Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 1996 Chevy C/K Series Pickup Truck Behind a Motor Home  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

I am glad you emailed us because there are some things that you need to be aware of. First, the Tow Ready tow bar, # 63180 is only rated for 5,000 pounds and your 1996 Chevy Silverado could easily exceed this capacity. The other problem with the tow bar is that it is only rated for a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour. We need to get you a proper set up.

The first thing you are going to want to do is consult the truck owners manual to determine if it can be flat towed and if so what special requires there may be.

There are a total of 5 items you will need if you find you can flat tow the truck: base plates, tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking.

Starting with base plates, which provide a safe and secure attachment point for the tow bar, you can use Blue Ox base plates # BX1712, but only if the truck is a 1-ton (3500). If the truck is not a 1-ton then you can use either Roadmaster base plates # 131-15 as long as the truck is not a diesel. And it must have a inch measurement when taken from the center point of the lower-most threaded hole, on the frame side, to a center-line dissecting the rear-most elongated hole on the bottom. See diagram on bracket product page.

Or you can use Roadmaster base plates # 131-3 as long as it is not a 1-ton or a diesel and if the truck as a 1-1/4 inch measurement when taken from the center point of the lower-most threaded hole, on the frame side, to a center-line dissecting the rear-most elongated hole on the bottom. See diagram on bracket product page.

Next you will need a compatible tow bar. A popular option for the Blue Ox base plates is the Avail, # BX7420. It is rated for 10,000 pounds and also comes with safety cables. I have included a link to a video review of the tow bar.

For the Roadmaster base plates you can use the 10K tow bar # RM-422.

Since the tow bar comes with safety cables, we can move on to lighting. If you do plan plan on towing the truck very often I recommend a magnetic lighting kit like # RM-2120.

And finally, most states require by law that the vehicle being flat towed have a supplemental braking system. One of the easiest to set up and use is the Blue Ox Patriot II proportional system, # BRK2019. It applies the vehicle brakes in proportion to how much the motor home is braking. This is the safest way to stop and it reduces wear and tear on both vehicles.

I have also included 2 helpful links to our series of FAQ articles on flat towing for you to view.

expert reply by: Michael H

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