7
HOW TO USE SAFETY CABLES
Safety cables are an integral part of your towing system.
They are a secondary safety device, required by law in
many states. This section, and the following section, will
acquaint you with how to use them properly.
•
The safety cables must be rated at 5,000 pounds weight
capacity (the maximum capacity of the Tracker tow bar).
The weight of the towed vehicle and all its contents cannot
exceed 5,000 pounds.
•
The safety cables must connect the towing vehicle to
the towed vehicle, frame to frame.
•
Pull the safety cables so that all the slack is at the mo-
torhome. Make sure there is enough slack in the cables
at the motorhome to allow for sharp turns — if there
is not enough slack, the towing system will be severely
damaged when the motorhome turns.
• The safety cables must be the correct length…
• Make sure the cables are not too short — if you use a
receiver hitch extension or other equipment that extends
the distance between the towed vehicle and the motor-
home, the standard cables may be too short. If the cables
are too short, the towing system will be severely damaged
when the motorhome turns a sharp corner.
(Safety cable extensions in a wide variety of lengths
are available from ROADMASTER.)
• Make sure the cables are not too long — the cables
should not hang down to the extent they may catch on
obstructions, or drag on the ground. This much slack could
cause damage to the towing system, the towed vehicle
or the motorhome.
If the cables are too long, wrap the excess cable around
the tow bar to take up the slack. Make sure there is
enough slack in the cables at the motorhome to allow
for sharp turns.
Damage caused by using safety cables of an incorrect
length is not covered under warranty.
• Always cross the cables under the hitch receiver, as
shown in Figure 11 under “Proper installation of safety
cables.” In the unlikely event the tow bar separates from
the motorhome, crossing the cables will help prevent the
tow bar from dragging on the ground, which can cause
the tow bar to “pole vault” the towed vehicle.
• Some ROADMASTER tow bar mounting kits with re-
movable arms use two safety cables on each side. If two
sets of safety cables are required, both must be used. This
is required by law. Refer to “Proper installation of safety
cables” for further information.
Failure to follow these instructions may cause prop-
erty damage, personal injury or even death.
PROPER INSTALLATION OF SAFETY CABLES
Figure 11
Follow the instructions in Figure 11 (above) to attach
the safety cables.
Some ROADMASTER tow bar baseplates with remov-
able arms, such as the ones in Figure 12, use both a long
safety cable and a short safety cable on each side.
Each long safety cable runs from the towing vehicle to a
quick link attaching it to one of the quick-disconnects.
This quick link is also an attachment point for one of the
short safety cables; another quick link attaches the short
safety cable to the baseplate.
Unscrew the nuts on each quick link to connect the
safety cable loops. Finger-tighten the nuts firmly, until the
loop is completely closed, to secure the attachment.
Do not substitute carabiners or other devices for the
quick links — the quick links are designed to hold the weight
of a towed vehicle; carabiners or other devices are not.
Only ROADMASTER baseplates with removable arms
have these short safety cables (with the exception of MX
baseplates). Other baseplates are bolted directly to the
frame of the towed vehicle and do not require short safety
cables.
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