Dinghy towing or ‘flat towing’ puts you in the driver’s seat of one the biggest rigs on the road. Setting up a motorhome to dinghy tow safely is a huge responsibility to do the right way. Torklift Central is here to make sure you understand every step necessary to dinghy tow like a pro with peace of mind.

Here is what you need to know about dinghy towing:

Make sure your motorhome’s frame is up to the job

Your motorhome is a big ol’ vehicle, but that doesn’t guarantee that it’s able to safely haul your towable straight from the factory.

The problem

Overstressed frames can lead to breakage

Nearly 75% of Americans overload their trailer hitch and overstress the frame of their motorhome while towing.  The reason for this is that most motorhome’s are built on an elongated pickup truck chassis.  During the construction of the coach, the motorhome manufacturer commonly extends the frame of the coach by butt-welding an extra length of chassis on.

The connection point created during butt-welding compromises the structural integrity of the chassis and in many cases invalidates the original chassis manufacturer’s tow weight rating.

The solution

A Chassis Frame Upgrade helps keep the frame strong
Odds are this chassis elongation affects your motorhome.  Torklift Central offers a Motorhome Chassis Frame Upgrade to correct it.  Our technicians beef up the weak connection point created during butt-welding to ensure your coach’s chassis is able to handle the weight of your towable.


Watch the process here:

Install a motorhome tow bar that won’t bind

Roadmaster Falcon All-Terrain

You owe it to yourself and to anyone else that travels with you while dinghy towing to make sure your tow bar is equipped with non-binding technology.  Without this feature, your tow bar can bind and seize up when you want to detach your car from the coach causing you to have to use a mallet to free your vehicle.  Imagine the stress and frustration that would cause you.

Tow bars such as the Roadmaster Falcon All-Terrain feature non-binding technology that guarantee your tow bar disconnects with the flip of a lever every time. This feature saves you the ongoing trouble of encountering a problem every time you simply want to remove your towable from your coach.

Learn how to hookup a tow bar here:

Opt for a proportional braking system

SMI Stay-In-Play Duo Auxiliary Braking System

Auxiliary braking systems are necessary to help your towed vehicle assist your coach during normal and emergency braking.  Although your towed vehicle may seem small compared to the size of your motorhome, it dramatically increases your stopping distance if not equipped with the means to operate its own set of brakes.

There are two main types of auxiliary braking systems on the market: proportional braking systems and progressive braking systems.

Progressive braking systems slowly ramp up the braking pressure on your towed vehicle the longer you depress the brake pedal in your coach. Regardless of whether you tap your motorhome’s brakes or slam on them in an emergency stop, a progressive braking system only gradually increases the braking pressure in your towed vehicle to a maximum level you set beforehand.

Progressive braking systems are not ideal, as they do not allow the brakes in your towed vehicle to mirror the braking of your coach.

Proportional braking systems such as the SMI Stay-In-Play Duo allows your towed vehicle to brake in direct synchronization with your coach. Whether you feather the brakes in your coach or fully depress them in an emergency stop, that’s precisely what your towed vehicle’s brakes do. For this reason, Torklift Central always recommends opting for a proportional auxiliary braking system for dinghy towing.

Get Out And Go dinghy tow your way with Torklift Central!

Contact us today to learn more:

Torklift Central

315 Central Ave N 
Kent, Wash. 98032

877-343-6933
[email protected]
www.torkliftcentral.com