Towing a Raptor with a Diesel RV

[L2C]

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There are also lots of secondary/rural roads that are difficult to navigate with an RV that’s 40 or 45 feet long. Towing anything makes it worse, and putting the tow vehicle on a trailer adds even more length.

We use a Roadmaster tow system which has adjustable arms, so we just have to get within three or four inches of the perfect spot and the bar adjusts to make the connection work.

A trailer works great if all your destinations have unlimited space, but most don't. (We have a similar trailer we use if we're taking our Polaris Ranger or other stuff; love it when we're going to the desert or the dunes.) But, like most folks with diesel pushers, we usually drive to a place, set up camp, and then use the towed vehicle ("toad") to get around and play. Sometimes we're there for a day, sometimes a week. If its flat-towed you pull two pins, pull the light, air, and break-free lines, and you're on your way.

We camp in many places where there is no room to leave the trailer attached to the coach or store it nearby, like USFS campgrounds, many state campgrounds, many RV parks, and the homes of most relatives and friends. In many cases we have to stop somewhere close to our final destination to disconnect the toad, because the final destination doesn't even have room to turn around with the toad connected. That's the case when we visit my brother, so we stop at a supermarket five miles from his house, disconnect, and my wife follows me to his place. Once I have the coach parked there's ample room for her to park the toad in front, but there's no place to store the trailer within 10 miles or more.

Flat-towing is MUCH more convenient. Less than two minutes to disconnect, and about twice that to reconnect. I'm pretty fast with the trailer, but every aspect of it's use takes MUCH longer, especially hooking it up (because it doesn't move independently like a Jeep or a Raptor, so maneuvering to hook up is much harder.) I've connected and disconnected the toad in 100 degree heat, and pouring rain; I wouldn't want to spend an extra 30 minutes doing either.

Do you pic of your set up?

 

[Whaler27]

Yes, but none with the Raptor hooked up, as I just got the Roadmaster adaptors I linked above. I’m waiting for warmer weather to do the installation.

I attached a picture of my set up with the Wrangler attached. It was taken in eastern Oregon last September during the wildfires. Terrible air.

Once the Jeep is disconnected, the tow bar collapses into itself, folds up, and gets covered by a storage bag. It’s all locked to the coach, and the tow bar arms light up at night. It’s a great set up.

 

[Lawman]

Cool Jeep. What size tires are those? How much weight will the RV tow?

 

[Whaler27]

The tires are “fake” 37” KO2s — actually about 35.5” tall before they are under weight.

The coach feels like it could tow a house, albeit pretty slowly. It’s only rated to tow 7,500 pounds, so it’s plenty for a Wrangler or a Raptor, but not a full-size truck. Pulling the wrangler on the flats with nothing but desert around it’s comfortable at 75 and will go faster, but the steep grades in the western states slow it to 45 mph.

When my RV grows up it wants to be a Tiffin bus. For all practical purposes those things have unlimited power. And there is zero chance I’ll ever be able to afford one!

 

[Lawman]

Do you pic of your set up?

You saw that Whaler27 linked the trailer installation video for the Raptor base plates, right? That video shows you exactly what they look like installed and what it takes to get them on and off.

 

[L2C]

Yes, but none with the Raptor hooked up, as I just got the Roadmaster adaptors I linked above. I’m waiting for warmer weather to do the installation.

I attached a picture of my set up with the Wrangler attached. It was taken in eastern Oregon last September during the wildfires. Terrible air.

Once the Jeep is disconnected, the tow bar collapses into itself, folds up, and gets covered by a storage bag. It’s all locked to the coach, and the tow bar arms light up at night. It’s a great set up.

View attachment 164640

I have the same set up for my wife’s rubicon. Wanted to see how the tow hook look in the raptor. On the rubicon it’s hidden.

 

[Whaler27]

I have the same set up for my wife’s rubicon. Wanted to see how the tow hook look in the raptor. On the rubicon it’s hidden.

I understand -- that's why I provided the link (a few posts above) the first time you asked. I can post a picture of mine once I get them installed -- but I'm pretty sure they're gonna look just like the ones installed on the etrailer video.

 

[Lawman]

I have the same set up for my wife’s rubicon. Wanted to see how the tow hook look in the raptor. On the rubicon it’s hidden.

Click the link he provided in post #27 and scroll down to the Raptor install video. It shows everything close up. You can drag thru the video to speed to what you want to see. The first shot and last shot show it with the removable end pieces installed.

 

[L2C]

Thanks guys. Doesn’t look as good as the tow hooks there. Lol

 

[Josh84]

There was a news article where a guy flat towed his jeep IN GEAR and IN 4LOW! The engine exploded! So be careful not to do any of that! https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ca...towed-in-4-low-revving-to-over-50000-rpm/amp/