Getting ready to purchase a tow bar, vehicle tow bracket, and accessories to tow my 2015 Subaru Forester. Will be using an M & G brake system.
My question is will the height of the receiver hitch on the Newell line up ok with the height of the connection points on the Subie? I know the Newell's and the towed vehicles heights vary, but hearing others experiences and setups will be interesting.
I ask because the Demco Excalibar tow bar is adjustable up and down and the others aren't w/o a receiver hitch raise/lower adapter if a height adjustment is needed. And the Demco only adjust up and down 1.5 inches which may not be enough anyway.
I'm looking at the 10,000 lb plus rated tow bars which is overkill for the Subie but gives me the flexibility to tow a heavier vehicle in the future.
Installed M&G break system on my 07 Outback. My setup is with a Blue Ox tow bar. I don't have any height issues but to be honest, I never even considered this would be an issue from outset. Maybe I got lucky. I have number 300 (1992) and the receiver was already on there.
Good luck with your install. I was pretty intimidated with the M&G install but I had some really good guru help and it ended up going pretty smooth. It did take M&G 3 tries before they finally sent the right unit. But I must say, they were very professional and responsive and made it right.
I’m not an expert on this but I did stay at a Holliday Inn. I don’t think you want the attachment points higher or lower , that is nearly level. Let’s say the towed vehicle is higher and the brake actuator isn’t up to par, you could get the car riding up and over the tow bar and hitting the coach during a panic braking event. It isn’t as likely if the coach is higher since the braking force will force the car down under the attachment point on the coach. This forces the car down and the coach up, the coach wins that battle.
Several of us gurus have used the Air Force One pneumatic braking system. I have one and love it.
I have the Demco Dominator and Air Force One set up for 6 years and they have worked flawlessly for me. When I had my Newell my Jeep lined up perfectly level so I did not have to adjust anything for height. When I downsized to my current 38' Foretravel the Jeep connection point was about 4" lower than my coach. I believe the instruction say you are OK as long as you are within 4" high or low so I did not worry about it. I was noticing that my steering was not as good as my Newell. Well one day I did not tow my Jeep and went on a weekend trip and the Foretravel actually handled as well as my Newell used to and in fact was better on the curvy roads. Got to thinking about my tow bar set up. Ordered a 4" riser and flipped it down for my hitch so that the tow bar would be level and BINGO - my Foretravel drove great while towing too!
Bottom Line - Make sure your tow bar is a level as possible!
Oscar and Gordon are spot on in recommending the dead level height. You won’t know that until you get the tow plate installed and place the Subie behind the coach. The expression is no two Newells are alike, I have seen a multitude of different hitches that came from the factory with a range of about 6 inches in hitch to ground height. So even if I gave you the dimensions of our coach and the Subie toad, that may mislead you more than they would help.
The reason that an unlevel tow bar affects the handling and tire wear on the toad is that the force of pulling the toad if the the bar is not level either lifts or pulls down slightly on the front of the car. It’s enough to impact the front end alignment settings of toe in and camber on the car. If the toe in is not correct on the two car, it will dart from side to side.
I have a Roadmaster All Terrain II. Roadmaster gives a six inch window; three inches above level to three inches below.
Tim
My 2 cents.
I'm considering updating my tow bar. I'm really wanting a 2 1/2" unit to go into my Coach. I currently have an adapter/sleeve for my 2" unit. I don't like the movement it has, along with the movement in the bar. My trucks are 6,000 and 7,000 lbs so a little movement isn't cool. It may be the one thing I can tighten up by making a 2 1/2" direct coupling at the coach.
Dave, not wanting to be flippant, but could you weld the 2” to the 2-1/2” so it would be one piece?
You loose your adapter but gain less movement.
Dave another option might be to use a grade 8 bolt of the proper size instead of a pin to attach the towbar to the sleeve, etc.
I've done that for years but in a 2" receiver and it takes the slack and movement out of the towbar.