tow bars - Roadmaster Inc.

Why are there three
‘hidden’ bracket styles?
Underneath the vehicle, every ROADMASTER bracket is a custom design,
fitted to a specific frame and undercarriage. At the front of the vehicle,
there may be one of three removable extensions. Which extension
is used is determined by: 1) the structural integrity of the frame; and 2)
the vehicle’s styling.
If our Bracket Guide lists only an XL or an EZ Twistlock bracket for
a particular vehicle, that means our designers have determined that the
vehicle’s frame must be supported by a crossbar for towing. The crossbar
disperses the load across the length of the tow bar, and the front of the
vehicle — what our engineers call an ‘area load’ — a design which supports
the towed vehicle.
The determination between an XL or an EZ Twistlock is the available
clearance at the front end of the vehicle — at the fascia and the grille.
The alternative to an ‘area load’ design is ‘point load’ design — the
front of the vehicle’s two frame rails act as the ‘points.’ If an MX design
is available, that means our designers have determined that the vehicle’s
frame is sufficient to support the vehicle during towing, and that
a crossbar is not necessary.
Some customers prefer the ‘cleaner’ MX design; however, there are
tradeoffs that sales representatives and service writers should be aware
of — four of our tow bar-mounted accessories (the Guardian, Stowaway,
the 4700 Tow Defender and Nixtopper) cannot be used with an MX
bracket — which is why we offer a choice of both MX and XL brackets for
many vehicles.
18
EZ
bracket
Insert extension
and secure with
pin and clip.
Insert extension
and twist to lock
in place.
Insert extension
and secure with
pin and clip.
XL
bracket
MX
bracket
Towing and Suspension Solutions
Why the crossbar?
The crossbar compensates for the structural
integrity which has been lost in the transition
to lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Most
passenger cars built after the turn of the century
fall into that category. They must be supported
for towing, for a simple reason — heavy gauge
steel has been replaced with sheet metal.
The crossbar is there to support the car,
not the tow bar.
XL brackets
For both car- and motorhome-mounted tow bars.
XL brackets are the most universal — most vehicles have enough clearance
at the grille or fascia to allow the receivers to be hidden, and also
enough for the linch pin, which attaches each removable front extension
to the bracket.
All four ROADMASTER tow bar-mounted accessories (Guardian, Stowaway,
Tow Defender and Nixtopper) will fit on an XL bracket.
EZ Twistlock brackets
For both car- and motorhome-mounted tow bars.
EZ Twistlock extensions and receivers are designed for smaller vehicles,
with a limited amount of clearance between the frame and the fascia —
the Twistlock design eliminates the linch pin (which attaches the removable
front extension to the bracket) so the receivers do not have to extend
past the front end of the vehicle.
All four ROADMASTER tow bar-mounted accessories (Guardian, Stowaway,
Tow Defender and Nixtopper) will fit on an EZ Twistlock bracket.
MX brackets
For motorhome-mounted tow bars only.
MX style extensions and receivers are designed for trucks, SUVs and
other large vehicles with frames of sufficient size and strength to replace
the crossbar. Therefore, the crossbar is not required.
Because the crossbar (and quick-disconnect system) is not used, three
ROADMASTER tow bar-mounted accessories (Guardian, Stowaway and
Nixtopper) cannot be used with an MX bracket.
Also, the standard ‘EZ Hook’ safety cables for Sterling All-Terrain tow
bars must be replaced (with either #645 or #645-76 single hook straight
cables) — without the quick-disconnect system, there are no mounting
points for the EZ Hook anchor plates.