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This versatile tow bar is easy to use, with arms that support their own weight while you hook up and swing to either side for storage. Integrated safety cables keep your setup streamlined and organized. Built-in rise/drop keeps tow bar level.
Features:
Specs:
Note: If you use this tow bar in the rise or drop position you may need to add safety cable extensions (sold separately) to reach your tow vehicle's hitch.
If you already have a Roadmaster Direct-Connect base plate or are planning on getting one, this kit includes the needed brackets to make this tow bar compatible. Simply unbolt the existing brackets and bolt on the new ones in their place. All the hardware is included.
The etrailer SD has a lot of smart features that give you the flexibility to hook up your toad (towed vehicle) to your RV, without the need for your vehicle to be perfectly level or in the exact right spot.
First of all, the arms are self-supporting, meaning that they hold themselves up without your help and won't fall to the ground when you let them go. They also move independently of each other, so you can focus on getting just one arm connected at a time. You'll never be stuck wrestling with a heavy tow bar.
Just slide the tow bar into your hitch and pin it in place. The telescoping arms will extend, pivot, and tilt to the needed length and angle to reach the tabs on your base plate. You can get hooked up and on with your adventure.
Once the tow bar's connected, slowly pull forward and the self-aligning arms will fully extend and lock into the towing position. Double check that the arms are properly latched and you'll be ready to hit the road!
Important: The arms need to be set up so that the storage rod is on the outside of the arm. Otherwise, the tow bar could be damaged when taking turns.
The SD's arms are longer than average, giving you an above-average turning radius. You're going to be able to get around obstacles and make sharp turns with no worry of clipping the corner of your RV. Maneuver through gas stations and the campsite no problem.
It's important that your tow bar is as level as possible while you're flat towing, with no more than a 3" difference between where the tow bar sits in the hitch receiver and where the arms meet the base plate. It's fairly common for the hitch on an RV to sit too high in comparison to the toad, making it necessary to buy a high-low adapter.
With etrailer tow bars, the rise/drop is built right in, so it's less likely that you'll need an extra adapter. The head joint is also able to tilt up and down so you can make the tow bar level for your particular setup.
Uneven ground and sharp angles can put the arms of the tow bar in a bind and make them stiff and immoveable. Once you get to your destination, the last thing you need is to spend several minutes wrestling, yanking, and kicking at them to get your car disconnected.
Instead, get out of a bind in one easy step. Simply give the trigger on the arm of the SD a squeeze to disengage the internal latch. This releases the pent-up pressure so you can unhook and get on with your adventure.
Each trigger release latch is positioned on the side of the tow bar arm. This allows for a comfortable yet firm grip, unlike latches that are positioned on the tops of tow bar arms, which can be difficult to grab. This out-of-the-way placement also creates a clean look for the tow bar.
Two straight, vinyl-coated safety cables are integrated right into this tow bar, keeping them from dragging on the ground and getting damaged. They won't get lost or tangled either; your whole setup will be streamlined and organized.
These cables, required by law, will keep your toad behind your RV if there's ever an accidental disconnect while you're towing. The steel S-hooks on each end of the cables connect to the toad's base plate and the RV's trailer hitch, with spring-loaded latches to ensure that they stay connected.
The etrailer safety cables are rated at 14,000 lbs, regardless of the rating of the tow bar. While it's not necessary to have such a high rating, it's nice to know that in the event of an emergency disconnect, these heavy-duty cables will be more than capable of catching your vehicle. If all else fails, these safety cables won't.
The tow bar also offers a convenient storage rod for securing your coiled electrical cord (sold separately). The rod holds your power cord neatly out of the way and up off the ground.
The etrailer SD is incredibly easy to store on the back of your RV. Most RV-mounted tow bars require you to lift the heavy arms all the way up; they have to be fully vertical before you can secure them in the stowed position. With etrailer tow bars, all you have to do is raise the arms an inch or two - which you probably would do anyway while unhooking - and swing them to either side. When you lower them down again, the locking pin will automatically slide into the built-in tab. They can store to the left, right, or with one arm each way, however is convenient for you.
