Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: ragoodsp on July 08, 2011, 01:15:47 pm
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Not sure there is any answer but i wanted to throw it out there anyway.....I utilize a Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar to tow my 06 Jeep Liberty behind my 2010 E-450, the hitch reciever on the Ford is lower by as much as two inches compared to the Jeep's base plate. The tow bar obvisously runs down hill to the PC. I do use a Brake Buddy but I do worry about such a miss-alighnment between the two but see no easy solution. Has anyone else run into this same issue? Raodmaster does warn about such conditions but I wonder if there concerns are tied more to those who do not have brake assist system in place? Their concern is ofcourse around the towed coming over the top.
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They do make an adaptor, slips in your receiver and other end has a 2" receiver. I have one at home, think it's a 2" riser? Bought it from Night Shift Auto, www.readybrake.com/accessories.html scroll down for some ideas
PS, I realize these are drops but call them, may work the opposite?????
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Thanks for the reply Billy; I always worry about getting the tube out to far and having the old "tail wagging the dog effect. Guess I will contact Roadmaster and see what they thuink...please keep thinking. Thanks
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I have the exact same "Angled" setup with my 2007 2350 (E350) and 2006 Jeep Liberty. I did wonder about the angle too, but my Liberty's tow brake system (Unified) is supposed to kick into action before the jeep runs up the backside of the PC.
I'd like to hear if you have found a riser for the receiver as you can't be too careful.
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I took this from the owner's manual for the Sterling All Terrain Roadmaster tow bar. Also checked the Blackhawk 2 and Falcon it was the same.
"Towing with a motorhome-mounted tow bar which has an upward or downward slope puts undue strain on the entire towing system. For that reason, do not tow if the tow bar is not within the ‘Safe Zone’ — no more than three inches above or below level. Towing a vehicle with a tow bar that is not within the Safe Zone will result in significant wear and tear on the tow bar and brackets, significant wear and tear on the vehicle’s suspension and frame, and the eventual failure of the towing system.
To determine if the tow bar is within the Safe Zone — first, connect the motorhome and towed vehicle on level ground. Next, measure the distance from the center of the motorhome receiver down to the ground. Then, measure the distance from the center of one of the base pins down to the ground.
Compare these two measurements. To be within the Safe Zone, they cannot be more than three inches apart if the base pin is above or below the motorhome hitch receiver. See Figure 18. If the tow bar is not within the Safe Zone, you must purchase a hitch accessory to raise or lower the hitch receiver. ROADMASTER has three accessories available — Hi-Low Hitches, Hi-Low Drops, and Dual Hitch Receivers — which will raise or lower the hitch receiver from two to 10 inches, depending on the model. Towing with the tow bar more than three inches above or below level will void the ROADMASTER warranty."
Here is the link to the owner's manual.
http://roadmasterinc.com/pdf/85-3326-06.pdf
Here is a link to Hitch Accessories for roadmaster. There are several manufacturers and many suppliers with a wide range of prices.
http://roadmasterinc.com/products/accessories/hitch/index.html
Barry
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I use the Draw-Tite J-Pin Stabilization Pin and Barrel Lockset. It locks everything together; there is no waggle. Here is a link with good pictures and video.
http://www.etrailer.com/Locks,Hitch-Accessories/Draw-Tite/63201.html
Barry
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We just returned from our MI trip. On our flat driveway at home I measured the height difference of the Roadmaster Falcon-II tow bar at the motor home compared to the Liberty to be exactly 6" so I will be looking into something to level it out. Time to call Roadmaster.
Adding....measeurements taken from center pivot pin, to center pivot pin, for best accuracy.
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I have done a quick measurement and it looks like I am actaully within the "safe zone" of 3". I would not have thought there would have been that much difference between the E-350 (Ron's) and the E-450 total height? I was shoppping around and found etrailer.com to be the cheapest for the Roadmaster 2", 4', 6" risers. They are a very good company as well. Will completely hook my Jeep up tonight to get a better exact maeasurment. I do love this forum! Thanks
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I will check out e-trailer. Thanks!
