Getting lined up on uneven ground can be tricky, but this tow bar makes it simple. The self-supporting arms hold their own weight, so they won’t drop to the ground when you let go, and each arm moves independently so you can connect one side at a time. Once you pull forward, the arms automatically lock into towing position. When it’s time to unhook, non-binding triggers release tension with a squeeze—no wrestling or rocking needed, even when the ground isn’t level.
Built for serious towing, this steel tow bar handles up to 10,500 lbs with ease. Two straight, vinyl-coated safety cables are already integrated into the bar and rated at 14,000 lbs, giving you an added layer of confidence. The cables connect with spring-loaded S-hooks and stay up off the ground so they won’t drag or tangle. It’s a clean, heavy-duty setup that keeps everything organized and secure mile after mile.
Tight spots at fuel stations or campground loops are easier to manage thanks to the tow bar’s extra-long arms. They extend to 51-3/4" and retract to 39-1/4", giving you more room to maneuver without worrying about clipping corners. That wider turning radius helps make every setup—from highway stretches to campground curves—feel more relaxed and controlled.
Keeping your tow bar level is key for safe, even towing. This design builds adjustment right in, with a 1-1/2" rise/drop and a head that tilts 3" up or down. That means you’re more likely to stay within the recommended 3" difference without needing an extra high-low adapter. The result is a balanced connection that reduces stress on your rig and keeps everything tracking straight.
When you’re done towing, the arms swing to either side and lock in place on the back of your RV—no need to lift them all the way up. A built-in rod keeps your electrical cord (sold separately) up off the ground, so nothing drags or dangles. It’s a quick, neat way to stow your setup before hitting the road again.
Flat towing can be a much more convenient way to take your car RVing with you than using a trailer or a tow dolly. It'll save you storage space both at home and at the campsite, and it takes less time and hassle to hook up.
To flat tow your vehicle, there are 5 basic components you're going to need: a tow bar, a base plate kit, a safety cable set, tow bar wiring, and a flat tow braking system.
| For the RV | Between the RV and Towed Car | For the Towed Car |
|---|---|---|
| Hitch | Tow bar | Base plate |
| Wiring plug | Safety cables | Braking system |
| Wiring adapter cord | Wiring kit/diodes |
The custom-fit base plate installs on the frame of your toad so you can connect the car to your RV with a tow bar. Hook up safety cables between the vehicles to ensure that the toad does not separate from the motorhome if the tow bar becomes detached. Tow bar wiring syncs your vehicle's signal lights with your motorhome's tail lights, as required by law in most states. Finally, the flat tow braking system - also required in most states - activates the brakes in the toad when you hit the brakes in the RV, making for smoother, safer braking, and preventing wear on your motorhome.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi there, I'm Michael with etrailer.com. Today, we're gonna take a quick look at our XHD non-binding tow bar. This is going to slide into your 2 inch by 2 inch trailer hitch receiver on your RV. That will then allow you to hook up to the base plate on your tow vehicle so that you can safely and securely tow your vehicle behind your motor home. Now, this is not going to require a ball mount, so if you do have a ball mount on your trailer already, you'll need to take that out so that you can get this slid into your hitch receiver. This does feature these telescoping arms.
That's gonna make it fast and easy to get hooked up to your vehicle. The arms are self supporting, so as you're moving them around to get hooked up, you're not gonna have to worry about them falling on the ground. They are gonna support themselves so it's gonna give you a little bit more support as you're getting hooked up. They are going to fully articulate, so it is going to allow for unlimited spread so that you can fit your application. As you can see on the ends of these arms we are gonna have these tabs that are going to work with your Reese and Valley Industries base plates.
So if you have a Reese or Valley base plate on your vehicle, very easy to get these just put in place and then slide your pin and clip through. This tow bar does have a 10,500 pound weight capacity, so you wanna make sure that that works for your vehicle. If you have the 10,000 up to 10,500 pound vehicle with the Reese or Valley Industries base plates, this will work really well for you. The arms allow for a self-aligning design, so even if your vehicle isn't straight behind your RV, if it's at a little bit of an angle, the arms will accommodate that. So just get them hooked up and then once you start driving forward, it will both lock out and give you that nice locked in, tow-ready position so that you can get everything secure as you're towing it behind.
When we have our arms retracted like this, we're looking at right about 39 1/4 inch when retracted. when we have it fully extended we're out to to 51 3/4 inch, so gonna give us plenty of room there to get adjusted. And the non-binding design of this tow bar comes in with our trigger release here. So zoom in a little bit, you can see we just push in on that trigger and that's going to allow us to pull those arms in so even if we're on unlevel surfaces, there's a lot of pressure being put on the arm, it could be difficult for us to push that in and pull it out. But especially when it's already locked, just push in on that trigger there and that's going to allow it to come in.
