© 2000-2019 ROADMASTER, Inc. All rights reserved. 851480-13 06/19
WELCOME TO THE ROADMASTER FAMILY!
This manual has been prepared to acquaint you with the installation, operation, care and maintenance of your tow bar, and to provide you with important safety information.
Read your owner’s manual cover to cover. Understand how to install and operate your tow
bar, and carefully follow the instructions and safety precautions.
We thank you for your patronage and greatly appreciate your discerning taste.
Table of Contents
Safety definitions .................................. inside front cover
Installer’s safety checklist ...............................................1
Safe towing practices ..................................................1-2
Attaching the Tracker — standard baseplate ...................3
Attaching the Tracker — removable baseplate .............4-5
Connecting the Tracker to the motorhome ..................5-6
Disconnecting the Tracker ..............................................6
Safety cables
How to use safety cables ...........................................7
Proper installation of safety cables .........................7-8
Care and cleaning ..........................................................8
Atwood coupler information ............................................9
Tow bar components ...................................... back cover
Your tow bar serial number…
…is on a metal label on the passenger’s side tow bar
arm. You will need this number when you fill out your
product registration card.
Write down the serial number in the space below and
retain for future reference.
Serial number:
Save this manual
Save this manual for future reference. It contains important sections relative to safety, use, maintenance, parts
replacement and other information. Therefore, make sure
this manual is always with you when you’re towing.
You may download or print a copy of the most current
manual at www.roadmasterinc.com (under ‘Support').
Read all instructions before installing
the tow bar, or before towing a vehicle.
Failure to understand how to properly install or operate the tow bar could result
in property damage, personal injury or
even death.
All illustrations and specifications contained herein are based on the latest
information available at the time of publication. ROADMASTER, Inc. reserves
the right to make changes, at any time, without notice, in material, specifications and models, or to discontinue models.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
Safety Definitions
This manual contains information that is very important to know and understand. This information is provided for
safety and to prevent equipment problems. To help recognize this information, observe the following symbols:
CAUTION
WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situ-
ation which, if not avoided, could result in property
damage, serious personal injury or even death.
CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, may result in property damage,
or minor or moderate personal injury.
CAUTION used without the safety alert symbol indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, may result in property damage.
NOTE
Refers to important information and is placed in italic
type. It is recommended that you take special notice of
these items.
INSTALLER'S SAFETY CHECKLIST
• Read the instructions thoroughly before installing
the ‘quick-disconnect’ (‘QD’) system and its components. If the towed vehicle baseplate has a removable
front arm, the tow bar will be attached to the QD system.
If the QD system is not properly aligned, centered and
positioned on the towed vehicle, the tow bar will not be
centered on the towed vehicle, which may cause excessive
tire wear and other consequential, non-warranty damage.
• Show the owner how to properly operate the tow
bar. Familiarize yourself with the features of the tow bar.
Demonstrate them to the owner, and ask the owner to
connect and disconnect the tow bar and other components
of the towing system, until the owner is comfortable with
its operation.
• The tow bar must be attached to a baseplate which
is bolted to the towed vehicle’s frame or unibody. In
SAFE TOWING PRACTICES
To ensure your safety and that of your passengers, as
well as the safety of others on the road, follow these safe
towing practices at all times.
CAUTION
Do not back up the motorhome with the towed vehicle attached.
Backing up with the towed vehicle attached will
cause the towed vehicle to “jackknife,” which will damage the tow bar, the baseplate, the receiver hitch, the
towed vehicle's front end, and/or the rear of the motorhome. Backing up with the towed vehicle attached
is the primary cause of tow bar damage and will void
the warranty.
• Be sure the vehicle can be towed before taking it on
the road. Some vehicles must be equipped with a transmission lube pump, an axle disconnect, driveline disconnect
or free-wheeling hubs before they can be towed. Failure
to properly equip the vehicle will cause severe damage
to the transmission.
Check the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions for the
proper procedure(s) to prepare the vehicle for towing.
• The tow bar must be approximately level with the
ball hitch on the motorhome. Towing with the tow bar at
an upward or downward slope puts undue strain on the tow
bar baseplate and the ball mount. Driving over sharp inclines or declines could force the coupler off the hitch ball.
If it is necessary to raise or lower the hitch, two optional accessories are available: an adjustable ball hitch,
part number 880; and roller hitch drops, in 4" through 10"
drops (part numbers 051-4 through 051-10).
• The steering wheel must be unlocked and free to
turn when towing. Failure to do so can cause severe
tire and equipment damage. Check the manufacturer’s
instructions for the proper towing procedure(s).
