The RV Mag Guide to Dinghy Towing

When visiting popular attractions or navigating narrow, congested roadways in your motorhome, you’ve probably wished for a smaller vehicle that’s much easier to navigate. That’s why towing a dinghy vehicle is a great idea.

So, where do you begin? This “Guide to Dinghy Towing” article is your one-stop resource for determining which new vehicles are manufacturer-approved for dinghy towing (all four wheels on the ground; also known as “flat,” “four-down,” or “recreational” towing) and also to learn about the equipment and procedures needed for a pleasant and safe experience.

This year’s listings can be downloaded here and include vehicles that have specifically been approved by the manufacturer for dinghy towing. While some vehicles are easy to tow, others require that very detailed and lengthy procedures be followed before and during towing to prevent damage. We’ve included some of that information in the listings, but you will still need to check the owner’s manual of the specific vehicle for more detailed procedures.

Once you’ve confirmed that a particular vehicle is dinghy-towable, the next move is to create the vehicle-to-motorhome connection.

Connecting a motorhome and a dinghy vehicle can be a surprisingly smooth operation. It begins with a baseplate, which is a bracket affixed to the dinghy vehicle. The term “baseplate” dates back to when the mount was a large steel plate on the front of the vehicle affixed to the dinghy’s frame. Today they’re more like a small pair of brackets that can often be removed when not towing. Next, a dinghy tow bar is placed in the motorhome’s hitch receiver and then connects to the dinghy vehicle’s new baseplate. A number of accessories are also available to help protect the dinghy while on the road.

Properly wiring a dinghy vehicle is another consideration. It is essential that the brake lights and taillights on the dinghy work in concert with those on the motorhome, and there are many options to do not only that but also to help keep the dinghy’s battery charged while on the road.

The final component of safe dinghy towing is an auxiliary braking system. Today’s motorhomes can accommodate a lot of dinghy weight. While many new chassis have tow ratings of at least 4,000 pounds, certain luxury coaches have a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 60,000 pounds or more—with up to 25% (15,000 pounds) of that available for towing.

Dinghy brakes are mandatory in most states and Canadian provinces; besides, when extra weight is added, there needs to be a way to slow everything down without overtaxing the brakes on the motorhome. Braking systems are available in both portable and permanently mounted configurations. Even if not legally required, we highly recommend you get one.

With a dinghy vehicle, it’s easy to continue to enjoy the mobile lifestyle while maximizing that mobility with an easier-to-maneuver vehicle for exploring.

Ready, Set, Tow!

There is more to towing a dinghy vehicle than simply hitching up and heading down the road. Understanding what components are required ahead of time will make prepping your dinghy vehicle easier and prevent any unwanted surprises or unplanned expenses.

Baseplates

Since a car, truck, or SUV you plan to tow behind a motorhome doesn’t typically have any provisions to be towed behind a motorhome, the first step is to equip your dinghy vehicle with a baseplate.

A baseplate is an application-specific steel structure that attaches to the vehicle’s frame and/or bumper brackets, enabling a tow bar to be connected. Not all baseplates require the same amount of effort to install, and some may require trimming of the front fascia, grille, or other areas. That’s why it’s a good idea to research baseplates for your vehicle first.

Blue Ox, Demco, and Roadmaster have fit lists on their respective websites that specify whether a baseplate is available. Installation instructions can also be downloaded so you can determine how much work will be involved, which can be important for budgetary considerations.

Not all companies offer the same baseplate designs, so make sure you check out each company’s website to find what works best for you. If you don’t have a local RV dealership or repair center that’s comfortable installing a baseplate system, the product manufacturer will likely be able to direct you to a qualified dealer. One such dealer is Carizona in Mesa, Arizona, which not only installs dinghy-related equipment but also offers a selection of pre-owned dinghy vehicles (with available options to equip them for flat towing).

Tow Bars

Like trailer hitches, dinghy tow bars have weight ratings, so the first step is to determine how much your dinghy vehicle weighs when it’s full of fuel and cargo. Be sure to look for a bar that has capacity to spare.

Not surprisingly, many tow-bar manufacturers offer unique features or benefits in their products, so compare carefully and determine what’s important to you.

Next, determine how the tow bar is stowed (on the vehicle or on the motorhome) and whether the bar is a traditional or non-binding design. Traditional tow bars may be less expensive, but they are more difficult to connect and can be nearly impossible to disconnect on uneven ground. So-called “non-binding” bars offer arms that move independently of one another, so the dinghy doesn’t have to be perfectly aligned with the motorhome, and latches can be released to make it easy to connect/disconnect in less-than-ideal circumstances. Another benefit of these designs is that they don’t use a ball-and-coupler (trailer hitch) design—the shank goes directly into the motorhome’s hitch receiver and stays there. When you’re not using it, the bar simply folds up out of the way and stays on the motorhome.

Keep in mind that each equipment manufacturer engineers its products to work with other products in the same family and not necessarily with another manufacturer’s products, so mixing and matching may not be possible in some cases. Most manufacturers provide details on mounting considerations and available solutions.

