I remember the first time I helped a customer set up a dinghy towing rig back in the early 2000s. He’d just bought a 38-foot Class A diesel pusher and wanted to tow his Jeep Wrangler behind it so he’d have a way to explore once he reached his destination. We spent an afternoon going through every component he’d need—tow bar, base plates, safety cables, wiring, supplemental brakes—and by the end of it, he looked at me and said, “I had no idea there was this much to flat towing.”
He wasn’t wrong. Dinghy towing—flat towing a vehicle behind your motorhome with all four wheels on the ground—is one of the most popular ways to bring a vehicle along on an RV trip, but the setup requires purpose-built equipment that’s rated for the weight, engineered for highway speeds, and designed to connect and disconnect reliably thousands of times over the life of your rig.
This roundup covers the essential tow bar and towing accessories we carry at the RV Upgrade Store, from the tow bar itself to the safety chains, breakaway systems, and connectors that make up a complete, safe dinghy towing setup.
Best for: The go-to tow bar for most dinghy towing setups, rated for vehicles up to 6,500 lbs
Blue Ox has been the dominant name in RV tow bars for decades, and the Alpha 2 is the model I recommend to most customers starting a flat towing setup. It’s rated for towed vehicles up to 6,500 pounds, which covers the vast majority of cars, crossovers, small SUVs, and light trucks that people tow behind motorhomes.
The self-aligning design is what makes this tow bar so popular for solo hookups. You slide the Alpha 2 into your motorhome’s 2-inch receiver and pin it in place, then drive your towed vehicle close to the back of the coach. The telescoping arms extend to reach the base plate tabs on your car, and the auto-locking mechanism engages when you pull forward. No need for a second person to guide you in—the three-axis swivel head allows the tow bar to adjust to whatever angle your vehicles happen to be at.
The patented non-binding latches are a feature I particularly appreciate. If you’ve ever struggled to disconnect a tow bar on uneven ground—where the weight of the towed vehicle is putting lateral pressure on the latch mechanisms—you know how frustrating binding can be. Blue Ox engineered these latches to release cleanly regardless of the angle or pressure on the arms. It sounds like a small thing until you’re in a gravel parking lot at 8 PM trying to unhook in the dark.
When not in use, the Alpha 2 folds up and stores compactly on the back of your motorhome. Rubber boots protect the telescoping arm sections from road grime, extending the life of the sliding mechanisms. The all-steel construction weighs about 40 pounds—substantial enough to feel solid and durable, light enough for one person to handle.
Safety cables rated at 7,500 pounds are included, which is a nice touch that saves you a separate purchase. The three-year warranty provides solid peace of mind for a piece of equipment that lives in a harsh environment.
Pro Tip: When choosing a tow bar, your towed vehicle’s weight is the critical number. Weigh the vehicle fully loaded with fuel, gear, and anything stored inside—not the dry weight from the manufacturer’s spec sheet. You want margin between your actual weight and the tow bar’s rating.
Buy the Blue Ox Alpha 2 Tow Bar
Best for: An alternative to Blue Ox with self-aligning capability and strong build quality
While Blue Ox dominates the tow bar conversation, Demco has built a loyal following with the Commander II. This self-aligning tow bar offers many of the same convenience features—telescoping arms, easy one-person hookup, and a fold-away design for storage—at a competitive price point.
The Commander II is built to handle the rigors of cross-country towing. The self-aligning arms make hookup straightforward, and the overall construction quality is solid. Demco has been in the towing equipment business for years and they understand the demands that full-time RV travel puts on this equipment.
I recommend the Commander II to customers who want a proven tow bar from an established manufacturer but prefer an alternative to the Blue Ox lineup. Some RV owners have specific compatibility preferences based on their base plates or existing setup, and the Demco fits nicely into those configurations. The key is making sure the tow bar rating exceeds your towed vehicle’s weight and that it’s compatible with your specific base plate system.
Pro Tip: Before purchasing any tow bar, verify that your towed vehicle is approved for flat towing by its manufacturer. Not all vehicles can be towed with all four wheels on the ground—some require a transmission disconnect or a dolly. Check your towed vehicle’s owner’s manual or call the manufacturer to confirm.
Buy the Demco Commander II Tow Bar
Best for: Replacing worn or damaged snap hooks on existing safety chains
Safety chains are a legal requirement for flat towing in every state, and the hardware that connects those chains to your motorhome needs to be in perfect condition. A worn snap hook, a bent gate, or a corroded spring mechanism can turn a critical safety connection into a liability. The Curt safety chain snap hook is a simple, affordable piece of hardware that should be in every flat tower’s spare parts kit.
I’ve seen safety chain failures at rally inspections that would make your stomach turn. Snap hooks that have been dragged on pavement until the gate won’t close properly. Hooks that have rusted to the point where the spring mechanism barely functions. These are the kinds of failures that seem minor until the moment your tow bar separates from the hitch at highway speed and the only thing between your towed vehicle and catastrophe is a pair of safety chains.
