The 5 Components Need for Flat Towing

Drivers tow vehicles mostly out of necessity, but also for convenience. By taking your own personal vehicle with you on your trip, you can save money on taxis, Übers, Lifts, trains, trolleys, buses, and fees to professionally transport a car long distances. If you are planning a road trip that requires you to tow your car, truck, or boat, be sure you know exactly what you need to set everything up correctly. There are 5 basic components you need for a flat tow, plus several other accessories that can enhance both safety and control on the road.

Continue reading to review the 5 basic flat tow components, and who to call for trusted flatbed towing in Indiana if you don’t feel comfortable towing on your own.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

❶ Tow Bar

The tow bar is the ultimate basic component because it is the piece that essentially connects your towing vehicle with the towed vehicle. Read our blog, “Basic Facts About Tow Bars” to get understand tow bar assembly better, including popular types of tow bars to choose from.

❷ Base Plate Kit

Base plate kits are vehicle-specific, which means you must be sure you get the right one that matches your make and model vehicle. These custom-designed base plates are installed on your car’s frame, which fits perfectly and provides attachment points for a tow bar.

❸ Safety Cable Set

You can never have too much safety or control when towing a trailer or vehicle on the open road. A safety cable set will provide this assurance and keep you in adherence with state law. They are designed to keep your dinghy attached to your towing vehicle, and prevent swaying.

❹ Tow Bar Wiring

Another state law required component for your flat tow set-up is tow bar wiring, which is a lighting system on your dinghy that operates in sync with your towing vehicle’s tail lights. Choose from removable exterior light kits, separate tail light bulb kits, and more.

❺ Supplemental Braking System

The importance of a supplemental braking system for your flat tow operation is explained in the name. Having an extra set of back-up brakes on your dinghy provides added braking power and reduces wear and tear on both vehicle’s brakes. Furthermore, they are requires under law in most states.

Indiana Towing Experts Here to Help

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for prompt, 24 hour towing and roadside assistance in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. Our licensed towing and recovery division retains an extensive fleet of over 35 tow trucks and wrecker equipment, allowing us to assist drivers 24 hours a day, 7days a week, and 365 days a year, rain, snow, or ice. Request a free estimate, anytime.

Basic Facts About Tow Bars

Whether you need to flat tow a dinghy with a car, truck, or RV, you will most certainly require a tow bar. The tow bar is one of the most obvious and easily discernable components in a towing set up, as it is generally shaped in a large “V” formation, and lies between the towing vehicle and the dinghy being towed. It also happens to be one of the most central components, as it allows you to safely flat-tow your wheeled commodity. There are some important facts you should know about tow bars before setting up your own rig and hitting the road.

Continue reading to review some basic information about tow bars, including the two common types on the market and their benefits.

24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484
24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Types of Tow Bars

Tow bars come in a sorts of versions, all of which differ in towing capacity, mounting style, and overall design. The tow bar you will require for your dinghy set up will depend on these factors and more. Be sure to review the manufacturers’ instructions, as well as the owners’ manual of your towing vehicle, before setting up your tow bar. The two most common mounting styles for tow bars include car-mounted and RV-mounted tow bars.

🚌 RV-Mounted Tow Bars:

RV-mounted tow bars deliver precision and stability. Furthermore, they insert directly into the RV’s hitch receiver, which means there is no need for an additional connection point (a coupler) that most car-mounted types require. Although you won’t be using a coupler on an RV-mounted tow bar, you will need your hitch lock to secure the bar to the receiver. RV-mounted tow bars are also easy store, provide highly stable connections, improve safety, compatible with hitch adapters, and easy to adjust.

🚙 Car-Mounted Tow Bars:

Car-mounted tow bars are used on towing vehicles like cars, trucks, SUV’s, and vans. They came long before the introduction of RV-mounted tow bars, and still play a vital role in dinghy towing to this very day. They operate similarly to an A-trailer since they connect to the trailer hitch ball via an integrated coupler. Their integrated coupler can be locked to a hitch ball, adding more security and stability. Furthermore, they come in a range of sizes, including 2″ and 25/16” balls, and even pintle hitches.

24 Hour Towing and Recovery

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

If you need towing help, call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for friendly 24 hour towing and recovery in Indiana. We open a family-owned and operated business for 90 years, so you can trust us for prompt and professional service. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, so our certified tow truck operators can be there for you anytime, any day! Request free estimates, anytime.

A Brief Explanation of Tongue Weight (TW)

When it comes to safe towing, the most important factor is knowledge. And part of this knowledge is knowing your tow weights. This includes the weight of your load, the capacity of your towing vehicle, and your towing trailer’s tongue weight. Most experienced towers are familiar with their load weight and capacities, but many tend to overlook tongue weight, which is equally important as the rest.

Continue reading for a brief explanation of these weights, with a primary focus on tongue weight.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

What is Tongue Weight?

Tongue weight is the downward force or pressure the trailer puts on the back of the towing vehicle (specifically on the ball by the trailer coupler). Why is this weight measurement important? Well, too much weight on the back of the vehicle can cause it to raise in the front, thus making the rear brakes work too hard. Too little weight can cause the trailer and vehicle to be unleveled, which is dangerous while taking turns or driving at high speeds.

Tongue weight should never be more than 15% of the total trailer weight, including the weight of its cargo. This weight calculation is referred to as “gross trailer weight”, which is the same as “gross vehicle mass”, or “GVM.” See our blog, “Towing Acronyms for Vehicle Manufacturer Specifications” to learn all the weight definitions for safe towing. For now, here are two additional towing weight definitions you need to know in order to tow a trailer safely:

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) – The acronym, “GVWR” stands for “Gross Vehicle Weight Rating”, which refers to the maximum recommended weight of the vehicle or trailer when it is fully loaded in adherence to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) – The acronym, “GCVWR” stands for “Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating”, which refers to the combined weight of a trailer and the towing vehicle, including all passengers, as well as, fuel, equipment, and the cargo on the trailer.

Unsure of Your Towing Weight Capacities?

If you are not sure what your weight capacities are for your trailer and towing vehicle, refer to the owners’ manual for both. See our blog, “What is a Compliance Certification Label and Where is it on My Car?” to learn more about the importance of calculating these figures. If you need to replace a lost owners’ manuals for your trailer and/or vehicle, you can download them online, sometimes for free.

Need Professional Towing?

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for friendly 24 hour towing in Central Indiana. We open a family-owned and operated business for 90 years, so you can trust us for prompt and professional service. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, so our certified tow truck operators can be there for you anytime, any day! Request free estimates, anytime.