gdroberson Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 ok towed trailers for ever not tried flat towing I have a 2020 ford ranger and thinking of setting it up to tow but dont know what is a good setup thinking of picking up a used blue ox bx 4325 tow bar can get at a good price but dont know if it is a good tow bar or if I should look for something else that would be better dont have a clue of what I need so any suggestions' would appreciated thanks Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hex_nut Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 I "assume" your Ranger is the 4X4 version with the neutral position for the transfer case which is the only 2020 Ranger that is listed as towable. I have worn out a couple of the BX4325 tow bars (many, many miles) and have found them to be a good tow bar. I bought them both used with little prior usage (much cheaper than new). Good luck with shifting to 4-down towing. I would NEVER willingly go back to a tow dolly. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdroberson Posted December 29, 2023 Author Share Posted December 29, 2023 yes 4x4 and thanks for the reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill R Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 @gdroberson Gary - Lot's of previous discussion on this topic. As a suggestion, go to the search bar and put in "flat tow". Make sure to put the words in parenthesis as I have typed them. And then select from the drop down arrow Topics. This will bring up many threads about flat towing. Set ups, braking, etc. Hope this helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdroberson Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cherry Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 4 hours ago, gdroberson said: ok towed trailers for ever not tried flat towing I have a 2020 ford ranger and thinking of setting it up to tow but dont know what is a good setup thinking of picking up a used blue ox bx 4325 tow bar can get at a good price but dont know if it is a good tow bar or if I should look for something else that would be better dont have a clue of what I need so any suggestions' would appreciated thanks Gary Search results. Get some caffiene and scroll and read. My personal PREFERENCE....The Roadmaster Tow Bars are MORE robust than the Blue Ox. You can purchase a rebuild kit for any of them for maybe $100 and an hour or so later, it is the SAME as NEW. I have over 85K on my two Roadmasters. I only sold the FIRST one, after maybe 50K as I upgraded and needed a heavier Capacity. The Falcon 2 should work for your Ranger. The Max weight on it, per an internet search is around 4400 Pounds. The Falcon 2 is rated at 6,000 pounds so you HAVE a lot of safety factor. I have installed at least 3 sets of plates on TOADs. Each time I pull the Blue Ox and the Roadmaster baseplate instructions and bill of materials. EVERY TIME, the Roadmaster has MORE fasteners and they use MORE of them. I would NOT have used the Blue Ox on my Yukon as that was the epitome of "NOT FOR ME" and my engineering background. YES...I am opinionated...but the folks that started this forum, way back in the mid to late 2000's were the experts and they all agreed, most engineers or great mechanics, that the Roadmaster bars were stronger and the base plates were mounted more "structurally sound". There are or were LOTS of "refurbished" Blue Ox bars on eBay when I first bought mine in 2006. Some 17 years later...I have only had TWO and the one I sold was as good as new as I rebuilt it. But other than that.... https://www.monacoers.org/search/?q=flat tow&quick=1&type=forums_topic Click on the above. It has several pages of posts about Flat Towing....a good PRIMER.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 I have had a NSA Hercules tow bar with their integrated braking setup to tow my 2500 GMC. Very happy with it. Super stout and the braking setup is easy to hook up and has been flawless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Thomas Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 17 hours ago, gdroberson said: ok towed trailers for ever not tried flat towing I have a 2020 ford ranger and thinking of setting it up to tow but dont know what is a good setup thinking of picking up a used blue ox bx 4325 tow bar can get at a good price but dont know if it is a good tow bar or if I should look for something else that would be better dont have a clue of what I need so any suggestions' would appreciated thanks Gary I have the Ready Brute Elite 2 no need for DC power no box to remove from the tow vehicle just disconnect tow bar from vehicle and cable connection the system works mechanically when you apply the brake your tow vehicle moves forward which activates a lever to pull on cable connected to the brake pedal and if I’m correct you have to run a cable for emergency disconnect on all systems. I towed my jeep grand Cherokee across country no problems. It comes with a red light to mount on the dash but I didn’t hook it up because you can see the cable tighten up when you apply brakes through back up camera. I installed blue ox base plates they will provide any base plates you want . The system cost 1600 and I didn’t have to buy the 1000 dollar box and the extra steps to remove it from the brake pedal. No need to charge car battery