Replacing snap hooks is a ten-minute job with basic hand tools. If your existing hooks show any signs of wear, corrosion, or damage, swap them out. At this price point, there’s no reason to take the risk.
Pro Tip: Inspect your safety chain hardware at the beginning of every towing season and before any extended trip. Look for cracks, corrosion, bent gates, and weak spring tension. If the hook doesn’t snap closed firmly under its own spring pressure, replace it immediately.
Buy the Curt Safety Chain Snap Hook
Best for: Complete safety chain replacement with heavy-duty hardware
If your safety chains themselves are worn—stretched links, corroded metal, or insufficient rating for your towed vehicle’s weight—this Curt safety chain with clevis hook provides a complete replacement. The clevis hook design offers a secure, positive connection to your hitch receiver or safety chain attachment point.
At 35 inches, these chains provide adequate length for the crossing pattern required by most states. Safety chains should always be crossed under the tow bar connection so that if the tow bar fails, the chains form a cradle that catches the tow bar tongue and prevents it from dropping to the pavement. The crossed pattern also helps keep the towed vehicle tracking behind the motorhome rather than swinging to one side.
I stock these as both replacement chains and as upgrade hardware for RV owners whose original safety chains have become questionable. Chain doesn’t last forever, especially when it’s exposed to road salt, moisture, and constant tension. If your chains have visible rust, stretched links, or any links that appear deformed, it’s time for new ones.
Pro Tip: Always verify that your safety chains are rated for at least the gross weight of your towed vehicle. Under-rated chains are worse than useless—they give a false sense of security while potentially failing under the exact conditions where you need them most.
Buy the Curt Safety Chain With Clevis Hook
Best for: Legal compliance and critical safety for supplemental braking systems
A breakaway system is a legal requirement in most states for any towed vehicle with its own braking system. The concept is straightforward: if the towed vehicle separates from the motorhome, the breakaway cable pulls a pin that activates the towed vehicle’s brakes, bringing it to a controlled stop rather than letting it roll freely into traffic.
The Fastway Zip breakaway cable and switch provides this critical safety function in a compact, reliable package. The cable attaches to the motorhome independently of the safety chains and tow bar, so it functions even if every other connection fails simultaneously. When the cable is pulled taut by a separation event, it triggers the breakaway switch, which activates the brakes via a small onboard battery.
Installation is straightforward and the system integrates with most supplemental braking systems available on the market. I always tell customers that the breakaway system should be the last thing you connect and the first thing you inspect before every towing session. It’s the ultimate backup—the safety device behind the safety devices—and it needs to work perfectly every single time.
This isn’t a product where you shop on price. It’s a critical safety component that exists to prevent a catastrophic failure from becoming a catastrophic accident. Buy a quality unit, install it correctly, test it regularly, and replace it at the first sign of wear.
Pro Tip: Test your breakaway system before every trip by manually pulling the pin while someone watches the towed vehicle’s brakes engage. If the brakes don’t activate within a second or two, check the battery charge and all connections before towing.
Buy the Fastway Breakaway Cable And Switch
A safe, legal flat towing system requires several components working together. The tow bar connects the vehicles. Base plates (vehicle-specific, sold separately) provide the attachment points on your towed vehicle. Safety chains provide backup if the tow bar fails. A breakaway system stops the towed vehicle if it separates completely. Supplemental braking provides proportional braking in the towed vehicle during normal driving. And tow bar wiring carries lighting signals from the motorhome to the towed vehicle’s tail lights.
If you’re setting up a dinghy towing system for the first time, start with the tow bar and base plates, then add safety chains, breakaway, braking, and wiring. Each component is essential, and skipping any one of them compromises safety and likely violates your state’s towing regulations. Give us a call if you need help putting the right package together for your specific vehicles.
Dinghy towing gives you the freedom to explore once you reach your destination, which is the whole reason most people travel by RV in the first place. But that freedom depends on a towing setup that’s safe, legal, and reliable. A quality tow bar, proper safety hardware, and a tested breakaway system aren’t optional—they’re the foundation of responsible flat towing.
Every product in this roundup is built for the demands of highway towing and the harsh environment underneath an RV. Blue Ox tow bars have earned their reputation through decades of proven performance, and the supporting hardware from Curt, Demco, and Fastway completes the picture. Invest in the right equipment, maintain it properly, and your dinghy towing setup will serve you reliably for years.
I’m Bill Rowell, the founder of RVupgrades.com. In 2002, I launched the business to help fellow RV enthusiasts find unique and hard-to-find products. Over the years, it’s grown to offer more than 15,000 items, with a warehouse in Eastlake, Ohio. Having owned and repaired nearly every type of RV, I bring over two decades of hands-on experience to the table. For me, this isn’t just a business – it’s a passion and a way of life that I love sharing with the RV community.
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