Toad Question

[rickemo]

Just purchased a 2016 Jeep Wrangler to tow behind our Melbourne 29D. Any advice on whether to attempt installing the baseplate and hitch myself or have the dealer do the installation. Any estimates on the cost of dealer purchase/installation? And finally which hitch brand would you recommend?

Rick

[Grumpy]

Blue Ox tow bar and base plate. It's a simple DIY install if you have any mechanical skills.

[WaltW]

Rick, you can get the install instructions at the Blue Ox website. Look them over and see if you are up to the task.

[tjbroussard]

I installed mine. It is pretty straight forward, used car ramps to make it a bit easier to installed. I also did the Ready Brake Cable and rear lighting kit as well. Good luck.

[Dustdevil]

Sure, you can install yourself if you have some mechanical ability and you take your time and do it right. It's much easier than a bracket for my old S15 Blazer. And your bigger job will likely be sorting out all the electricals so the toad tail, brake lights, and turn signals all obey the motorhome when it's hooked up. There are kits for installing diodes in all the right places you can buy, and most of them work well. Many are plug-and play into your existing wiring loom, and that's what I did.

Just do a little homework here and choose a name brand towbar and braking system. That way, you are not fighting reliability issues as well as installation obstacles. My Jeep took about two full days to get sorted out, and I soldered nearly every electrical connection that wasn't plug and play. Took my time.

[Crossingover]

Sure you can. All the motivation you need is to get that dealer quote for the install. I was aghast at their monster quote for my install, so I did it myself. Found a near-new Roadmaster bracket on Craigslist for $300 (already had a Falcon All-Terrain tow bar) and did it all including wiring (went with a removable spare tire mounted LED stop/tail lamp so I didn't have to hack into the Jeep's wiring). Don't forget your braking system of choice (I already had a BrakeBuddy).

[Dustdevil]

Originally Posted by Crossingover

Sure you can. All the motivation you need is to get that dealer quote for the install. I was aghast at their monster quote for my install, so I did it myself. Found a near-new Roadmaster bracket on Craigslist for $300 (already had a Falcon All-Terrain tow bar) and did it all including wiring (went with a removable spare tire mounted LED stop/tail lamp so I didn't have to hack into the Jeep's wiring). Don't forget your braking system of choice (I already had a BrakeBuddy).

I did very much the same thing. Found the Falcon All-Terrain on Craigslist used half a dozen times. Same with the EvenBrake. Took my time, made sure I did it right, and it all works great. Total cost was maybe $600.

[Dustdevil]

Oh, that doesn't include the $350 custom front bumper. I don't use a bracket. The towing lugs are built into my bumper, and properly piloted and welded through both sides.