The next thing you’ll want to consider when comparing tow bars is weight. Depending on the construction materials, design, and weight rating, tow bars can weigh 50 pounds or more, which can be a lot to handle, especially while bent over a hitch receiver. While it’s true that the bar will spend most of its time mounted to either the vehicle or the motorhome, there will be times when you’ll have to remove it (for storage, theft prevention, etc.), so you may want to try hoisting the bar at your local dealer before you buy.

Always ask what is included with the tow bar and what else may be required. Be sure to find out what you will (and won’t) need ahead of time.

Accessories

Once you’ve chosen the baseplate and tow bar, you’ve got what you need to make your dinghy vehicle towable, but there are some accessories that you should probably consider. For example, try hitching up to the motorhome and see if the tow bar is level. If it’s not level, you might need a drop/ rise receiver adapter that can relocate the receiver, opening up or down as needed.

You would probably never closely follow a truck at high speeds (we hope not, anyway), but that’s essentially what your dinghy vehicle will be doing when it’s connected to the motorhome. If you’ll be towing a new or older well-preserved vehicle, you’ll probably want to protect it from rocks, gravel, tar, fresh paint, and who knows what else that can be kicked up from the motorhome’s rear wheels right into the front of the dinghy.

A rock guard mounted to the rear of the motorhome or substantial mud flaps on the rear wheels are a good start, but for further protection, consider a product like the Blue Ox KarGard, Demco Sentry Deflector, or Roadmaster Guardian to ward off rocks and other debris. But first, check the dinghy vehicle’s owner’s manual to make sure the manufacturer doesn’t warn against the use of such products.

Transmissions require a steady flow of air through the fluid cooler (located in the front of the engine compartment), and if the air is blocked by a shield, the transmission could overheat and become damaged. You can also have a detailing shop apply paint protection film to the front of the dinghy vehicle, which will help stop small incursions.

Auxiliary Braking Systems

Another consideration is an auxiliary braking system. Most of us have towed a trailer with its own brakes, which help maintain control of the trailer and can greatly shorten stopping distance. The same principles apply to a dinghy vehicle towed behind a motorhome. Besides the obvious safety aspect of a dinghy braking system, they’re also required by law in most of the United States and in all provinces in Canada.

By far, the most popular type of dinghy braking device is the portable system. These are located between the driver’s seat and the brake pedal and incorporate an arm and pedal clamp that depresses the vehicle’s brake pedal when the motorhome’s brakes are applied. Portable systems are a good option if you tow more than one vehicle or may be considering another dinghy vehicle in the near future. Features vary greatly in portable systems, but proportional braking is one benefit that may influence the system you choose.

“Proportional braking” means that the system in your dinghy is designed to mirror the brake application in the motorhome, both in timing and in the amount of force; as you brake harder, so does the dinghy braking system. Other (typically less expensive) systems use “on/off” braking, which can cause a perceptible jerking sensation when the brakes are applied. It still works and meets the legal brake requirements, but it’s just not as smooth and can accelerate brake wear on the dinghy vehicle.

A permanently installed system is a great choice if you only tow one vehicle and plan to keep it for a long time. While the initial cost of these systems may be comparable to some portable units, they typically require several hours of labor to install, which must be factored into the overall cost. The upside is that once installed, permanent systems remain in the vehicle and require very little preparation before towing; just plug in a power cord and/or quick disconnect, and the system is operational.

Because permanent units tie into the air or hydraulic brake system in the motorhome and/or its electrical system (brake signal) to activate the brakes in the towed vehicle, they are inherently proportional. They are designed to be practically invisible, typically consisting of a small control unit that mounts underneath the hood or out of view in the passenger compartment.

Towing anything can be a stressful experience, but with some careful planning, and the right components, you’ll be able to enjoy all of the benefits that dinghy towing can bring without the anxiety.

Wire It Up

If you plan to tow a car, truck, or SUV, you’ll have to modify its electrical system so that you can plug it in and make its running lights (also known as marker lights), brake lights, and turn signals work in tandem with the motorhome. Thankfully, dinghy towing is such a common practice today that there are ready-made kits that enable an electrical connection to the motorhome in just a few hours.

Whichever system you choose will include a wiring harness that is routed from a receptacle located in the front of the towed vehicle to another receptacle in the back of the motorhome. In some cases, wiring kits that incorporate the vehicle’s electrical system may also include one-way diodes that prevent electrical “backflow” from the motorhome’s electrical system to the dinghy (and vice-versa), which can cause damage to both vehicle systems.

Companies like Blue Ox, Demco, Hopkins Towing Solutions (Brake Buddy), and Roadmaster offer viable choices and when in doubt, can help you find what you need for your specific vehicle.

Another alternative is an auxiliary light bar that attaches temporarily to the dinghy vehicle, using either magnets or suction cups. This may be a good choice if there is no application-specific wiring harness available for your vehicle and you don’t want to go through the trouble (and expense) of installing a universal wiring kit or bulb-and-socket system.

The manufacturers mentioned throughout this guide can usually help with any electrical questions or concerns and help get you down the road safely and legally.