less steps to install and remove 2002 Monaco Windsor/ 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbr046 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 When towing 4x4 . . . . how do you disengage the steering wheel lock? - bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Leave the key on ACC. Read your owners manual for specifics. I had to install a battery cutoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 I use a BlueOx 7335 tow bar rated at 10K. I bought it used. I use a Roadmaster 9160 supplemental brake, when I bought my coach it already had the air connection the Roadmaster brake. I went with the BlueOx base plate. I installed these in late 2010. At some point several years later I bought another tow bar just in case. Once I got it set up it is very easy to install and take out the air cylinder that depresses he brake when stopping. The brake is proportional. I did install the brake indicator light on the dash, so when I first hook up I can press the coaches brake pedal and confirm that the brake in my Jeep is working. I can unhook and reattach the tow bar and brake in less then 5 minutes. Overall I'm pleased with the set up. Last year there was another Monacoers member who posted a question about the BlueOx tow bar so out of curiosity I tore both of them down to inspect and bought the service kits and rebuild both of them. No real issues or signs of failure/wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdroberson Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 thanks Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbr046 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 2 hours ago, cbr046 said: When towing 4x4 . . . . how do you disengage the steering wheel lock? - bob 1 hour ago, Chargerman said: Leave the key on ACC. Read your owners manual for specifics. I had to install a battery cutoff I was meaning without a key . . . . Some vehicles (mine) are keyless, so putting it in ACC mode could possibly be disrupted going down the road without knowing, and we'd have to keep the keyfob nearby (but not IN the vehicle). Stupid 4-Runner detects when I get out of the vehicle with the fob in my pocket 😡. I can put the 4WD manual crankase in a true neutral and walk away but the steering would still be an issue. Same for our manual transmission Mini Cooper. I'd *LOVE* to just disable the solenoid, maybe even permanently. NOTE: We're a long ways from flat towing. These are just some of the issues I spend too much time contemplating. - bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerman Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 As mentioned, check your owners manual for specifics on your vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Thomas Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 On 12/30/2023 at 9:47 AM, cbr046 said: When towing 4x4 . . . . how do you disengage the steering wheel lock? - bob I called the dealership and ask the service manager that question and had look it up.you don’t get that question every day but the answer on my 2016 Jeep grand Cherokee all wheel drive is when you disengage the transfer box it automatically disengage the wheel lock 2 minutes ago, Wayne Thomas said: I called the dealership and ask the service manager that question and had look it up.you don’t get that question every day but the answer on my 2016 Jeep grand Cherokee all wheel drive is when you disengage the transfer box it automatically disengage the wheel lock My owners manual didn’t say anything about the wheel lock in the step by step procedure so I was wondering the same thing so I called the dealership Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetjockey Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 I have flat towed same vehicle. The sequence to complete transfer case disengagement will also unlocksteering wheel as you complete the procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Blackmon Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Another vote for the NSA Ready Brute Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjh2916 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 I flat tow a 2019 Buick Envision with Keyless ignition behind motorhome. This procedure I use; Push button to start car, hold brake and shift car into neutral, Push button to turn off car. If I am towing all day long I remove fuses 29 and 32 so not to drain car battery. Was thinking about trading vehicle this year, but the newer Envisions can not be flat towed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbr046 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 On our 2021 4-Runner the steering re-locks when the engine is shut off, even when the vehicle is in neutral. If I get serious about flat-towing I might chase this down and disable or remove the solenoid, or get a tow bar for the Mini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Mike Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Another vote for NSA. I have had the NSA RB-4000 tow hitch with Roadmaster Sterling tow bar for over 10 years on two vehicles and it has worked flawlessly. I just got a rebuild kit last year and now it’s like new again. Takes me less than 5 min to hook up the Explorer. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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