At etrailer, we're committed to the products we sell, and to helping our neighbors journey. We don't just sell it; we've installed it, we've wired it, and we've towed with it, so you're getting your answers straight from the experts. Our etrailer technicians perform flat tow installations on a daily basis, so they know all about your tow bar firsthand. For the life of your tow bar, our experienced and knowledgeable staff are available via phone, email, and chat to help you with any questions or concerns.
Flat towing can be a much more convenient way to take your car RVing with you than using a trailer or a tow dolly. It'll save you storage space both at home and at the campsite, and it takes less time and hassle to hook up.
To flat tow your vehicle, there are 5 basic components you're going to need: a tow bar, a base plate kit, a safety cable set, tow bar wiring, and a flat tow braking system.
| For the RV | Between the RV and Towed Car | For the Towed Car |
|---|---|---|
| Hitch | Tow bar | Base plate |
| Wiring plug | Safety cables | Braking system |
| Wiring adapter cord | Wiring kit/diodes |
The custom-fit base plate installs on the frame of your toad so you can connect the car to your RV with a tow bar. Hook up safety cables between the vehicles to ensure that the toad does not separate from the motorhome if the tow bar becomes detached. Tow bar wiring syncs your vehicle's signal lights with your motorhome's tail lights, as required by law in most states. Finally, the flat tow braking system - also required in most states - activates the brakes in the toad when you hit the brakes in the RV, making for smoother, safer braking, and preventing wear on your motorhome.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (220 Customer Reviews)
This versatile tow bar is easy to use, with arms that support their own weight while you hook up and swing to either side for storage. Integrated safety cables keep your setup streamlined and organized. Built-in rise/drop keeps tow bar level.
Outstanding product and even better customer service! Two backyard mechanics installed baseplate and braking system with just one call to confirm proper wire connection. Total package works great.
Would have gave it a full 5 stars if it would have actually fit into the receiver. Tried both my extension receiver and the OEM 2 inch receiver. Would not budge. Had to grind off the powder coating and then some. Now I need to then repaint to prevent rusting. I would have returned this if I didn’t need it now. Better quality control is needed on the e trailer brand. Guess I know it won’t rattle, lol. Buy a mainstream brand.
Tow bar works well, but I had a few issues during setup:
* The fact that changing the initial 1.5" drop to a 1.5" lift requires disassembly was not obvious to this novice and I tried to simply flip it over to test fit. As a result, I bent the yellow piece that holds the bar to the side and had to hammer it back into shape.
* With my drop hitch, the safety cables were not long enough to reach from the car points to the hitch points and allow for full extension of the arms, so the arms wouldn't lock. I discovered this driving home from the installation shop when the car kept banging back and forth when I hit the brakes and accelerated. I had a choice to allow the car to slam back and forth on braking/acceleration or to disconnect the safety cables. I connected the cables incorrectly, made it home without accident, and immediately bought 12" safety cable extensions.
* The tow bar and drop hitch did not cooperate with any of the etrailer hitch locks/stabilizers to keep the hitch tube from banging around while driving. I ended up purchasing an extensive collection before I found one (on amz) that finally tightened things up.
After these issues were worked out, we used the tow bar extensively last season and everything worked like a dream. Teen kids and wife quickly learned how to connect/disconnect the car and our camp/decamp checklist went smooth, except for the time I extended an RV slide into the power pedestal (but let's not dwell to long on that one). We are confident that the car is securely/safely held behind the RV and it's simple to connect/disconnect in less than two minutes.
The wiring kit for the tow base kit was very well engineered and works very well. The videos for installing the base plate we're awesome step by step process and was very easily accomplished by someone with just a wrench and a drill and a few tools.
I've used it three times, and it's been great. Easy and quick to hook up, and unhook, to my Ford Escape Hybrid. I like the way it stores up against the motorhome. All the good things they said about it on this website were true!