We're not gonna have to worry about it binding up for us. Now, these arms can be folded in several different configurations. We can have them up or out to the sides either to the left or to the right. So different ways of storing them. The tow bar itself does weigh about 46 pounds, so it's not unreasonable to take off, if that's the way you prefer to do it, but you can leave it attached to your RV and just fold those arms either up or to the sides there. So couple different ways to securely store it alongside your motor home. We do have these integrated safety cable clips here that will keep our safety cables up off the ground so we don't have to worry about them dragging. The included safety cables are a vinyl-coated cable with the steel S-hooks and these spring-loaded latches here. It's gonna make sure that we have a nice secure connection. It's always nice when you're getting hooked up so you don't have to worry about one coming loose and falling off and that sort of thing so these will do a good job keeping those cables up off the ground. We also have this built-in storage rod here that's going to keep your electrical cords in place. Those electrical cords are sold separately. Is gonna depend on your different kinds of connections, but that will slide right into this here and that will help to keep that up off the ground as well. One of the other nice features of this is that you're not gonna need a high-low adapter for most setups because our shank does have a built-in 1 1/2 inch rise or drop for adjustability. We're also going to have this adjustable head that's gonna tilt up or down 3 inches to help keep your tow bar parallel with the road during travel. Overall, this is gonna be a really nice tow bar for you. It's made here in the USA. It's got this e-coat finish, provide corrosion resistance, and it comes with the lifetime limited warranty and lifetime technical support from our experts here at etrailer.com. So if you're new to flat towing, a tow bar system is just one of the components that you're gonna need. You'll also need a supplemental braking system, some sort of lights to send that signal back from your RV back to the end of your vehicle. This is going to give you both your tow bar and your safety cables here, but of course, you also need a base plate on the front of your vehicle to get this connected to. So just one of the, or two of the components that you're gonna need to flat tow your vehicle, but it is gonna do a good job for you if you have that Reese and/or Valley Industry's base plate already on your vehicle this will be very easy to get hooked up for you. So that completes our look for today. Again, I'm Michael with etrailer.com. Thanks for watching.
Ratings & Reviews
There were some marks in the finish do to shipping and the operator manual was damaged to the point that i could not read some parts.
seems very well made and is what i expe cted.
I like it so far but haven't left yet.
We've found the tow bar to be excellent. It works well towing our F150 and has adjustments everywhere we need them. Very solid and functional.
Perhaps more importantly, the service and support we get from etrailer means they are our first pick for anything they sell. Whether we have a question about installation or use, or a need for warranty support, they are fast, accurate, and helpful. In this era of having to reason with automated obstacles when you contact most places, they are a breath of very fresh air.
Ashley E. deserves a specific callout for being so helpful and timely.
This towbar worked perfectly and was easy to install. It is better quality than the one I had, which had a lower weight rating. ETrailer has great customer service. Definitely a good place for your RV/Trailer/Towing needs.
Very easy to install on towed vehicle.
This is a heavy piece but it works well and has been easy to use. Overall I like it but it is pretty heavy if you are removing/installing it on a regular basis.
Only used it once seems pretty easy to use, on and off, the real test going on a 7 hour one way adventure this weekend ,
Works great. Doesn’t bind up. Easy to hook up and disconnect
I upgraded to this tow bar. I had 6000lb SD that was borderline acceptable for my new Gladiator. Just for safety sake I increased the rating buty purchasing the XHD version of the etrailer telescopic tow bar. It was a direct swap. Very heavy duty. No worries now. Nice product. I had used the SD version for many many years towing my 2 dr wrangler. Never had any issues.
Fast and free shipping.
This is a very heavy duty and reliable hitch. Highly recommended.
I have only made 2 tows so far with my new XHD tow bar and am very pleased with it's quality, features and operation. The only criticism I have is that the telescoping arms do not latch in the retracted position, making stowing them without a cover impractical. My solution is to use a lightweight cargo strap to secure them when I don't want or it is inconvenient to use my tow bar cover. So, only 4.99 stars for this one. :-)
Very satisfied, definitely need the non -binding.
