@BillyGoatMTB ping me if you have any questions. We have flat towed in a Seneca and now in the Tiffin. LX is holding up super. We are now near Placerville getting the rig ready for the Rubithon in 12 days!!
How to Flat tow your 80 series... safely.
- Thread starter Mikesta
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BillyGoatMTB
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Awesome thanks @SHREG
We're looking at a Jayco Grayhawk next week, it can to 8k. We super dig the Thor magnitude diesel but damn that's alot of clams.......
Is anyone using an ARB front bumper with attach points? The base plates on these want to use the frames, but the ARB uses those. Or perhaps some have welded mount points for the tow bar on their ARB?
A buddy and myself did similar on ours. In my arb, we re-enforced the stock tabs with 1/2” plate, tied back to the frame horns on the outside plate. Buddy bought 3/4” x 10” (maybe 8”…) tabs and cut into the flat face of the bumper on the inside of stock tab plate, tied to the top of the frame horn. Then we use the big Jeep type tow arm ends and big hitch pins. I have thousands of miles of towing it this way with no stress indications on the modifications. I’m looking for photos to show at least mine.
Only photo I can find on my phone … will take some tomorrow
I don't weld, so I had my local welding shop mod mine for attaching a towbar. Not the prettiest, but no problems and I leave a bolt in for High-Lift jacking points:
Yes, I posted pics a few pages back. Pretty straight forward mod.
I ended having some brackets fabbed up on the bar, it worked well.
Is anyone charging the battery or has the battery gone bad while towing?
Is anyone charging the battery or has the battery gone bad while towing?
Have not had the battery go dead. in 2021 we did/have done 10K miles and it never has been an issue. I believe the show that installed my break setup added a line for charging the battery. Im not 100% certain
Great thread, thanks to all who have shared their setups.
I’m super excited to get my 80 going behind my motorhome here in the next few months. Previously we flat towed our GX470 behind our camper, but I always wanted an 80 and finally got into one that will be the family adventure mobile.
Picked up an ARB bumper and immediately dropped it off at my local welding shop. Planning to do some reinforcing and widening of the recovery points to work with my Blue Ox 1” bumper adapter. Feels crazy to take a shiny new bumper and immediately take a grinder and welder to it, but it seemed like the best overall value for the situation.
Other than that, we’ll be running a Blue Ox Aventa 10k tow bar, Blue Ox Patriot brake system and I’m planning to wire in a 2nd set of lights since there appears to be room in the housings.
I’m toying with the idea of installing the rear driveshaft disconnect I pulled off my GX470 and installing it on a new driveshaft in the 80. I know it’s not necessary, but it always felt like the 470 towed easier when the rear was disconnected. Has anyone installed a Remco disconnect on their 80?
Here’s what we’ll be towing it with. Previously had a Tiffin gasser Class A, but it was a little too big and couldn’t tow the types of vehicles we want to take along.
I’ll share some photos when it’s all done, can’t wait!
I’m super excited to get my 80 going behind my motorhome here in the next few months. Previously we flat towed our GX470 behind our camper, but I always wanted an 80 and finally got into one that will be the family adventure mobile.
Picked up an ARB bumper and immediately dropped it off at my local welding shop. Planning to do some reinforcing and widening of the recovery points to work with my Blue Ox 1” bumper adapter. Feels crazy to take a shiny new bumper and immediately take a grinder and welder to it, but it seemed like the best overall value for the situation.
Other than that, we’ll be running a Blue Ox Aventa 10k tow bar, Blue Ox Patriot brake system and I’m planning to wire in a 2nd set of lights since there appears to be room in the housings.
I’m toying with the idea of installing the rear driveshaft disconnect I pulled off my GX470 and installing it on a new driveshaft in the 80. I know it’s not necessary, but it always felt like the 470 towed easier when the rear was disconnected. Has anyone installed a Remco disconnect on their 80?
Here’s what we’ll be towing it with. Previously had a Tiffin gasser Class A, but it was a little too big and couldn’t tow the types of vehicles we want to take along.
I’ll share some photos when it’s all done, can’t wait!
Sweet motor home, is it a 4x4 ?
I tow my 80 with a Ford duly 4 x 4 with a large overhead camper and love it.
So much power full speed up any mountain.
I tow my 80 with a Ford duly 4 x 4 with a large overhead camper and love it.
So much power full speed up any mountain.
Thank you! Yep, it’s built on an F550 diesel 4x4 platform. Plenty of power, and moving from a gas motorhome I’m really impressed with how exhaust braking and tow/haul mode on the transmission helps control speed on descents.
We went from the LX450 to the GX470. Looks tiny being the motor house. Pulls much easier than the LX. We should have went Patriot with the GX but was swayed into the RVi3. Had i known that adaptor was available for the Blue OX i would have gone that route with the LX. We used the Blue OX base plate for the GX.
Good luck, where ya headed? We re currently touring Florida, hence the GX...had to fit in with the blue hairs!
PS Swapped our rim on the GX with the TRD pro rims... De-Grandma-ing.
Good luck, where ya headed? We re currently touring Florida, hence the GX...had to fit in with the blue hairs!
PS Swapped our rim on the GX with the TRD pro rims... De-Grandma-ing. Looks like your GX either got some fresh recall paint or someone took really good care of it.We went from the LX450 to the GX470. Looks tiny being the motor house. Pulls much easier than the LX. We should have went Patriot with the GX but was swayed into the RVi3. Had i known that adaptor was available for the Blue OX i would have gone that route with the LX. We used the Blue OX base plate for the GX.
Good luck, where ya headed? We re currently touring Florida, hence the GX...had to fit in with the blue hairs!
View attachment 2881783
We’re headed nowhere in particular, we’ll head down to Utah 1-2 times a year and lots of weekend camping trips around the PNW.
Recall paint via the PO.. We spent 2 months in Utah last winter/spring. Hurricane.. Enjoyed the hell out of it... Put some miles on the LX in that state!1
Great setup. I'm looking to do a similar modification to my bumper for my 100 series. Did you have any stress cracks on the new plate that was added, or was it okay? Did you do any reinforcement to tie it to the frame? It looks like this is the simplest way to add flat towing points to the bumper.
Worked in towing option into my winch design
No stress cracks. When we left the LX in Dallas we were at or near 20K miles dragging it around the country. We did not reinforce, the frame, im not an engineer, but i had an engineer weld in the tabs. The plate for the GX has safety cables that tie it in to the frame. I may consider adding those to the LX when we pull it again next year. When we get back to Texas we will have it back there again.
Perhaps a modified base plate from a larger vehicle. I see them on full size trucks all the time. I dont think there was ever one made for LX or 80 series.
