[ron skeen]

I have been towing for 12 years with 4 different coaches. 1. Incident was the first time pulling dodge Dakota and I turn the key off steering lock up, 2 new front tires. 2. Hitch broke a main weld. 3. Pin came out of connection on truck. When you see front of truck in your side mirror you have a problem. 4. Weld broke on hitch. 5. Tow bar was not level and truck came up over the ramp into my Motorcycle. I have also had the base mounts get loose on the truck. I have always had the ramp on the back of the coach and that has kept the truck away from the coach. No damage was ever done until this last event and the truck did 4K damage to the motorcycle. This should have never happen except I was not level and I stop downhill, hit bump and brake all at the same time. Three out of the five were my fault and the other two were probably also from overloading. I always have a Brake Buddy in the truck except it has never activated because the tow vehicle has never separated. Be sure and have the tow bar level and check when ever you stop.I have posted some pictures.

[rheavn]

Ron,
This is a great reminder to every one of the dangers of towing. Was it the hitch or the tow bar that broke?

[encantotom]

ron, that is really something. so the truck swerved over alot? looks like the safety cables kept it from coming all the way off. that is good.

glad nothing worse happened to you.

tom

[ron skeen]

ron, that is really something. so the truck swerved over alot? looks like the safety cables kept it from coming all the way off. that is good.

glad nothing worse happened to you.

tom

The safety cables have always done their job. The weld broke on two different tow bars. I do tow a lot of miles and have probably ran 225K over the last 12 years towing.

[encantotom]

ron, did you get everything all fixed up?

was there anything you learned to do differently from this experience?

tom

[lbrachfe]

Sounds like the dakota rolled up on the motorcycle because your brake assist (brake buddy) is not working as it should. you said that it has never been activated, yet anytime you are driving and brake the coach it should be activated to the same degree. It is not just for emergency breakaway. It is designed to work in concert with your coach brake system, unless brake buddy makes a very different product than I know of. Overloading and wrong tow height are the 2 main reasons for bar failure and you seem to have stated that you are guilty of these towing a tow sins, but unfortunatley you have paid a high price for it. i have seen pickup trucks with no supplemental brake perched in an engine compartment twice in the past 10 years and those weren't covered by insurance because the supplemental brakes were not hooked up. anything over 2500 pounds in almost all States requires a brake assist.

[ron skeen]

ron, did you get everything all fixed up?

was there anything you learned to do differently from this experience?

tom

Be sure your tow bar is level between toad and coach. Use only pin That Lock.

[encantotom]

russ helped me on getting the right hitch extender so i am level. had to raise it 10".

and i do only use hitch pins that lock.

i just never want to look in the sideview mirror and see the honda crv in the mirror....

tom

[ron skeen]

Sounds like the dakota rolled up on the motorcycle because your brake assist (brake buddy) is not working as it should. you said that it has never been activated, yet anytime you are driving and brake the coach it should be activated to the same degree. It is not just for emergency breakaway. It is designed to work in concert with your coach brake system, unless brake buddy makes a very different product than I know of. Overloading and wrong tow height are the 2 main reasons for bar failure and you seem to have stated that you are guilty of these towing a tow sins, but unfortunatley you have paid a high price for it. i have seen pickup trucks with no supplemental brake perched in an engine compartment twice in the past 10 years and those weren't covered by insurance because the supplemental brakes were not hooked up. anything over 2500 pounds in almost all States requires a brake assist.

The Brake Buddy was hook up and working. This happen at less than 5 MPH. I was going downhill in front of my house. For the last 10 years I have always unhook at the top of the hill but was going to unhook at the bottom to back into my driveway. The front wheels came completely off the ground. This happen so fast the BB never had time to react. The pendulum that swing to activate the BB never felt stopping. This was not a sudden stop and I was barely moving. The main cause was the attachment of the tow bar to the coach was TOO LOW. I got away with not paying enough attention to the tow bar position for 11 years. I have been fortunate to have had the rack on the back of the coach. If something happen to the tow bar usually the BB dose not activate until the vehicle has done it damage to the back of the coach. The breakaway switch protect other property if the tow vehicle detracted from the coach. I hope this keep someone else from thinking just because I never had problem I won't! This could have been prevented shame on me!

[ron skeen]

I have a 2005 dodge ram 1500 4x4 auto 4 speed trans with transfer case shift in the floor. I have been towing this vehicle for 4 years. I am looking to buy a 2008 dodge ram 1500 auto 5 speed trans with a electric control shift on the dash. Need help: Can this electric shift be put in neutral to make it tow able? Thanks for your help.