Beginners
RV’ing for
on the rules and regulations for towing behind a motorhome and I will get to those, but first, let’s talk about the features and benefits of dinghy towing: the convenience of having your personal vehicle with you while on vacation has many benefits and very few drawbacks. First and foremost, not having to move your motorhome until you’re ready to go to a new site, not having to rent a vehicle, or depend on a friend. Tese alone are worth the cost of having a vehicle rigged up to tow. Second, it is very quick and easy to do. Tere are two methods of towing that can achieve those benefits. Te first one is “flat towing” or 4 wheels on the ground. Tis is by far the best
method as it is the easiest to do. See the picture below for an example. Te second one is a tow dolly. A tow dolly is a little more difficult to hook up
initially, but once it’s done will tow your vehicle safely and legally. Let’s start with flat towing. Flat towing needs to incorporate four components. But first, make sure the
- Dinghy Towing
By Wayne Toews, General Manager Trademasters Vehicle Solutions Chilliwack, BC
www.vehiclesolutions.ca sales@vehiclesolution.ca
Welcome to a new feature article for Te RV Times called “RV’ing for Beginners”, where, if you’re new to RV’ing, we will try to answer some of the questions you might have. We will pick a new topic for every issue, so stay tuned! In this inaugural issue I am going
to talk about vehicles in tow (behind a motorhome). Another term that is oſten used is “dinghy towing”. Tere is a lot of information out there and opinion too,
vehicle you have is “towable”. Your owner’s manual will help with that information, under “towing behind a motorhome” or “dinghy towing”. It will tell you: a) if it’s towable and b) the procedures to follow in order to make it towable. Also, there are several online sites that offer a comprehensive list of vehicles that
are towable. Te best one out there is Remco Towing. Just click on the “tow my vehicle” icon and go from there. If you’re looking to purchase a new vehicle for din- ghy towing, find out first before you buy it. Ask to read the owner’s manual or go online. Due diligence is the key to avoiding a costly purchase that can’t be towed. Once you have a vehicle that is towable here’s what you need: 1) A tow bar (connects the vehicle to the motorhome) - there are three major
brands on the market: Demco, Blue Ox, and Roadmaster. All are good systems and all are self-aligning and self-levelling. Demco and Blue Ox are the most us- er-friendly. 2) Te base plate (a vehicle specific part that bolts onto the front of the vehicle,
behind the bumper) - this is what the tow bar connects to on the vehicle side. On the motorhome side it simply pins into the receiver hitch. 3) Te lighting kit - this is a simple wiring kit that operates the vehicle-in-tow’s
tail, brake and signal lights in tandem with the motorhome lights, just like a trailer. Tese kits are powered by the motorhome RV plug and do not use the vehi- cle-in-tow’s power while plugged into the motorhome. Tey also come with diodes (an electrical one-way check valve) to prevent power back feeding through the vehi- cle in tow when it’s hooked up and potentially damaging sensitive electrical systems.
24 RVT 174 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
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