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I was able to get and accurate measurement last evening and the Jeep is 4" higher than the E-450 hitch. I have ordered the 2" riser thru etrialer.com for $49.00, it is 6000 lb rated and made by Roadmaster I think that will bring me into the safe zone alll right.
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I found a variety of 6" risers on the web. Some drop the hitch rating from 5000 to 4000 pounds. I also am concerned about the clearence to the PC's rear bumper. My hitch is set back slightly under the RV. The riser might make contact or completely interfere with the PC's bumper once mounted. It is not a no-brainer purchase. Further research is needed.
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I would not have thought there would have been that much difference between the E-350 (Ron's) and the E-450 total height?
Actually it does add up right because PCs on an E350 have a 3" lower over-all height compared to PCs on an E450. If you look at PC's spec web page, it is noted there.
The 3" lower height on my E350 was extremely critcal in my particular situation for my PC to clear my garage door. If I special order mine on an E450, I would have to drive the PC into my garage with near flat tires to reduce it's over-all height. As it is right now, I have only 1.5" between the top of the a/c and the door frame. I could increase the clearence if I filled up my tanks with water, but no need for that.
The lower over-all stance of the E350 explains why my tow bar angled condition is more extreme than many of you.
BTW, the 2350 Sprinter is as high as the E450 PCs so that would not have worked for me either.
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This is completely off-topic, but Ron's garage scenario reminded me of one of my favorite owner pics.
(http://www.phoenixusarv.com/testimonials/slides/Garage2.jpg)
:lol
Her caption was:
"What I did to get my Phoenix Cruiser to fit in my building....Ya know you must love your motorhome to do this :lol
Reminds me of the time I was trying to fit XL dog crates into my vehicle in the Wal-Mart parking lot and was being heckled by a guy wanting my parking spot. "You'll never fit those in there!" I replied, "Of course I will! I already paid for them!" (I did fit them in, of course)
roflol
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I love it, Aimee!!!
Jack
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Ron D. and others: I have the same concerns as you that the riser will hit the bumper or the tail of the falcon bar will be to long for the reciever. I decided on the 2" riser thinking that wiould get me into the safe zone and most likely will only cover the lic. plate but not hit the bumper. As soon as I get the reciever I will post how close it comes to the bottem of the bumper....I did read that the 2" is still rated at 6000 lbs, I hope so since a drop to 4000 lb rating will not cover my 4300 lb diesel LIberty.....why is nothing easy? Thanks
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I think I found the ideal riser for my particular tow bar non-level condition.
My E350 hitch receiver is 6" lower than level with my 2006 Jeep Liberty. Therefore I need a 6" riser. I found what I believe to be the right riser on ebay HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230483886480&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013).
This is the picture in the ebay ad, but it appears to be a 4" riser.
(http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!Bu72uGQ!Wk~$(KGrHqUOKi0EvPW0knWWBMCd,)4ln!~~_12.JPG)
I have been in communication with the supplier, asking these two questions with his answers.
Ron's Question #1: Will your 6" riser reduce the 5000 pound rating of the hitch?
Supplier's Answer: I do not see why it would lessen your tow capacity. It is very strong.
Ron's Question #2: My motor home's hitch barely protrudes beyond the rear bumper. Measuring accurately, I determined I need a minimum of 2.5" from your riser's lower hitch pin hole to the back side of your upper square receiver. Does your 6" riser meet this dimensional requirement?
Supplier's Answer: It will fit on there perfect.
Not exactly the detailed answers I hoped to get, but I think I will order one of these and give it a try.
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Ron;
FYI
Here is a link to the drop hitch I'm looking at. It is a dual drop so I can put my car and bike rack behind the PC. The supplier did provide detailed information and will do custom work. Double check his rating.
