Extra long towbar instead of supertruss mod?

[joe_julie81]

I'm considering towing a Jeep Wrangler, probably 4dr, with my rig listed here (weight 4000-4500 lbs). Is there such a thing as an extended towbar for towing a vehicle that's not real heavy in lieu of adding the supertruss receiver hitch to extend the drawbar out the 18 inches that my tc overhangs? As long as the towed vehicle trails far enough behind the truck/tc rig it should be alright for turns? Anybody using interchangeable towbars of differing lengths, determined by what the toad is being pulled by?

[stevenal]

Guess I understood via context. Look back to my last post to find a link to a 15.75 hole center to hole center ball mount. (also known as a draw bar.) This is the longest commercial ball mount I've found. It doesn't put the ball past the camper overhang, but places it in easy reach.

[joe_julie81]

Yes thank you. This is the answer I am looking for. I was meaning the drawbar rather than the towbar.

[Grit_dog]

joe&julie81 wrote:
By extra long I just mean longer than the standard short bars you buy at Walmart. Maybe 16-18inches should work fine stand alone. Someone mentioned earlier using chains - I assume with rings welded to the ball end of the bar to attach turnbuckles to rings also maybe welded to the truck's frame rails (using turnbuckles or chains) to shore up the side to side torquing? That may not be necessary with a relatively light toad, 4 down?)

Yes, correct. There is no issue doing what you are proposing, despite the 4 pages of debating telescoping tow bars and other things.
I think some of the folks mis understood what you were asking.
If it helps, I towed a friend's jeep about 300 miles with approximately 24" of total draw bar extension behind the same model/hitch truck as yours with a camper in the bed that overhangs almost 3'.
In my case, I could not turn quite 100% as sharp as the truck would turn without contacting the toad with the camper. But for a one time tow it was fine. No other issues, honestly did not know it was back there while driving. Also could not see the toad back there which is not preferable. For a long term solution I would want a tattle tail that I could see from the truck mirrors or a camera.

[Dave_Pete]

Hey Joe&Julie81, You're asking about a "draw bar" not a "tow bar". At least as I understand it, the parts from tow vehicle to towed vehicle in order are: hitch (as in a 2" square receiver hitch), then the draw bar (various drops/rises and lengths), then the ball (or ball mount of an equalizer hitch), then it leaves the truck and becomes the pulled load: coupler (or ball coupler), then the trailer tongue (or a flat-towed vehicle's "tow bar").

I think you were originally asking about a bit longer draw bar, not a vehicle mounted tow bar as you'd stated in the subject line.

The welded chains loops and connections (with turnbuckles) are not a bad idea for the left/right side to side forces. If it's done by someone with some engineering common sense or greater. As I think you said you're aware, tongue weight isn't so much a concern, as it the side to side forces - in your case.

Whatever you end on, I generally like to over engineer, and then under use.

BTW, if you need a convenient "connect" to the bumper with your chains idea, you might look into the HappiJack bumper mount things generally used for rear camper tie downs. That might be a slick connector for the chains to the vehicle, but depends a lot on you bumper. Pulling outward on the bumper ends (rearward) is going to generate a different force on the bumper than the upward force the connectors are designed for on specific bumpers.

[joe_julie81]

By extra long I just mean longer than the standard short bars you buy at Walmart. Maybe 16-18inches should work fine stand alone. Someone mentioned earlier using chains - I assume with rings welded to the ball end of the bar to attach turnbuckles to rings also maybe welded to the truck's frame rails (using turnbuckles or chains) to shore up the side to side torquing? That may not be necessary with a relatively light toad, 4 down?)

[Kayteg1]

Everything has its limits. When toad doesn't have weight on the hitch, it does deliver bigger turning forces than average trailer.
My Ford had 3" receiver and its side brackets extend behind suspension mounts, but that is not always the case.

[Bedlam]

dwrat wrote:
Do you really need a Super Truss hitch for a toad?
I think an 18" hitch extension would be fine for a toad.
There's really no tongue weight with a toad.
I would do a couple of chain side supports off the extention.

X2

[Grit_dog]

jaycocreek wrote:
I have a Lance 480 that is 9.6 feet long and I use an 18" solid bar extension that is almost flush with the Lance bumper..

That's all you need to tow your Jeep..Inexpensive yet stronger than the hollow bar extensions..

As stated earlier as well, yet 3 pages in we (as a collective group) are still off in the weeds and the OP hasn't returned...
I'll second your recommendation jayco as the viable, easy, economical and safe option for the application.

[stevenal]

It's a little short of 18", but this works for me.

[jimh406]

Kayteg1 wrote:
We are talking here about "extra long tow bar" and that makes it in 48" range.

Not sure why the title of the thread says extra long, but the OP says 18 inches in his only message on this thread.

[Kayteg1]

We are talking here about "extra long tow bar" and that makes it in 48" range.

[GeoBoy]

Kayteg1 said, “Obviously adding 4'ft extension will not make them fit on the toad, but some brain-storming could make it doable.
Than do you really need 4' extension?”
How the heck did this conversation go from an 18” extension to 48”?

[Kayteg1]

jimh425 wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
There is big difference between 18" and 48" extensions.
The bending forces are 7 times multiplied between the 2 and that's why you need superhitch for long one.

Can you explain your math? Also, why does it matter for flat towing?

You know it's been about 40 years since I study construction calculations and I moved to different trades.
So the 7 times was "shoot from the hip" but you are free to do you own calculations to compare.
Here is a link you might use
When flat toad towing brings less vertical stress to the hitch, my reply was intended for understanding how much difference extending the hitch makes in real life.
you can say that adding 30 more inches is not big length, but it makes whole new mountain in bending and shearing forces.

[jimh406]

Kayteg1 wrote:
There is big difference between 18" and 48" extensions.
The bending forces are 7 times multiplied between the 2 and that's why you need superhitch for long one.

Can you explain your math? Also, why does it matter for flat towing?