Expert Answers about Tow Straps and Recovery Straps

• Do All Vehicle Tow/Recovery Straps Stretch
• The Bulldog Recovery Strap part # BDW20014 is made of polyester which is slightly stretchy. Polyester and Nylon like the Erickson Recovery Strap part # EM59600 are the two main materials used for tow strap construction and both are elastic. That said, out of the two, polyester is less stretchy than Nylon.
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• Comparison of Bulldog # BDW20030 and Erickson # EM59800 Heavy-Duty Recovery Straps
• Both of the recovery straps you referenced, Bulldog # BDW20030 and Erickson # EM59800, are 3-inch x 30-foot straps with reinforced ends, but between the two I would go for the Bulldog since it offers a slightly higher break strength rating of 30K versus the Erickson's 27K.
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• What is the Difference Between a Tow Eye and a Tow Hook
• The Tow Eye, like # TR63045, and Trailer Hitch Receiver Mounted Forged Tow Hook, # TR63044 are both used a lot in vehicle recovery and winching operation applications but are not the safest option for other towing needs. The choice between using a tow hook or a tow eye will mostly depend on what exactly you need to recover the vehicle. If off-road and you get stuck, you could use a winch and pulley block and connect it to a tow eye so it cannot slip off. But if you were pulling a vehicle...
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• Recommended Tow Straps for Car Hauler Trailer
• Since the cost of four of the Erickson Car Tie Down Kit # 08504-05 is close to that of the Bulldog 4-piece set, I would go for the Bulldog kit # BDW20230. For the couple of extra dollars you get not only 10-foot straps rather than 7-footers, but you also get the carry bag to keep everything in order.
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• Wiring and Is a Hitch Support Strap Required for the Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch on a 2012 Honda CRV
• Draw-Tite Does not require the use of a stabilization strap with non-trailer loads such as a bike rack or cargo carrier on their hitches like part # 75742. It might be a good idea to use one though if you are loading a bike rack or cargo carrier close to the tongue weight capacity of the hitch, vehicle or bike rack/cargo carrier, whichever is rated lowest Curt requires the use of a stabilization strap, # 18050, for any non-trailer loads such as a bike rack or cargo carrier. The strap...
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• Comparing Vibration Between Door-Mount and Strap-On Towing Mirrors
• Both the CIPA Universal Deluxe Door-Mount Mirrors # 11650-2 and strap-on mirrors like the K-Source # KS3891-2 will have about the same vibration and movement during travel. I have attached road test videos for both products that you can use as a comparison.
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• What Is the Difference Between the Curt Hitch and the Draw-Tite Hitch on a 2010 Ford Edge
• Both the Curt Hitch # C13067 and the Draw-Tite Hitch # 75992 are custom fit hitches that are designed to be mounted on to your 2010 Ford Edge. Both hitches are Class III rated and have the 2 inch opening at the hitch. Both the Curt and Draw-Tite Hitches have a gross trailer weight rating of 4,000 lbs and a maximum tongue weight of 400 lbs. Both the Curt and Draw-Tite Hitch have limited life lifetime warranties. Of these two, I recommend the Draw-Tite hitch over the Curt for two reasons....
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• Why Does Curt Require Stabilizing Straps for Hitch-Mounted Bike Racks but Draw-Tite Does Not
• The stabilizing straps are a warranty requirement that Curt recommends to help support the hitch. The strap reduces some of the tongue weight load on the hitch, reduces the tendency for attached items to move around while the vehicle is in motion, and prevents some vertical shock from being transferred to the hitch when going over bumps. Using a strap such as Item # 18050 with a Curt hitch will maintain the warranty and provide additional support. I've attached a review video that shows...
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• Choice of Class III Hitch for Use with Bike Rack on 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
• You are quite correct that of the three Class III hitches offered for your 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe, which can be seen on the link provided at right, only the Curt # C13073 has the specific requirement that a stabilizing strap be used with non-wheeled loads like bike racks to maintain warranty coverage. You also ask a very good question. All of these hitches carry identical tongue weight and towing capacities (350-lbs and 3500-lbs respectively) and although not required to maintain their...
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• Recommended Hitch for 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan That Does Not Require Stabilizing Strap 18050
• Many Curt brand hitches do carry the warranty requirement to use a strap like # 18050 when any non-wheeled load is installed in the hitch, such as a bike rack or cargo carrier. This applies both to their 1-1/4-inch Class II hitch # C12097 and their 2-inch Class III hitch # C13133. The strap can be positioned at the top of the rear hatch, or on other vehicles to one of the raised roof side rails or roof rack crossbars. Since use of the strap can be a nuisance for some folks, I suggest choosing...
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• Comparing K-Source KS3891 and Cipa 40375 Universal Fit Towing Mirrors on 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Both mirrors would work on your Grand Cherokee, but I always recommend the K-Source # KS3891 over the Cipa 11960 (which is our part # 40375) because of the way the mirrors attach to the vehicle's factory mirrors. The K-Source mirror uses 2 ratcheting rubber straps for a tight fit that's allows minimal vibration. Combine this with the mirror's light weight, the mirror is not going to move around, it'll stay where you put it. This is why our customers rate this mirror so highly. The Cipa...
