Recommendation of Safe and Economical Parts for Towing a 1990 VW Vanagon Behind an RV

Expert Reply:

There are 4 required components for towing a vehicle; base plates, tow bar, safety chains and light wiring. I will make recommendations for the 4 parts below.

The first thing you will need is a set of base plates for the 1990 VW Vanagon. The base plates allow the car to be hooked up to the tow bar which is in turn connected to the hitch of the RV. We have one kit from RoadMaster for the Vanagon and it is part # 1208-1.

Next you will need a tow bar rated for the weight of the towed vehicle. Since the Vanagon weighs 5,200 pounds I would suggest a tow bar that is rated for 6,000 pounds. The RoadMaster StowMaster is most in-expensive tow bar we carry that has a 6,000 pound rating. The tow bar is part # RM-501.

Like the tow bar, I would recommend safety chains or cables rated for 6,000 pounds. RoadMaster part # RM-643 are strong basic cables.

Finally you must have tail lights on the towed vehicle. You can either use a wiring kit and wire the Vanagon yourself using part # RM-154 or you can use magnetic lights like part # RM-2120 so you will not have to re-wire anything.

Some Sates and Provinces in the U.S. and Canada require a braking system for the towed vehicle. Check with your local Dept. of Transportation as to whether or not you will need a braking system. I will include a link to a page that has our braking systems and more information on them.

expert reply by: Patrick B