Since our experience with the Sterling All-Terrain tow bar has been nothing short of… ahem… sterling, we couldn’t wait to try out Roadmaster’s hot new follow-up: the Nighthawk. We’ve even arranged an exclusive deal on it for you!
We’re honored that Roadmaster has given us the opportunity to premiere their cool new tow bar (Wait… didn’t we just say it was hot? Well it’s cool and hot)! ;-)
Binding while trying to disconnect a toad (towed car) from a motorhome is a common problem, and the primary reason we upgraded from our old Blue Ox tow bar in the first place. Since then, we’ve tried to challenge our Sterling at every opportunity. So far, we’ve been unable to make it bind a single time, even when disconnecting on steep inclines or sharp turns (or both at the same time).
The new Nighthawk uses the same Roadmaster patented non-binding Freedom Latch as the Sterling, so we weren’t the least bit surprised that it won’t bind either. But after dark, it’s a whole different animal, and surely the safest tow bar ever made, addressing a nagging issue we’ve always had about towing, especially at night. We’d tell you more about it, but it’s more fun to watch our hot new video. It’s cool!
SPECIAL DEAL ON NIGHTHAWK FOR RVGEEKS VIEWERS:
FREE TOW BAR COVER & FREE HITCH RECEIVER LOCK!
Roadmaster has agreed to offer our viewers an exclusive package when they buy a Nighthawk direct from the factory. To take advantage of this deal, call Roadmaster at (800) 669-9690 then select option 2 for Sales. When you order a Nighthawk, just tell them you’d like the “RVGEEKS PACKAGE” and they’ll include a free heavy-duty tow bar cover and a free hitch receiver lock, too! This $89 value will keep your beautiful new Nighthawk secure and protected, like we keep ours. And FREE SHIPPING is included, too!
ORDER YOUR NEW NIGHTHAWK FACTORY DIRECT
(800) 669-9690 – then select option “2” for Sales
TELL THEM YOU WANT THE “RVGEEKS PACKAGE”!
Thanks to Roadmaster for giving us the opportunity to premiere and test out this cool/hot new product and for offering this great deal to our viewers. Visit www.RoadmasterInc.com to learn more about their entire line of quality towing products (Nighthawk details here).
And for those of you, like us, who were (or are) Blue Ox owners, Roadmaster hasn’t forgotten about us. They’re offering a version of the Nighthawk that attaches directly to Blue Ox tow connectors. Order Nighthawk model #677 and you can hook right up with no special adapters and no new base plate needed!
For anyone who watched the above video all the way to the end… yes indeed, that’s our dear friends Nikki & Jason Wynn in the closing drone shot, trekking out to Trona Pinnacles with us. Can’t believe that was just over a year ago, and they’re long gone on their boat. Follow their adventures at GoneWithTheWynns.com and watch our entire Trona Pinnacles video here.
Recent & Related Videos:
- Towbar Unbound! “How It’s Made” — RV Edition!
- Roadmaster Towbar Follow-Up
- RV Boondocking: Trona Pinnacles Aerial Tour
- Leveling an RV Without Jacks
- Inverter Update & AGS Installation
- Managing Winter RV Camping Trips
- 10% RV Mattress Discount
- Hydraulic RV Jack Fail!
- Zion National Park Winter Camping
Featured & Related Products:
- Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain Tow Bar
- Roadmaster Tow Bar Cover
- Roadmaster Hitch Receiver Lock
- Tow Bar Safety Cables
- Tow Bar Cleaner
- Silicone Spray Lubricant
Gear We Use To Shoot Our Videos:
- Sony a6500 Mirrorless Camera
- Sony 16-70 F4 Zeiss OSS Lens
- Sony Soft Camera Carry Case
- Sony 4K Action Camera (FDR-X3000)
- Tarion 31″ Track Slider/Stabilizer
- Sony Bluetooth Wireless Microphone (ECM-W1M)
- GoPro Hero Action Camera
- RAM Suction Cup Mount
UPDATE: We’ve gotten questions about the location where our RV is perched at the end of the video. That amazing boondocking spot is in the Alabama Hills, near Lone Pine, California. The exact GPS coordinates of the site we stayed in are: 36.610927, -118.128550. This particular spot is a bit off-level and takes a little work to get a big rig in there comfortably, but if you’re there for at least several days, like we were, it’s worth it!