This whole system is great!!! Even being a female, it takes less than a minute to connect or disconnect, just a couple of small receivers stick out of the front of the car. And they are removeable when not towing. My brother even bought a set for his Class C. It is difficult to back up in the Class C, IT is ok as it is quick to disconnect, so no worries.
Praise the Lord! This tow bar worked great with our 2018 Honda, new it is working with our 2024 Maverick.
Great tow system, does exactly what I needed. The flexibility of how the tow bar folds for use and storage allows me easy access to my bike rack. The tow bars can be stored on either side and fold away easily. I use this on my class C and set it up to pull my Jeep or my Equinox with Roadmaster base plate.
easy to install flat tow by motorhome
We have not had a chance to try this -- hence the 3 stars. It looks like a good well built unit with the features I expected. However -- be aware. After a week of putting together the tow car with base plate, wiring and so on I wanted to test it. It was then I discovered that I did not have the pins to attach the tow bar to the baseplates. When I called to get them sent I was told that in the description that it states that these are sold separately. It seems that not including these would be inconceivable and now I need to wait an additional 2 weeks for them. I reviewed my order with etrailer to make sure I had not missed anything, and this was not pointed out.
Make sure you buy Pins! Roadmaster base plate pins (RM-910029 - sold separately)
Katrina B.
3/15/2022
Typically the base plate pins do not come with the base plate, but with the tow bar instead. However, with this particular Tow bar set up [e74ZR] the pins are sold seperately. As mentioned the pins for the Roadmaster Direct-connect Base Plate kit [RM-522114-5] are part # RM-910029.
Easy to use and I like the way it stows. Also the safety cable hangers on the arms are a very nice touch, no dragging safety cables
After watching people fighting their regular towbars, I am glad we got this one. We parked in all kinds of positions and never had an issue disconnecting. I did have to get an extension for the safety cables.
Quality is good. It did not include hitch pins so I had to run out and purchase them. They were shown in the pictures and the video so I was surprised when I did not see them. Additionally, the storing position is good except the arms do not lock in the short position so can come out and the connection point to the toad hang down. Both issues are resolved with a ratchet strap.
I will not give you a rating at this time. Because in the box for the adapter-e98975 I am missing part #7 bushing for SD qty of 4. Hard to put together with part missing. I called about the part today on Friday talked to Payton hope something will be done.
Was able to travel a lot of states with the hook up, all worked as expected and I appreciate all the help Roger gave me. Will definitely purchase from etrailer in the future.
Martin
3/16/2023
AWESOME
Works well easy to hook up
GREAT SERVICE THE SHIPPING WAS RIGHT ON TIME
We ordered the tow bar on Thursday, we were told we may get it the end of the day Monday. We received it on Friday. One day delivery, fantastic! We were also very pleased with the new tow bar. The design is significantly better than the old one. We liked the way each arm holds its position when connecting to the tow vehicle, the cable safety hooks are very nice and the unit is well built, and seems very strong. Excellent!
It's still in the box
Very high quality and towed great.
We did 7,000 miles this summer towing our Jeep. Many of those miles were through the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas. The tow bar worked perfectly - not a single issue.
Overall the tow bar does what it is supposed to do. It’s sturdy and flexible and has not let us down in its primary duties. However the locking pins and bright yellow plates are extremely prone to become badly bent during normal use. This is a clever system to restrain the tow bar arms when the unit is parked out of the way when not being used to tow your toad. Even taking great effort not to misalign the pins and slots things still get bent. It’s just not the best system IMHO.
It was recommended by the local rv shop, . Very strong and easy to use.
Many trips of use and still in great shape, expect to have for many more years!
Brian
7/16/2023
Great!, have towed over 15,k miles with it. Easy to hook up. Finish and system have held up great also.
Easy to use. Working with etrailer was great. If we need anything else on our motorhome we will be traveling out to etrailer.
Do you have a question about this Tow Bar?
Condition: Surface Scratches
Notes: Minor Scratches and a small chip
Info for this part was:
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Denny
11/3/2023
Outstanding! We have towed over 15,000 miles with no problems.