Anyone use a tow bar to bring a truck home?

[budnikguy]

Curious before I buy one, has anyone used a tow bar to drag a truck home? If so, what were your experiences? Positive and Negative? I assume removing the bumper and bolting to the frame horns would be best option....please let me know your experiences and or opinions of this method...of course this would be assuming it rolls freely and tires are inflated

Thanks

[passthebuck]

You'll need chains to ensure that if things break, the towed veh won’t be passing you on the freeway. The towed veh needs to have a motor in it so that the weight dist is correct for the steering to auto center. I hook a wire from the towing truck to the towed truck's plug under the hood going to the rear lights/signals. Take your time/space stopping! That extra 4000+lbs will do its best to push you where you don’t want to go. I made the mistake of trying to brake while turning on barely wet asphalt & almost jack knifed. My bumper was pretty bent up so I left it on & ran the bolts right through, but that part really doesn’t matter. The local law makers want a sign on the towed veh that says "in tow" too. Check local do-gooders for details. Overall, totally positive & I'd do it again tomorrow if needed.

[jocko]

it's almost worth it to rent an auto-hauler or dolly from U-haul rather than piece it together. Having said that, I've towed vehicles home with nothing more than flat yellow hi-tension rope and a brake rider, but then again, that was really dumb...

Safety first. Nothing will ruin your day like passing yourself on the highway - or rear-ending yourself.

[cdowns]

how far are you towing?

i've towed alot of vehicles with towbars// it really depends on condition for longer tows bad suspension and way out of align vehicles will give you fits while towing with a towbar// being prepared to deal with a flat tire is a good idea by either having a couple spare tires or cans of fixaflat sometimes can help you
some highways some states it is against the law to flat tow with a towbar check the laws

[Pop's C-10]

U haul won't let you tow a full size truck with a dolly..if you do..anything that goes wrong will be on you(even if it's not your fault)..

[jocko]

Originally Posted by Pop's C-10

U haul won't let you tow a full size truck with a dolly..if you do..anything that goes wrong will be on you(even if it's not your fault)..

Good point - thanks for jarring my memore, I discovered that, and that's why I had to go with the auto transport for the truck... SORRY, I forgot about that little tidbit. I used to tow an impala with a dolly. Thanks for mentioning - I spewed a little bad gouge there

[terry b]

I towed a f-150 about 300 miles behind my blazer. It did ok. It didnt like slow tight turn's. But all in all not bad at 45 miles per hour on the hiway. A lot of people gave me the one finger wave. They must have thought i was number one.

[FirstOwner69]

RVers do it all the time. However, you should never exceed the tow rating of the tow vehicle. Most states also require the use of a supplemental brake system (some require "trailer brakes" if the "trailer" is greater than 1000#, 2000# and others at 3000# depending on the state), brake and tail lights and safety cables or chains. Also, you risk damaging the transmission on many vehicles if they are towed four down unless you disconnect the drive shaft. I'm not sure about these trucks on this point.

Below are pictures of the most "obscene" example of this practice I've seen. The truck in the picture was hooked up to the motorhome 15 minutes after I took the pictures. I know the pics aren't relevent, but I can't resist posting them and they may make you laugh.

[Hart_Rod]

I used a tow bar to pull a SWB 68 C10 from Albuquerque NM to Pensacola FL with no problems. Tow rig was a 2007 2500 HD with a Duramax and 6 speed Allison....
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[100%Chevy]

From my experiences-
If you're using a truck.Long wheelbase is best!Add some extra weight to the bed,so the rear is more stable.
Set the tow-bar up so that it is level front to back.
Do not lock the steering of the towed vehicle!
If it doesn't have an engine and/or trans,there won't be enough front end weight for it to track.The wheels tend to turn to the left or right all the time!
Eats the tires up fast!
On GM's,if the torque converter isn't turning,you won't have oil to the bearings.Un-bolt the driveshaft and tie it off to the side,leaving it in the trans.
I'd rather use a dolly,but you gotta do what you gotta do!
Mike.

[old Chevy guy]

I towed a few with a tow bar we have around here that is an old U haul towbar. It chains up to the bumper and has chains that tie on to the lower control arms. It worked good and one of the trucks didnt have a motor and I dont rememberb having a problem. Just for the record a few years ago my daughter took a road trip from Rhode Island to New Jersey and blew the tranmission in her car in NJ. Anyway I have a car trailer but was scared to take it that far and tried to rent a dolly but the U haul guy only had a trailer.It was only $65 bucks for the day including insurance and everthing. I thought that was pretty cheap. I don't know how far your going but its something to consider. It was a lot cheaper than I would have thought.

[BLK96]

I have towed a fullsize Bronco from FL to OK using a towbar with no issues whatsoever. I did make my own safety chains, and removed front bumper and attached towbar to frame horns. Used magnetic tow lights I bought for $20 that plug into trailer connector on towing vehicle. I removed driveshaft just to be sure and unlocked front hubs. Probably most important thing to remember is you cant back very far at all using a towbar, so plan your stops/parking accordingly.

[71swb4x4]

I towed a 67 short step about 250 miles. It had no engine. There was snow on the ground. The trip was fairly uneventful. Had one rotten tire fall apart and had to change it before it blew but that wasn't from towing, it was from an OLD tire.
Corners are the most evenful, you have to be careful that the truck your towing doesn't push you through the corner. Go slow and keep your foot on the gas so you are "pulling" the truck through.