10
STAY WITHIN THE ‘SAFE ZONE'
Compare these two measurements. To be within the
Safe Zone, they cannot be more than three inches apart
if the base pin is above or below the motorhome hitch
receiver. See Figure 18.
If the tow bar is not within the Safe Zone, you must
purchase a hitch accessory to raise or lower the hitch
receiver. ROADMASTER has three accessories available
— Hi-Low Hitches, Hi-Low Drops, and Dual Hitch Receiv-
ers — which will raise or lower the hitch receiver from two
to 10 inches, depending on the model.
Towing with the tow bar more than three inches above
or below level will void the ROADMASTER warranty.
Failure to follow these instructions may cause prop-
erty damage, personal injury or even death.
Towing with a motorhome-mounted tow bar which has
an upward or downward slope puts undue strain on the
entire towing system. For that reason,
do not tow if the
tow bar is not within the ‘Safe Zone’ — no more than
three inches above or below level
.
Towing a vehicle with a tow bar that is not within the
Safe Zone will result in significant wear and tear on the
tow bar and brackets, significant wear and tear on the
vehicle’s suspension and frame, and the eventual failure
of the towing system.
To determine if the tow bar is within the Safe Zone —
first, connect the motorhome and towed vehicle on level
ground. Next, measure the distance from the center of the
motorhome receiver down to the ground. Then, measure
the distance from the center of one of the base pins down
to the ground.
NOT SAFE
SAFE
ZONE
NOT SAFE
CARE AND CLEANING
As is the case with most precision equipment, frequent
cleaning and care results in better performance and lon-
gevity. Use the following guidelines to keep your tow bar
clean and well-lubricated.
Always clean the tow bar before lubricating. Use a wa-
ter-soluble cleaner such as Voom RV (part number 9911,
shown below) — it does an exceptional job of breaking
down road film, dirt and grease.
Clean all moving parts, paying special attention to the
tow bar arms and the locking mechanisms. No matter what
part you're cleaning, the method is the same — spray a
liberal amount of cleaner over it; 2) work the component
back and forth to work out any accumulated dirt; 3) wipe
it down; and 4) repeat until clean.
To clean one of the tow bar arms, first remove the
two rubber caps at either end of the locking mechanisms
(Figure 19). Then raise the arm and spray cleaner at the
top of the inner/outer arm assembly (Figure 20).
Raise the tow bar arm and work the arm up and down
to flush out dirt from the bottom of the assembly. Wipe
the dirt off and repeat until the arm is clean.
Repeat for the other arm.
Do not use petroleum-based products to clean or lu-
bricate the tow bar. Petroleum will attract dirt and dust,
which will impede the operation of the sliding arms
and/or other components. Certain petroleum products
may also corrode non-metallic components.
Damage caused by using a petroleum-based prod-
uct to clean or lubricate the tow bar is not covered
under warranty.
After cleaning the tow bar, wipe any remaining cleaner
away.
To clean one of the locking mechanisms, first spray
cleaner into the mechanism, then raise the tow bar arm.
Move the release handle up and down to flush out dirt
from the bottom of the assembly.
Close the arm. This will bring the internal locking
continued on next page
Voom RV cleaner
and degreaser
(part number 9911)
LubeMaster silicone spray
(part number 747) —
meets Volatile Organic
Compound (VOC) standards
Figure 18