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• Comparing K-Source Universal Towing Mirrors KS69ZR and KS3891
• Both of these mirrors are designed to be a universal fit with a manually adjusting mirror, but the K-Source # KS69ZR has a rubber strap that is not ratcheting. The # KS3891 has a ratcheting strap with a different strap that allows you to get a bit tighter around the mirror and will ultimately reduce vibration during travel. The # KS69ZR is also a pair of mirrors where the # KS3891 is a single mirror. You can get a pair of the # KS3891 with part # KS3891-2. I've also linked our review videos...
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• Comparing Draw-Tite And Curt Trailer Hitches For 2016 Audi Q5
• We do have many people asking about the stabilizing strap for the Curt hitches requirement. The Curt hitch, part # C13136 is solidly built and has the same capacity as the Draw-Tite Hitch, part # 75940. Curt issues the statement about a strap like part # 18050 as a precaution and to help relieve some of the stress on the back of a vehicle when using any non-towing accessory. My choice is the Draw-Tite, part # 75940 which has the same capacity as the Curt hitch but has no strap requirement...
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• Comparing Trailer Hitch Receivers from Curt and Draw-Tite for 2011 Subaru Forester
• For your 2011 Subaru Forester, the Draw-Tite # 75650 hitch is rated for the same towing capacity and more tongue weight than the Curt # 13147. The Curt hitch is just as strong a hitch and because it is made in the USA is arguably made of better steel but it does based on their warranty require the stability strap # 18050 for a bike rack. There isn't any noticeable stability difference between the two hitches.
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• Difference Between Curt Adjustable Trailer Hitches 13703 and 13704
• The difference between the Curt Adjustable Width Trailer Hitch Receivers # 13703 and # C13704 are a couple things, starting with the # C13704 having a 5,000 lb towing capacity and 500 lb tongue weight capacity while the # 13703 has a a 3,500 lb towing capacity and 350 lb tongue weight capacity. Both fit box frames, C-channel frames, or I-beam frames, though the # C13704 is for frames 22" to 68-1/2" wide while the # 13703 is for 22" to 72" wide frames. The Stabilizing Straps # 18050 which...
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• Curt Hitch C13073 versus Draw-Tite 75684 for 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
• Curt offers a round tube Class III receiver, part # C13073, but to satisfy their warranty requirements, a stabilizer strap # 18050 needs to be used for non-trailer loads like a bike rack or cargo carrier. If you intend on only using the receiver for towing, the Curt would be a good choice. The Draw-Tite # 75684 is constructed of square-tube steel. Because of the spoiler on top of the hatch, the stabilizer strap will not work well on the Santa Fe, so for a bike rack or cargo carrier, the...
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• Choosing Between Curt Class III and Draw-Tite Class III Trailer Hitches for 2013 Subaru Forester
• Other than the fact that the Curt # 13147 has a slightly higher (500 lb) towing capacity and the fact that the hitch crossbar is round instead of square tubing, there's not a whole lot of difference functionally between the hitches you mentioned. Since the Forester is limited to towing 2400 lbs, you won't be able to use all the hitch capacity anyway because you'll be limited to the towing capacity of the vehicle. The Curt hitch is less expensive, but it has one drawback. Curt's warranty...
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• Curt vs. Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch Comparison for a 2016 Subaru Outback Wagon
• The Class II Curt Hitch # C12136 and Class II Draw-Tite Hitch # 36493 for your 2016 Subaru Outback Wagon are very similar, but every Class I and Class II and some Class III Curt Hitches require stabilizing straps to be used when towing non trailer loads. When stabilizing straps are not used on these hitches, the warranty is void and will no longer be covered by Curt. Draw-Tite hitches do not require stabilizing straps to be used on non trailer loads. The Curt and Draw-Tite Hitches have...
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• Comparison of Draw-Tite and Curt Class II Trailer Hitch Receivers for a 2017 Subaru Forester
• The two Class II trailer hitch receivers for your 2017 Subaru Forester are the Draw-Tite # 36523 and Curt # C12100. They are very similar in a lot of ways. The capacities of each hitch and the installation process are all basically the same. When installed the Draw-Tite will measure about 6 inches from the hitch pin hole to the outer most point on the bumper where the Curt will be about 3-1/2 inches. So the Curt will stick out quite a bit more. This may make the Curt better because it...
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• Which Trailer Hitch is Recommended for 2016 Toyota Corolla
• Curt used to state that using the # 18050 stabilizing strap was a requirement for maintaining warranty coverage when their Class I and some of their Class II hitches are used for hitch accessories, although they've since backed off on that stance. The strap was designed to provide extra support for the bike rack. One end would typically hook to the frontward edge of the vehicle trunk, the other end would be looped around the bike rack near where the upright connected to the arms the bikes...
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