• Always use safety cables when towing. The safety
cables must connect the towed vehicle to the towing ve-
order to be towed, virtually all vehicles require a tow bar
baseplate that is connected to the frame, unibody or chassis and extends beyond the bumper.
• The installer must NOT use the tow bar as a ground
for welding. Connecting a ground to the ‘A-frame’ of the
tow bar will cause current to flow through the locking
spring, which will detemper the spring and destroy the
locking mechanism.
• Under no circumstances should the tow bar be
welded to the vehicle, nor should any of the pre-punched
mounting holes be altered. Any welding or altering of the
tow bar will void the owner’s warranty.
Failure to follow these instructions may cause prop-
erty damage, personal injury or even death.
hicle, frame to frame.
Additionally, check to ensure that the safety cables are
the proper length. Refer to the sections titled “How to use
safety cables” and “Proper installation of safety cables”
for further information.
The weight capacity of the safety cables must meet
or exceed the towed weight, or the safety cables will
fail.
• Inspect the system before towing — check the
mounts, brackets, bolts, fasteners, wiring, the safety cables and all other system components each
time before towing.
Check the coupler ball
clamp and ball socket
(Figure 1) for fractures
or cracks in the steel.
If any component
is damaged, replace
it before towing.
Check the nut at the bottom of the threaded hitch ball
shank (Figure 2) to ensure that it is tightened
to the manufacturer’s
torque specifications.
Inspect the nut and the
bottom of the threaded
hitch ball shank (Figure 2) for signs of
wear caused when
the motorhome ‘bottoms out.’ If the nut is
damaged, replace it; if the threaded shank is damaged,
replace the hitch ball and shank.
Additionally, check the tow bar baseplate every 3,000
miles — inspect for any fractures or cracks in the steel,
or any visible damage. Do not tow if the tow bar base-
Figure 1
Figure 2
continued on next page
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Safe towing practices
continued from preceding page
plate is damaged.
Additionally, check the torque on all bolts. (To find the
torque ratings, refer to the installation instructions for the
baseplate and the tow bar.)
• The Tracker tow bar is rated at a maximum of 5,000
pounds carrying capacity; therefore the weight of the
towed vehicle and all its contents cannot exceed 5,000
pounds. In addition, the hitch ball, the receiver hitch, the
safety cables and all supplementary towing equipment
must be rated at no less than the weight of the towed
vehicle and all its contents.
• The tow bar must be secured with linch pins (or optional padlocks) before towing. Unless the tow bar is
secured to both vehicles with all appropriate pins (or padlocks), the towed vehicle will detach.
• This tow bar is designed for use on paved roads
only. ROADMASTER does not recommend off-road towing, nor does ROADMASTER warrant the tow bar for offroad use.
• Never tow a vehicle with one of a comparable
weight. The towed vehicle’s weight should never exceed
40 percent of the towing vehicle’s weight.
Towing a vehicle with one of similar weight will cause
the towed vehicle to override the towing vehicle, resulting in “jackknifing,” “leapfrogging” or “fishtailing.” Serious
damage to both vehicles, as well as the towing system,
could result.
• Check the motorhome turning radius. Some motorhome chassis have such a tight turning radius that you
can damage your motorhome, towed vehicle or tow bar
while turning too sharply. Before getting on the road with
your towed vehicle, you should test your turning radius in
an empty parking lot.
With the towed vehicle attached, have someone watch
as you slowly turn sharply to see whether you have this
potential problem. If you do, note how far you can safely
turn the motorhome’s steering wheel, and be sure not
to turn it further when towing. Damage that results from
turning too sharply is not covered by warranty.
• Never use the tow bar to tow more than one vehicle.
In some states it is legal to have one vehicle towing more
than just one vehicle (for example, a truck which is towing
a trailer which is towing a boat). However, when using a
tow bar, never tow more than one vehicle, or non-warranty
damage or injury may result.
• The hitch ball must be two inches in diameter. If the
hitch ball diameter is smaller than two inches, the coupler
may disengage during towing.
Also, the diameter of the threaded hitch ball shank
(Figure 2) must match the diameter of the hole in
the ball mount hitch. If the threaded shank is too
small, towing vibrations could cause the hitch ball
to unthread and separate from the ball mount hitch.
• Keep the tow bar clean and well-lubricated. As is
the case with most precision equipment, frequent cleaning
and care results in better performance and longevity.
Refer to the section titled “Care and cleaning” for further
information.
Failure to follow these instructions may cause property damage, personal injury or even death.
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