> Hopefully I can get it organized next week and then I'll have to dive
> into what towbar might suit/fit my Mazda Protoge (standard shift).
Heinz,
There's an amazing variety of towbars out there(and prices to match).
The market appears dominated by Blue Ox(Automatic Manufacturing) and
Roadmaster. Also check out P&E Manufacturing(thanks to Dave Greenberg
for that suggestion) for a selection of bars with features similar to
Blue Ox and Roadmaster, but with more "reasonable" prices.
After a short and not nearly exhaustive search, I decided to pick the
mount that I wanted and then find a towbar with the features I need. I
picked the Blue Ox mount for two reasons. First, it's a one piece
mount. This is supposed to transmit the load to the toad vehicle frame
more evenly than individual brackets(might be marketing hype - but it
sounds good), but it does help resist the force tending to pull the legs
of "V" style towbars toward the center. Second, only the two mounting
"ears" project out from the front of the vehicle, leaving a much
"cleaner" appearance when not towing. Both Blue Ox and Roadmaster have
"receiver" style mounting brackets, but that's more pieces to keep track
of(not to mention they weren't available for my toad). One piece mounts
are more difficult to install than individual brackets(bumper and
possibly lower fascia removal required), but I feel the cleaner
appearance is worth the trouble.
I'll go with the P&E towbar(haven't decided which model yet) as they
appear well made and the price is more attractive than the others. In
addition, it attacheds to the Blue Ox mount without an adapter.
These are the decisions that were right for me. Your milage may vary.
You might want to check out the following web sites:
Blue Ox
http://www.lnk.sramarketing.com/automatic/index.html
Roadmaster
http://www.roadmstr.com/
P&E Manufacturing
http://www.rvtowing.com/
RV Add-Ons(Mail Order division of P&E)
http://www.rvcatalog.com/
Hope this helps,
Patrick
- --
Patrick Flowers
Mailto
atri63
The GMC Motorhome Page
http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
> into what towbar might suit/fit my Mazda Protoge (standard shift).
Heinz,
There's an amazing variety of towbars out there(and prices to match).
The market appears dominated by Blue Ox(Automatic Manufacturing) and
Roadmaster. Also check out P&E Manufacturing(thanks to Dave Greenberg
for that suggestion) for a selection of bars with features similar to
Blue Ox and Roadmaster, but with more "reasonable" prices.
After a short and not nearly exhaustive search, I decided to pick the
mount that I wanted and then find a towbar with the features I need. I
picked the Blue Ox mount for two reasons. First, it's a one piece
mount. This is supposed to transmit the load to the toad vehicle frame
more evenly than individual brackets(might be marketing hype - but it
sounds good), but it does help resist the force tending to pull the legs
of "V" style towbars toward the center. Second, only the two mounting
"ears" project out from the front of the vehicle, leaving a much
"cleaner" appearance when not towing. Both Blue Ox and Roadmaster have
"receiver" style mounting brackets, but that's more pieces to keep track
of(not to mention they weren't available for my toad). One piece mounts
are more difficult to install than individual brackets(bumper and
possibly lower fascia removal required), but I feel the cleaner
appearance is worth the trouble.
I'll go with the P&E towbar(haven't decided which model yet) as they
appear well made and the price is more attractive than the others. In
addition, it attacheds to the Blue Ox mount without an adapter.
These are the decisions that were right for me. Your milage may vary.
You might want to check out the following web sites:
Blue Ox
http://www.lnk.sramarketing.com/automatic/index.html
Roadmaster
http://www.roadmstr.com/
P&E Manufacturing
http://www.rvtowing.com/
RV Add-Ons(Mail Order division of P&E)
http://www.rvcatalog.com/
Hope this helps,
Patrick
- --
Patrick Flowers
Mailto
atri63The GMC Motorhome Page
http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
