The 5 Basic Components Required to Flat Tow a Vehicle

A vehicle that can dinghy tow another car with a tow bar is a highly valuable asset. Not only does flat towing provide convenience, it also increases loading and unloading efficiency, saves space, and ensures balanced transportation. But before you hook your tow bar up to another car, be sure you have all the other necessary towing gear to keep you and your cargo safe. Continue reading to learn the five basic components you need to flat tow a car.

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

Required Equipment for Dinghy Towing

Whether you are linking up an RV or a standard 4-door sedan, you will need 5 particular towing parts in order to be legal on the road, and more importantly, safe. These five components include a tow bar, as previously mentioned, as well as, tow bar wiring, a base plate kit, safety cable set, and an add-on braking system.

❶ Tow Bar – The “Y-shaped” metal bars that connect the towing vehicle with the dinghy (vehicle being towed). Hitch locks and hitch adapters are additional tow bar components that might be needed, especially for R-mounted tow bars.

❷ Tow Bar Wiring – The lighting system that syncs the lights of the towing vehicle with the dingy vehicle. These are mandated and required by law. There are several types, from removable and hitch-mounted, to magnetic, diode, charge line, and more.

❸ Base Plate Kit – These provide the attachment connections for a tow bar. They are vehicle-specific, and must be custom matched to specifically fit the towing vehicle’s frame.

❹ Safety Cable Set – Also required by law, these are meant to prevent your dinghy from disconnecting from your towing vehicle, even if the tow bar uncouples from it.

❺ Supplementary Braking System – These are designed to decrease braking distance up to 30%, depending in the towing setup. These are mandatory by law in almost every state.

Dinghy Towing

Upon reviewing the basic principles and best practices of flat towing, you can better understand the importance and purpose of each piece of towing equipment. You see, to flat tow, or dinghy tow, a tow bar is connected to the front bumper of the towed vehicle, and then trailer lights are attached to the back bumper. Although reliable, using a tow bar to tow can become complicated since cars are meant to drive on their own power, rather than be towed on the ground. Also, transmissions are designed to be turned by the car’s engine.

But when a car is being towed on the pavement, the tires will cause the transmission to turn instead, which could possibly lead to transmission damage. On the other hand, certain vehicles, like Jeeps, are designed with a 4WD mechanism that retains a transfer case, which places the car in neutral, isolating the transmission from the wheels. It is important to always refer to the towed vehicles owners’ manual for manufacturer recommendations before setting it up for tow bar dinghy towing.

Need Towing Assistance in Central Indiana?

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for 24 hour roadside assistance and towing services in Indianapolis and throughout Central Indiana. We are fully-equipped with the right fleets to assist cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, construction equipment, trailers, vans, semi-trucks, airplanes, and much more. Our friendly staff is waiting by the phones, ready to help you get back on the road, safe and sound. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, so you can always count on us. Request a free estimate, today.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

3 Factors to Consider When Buying a Trailer Hitch

The right trailer hitch can make your cargo towing duties a lot easier. Not only does it increase versatility, it also makes the towing process more convenient. But how do you find the proper tow hitch for your vehicle? You have to make the proper considerations.

Continue reading to learn the top three considerations for buying new trailer hitch.

24 Hour Towing 317-247-8484
24 Hour Towing 317-247-8484

The top three considerations you must keep at the front of your mind when matching a new trailer hitch are cargo weight, weight class, and installation standards. Below are some details to help you understand what makes these 3 factors so important.

❶ Cargo Weight

How much weight will you be towing with your trailer hitch? What type of cargo will you be hooking up and carrying? Do you have bicycles? Electric wheelchair or scooter? Mini-camper? Boats? These answers will help you determine the best trailer hitch and hitch receiver for your needs. Class I trailer hitches are designed to carry up to 200 pounds. Class II trailer hitches carry up to 300 pounds. Class III trailer hitches can carry even more weight.

Trailer hitch receivers also have class weights that must be considered. Class I receivers can manage up to 2,000 pounds. Class II receivers can manage up to 3,500 pounds, while Class III and IV receivers can haul as much as 5,000 and 10,000 pounds, depending.

❷ Weight Class

In addition to the weight classes of your trailer hitch and hitch receiver, you must also consider your towing vehicle’s weight class and capacity. Refer to your owners’ manual for instruction on how much your vehicle can haul. Typically, compact and sub-compact cars should never haul more than 2,000 pounds of cargo. Similarly, mid-size or crossover SUV’s should not haul more than 3,500 pounds of cargo.

❸ Installation Standards

You are responsible, morally and legally, to ensure your trailer hitch and receiver are hooked up and installed up to standards. Electrical connections of brake lights and signal lights must be installed correctly when using a trailer. This set-up might also require a power adapter to protect the other electrical systems in your towing vehicle. For mechanical connections, solid and secured mounting is imperative.

Need Help With Towing in Indianapolis?

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, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, rain, snow, or ice. Request a free estimate, anytime.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

Pertinent Towing Laws in Indiana

If you want to get rid of your neighbor’s junk car that’s been taking up space in front of your house for too long, you may want to review the common towing laws in Indiana before making any decisions that you can’t undo. After all, you wouldn’t want to put yourself at risk of being in violation of such laws, and subsequently, subjected to several fines, fees, and tedious litigation.

Taking matters into your own hands when it comes to towing is something that should only be done under certain circumstances. Furthermore, you must understand towing laws in order to protect yourself from becoming a target of a tow.

Continue reading to learn the most basic and pertinent towing laws you need to know as a common resident in Indiana.

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

Indiana Laws for Towing and Being Towed

Here in Indiana, if you are a licensed driver, you have officially consented all terms and conditions that come into play if you were to violate a state or federal traffic offense. When it comes towing, these same conditions apply to all drivers; if you park a vehicle in a spot it shouldn’t be, you have surrendered to the possible penalties, which include ticketing and towing.

As of July 2011, the City-County Council granted a towing law that empowers the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services to license qualified wrecker companies. You can find details of this ordinance in Chapter 995 of the Municipal Code. However, this law also protects drivers against unlawful and unethical towing practices.

Standard Towing Laws:

📛 A vehicle can be towed instantly if it’s an emergency situation or if it’s impacting a business.

📛 If a driver is arrested, their vehicle is immediately towed.

📛 Vehicles abandoned on private property must be tagged with a notification sticker 24 hours before they are towed. After 24 hours of being tagged, a vehicle can be towed by the appointed towing company.

📛 Vehicles abandoned on private property for more than 21 consecutive days can be towed away without notification by appointed authorities.

📛 Vehicles with false license plates will be towed and impounded.

📛 When vehicles are taken to the impound, it can legally be searched.

📛 Towing signs must be entirely visible at all times.

What To Do After Being Towed

If your car was just towed, ask yourself why. Was your license plate expired? Do you have several unpaid parking tickets? Was your car just involved or suspected of being involved in a recent crime? Was your vehicle in extremely poor physical condition, like flattened tires, missing bumper, or busted oil tank, while parked in a private lot?

If you answered yes to any of these circumstances, it could be the reason your car was towed. From here, look for towing signs. These signs typically have information about the appointed towing company and how to contact them. If this does not work, contact the DMV or the local police.

Indianapolis Towing Services You Can Trust

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for 24 hour towing and roadside assistance in Indianapolis and throughout Central Indiana. Our friendly staff is waiting by the phones, ready to help you get back on the road, safe and sound. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, so you can always count on us. Request a free estimate, today.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484