First, this bar is extremely heavy, which makes transporting and maneuvering cumbersome and difficult. Secondly, I had issues with this unit from the get-go. I did not receive the correct bolts to attach the Roadmaster clevis to the arm ends. The instructions clearly state that a clevis bolt was to be installed with the XHD unit, but it was not in the hardware bag. I had to call customer service (which was so/so, almost like the person didn't believe me) and had the bolts sent to me. I received the bolts but long story short, they were too short. They did not come out of the bottom of the locknut and any attempt to torque them to the point they did protrude, caused the forks of the clevis to bend, which is too much stress on such an important piece. I did not feel it was safe to either have the bolts not protrude, or force them to protrude. Then came the days-long process of trying to rectify the situation. I called customer service and attempted to explain the problem to the rep. She didn't really want to hear my problem and I was quickly rushed off the phone and directed to call Roadmaster for support, which I did. Roadmaster, of course, has nothing to do with this bar, or problem (pictures were sent to RM) and I was directed to call eTrailer back. I spoke to another person and she was a little more helpful. However, during our "conversation," I could hardly get a word in (I was spoken over and interrupted constantly.) I was told that #1.) the first person I talked to had no idea what she was talking about #2.) Demco manufactures these parts, not Roadmaster, #3.) Essentially the correct length bolts don't exist in the parts catalog. At this point I am starting to get upset with my experience and just wanted a tow bar that worked. I was convinced to but a Roadmaster branded tow bar to avoid any more issues (Blackhawk All Terrain) which I found to be strange, I figured the margin on the eTrailer branded products would be higher, but I digress. Since there is no exchange program with eTrailer, I had to purchase the Blackhawk outright. I was given a UPS label to send the XHD back, but I had to wait to receive the Blackhawk to reuse the box, which is not a huge deal, a minor inconvenience at this point. As of today (4/26/24) I am still waiting for a refund on this unit which I was assured it would be on it's way once the tracking number showed that it was picked up by UPS, but this is not the case. In conclusion, the XHD seemed like it would be a decent product if they can get the hardware right (at least for the Roadmaster system) it's just heavier than most tow bars I have had experience with. eTrailer.com customer service can also use some work, I was not happy with the service after the sale I received. Oh, and the final kick in the tail, the Blackhawk does not come with safety cables. If this were my company, I would have thrown those in for the inconvenience, but I was offered nothing for the trouble this has caused, no discount on the Blackhawk, cables or anything. I will do all I can to avoid buying from etrailer again and will direct others to the same.
Very hard to install the vehicle (baseplate) connectors.
etrailer has been just what I need it as a first time tower of a Rv tow car there experience and courtesy of helping someone with no experience has been a huge relief with something so important there help was invaluable all the way through Thank you so much
Have not used it yet,but looks well made and e-trailer was easy to deal with. Answered all my questions and got me the parts I needed. Will definitely use them in the future again.
Easy setup. Starting the first road trip this weekend.
Big improvement over the Blue Ox tow bar. The safety chains are integral to the tow bar so you don’t have to deal with them or store them separately. Also the arms stay up and don’t fall to the ground when disconnected. After one year no rust on the bars.
The hitch works great. It’s easy to use. I had a small problem where the C clip came off the storage pin and it was loose. Not a performance issue on the hitch, and it totally could’ve been user error, but I called E trailer and they sent me a new one no questions asked. I was beyond impressed. Thanks E trailer.
AS has been mentioned in previous reviews, the powder coat on the portion that goes into the receiver prevents inserting the tow bar into the receiver due to its thickness. It's not rust in the receiver tube preventing this as it wouldn't go into a brand new receiver. Now I have to grind off the powder coat on the 2" tube and figure out a way to keep it from rusting. etrailer should have the steel machined a few thousandths smaller to compensate for the finish thickness or just paint that 6 or so inches and powder coat the rest.
This tow bar replaced a 10k Blue Ox that was older and lots of miles towing heavy pickup. I wanted to replace with new tow bar for piece of mind. It was important that I had a non-binding tow bar because I have a 43’ MH and tow a full size crew cab pickup and more than not at rv parks and my driveway is pickup not completely straight and 100% level behind MH. If that’s the case I struggle to release arms. Sometimes both or just one depending on angle. Even if vehicle is slightly angled I have to fight it. Description states quick disconnect even on rough terrain. If that means uneven terrain I disagree. Also, the tabs that hold arms in when not in use are a joke they are not designed for a HD tow bar. Those came loose after just a few uses. Strut boots would have been nice but not a biggie. I like that the safety cables are integrated in to arms and has an electrical cord holder. Tow bar is EZ to hookup to my pickup and tows perfect. I don’t want to be negative (to late) but I would not buy or recommend because of disconnecting issue.
I've bought from e-trailer several times and I'm always happy with my purchase. The base plate and tow bar are of excellent quality and a good price. Installation was as not too bad; I watched the installation video for my truck even though it was for a different base plate. It gave me enough information to get the job done.
Great job, Will!
Thanks so much
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