Would a tow bar be safe?

[454_72_4X4]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

and grandpa and grandma wouldn't have ther ecar hooked to the RV with a tow bar.

Hey, hey watch your language.... I'm just over 40 and I tow a vehicle behind a 31 ft rv all summer, every summer! (My 72 in front of it all) hahaha

I'd hate to guess how many miles I've used a towbar.

Are they safe? Only as safe as the person doing the hookup and driving.
That leaves about 95% of the people on the road as unsafe for towbar use, or driving at all for that matter...

[passthebuck]

Are they safe? Damm right they are - you just gotta respect them & what they entail. Ya gotta take longer to start & stop big time.... I got mine at Princess Auto on sale for 75.00CDN & all I had to supply were the bolts to hold it to the towed vehicle & the safety chains. See my origional post on pg 1 to see where it is at. I am a little sketched out by the "clamp-on-bumper" style of towbars. The whole idea just seems unreliable.... Get a bolt-on, remove the bumper & bolt it to the frame. Add some chains from frame-to-frame & voila! Order-up one new truck in your yard!

[Rod]

The fun begins towing with a tow bar in winter snow and ice. I dragged a 3 cyl Sprint home with a 3 cyl Firefly, 40 miles when the last gas crunch came about. If the towed unit can run I leave the towed vehicle running to keep the tranny juices flowing if its an automatic trans.
I have dragged many- many trucks , suburbans, blazers and assorted chassis in various conditions home...but used bigger vehicles than the sprint to tow with
When I mention Fun..its keeping your cheeks puckered. I wouldn't recommend towing in winter with a tow bar on ice roads. It's a sure way to jack-knife into something.

[bad_turbo]

I guess using a tow bar to pull a 25 ft. motorhome behind a 3/4 ton truck is out of the question?

[Longhorn Man]

I've seen it done... but I wouldn't do it.

[longhorn71]

Here the chain and clamp to the front bumper tow bar is out lawed(if the catch ya!)The only style you can use here is the bot style ones.

I have 2 chain on ones one like the ones posted above.We towed many miles with it,no problems(INCLUDING A CHEVY 6500 DUMP TRUCK)


Here is a pic of the very old style one i have and I am not brave enough to use!!!

[Longhorn Man]

I wouldn't want to use a clamp on unit myself... seen them used, I just wouldn't feel safe.
As for the motor home with a 3/4 ton tow rig... When we were rebuilding the frito lay trucks at work, this one cat could come and pick them up, he drove a dodge 2500 4X4 diesel, and hauled the P/30 with a cummins 4BTA and allison tranny with a tow bar, from here to St Louis every week.

[bad_turbo]

how about towing the 25 ft motorhome with a '98 crew cab dually? Thinking of buying one that is 75 miles from me and it doesn't run. The tow bill will be too expensive, so figured the tow bar would work with a big enough truck. Do they make tow bars that will fit without removing the front bumper?

[Longhorn Man]

even though that cat was doing it... I HIGHLY recomend against it. Esp in your neck of the woods. The CHP would nail you in a heartbeat. If you rented a med duty box truck... a moving van for example, with electrick hyd brakes... then yeah, I'd say go for it. Still chreaper than a professional tow.
Most bars don't reqire bumper removal. I say remove it to prevent damage, and so you can bolt directly to the frame.