New to Dingy Towing Have a Question

[Gizmo]

We just had a RoadMaster Night Hawk tow bar installed and a question occurred to me when unhooking. Should the 7-pin plug at the motorhome going to the dingy be unplugged? I ask because there will be times when we will drive the motorhome without our cara and we always drive with our lights on. Thanks

 

[John From Detroit]

Matters not. If you are driving "bobtail" (without towed) unplugging it and stowing it is a good idea from a security/safety point of view but so long as it is secure and weather protected . technically it's oK.. I would unplug and stow myself.

 

[Gizmo]

Matters not. If you are driving "bobtail" (without towed) unplugging it and stowing it is a good idea from a security/safety point of view but so long as it is secure and weather protected . technically it's oK.. I would unplug and stow myself.

Thank you, that helps.

 

[Isaac-1]

I have not unplugged mine in years

 

[LarsMac]

Well, my lighting cable gets pulled and stored with the safety cables and towbar, when Toad is not attached.

 

[Isaac-1]

I guess I should mention I have a Demco Commander tow bar, which has holder rod for the coiled electrical umbilical cable. Therefore leaving it plugged in on the coach side, also when not in use I store my coach in an enclosed shed so little weather exposure to the exposed end.

 

[Lou Schneider]

I got a locking hitch pin (goes through the 2" square hitch receiver) to lock the tow bar onto the motorhome and I leave the tow bar there. One thing is to make sure the tow bar arms securely latch in the stowed position - I had that latch fail once and the the tow bar arms dropped and dragged on the ground a short distance before I was able to stop. A bungee strap solved that problem.

Electrically it makes no difference if you have an empty connection at the socket on the tow vehicle or at the plug on the tow car end of the cable.

 

[Gizmo]

I got a locking hitch pin (goes through the 2" square hitch receiver) to lock the tow bar onto the motorhome and I leave the tow bar there. One thing is to make sure the tow bar arms securely latch in the stowed position - I had that latch fail once and the the tow bar arms dropped and dragged on the ground a short distance before I was able to stop. A bungee strap solved that problem.

Electrically it makes no difference if you have an empty connection at the socket on the tow vehicle or at the plug on the tow car end of the cable.

Thank you. I do have a hitch lock.

 

[Kirk]

to lock the tow bar onto the motorhome and I leave the tow bar there.

I did that same thing and at first I also had locking pins where each of the arms connected to the car we were towing. One afternoon we were west bound on I84 just to the west of Cascade Locks, OR when we came upon an diesel motorhome stopped for a small fire in his engine compartment. I pulled in a bit behind him and grabbed my fire extinguisher to see if I could help. He ran back to get keys because his car was locked to his tow-bar but before he could get those keys and return the fire had gotten too large for us to safely get between the two vehicle to unlock the tow-bar. Discharging my fire extinguisher proved to be a wasted effort and before we could do anything the paint on the front of the car was starting to smoke. A firetruck arrived on scene perhaps 5 minutes or possibly 10 minutes after I stopped but my that time both the car and the motorhome were disabled. Before I continued on my way, I removed both of the locks from the connecting pins to the car and never used them again.