way of verifying the experiences reported in this(short, now, but it probably will grow!)thread in the Escapees forum, it makes interesting reading: http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=87837 Joan
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #11 – November 17, 2010, 08:59:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118317"What are the many drawbacks of 'Brake in a box' systems like Brake Buddy." I discuss the pros and cons of various braking systems on my page "Follow the leader": http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/2009/towing.htmAndy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #12 – November 18, 2010, 06:21:08 am Yahoo Message Number: 118320QuoteAnd, although I have no way of verifying the experiences reported in this(short, now, but it probably will grow!)thread in the Escapees forum, it makes interesting reading: http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=87837 "Been using a Brake Buddy since 2002, towing about 100,000 miles. We have had it rebuilt 3 times, air cylinder, circuit board and air pressure regulator"WOW, makes me really glad to have chosen an SMI over a Brake Buddy. We have towed 45,000 miles without a problem. And we don't have to deal with unhooking and storing the big box when we want to drive the Jeep.
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #13 – November 18, 2010, 08:40:20 am Yahoo Message Number: 118322Barry "O" : I'v got a little 96 Geo Tracker that seems as lite as a washing machine. I bought the RV/GEO package together (sold RV-keep GEO) and when I towed it from Lk Forest, CA to Bullhead City, AZ it had no brake system, it did not seem to be a problem braking. . The Geo is automatic with a pretty long tow bar and chains and I have to put it in park and pull a lever out from under drivers seat to disconnect the axle. The seller told me to NOT back up a lot but a little is ok when connected up ??. Do I need a brake system or the Stay-in-Play if I were to buy a Lazy Daze and haul my Geo? I have a Toyota MH now and do not tow the Geo - Toy does not have enough guts for hills and tow. ThanksDennis W__
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #14 – November 18, 2010, 10:56:51 am Yahoo Message Number: 118325"Do I need a brake system or the Stay-in-Play if I were to buy a Lazy Daze and haul my Geo?" Your '96 Tracker may "feel" lightweight, but it weighs almost a ton and a half. And yes, you need a braking system if you plan to tow it. That's legally required by almost all US states and Canadian provinces. And legalities aside, it's the smart, safe thing to do. Think about it: you take a six-ton Lazy Daze and add another couple of tons. What will that do to your stopping distance? Another hundred feet can mean the difference between stopping safely, and hitting a car, a semitrailer... or going off the edge of a mountain road.The least expensive toad brake system is NSA's ReadyBrake: http://www.readybrake.com/brake-systems.html...which can be had for less than $500, including the optional ReadyStop breakaway kit (mandatory, in my opinion). That's half the price of a Brake Buddy. The SMI and US Gear systems are more expensive, but also excellent.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #15 – November 18, 2010, 11:36:07 am Yahoo Message Number: 118327Thank you all for your responses. I feel much better equipped to make a good decision. Since we live in Long Beach, CA, does anyone have an installer that they would recommend? Any place in Orange County or LA country would be fine. Our LD is precious to us and we don't want just anyone working on her. While I am sure all RV owners feel that way, I know most of us here at this site are a little in love with our rigs!Again, thanks.Julie and Sue
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #16 – November 18, 2010, 12:07:25 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118328I don't know if he does this kind of stuff, but you might ask Tim Pease.http://www.extramilerv.com/--Al in Scappoose --2002 26.5 MB
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #17 – November 18, 2010, 12:32:12 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118331Julie and Sue, I have used Premium RV since 1989....They are great! Never had a problem. I have referred several others to Premium and they are all happy with their service. As with all top notch service centers, they are busy. They work on everything except the drive line. The owners are Rick Muller and Dick Lamb, located at 600 So. Palm, La Habra, Ca. (on Palm just north of Lambert) 714-441-0507 & 562-690-4769Chuck Gray
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #18 – November 18, 2010, 04:30:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118335Hey Dennis, The State of Calif does not "require" an additional braking system as such, but it does require you to be able to stop within a specific distance, at a specific mph. I vaguely remember 50ft at 20 mph. I'm not super sure of the figures, actually, it's been quite awhile since I've looked at the statute. I would strongly suggest some sort of braking enhancement. I probably would decide if I were going to keep the car for a long time. If not, I might get something like a Brake Buddy, or some other system that you can change easily. If you were sure you were going to keep it for quite a few years, I would go with a permanent rig (SMI Stay-in-Play, or the other good one - U.S. - Forgot the rest of the name), so you don't have to fool with setting it up every time you want to tow. You might want to do a little research on the difference in braking distance with and without a tow car. In my case, the difference is about 70 feet if memory serves me right. One article from Mid-State RV Center says that at 50 mph average stopping distance for a motor home without towing is 132 ft. The same motor home with a tow showed a stopping distance of 209 ft. The third figure shows the motor home with a Brakemaster system while towing stopped at a distance of 137 ft. Quite a difference.