Barry
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260731764509&viewitem=
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Ron,
This one is made by Roadmaster and sold by etrailer.com for $55. It is rated at 6000 lbs. Plenty of length to clear the bumper, maybe too long?
Bob A.
http://www.etrailer.com/p-RM-076.html
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-45azof2HVDU/Th8OxDZT9aI/AAAAAAAAAHo/mqB-Stn-pq4/rm-076_spec.jpg)
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You guys have some good data here. More to consider.
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Ok, To get this done quickly, I decided to go with the Roadmaster riser. I know I would not mount a bike rack or platform while towing our Liberty for concern of damage in a tight-turn condition. A dual receiver could hold a storage platform and bike rack together, but I wouldn't be doing that because we always tow.
Today, my Jeep Liberty front bumper is only a few inches from my PC rear bumper, when turning the PC steering wheel all the way in a very tight turn. The extra 10.25" from the Roadmaster riser would be welcoming. Since I do have a Roadmaster setup in the first place, it also seems logical to continue with the Roadmaster line for liability. If something ever failed and it was the fault of Roadmaster, at least I could say I used all their stuff.
Thanks all.
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Ron,
I bought one of these to stop the clunk from the free play in the hitch. Simple design and works great. You would need two with the riser extension.
Bob A.
http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/Roadmaster/RM-061.html
(http://www.etrailer.com/merchant2/graphics/00000001/pics/R/M/RM-061_v_50.jpg)
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Spend, Spend, Spend.
A few hours later, I managed to get e-trailer to include 2 of the Quiet Hitch thingies in the shipment. Shipping was just a little more that way.
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Glad i could help you spend a little more $$$$ :-D
You will need to retighten the quiet hitch device after the first use and then it stays tight.
Bob A.
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Ron;
Wise choice.
Barry
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Folks:
Once again I am very impressed witht he calibur of this forum, the discussion is great and very helpful. I expect my 2" Roadmaster riser today I would hope. Etrailer.com is probbaly wondering why such a run on riser of late!? Thanks and I hope everyone has a great weekend. I hope the PC outing here in NH later thai summer has the weather we have had all this week....85 degrees and clear blue sky!
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I got my Roadmaster 6" riser and two Quiet Hitch thingies, so I am ready for the next trip. Maybe after it cools down outside, next week I will hook up everything on my flat driveway and take a few pictures to share what it looks like when hooked up, and the angle in the end...hopefully no angle at all.
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Recieved my 2" Roadmaster riser from etrailer.com the other day. The unit is what it is suppose to be and there is no problem with clearance of the bumper and the shank of the tow bar does not come out of the back of the reciever at all. The only issue is there is not two holes in the riser receptacle to utilize the Draw-Tite anti rattle lock pin. The tow bar shank does fit tightly so I see no reason to worry but I know some had ordered two of the lock pins and only one will work on atleast the 2" unit. Thanks
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Well......
We tried to tow for the first time using the 6" riser. I quickly learned the safety tow cables were too short, so we towed without the riser for this past weekend trip. I need another foot in the cable length, so now I need to order two longer cables. All the rest accomodated the extra bar length.
The spending never seems to end, and my 401k does not know which way is up. I am doomed to work til I drop dead.
BTW: I used the one anti-rattle hitch u-bolt thingy called "Quiet Hitch" and it made a huge improvement. Thanks for the tip bobander.
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Ron:
With a motorhome the spending never does end. Don't worry about your 401k, President Obama will take care of that for you.... roflol
DJM
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I guess I was lucky, the new Demco is with-in 1/2" of the rig. Something finally work good. Now if it tows as good as it looks? heartshower
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The Demco worked great on my trip to San Diego. The arms staying in place before you hook-up and after you disconnect is really nice. We're off on a longer trip with the toad up AZ, UT, NV, CA, OR, WA and back--so we'll see how it works in the mountains.