This might sound like quite an odd title coming from a manufacturer of tow bars and towing equipment in general, but facts are facts, and I’m here to give you a few pointers about tow bars, their use, maintenance, setup, and even their life span.

The Middle Child

Have you ever heard the adage that the middle child in a family always feels left out? Overworked? Underappreciated? Even just plain ignored? You know, big brother gets everything he wants, and little sister gets by with everything. I’m sure some of you can relate.  

The RV tow bar and towed vehicle (Toad) are like siblings, and the tow bar is the middle child in most families. Not just because it’s between the two vehicles (a great memory aid), but also because it's too often left out, ignored, and overlooked when it comes to regular maintenance and lifespan.

A tow bar, manufactured by any company, is a piece of technology, a piece of machinery, not unlike your RV, car, van, truck, or SUV that you’re towing. Would you drive a six-figure valued motorhome 10,000, 20,000, or even 50,000 miles without checking or changing the oil? Neither would I. Most motorhome owners are so strict with their maintenance routine on their units that they hardly exceed the window of oil changes by more than a few miles, if at all. Maintaining a tow bar is just as important as it is potentially costly if ignored.

Consider this: the average RVer buys or trades their towed vehicle every two or three years. The average RVer buys or trades coaches every five to six years.  The problem is that the average RVer still has the same tow bar they started with, or at least has owned their current tow bar longer than one or both of their vehicles. 

This is a piece of equipment that does all the work, the one subjected to every bump, stop, start, jerk, and unusual occurrence.  The one burdened with the responsibility of pulling a 3,000 – 10,000 lb “little sister” along everywhere it goes, and if left to fend for itself, sooner or later, it will rebel.

Nothing lasts forever. Consumers should be keenly aware of the condition of their older tow bars. I feel it’s worth a few hundred dollars every few years to ensure that my $40,000 “little sister” is safe and secure.

Hook up

Having been to several RV rallies over the years, I’ve seen some strange hook-ups out there, and even some dangerous ones that I’ve spoken to the owners about correcting.

The tow bar angle is probably the easiest one to spot. It seems that since manufacturers have moved the industry into “coupler-less” towing (i.e., motorhomes mounted and stored with tow bars), some RVers do not feel the angle of the tow bar is essential. 

The average receiver hitch on the motorhome should be no more than four inches higher than the attachment points on the toad, and it should never be lower than the attachment points. If an extension is added for, say, a bike rack, it is even more imperative that the tow bar not be at a severe angle. It’s all geometry and physics. The farther back you move the pivot point of the tow bar from the rear axle of the coach, the more vertical movement you get and the more leverage is applied to the receiver hitch, the tow bar, and the baseplate.

Inspection

Okay, now let’s cover some technical items. As with any mechanical device manufactured today, parts wear out. Here are a few critical areas to pay particular attention to during a pre-trip inspection.

Pins are probably the easiest item to check. Visually inspect that the pins attaching the tow bar to the baseplate are in good condition. Pull them out and feel the surface to ensure they are not worn. Check the operation of the retainer pins that hold the main pins in place. Make sure they still have a good, strong resistance when you snap them in place to secure them. 

Don’t forget to check the pins that hold the tow bar to the motorhome receiver hitch, too. Replacement parts are inexpensive, and I recommend replacing any worn pins. A good rule of thumb is this: when in doubt, replace it. I recommend using only genuine factory replacement parts when parts need to be replaced. Buying bolts or pins from a local hardware store does not ensure you are getting the proper hardness, metallurgical properties, and overall strength required.

Other easy items to check are the bolts. Check to ensure all bolts are in place and tight. Move the tow bar through its complete range of motion and verify that it operates smoothly without being too loose or too tight.

Maintenance

Check to ensure the legs of the collapsible tow bars latch properly and adjust them according to the manufacturer's instructions provided with the unit. The two most significant contributors to premature wear on tow bar parts are loose bolts, which allow excessive movement between mating parts, and misadjusted leg latches, which allow too much fore/aft movement while towing. 

Some tow bars are equipped with a rubber boot that protects the inside legs from dirt and water. If a tow bar is “sticky” or the legs do not slide in and out easily, follow these simple steps. Remove the small cable ties holding the rubber boots on the legs and slide the boots back. Wipe clean each inside leg and apply a light coat of multipurpose grease to ensure smooth operation. Secure each boot back in place with an 8-inch nylon cable tie.

Two bars with exposed legs require closer attention. Since they are not protected, dirt and road grime can get into the latches, preventing them from latching properly.