[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #19 – November 18, 2010, 05:32:30 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118338Having installed an SMI system in our Jeep, I know it would little problem to transfer it to another vehicle. So how long I might keep the vehicle would have no effect on my decision on what braking system to buy. OTOH, if you are paying someone a thousand dollars to run a few wires for you, then it would be a consideration.On Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:30:07 -0800, "Robert O'Neil" oneilrb@...> wrote:
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #20 – November 18, 2010, 05:36:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118339"The State of Calif does not "require" an additional braking system as such, but it does require you to be able to stop within a specific distance, at a specific mph." The State of California may not require a toad brake but the Ford owner's manual does state that any trailer weighing over 1500-lbs must have its own brakes. Few cars, if any, weigh under 1500-lbs. In case of an accident, while towing without brakes, your insurance company could decline coverage, not to mention that the damage the opposing lawyer might do to you. Toad brakes, no matter what you think about them, are a definite CYA item.Larry
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #21 – November 18, 2010, 10:32:47 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118348Robert, I still own my Toyota RV Motorhome which is a 1991 V6 with about 50,000 miles. I am having an issue with other Toyota RV owners on their web site which is JUST LIKE the Lazy Daze one. I have 3 Toyotas. When I drive ALL of them I am ALWAYS in Overdrive. They have ECF to climb hills and when needed (mountains) I take them out of O/D. Two are V6's and one is a 4 cyl (Camry - love it!). The Toy group is telling me that if I drive in O/D I will kill my trannies. What do you think about Lazy Daze owners and what they do. If I was driving across the US I would probably be in O/D 85% of the time as I feel it lowers the rpm's and conserves gas. Opinion please? Sure you guys wanted me to join? ? ? ? ?Dennis W__
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #22 – November 18, 2010, 11:09:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118349"The Toy[ota] group is telling me that if I drive in O/D I will kill my trannies." I'm dubious about that advice, but my '81 Tercel didn't have overdrive, so I can't say for certain. What I can tell you is that all the Ford E350 and E450 truck chassis built in recent years default to having overdrive on. You start up the engine, it's in overdrive. There's a button you can push to turn it off, and most of us do that on hills, but when you start that engine up the next day, it'll be on again. Would Ford have built it that way if overdrive were going to kill the transmission? That seems unlikely. So while the Toyota group's advice to avoid overdrive may or may not be valid for Toyota cars, it's pretty safe to assume that it's not applicable to Ford truck chassis.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California - Overdrive Issue Reply #23 – November 19, 2010, 01:32:21 am Yahoo Message Number: 118353The folks at Gear Vendors Overdrive told me that it was always a good idea to lock out the overdrive on the Ford tranny when starting up and leave it locked out until you reach highway speed, then unlock the overdrive. Their logic was with the overdrive on all the time, it does give marginally better gas economy but when you accelerate (step on the gas) when the engine rpm are low and before the tranny can down shift, it stresses the tranny.
Re: Tow Set-Up Southern California Reply #24 – November 19, 2010, 04:06:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 118378Hey again Dennis, Re: transmission and overdrive, and technical stuff - I don't know much about overdrive as it relates to the longevity of a tranny. In fact I don't know much about overdrive as it is in present day vehicles. I pretty much drive the vehicle with the gas and the brake. I will downshift going down steep grades, but that's about it. However (there's always a however) one of the main reasons I bought an LD was their history using the Ford chassis and engine (and tranny). After looking thru the archives, along with other research, I found very few complaints about the Ford. To me it is as stable and consistent as any similar make of vehicle. Again, I can't remember seeing anything out of the ordinary, until the motor homes become older, and well used. And then any vehicle needs tlc and some fixin. About all I do is when towing, I drive a little slower(60-62) and when not towing I drive about 64-65. And be reassured, you are very welcome to this group. I have found the members to be kind, thoughtful, and extremely patient with some of my "stupid" questions. In fact I've only had one slightly smart-alecky response.Take care for now,Barry "O" 06 MB Ruby Red[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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