Roadmaster Tow Bar Installation Problem

If you are planing to buy Roadmaster towing hardware, read this and
profit thereby.

If you are planning to buy Roadmaster brackets for an existing vehicle,
locate another vehicle that is so equipped and examine it before
committing to the purchase. If you can not locate a vehicle so equipped
and if you do not have a lot of spare time to devote to the issue,
proceed only with the greatest of caution.

The Story:

Recently, we had planned to equip our 1999 Neon to Toad capable. I have
owned a Roadmaster towbar for a while. This would be at least its third
vehicle. I ordered a set of brackets (they call braces) through a hitch
parts agent. The arrived in due course.

When I went to install them, the supplied parts could not be installed
to make the required spacing of the front flanges. ( These flanges are
where the tow bar mounts. Roadmaster uses a lateral brace as part of
the tow bar and not the base plate like Blue Ox.) I could not figure
out how to make them go in at the correct spacing without serious
modification of both the supplied brackets and the vehicle. I contacted
Roadmaster. In fact, I wrote a lengthy description of the situation as
I saw it and included a collection of images to clarify any questions.

A person from Roadmaster sent me a note confirming that the ordered
parts were the correct part for the vehicle. (Said person did not
include advice on how to make them fit correctly.) Things went down
hill from there. (I have to believe that nobody had looked at the
writeup or the pictures.) Communication with Roadmaster was distinctly
poor from the start and finally disappeared (I think).

As I could not get anybody to confirm that they were or were not
interested in addressing the issue, I contacted the sales agent and got
authorization to return the brackets for credit. (At this time, I will
consider myself lucky if I get out of this for only the cost of the shop
time and shipping 20# both ways from the other end of the country.)

After many decades as an engineer working with and for automotive
aftermarket suppliers, I fully understand all the difficulties. The
single thing that disappoints me most in this situation is the lack of
effort on their part to discover the real issues involved.

Hi again Matt,

Re:Adapter from Roadmaster Tow Bar to
Blue Ox Base Plate

Which Roadmaster Tow Bar do you have?
Is it the Falcon?

This morning I called Blue Ox Customer Service
(888) 425-5382

Talked to a service tech about adapters for their
Neon BX1923 Base Plate. IF....you have a Falcon
Roadmaster, the BX88152 Adapter does NOT work.
But....the BX88151 Adapter DOES work for adapting
that Base Plate to a Roadmaster *FALCON* bar.

Hope that helps.

Not sure about Demco.

Jan Eric Orme
"Work like you don't need the money, love like you
have never been hurt and dance like no one is watching."

Kevin W. Miller wrote:
> I like the Blue Ox because the tow bar stays on the motorhome. I don't have
> to take it off of the toad or find somewhere else to put it. And, when the
> toad is unhooked, you'd have to look hard at the toad to tell that it's
> setup for towing as the tow stuff is out of obvious sight.

Kevin,

I am not eager to change tow bars. The one that I have has served well.
Adding another 500$us to the program makes it not happen this year.

Everything in life is a compromise.

This is much more an issue of getting the service and respect due a
client than any individual suppliers. If we as clients do not rattle
the bars when things are not right, then the suppliers will continue
believing that everything is acceptable. I have had communication from
a Roadmaster customer service person that is pursuing my issues. If I
get reasonable result, I will write about that as well.

Blue Ox does make nice stuff, but this is a little and weight sensitive
car. Both Demco and Blue Ox base plates will add (their numbers) about
40# on the very front of the vehicle and that is without the tow bar
mounted. The Roadmaster brackets should add about 9#. We are talking
about a vehicle that is so weight critical that I don't need to look at
the gage to know how much fuel in on board because I can tell be the way
it handles. Driving in the campground with the bar on the nose is just
no problem.

I don't want the receiver connection. I want a 2" ball because I'm often
doing the hook up alone. Getting the bar in the receiver without
dragging the toad connections in the dirt can be a challenge I don't
need. I've done that.

The Blue Ox Acclaim (the one that goes on a 2" ball) is designed to
possibly store on the base plate. But, juggling the tow bar to get the
pins in was a problem. You have to remember to bring a newspaper to put
the coupler on so it doesn't collect dirt in the grease. I did that
with a friend's set up.

When I took the front brackets out of the XJ, people often asked where I
had hidden the tow dolly. Then I point out the two 1" receivers in the
shadows.

With the Jeeps, I could drop (literally) the bar on the bumper brackets,
put in two click pins, get about hand grenade close and and drop the
coupler on the ball. Then I set the Jeep for towing and pull ahead 5'.
If I bring the light cable with me when I come back to check the bar
locks, I don't have to look at it again until I want to.

Matt Colie