Now that we have our toad it is time for us to get the toad ready to be towed behind our future home. I wanted to buy the entire towing system and install it before we get our motorhome (since we don’t have one yet) but it appears as if we really need to wait on some of the parts since a crucial measurement is needed before installation on the toad.
It has been suggested to first measure the height from the ground to the center point of the motorhome’s hitch receiver and from the ground to where the base plate tow bar connections would be on whatever hitch plate system we decide upon. Why? Well most tow bar manufacturers recommend there be no more than 4" difference between these two measurements. This will prevent the toad from pushing under or over the tow bar connection points during emergency stops.
But that shouldn’t stop me from buying and installing the base plate on our 2011 Honda CR-V. All my research has narrowed down my choices to Blue Ox and Roadmaster. After reading the installation manuals for both of them I feel more comfortable installing the Roadmaster since it doesn’t require any cutting of the existing frame structure of the CR-V whereas Blue Ox does. Both require taking off the front fascia which I admit seems a bit scary but doable. Both require drilling new holes and fitting new components. Those who have installed them their selves suggest the Roadmaster is easier and will take about 3.5 hours to install.
So it looks like I will purchase the Roadmaster baseplate and then decide on the tow bar and brake system later…
Which tow bar and brake system would you recommend for the CR-V with a roadmaster base plate?
I don't know about the CR-V but we use a Blue Ox and tow a 2007 Suzuki. Gin put it on by herself. It was a brand new vehicle (only a week old) and she had it all taken apart. She put it back together nicely too.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I like your choice in the CR-V.
Syl
I wouldn't be too concerned about the hitch height becasue you can get an adjustable adapter to put in the hitch to raise/lower to get the correct height. I have one that I had to lower about 4 inches to get leve.
ReplyDeleteI use a Roadmaster set up.
When it came to figuring out how to pull our Jeep behind our house, we left it all to the professionals. Neither one of us wanted to take the responsibility for some unfortunate mishap! We had a Blue Ox baseplate and towbar installed, and it was worked like a charm. The locking pins give us extra piece of mind, too. We made the extra investment of a US Gear Unified Tow Brake. It's less wear and tear on the MH and the Jeep and more peace of mind for us. Plus, we don't have to figure out where to store a bulky brake buddy. Ditto to what Paul and Marti said about hitch height. It's all adaptable. Good luck!
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