Flat Towing Setup for 2014 Chevy Sonic LS For Use With Demco Excali-Bar Tow Bar

Question:

Would a Blue Ox base plate with removable arms work with my Demco Excali-bar hitch? I like the removable arms option and I thought it was a few dollars cheaper. The magnetic lights must have a power source so are they battery and if so what size and expected lifespan are they?

asked by: Lonny M

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you're already aware that you'll need a couple of parts in addition to your base plates to complete your flat towing setup-the good news is that your Excali-Bar comes with integrated safety cables and a built in rise/drop to minimize the need for a high/low adapter. In addition to the base plates, like you mentioned, you'll need a supplemental braking solution and lights/wiring for your flat towed vehicle.

In order to use your Demco Excali-Bar # DM9511013 Tow Bar, you'll need the Demco Classic Base Plate kit # DM9518294 which are designed specifically for use with Demco tow bars and custom fit to your vehicle.

For lights or a wiring kit, I recommend going with theHeavy Duty Magnetic Tow Light Set - Incandescent - 30' Harness # 337TL257M which will provide you with a light solution that doesn't require any splicing into your vehicle wiring. These are magnetic lights that plug into the 4 way connection on your 2003 Gulfstream Sun Voyager Motor home and provide a wireless signal to control the magnetic lights; your 2014 Chevy Sonic requires the installation of a fuse bypass like the Roadmaster FuseMaster # RM76511 in the fuse box.

For supplemental braking system I recommend going with the Demco SMI Stay-In-Play DUO # SM99251 . This system provides you with a supplemental braking system that reacts proportionally and doesn't need to be installed and re-installed for each use-which is great if you plan on keeping the same dinghy for a while or you hate the idea of setting something up and taking it down every time you want to drive your dinghy. The best feature of this system is that is uses not only the signal from your RV's brake lights, but an inertia sensing mercury switch to proportionally engage your dinghy's brakes.

In addition to this, you may find that in spite of the built in rise/drop of the Excali-Bar you're still in need of a High/Low adapter to help you keep your tow bar level. I've attached a helpful article on how to correctly measure to determine if you'll need an adapter, as well as providing a link to all of our adapters for you to find the best fit for your flat towing setup.

expert reply by: Erik B

Lonny

1/1/0001

Erik B.

11/5/2019

You could use a Blue Ox baseplate kit like the # BX1703 with your Demco tow bar but you would need to then use a tow bar adapter; the correct tow bar adapter for Demco tow bars with Blue Ox base plates is the Blue Ox Base Plate Adapter Brackets # BX88310 . As for the Pilot lights, they'll require 12 AAA batteries, but since they're LED lights, they're pretty good on conserving power and the batteries should last you a full season of flat towing easily.