My Tow Bar Broke While Towing - 2 Big Lessons Learned!

[@jimcozine4945]

Wow I am a “Newbie” who rented a 34’ 2003 Kountry Star April 2020 and fell in love with the experience. I now own a 2003 Tiffin Allegro Bus diesel pusher and will be towing my RAM 1500. I have not been out yet but Gott the RAM back last week with the tow bar and systems installed. The rig is at the mechanic fine tuning the Jacks, Chassis, generator, Engine and a few other things. My TPMS system came in the mail TODAY, I bought the exact unit you showed because it made so much sense to me. The tow bar with the braking system was pricy but after all my research and seeing this video I am feeling much more confident what to expect. Funny you didn’t break out the video camera when you were going thru that situation, cant imagine how stressful it was but thank you for recreating it so detailed and relatable. Be safe out there.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Jim. It sounds like you are all set to hit the road and make some great memories in your rig. A 2003 Allegro Bus is a great touring RV too. I'm glad the video was helpful as well. You won't regret the TPMS unit either. It's worth its weight in gold when towing. Thanks for watching and leaving such a nice comment!

[@ronmcdaniel1583]

WOW!! All that I can say Duane is GREAT job on surviving numerous issues before the trip, during the trip and after the trip!! Tip of the HAT to you both! SAFE TRAVELS!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks Ron. It's not a situation that I want to go through again anytime soon. All the best, my friend!

[@roydavis2242]

I have seen some posts on forums about tow bar failures lately. All of them were tow bars from the same well known manufacturer. Something else that needs said is that all tow bars need inspected and serviced regularly. We trailer our vehicles and I have a TPS on the trailer as well. Out Newmar has the 360° view that I truly love.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

You are so right about inspecting the tow bar regularly. But it's always good to be ready for a sudden failure too. And it sounds like you have everything well under control in that area. Thanks for commenting Roy!

[@TheManTheMyth760]

Who is the well known manufacturer that had all the tow bar failures? One of the arms of my DEMCO Dominator tow bar snapped clean off not long ago and DEMCO aren’t honoring their lifetime warranty, wondering if anyone else had a similar experience.

[@stephanedupont2111]

Thank you very much the video. We just bought a blue ox bar and buddy break kit to tow our new jeep with our Monaco Monarch 2014. We’’ll follow your advise about rear camera and tires pressure verifications.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Glad it helped Stephane. Blue Ox makes a great tow bar and Brake Buddy is a good braking system. It sounds like you are all set to start making some great camping memories. Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@davidanderson961]

Great info, thanks Duane!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Glad it was helpful. Safe and happy travels to you!

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Glad it was helpful David. Safe and happy travels to you!

[@timothyhughes3637]

Just a quick question but am i completely out of line asking if trailering a jeep rubicon is a good idea at all ? Thankyou and love the channel 😊

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Timothy. As far s I know, all Wranglers are flat towable from the factory. And if you're asking about putting it on a trailer to tow, that would work with almost any vehicle. Thanks for the positive feedback and I hope you keep enjoying my channel's content!

[@philmonat9352]

Another way to approach this issue is have a infrared thermometer. Do a tire inspection when visiting a rest area or getting fuel, It takes 5 mins. (IR TEMP GUN IS < $50.) You can also note any hitch temperature increase, hvac check, RV area to area temp check. Tire pressure is a must do, whether you monitor or direct check with a gauge. Monitor RV + tow is always best. (If you know it's a good monitor)

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks for the suggestions and tips Phil. Enjoy your RV travels!

[@RickandDarcirvadventures]

I didn’t catch the link to the rear camera. Can you please send it to me? Also my wife noticed there were no wires. Is this a wireless camera? Does this camera work off of WiFi or cell service?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

The camera system I mentioned in the video has been a good purchase. It has worked flawlessly for me thus far. And here is the link - bit.ly/3qNTCxY It's a wireless system, so all you have to do is connect the camera on the back to a power source (I used a wire running to my license plate light) and then mount it (it comes with all the mounting hardware needed). Then put the screen on your dash and plug it into a 12 volt receptacle and you are all set. It really was a very simple install for me. I hope that helps.

[@RickandDarcirvadventures]

@@RVInspectionAndCare ok. Thank you

[@dannhennells2681]

Great video and topic, probably a very under inspected item. Since you didn’t video it, which by the way under the circumstances I totally understand. Where was your point of failure with your towbar. Thank you

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Dann. The bar failed where the collapsible section attached to the main bar. I will be inspecting the new bar much more often now, but like I said in some of the other comments here, that bar was probably 10 years old and nearing the end of its life anyway. So I don't fault the bar. In fact, I got another Blue Ox bar to replace it. I just wasn't as quick as I should have been about replacing the old bar. Thanks for watching!

[@dannhennells2681]

@@RVInspectionAndCare good to know, I will be inspecting ours more too. Safe travels

[@timaz1066]

A year and a half ago I had the same Tobar break that you did one arm collapsed as I slow down and it looks like I replaced mine with the same unit that you have now because I tow a Honda pilot which is heavier. Am I Tobar is stiff on rotation so I think I will loosen it up a little bit. But I’ve never had a high pressure or high temperature alarm on my pilot. Thanks for the video.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

We're happy with the replacement Blue Ox tow bar so far. Sorry to hear that you had the same experience too. Safe and happy travels to you!

