Getting An RV Tow Vehicle – Part 4. Final Decisions And Purchases
Follow Along On Our Tow Vehicle Setup:
- Part 1: To Tow or Not To Tow?
- Part 2: Tow Dolly or Flat-Tow “4 Wheels Down”?
- Part 3. Researching and Deciding On Flat-Tow Equipment
- Part 4: Final Equipment Decisions And Purchases
- Part 5: Towing Equipment Installed… and DONE! (Photos)
I went out and visited several hitch installers in the Tampa Bay area. I talked to:
- Hitch King
- Hitch World (in Pinellas Park)
- Camping World
The estimates were all roughly in the same ballpark. Buying all equipment through them and having them install it, the ballpark figure we were looking at was around $3600. With taxes, around $3900.
Camping World came in a bit higher, but that was because they were recommending Roadmaster products rather than Blue Ox. They came in around $4,100.
Hitch World surprisingly recommended I go with the Blue Ox Patriot braking system. I was surprised to hear that seeing as this is a portable system. I did some research on it myself and fairly quickly ruled it out. I’m just not interested in a portable system I have to take out and remove.
So, taking what I learned by talking to each of these stores, I made some decisions.
I went online and found that I could get many of my items via Amazon and save some money doing it.
So, here’s what I purchased…
The Stuff I Purchased
==> Blue Ox Avail BX7420 Towbar
The Avail towbar is the newest model from Blue Ox. It has some improvements over the Aventa towbar I was initially planning on getting. Smoother operation, little longer which allows for tighter turns, and the release latches are better designed to be easier as well as completely non-binding.
This means that no matter what the orientation of the vehicle compared to the RV, the latches won’t get stuck.
Hitch King told me about it and I could buy it from them for around $1,000. But, I found it on Amazon for $778.
Considering the Aventa retails for $800, I figure I’m basically getting a free upgrade by buying it through Amazon. Same price, but I get the Avail model.
==> Blue Ox Baseplates
Nothing special here. They retail for $445, although it seems you can buy them from most places around $395.
I picked it up on Amazon for $343.
Just be very sure you buy the plates for YOUR vehicle. It is unique for every model.
==> SMI Stay-In-Play Duo Brake System
The braking system was one of the hardest decisions to make. So many different opinions out there. I got every recommendation there was, ranging from the SMI… to cable systems… to even portable systems.
Opinions are like a**holes, as they say. Everybody has one. 😉
So, in the end, I had to go with my gut here. The portable systems would be a pain for me since we get up and go a fair amount. The cable systems seem simple, but contain some potential issues and I found that many installers weren’t keen on doing it. The built-in systems seemed the easiest. Basically plug it in and turn it on and you’re done.
So, I went with the SMI system. Normal price of around $999, but picked it up on Amazon for $823.
==> Blue Ox BX8869 Bulb and Socket Tail Light Wiring Kit
Hitch King quoted me $250 to install the light kit, including material. I figure I might as well buy it myself and save some money. I still plan to have them install it, but I can save some money on material.
==> Blue Ox BX88206 Coiled Cable with Female Receptor
For bringing power from the RV to the road. Would buy it for $90 from Hitch King, but got it for $76 on Amazon.
==> Blue Ox BX88309 Tow Bar Cover
This is the vinyl cover that protects the towbar when it is folded in. It is built to fit the Avail towbar. Saved about $9 by ordering through Amazon.
So, All In All…
All in all, I spent $2,150.56. This included a small gift card balance that I already had.
Total savings on the order was around $568. Actual savings were greater because I saved money on sales taxes. Only paid $90 in sales taxes on the whole order. If I had purchased these items directly from the installers, I would have paid full retail as well as sales taxes on all of it. So, probably saved about $630 or so at least.
Amazon is awesome like that. 🙂
Free shipping, lower prices, and save some money on taxes.
So, the plan is that once I have all the items in, I’m going to go have Hitch King install it for me.
Follow Along On Our Tow Vehicle Setup:
- Part 1: To Tow or Not To Tow?
- Part 2: Tow Dolly or Flat-Tow “4 Wheels Down”?
- Part 3. Researching and Deciding On Flat-Tow Equipment
- Part 4: Final Equipment Decisions And Purchases
- Part 5: Towing Equipment Installed… and DONE! (Photos)
