Tow Bar Install

[areale]

We will be picking up a Journey 40U next month in the Tampa area and will need to hook up a base plate, tow bar and braking system to a 2012 Chevy Equinox. I already checked with Camping World and got a quote of around 4k. Seems very high. Can anyone recommend someone in the Tampa area that they have used that might be a bit more reasonable price wise. Thanks.

[Briarhopper]

Hitching Post in Ocala. Just a little up the road maybe, well maybe a bit more than little.

We had a brake system installed there in February and I was pleased with the overall experience. I am pretty sure they do hitches, tow bars, etc. There were helpful with advice before and after the install.

[five]

$4k sounds very high to me. We had a dealer do ours for about half that, and it was fairly complex.

[wolfe10]

Please give us details on what equipment was quoted. There is a reasonably wide range in cost depending on equipment.

Not reasonable to lump them all together.

[rossboyer]

You can order the parts from Roadmaster and do the work yourself. The light wiring would take the most time, but add the adapter plates to our Equinox took me 3.5 hours. No drilling. The directions with color pictures from Roadmaster are great. The price of $4K if it includes all the items you stated is not far off. Doing the work yourself would probably save $800 to $1000. It all depends on how comfortable you are on working

[Guest BillAdams]

The important information is "what hardware are you planning to install"? Good is good and costs more than the not as good equipment. "base plate, tow bar and braking system" is a lot of hardware, wiring and labor in most cases. Without the details it's impossible to know good, bad or otherwise.

[hermanmullins]

areale,

Welcome to the Forum. With regards to the former comments, there are several people here that can or have done the installations before. I assume, from your blog, that this may be your first coach or maybe your first RV with a tow vehicle.

If you feel comfortable doing auto work then you should be able to do the work yourself. So if you feel you can read and follow instructions it should not be too bad.

Now to be the devils abvocate. You will be installing the hardware that connects your 2012 Chevrolet to your M/H. A good installation and you will be fine, but a bad installation can spell desaster.

But as others have said $4,000.00 may be a little steep. My estimate comes up to $2,200.00 for Tow Bar/Base Plates/Brake unit/Wiring kit and aprox. 8 hrs labor at $125.00 per hour= $1000.00 and you have $3,200.00. So your estimate, depending on Parts and Brand, may be close.

So, Do it yourself and you feel comfrontable, go for it. If not Check other location for pricing and have a professional do it.

Happy and Safe RVing.

Herman

[areale]

Thanks Herman.

Parts quoted were: Falcon All- Terrain and Brakemaster Air/Brake. All wiring etc. included. Parts $2700, Labor $1000.

So maybe not so bad?

Yes this is my first coach and I usually do most work myself but not so sure about doing this. Leaning towards having it professionally done.

[Briarhopper]

Been there as I am sure many here could echo. Most of the equipment we looked at had fairly good instructions, especially the base plates, which instructions include vehicle specific photos. My wife and I installed the base plate on our Jeep Patriot in about an hour over the time the instructions indicated it would take and it still looks like a Jeep (would have been a funny video I'm sure).

Not much to do on the tow bars themselves but bolt it into the coach.

I had plans to do the brake system myself, but decided to let the pros monkey with the more technical gizmos, partly due to the liability of such work, but mostly because I had slipped into vacation mode in the sunny South. They also ran a line to power the Jeep taillights, turn signal/brake lamps in sync with the coach.

Safe and happy motor coachin'

[wolfe10]

Installation times vary WIDELY-- some simple bolt ups, others requiring removal of engine front end.

Use this to access instructions and approximate install times for any Roadmaster base plates: http://www.roadmasterinc.com/vehicle_guide/tow_bar_brackets.php

I suspect other base plate manufacturers have similar information available. Suggest you look up the one quoted to get a better idea of installation procedure and time requirement.

[five]

I do lots of my own maintenance, and considered installing the base plate, etc on my CRV. However, the dealer estimated it would take most of a day for two guys, so I figured it must be complex and let them do it. Recently, I thought I should check the bolts for security. After running the CRV up on some ramps and spending about a half an hour pulling stuff apart and undoing fastners, I could not even get to the bolts. Had a similar experience with the rails for a 5th wheel hitch. Thought about doing it myself, and found I could not get the right tool in the right place to do the job...took it to a shop and let them do it.

Sometimes it's better to let the guys with the right tools and knowledge do the job...then smile and pay them.

[rossboyer]

If 8 hours includes installation of the tow brackets and wiring your tail and brake lights using diodes to protect both vehicles that is a very good estimate. I am trying to remember the tools that I used to install my RoadMaster adapter plates on our 2011 Equinox, and I don't think that any tool was unusual. As Brett stated look at the RoadMaster web site. You can download the complete instructions for your Equinox. There is a list of required tools in the directions.