[@robertroth287]

Sorry you had to go through this in order to provide a thoughtful and informative video. Stay safe.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Thanks Robert. It's all just part of RVing. You can't prevent tough situations from happening, but you can do your best to be prepared and minimize their impact. Thanks for the kind words!

[@irvinjones531]

I enjoy your videos, my question is from earlier video on finding a pre-own unit. What do the banks use to determine the value and how much they will asses the loan to value amount?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

I can't say about all loan institutions but many of them use NADA values for RV loans. But I find that if you use rvtrader.com and rvt.com top search for a particular make and model for sale across the country, you can usually get a good feel for the average selling price based on what you find there.

[@jeffb2456]

Lots of talk about inspecting the tow bar on a regular basis. So far I’m not seeing any information on what specifically to check and how to perform the actual inspection. What should we be looking for?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Here is a link to some helpful information on the subject - rvgrowth.com/blue-ox-tow-bar-problems/

[@curiousgeorge4731]

What about a blue ox breaking system to stop the back vehicle if it breaks away?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Good point George. That's an important component of a safe tow bar towing setup. I have an RViBrake that does the same thing as the Blue Ox Patriot. But thankfully I caught the problem in time before any of that became necessary.

[@calebbyers]

Wouldn't hurt to have a camera system (on as many sides as possible) that records. So that you don't even need to bring out the video camera but its all still recorded! Also good if you get into an accident you can have evidence.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

That's a good suggestion Caleb. Thanks for mentioning it!

[@ronsrvandhomelife1219]

First question, what broke on your towbar you failed to discuss that? I tow a vehicle with my RV and I do the exact thing that you recommend. It’s nice my RV has a rear camera that actually points down so I could see the tow bar and half the tow vehicle at all times. The second question I have I can’t remember. Safe travels :-)

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Ron. One of the arms of the tow bar that connects to the base plate on my Honda CRV just sheared off up close to the hitch itself. So the car was being held by only one arm as we traveled through heavy traffic in Ft. Worth TX on a major highway and it was moving around from side to side of the coach as we went. I'm just glad that the other bar held in there until I could get the rig off the road and stopped. It was an experience we won't soon forget.

[@georgetony1000]

Can you put a video on travel trailers for beginners

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

That's a great idea and I'll put it on the list for future video subjects. Thanks for watching and commenting Tony!

[@georgetony1000]

@@RVInspectionAndCare Thank you

[@garyag45]

Sorry if I missed it, but what happened to the tow bar, how did it break? 😎🇺🇸

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi Gary. It wasn't really the fault of the tow bar. When I bought our coach it came with the RV. I knew that it was older, maybe 8-10 years old. And I was planning on replacing it soon. But it broke on me before I did. The video is not really as much about the tow bar breaking as how to handle that kind of situation if it arises and how to be prepared for it. Thanks for watching!

[@johnyoung4466]

Any idea what caused it to break?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi John. That tow bar came with my coach and it was a few years old even then. Most experts recommend that tow bars be replaced after 10 years of use and I was pretty close to that limit. I already had plans to replace it but just hadn't done it yet. Of course, they should be inspected regularly, but if it's reaching the limit of it's useful life it pays to be vigilant about replacement. Thanks for asking.

[@johnyoung4466]

@@RVInspectionAndCare Thanks for sharing....

[@samonvacation3716]

My first question is did you stop and check your toad vehicle every 200 miles? Because if you had taken any kind of a test, that's what they tell you. Every 150 to 200 miles. You have to stop and check your trailer. Make sure everything is still a good condition. You should have checked your tires. Turned signals Tobar toe system the whole thing.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

We stop and rest often throughout our travels. Usually less than 100 miles at a time. And I visually inspect my toad setup at that time very carefully. There was no indication that the tow bar was about to break.

[@jpbrayon8256]

Hi, sure sounds like an infomercial!!! Great delivery but one wonder...Certified RV inspector. Travel safe.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Sorry JP, but it's no infomercial. I only recommend products that I actually use and believe in. That should be clear if you listen to the video all the way through.

[@mull3915]

Really good information...glad you had addressed your camera situation or you really would have had a stressful day. Glad your diligence paid off. I am curious, I also have a Blue Ox tow bar, what exactly broke on your tow bar? Is it something that can be inspected?

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Hi David. That tow bar came with the coach when we bought it and I knew that it was a few years old even then. And a common recommendation is to replace the tow bar after 10 years or so. So I pretty much knew that I needed to replace the one I had and was considering the purchase of a new one when it broke. But I didn't expect one arm to just shear off. Good thing the other arm held in there until I could get the rig off the road. It's a good thing to inspect your tow bar regularly, but sudden failure can happen with anything mechanical. That's why I recommend being prepared for such a situation as I mentioned in the video. I hope that helps.

[@RAINWOLFEN]

I have a real issue with this video, what was the issue that caused the problem of the tow bar breaking. Lots lots of talking about something that was not topic.

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

Well Randy, tow bars break because they are mechanical components. And this video is not about a breaking tow bar as much as the lessons learned from the event to help others be prepared if and when it happens. And I clearly stated that in the video title. So I invite you to avoid my channel from now on and that way you won't experience any more "issues" while watching my content.

[@wallaceberkholtz7126]

May

[@RVInspectionAndCare]

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