Here’s a great post about boondocking in the Alabama Hills from our friends Nina & Paul of Wheeling It.
Hi again, We have followed you forever as we started FullTime the same year as you. We always loved the BLUEOX hitch(except for the binding). Although, after seeing your vid on the new Sterling and then the Nighthawk we were totally convinced to switch. Well, the time has come sooner because our PT Cruiser was totaled in a car accident. We’re OK. Just the seatbelt bruises. :( So we will be getting the Nighthawk! Our question: We had Air Force One on the PT & loved that we didn’t have to deal with the inside hassle of the box. I can’t find any videos on your braking system? We see a larger black cable running between RV and car and wonder what you are using? Thanks so much for you fantastic detailed videos! You have helped so many people all these years!
Hi Paula & Larry! Thanks so much for your nice comments, and so glad to hear you weren’t badly hurt in the crash. We have an old Blue Ox brake system that’s no longer made. The cable your seeing from the RV to the car is a vacuum line that keeps the car’s braking system charged at all times. Without the benefit of personal experience with any other braking system, we can tell you this… based on our research and reading what others have to say, if we were to choose a new braking system today, it would be either the Air Force One or Roadmaster’s Invisibrake. We would likely opt for the Roadmaster system due to to the amazingly good experience we’ve had with their products and them as a company. Plus we’d prefer to avoid tapping into the RV’s air brake system, and like the ability to have an entire integrated system (tow bar, base plate & brake system) all in one place. Also, we like that the Invisibrake doesn’t require any additional cables across the tow bar because it uses existing wires within the umbilical, and because it charges the toad’s battery while towing, which is a big help if your car requires keeping the ignition key turned on and the brake lights are drawing battery power, too. Please let us know how you make out. Be sure to get that free cover and lock by asking for the “RVgeeks Package” if you order your Nighthawk directly from Roadmaster. Safe Travels, Peter & John.
Thanks so much for your well wishes. Your input is sure food for thought. We loved the way the Air Force One worked and would definitely get it again. But the integration with the Roadmaster does sound very convenient. More research…. Thanks again, Keep up the fantastic Vids, Safe Travels, Paula & Larry AND May our paths cross sometime…
How long will this offer last?
Hi Tina! While we can’t say for sure that this offer will last forever, Roadmaster has not set any specific end date. So currently this is an open-ended offer for the foreseeable future.
Hi guys, what is a good wireless digital back up camera system for a 40 foot motorhome?
Hi Adam! Both of our motorhomes have come factory-equipped with backup cameras, so unfortunately we have no experience with aftermarket setups. We’ve seen ads for them, but have no idea what to recommend. The best thing we can suggest is to search the user forums on iRV2 for threads on the topic, or even post a question if you can’t find an existing thread. It’s free to join at http://irv2.com/forums
Hope this helps you find some recommendations.
Love it, but you guys had me change to the Sterling. I noticed in your video the safety cables were attached at the toad, curious as the cables that come with the Sterling don’t have a hook at the toad end. Also what about the bracket at the receiver where the safety cables were connected. Are there accessories that will provide the method you guys used?
Hi Jerry! We only found out about the new Nighthawk just before we shot the video!
With your Sterling, the safety cable attachments on the car side are a function of what type of base plate you have. Roadmaster has a proprietary system that uses a steel ball on the end of the each cable that slots into a special opening on the base plate. It’s a really clean design. But our car has been equipped with a Blue Ox baseplate for the past 14 years, and we don’t want to (and don’t have to) remove and replace it with a Roadmaster base plate, since we can use the ordinary spring-loaded hooks, as shown in the video. Roadmaster offers both connection options (hook or steel ball) for tow bars prior to the Nighthwak, so in our case, we had to go with the hooks with our Sterling to be compatible with a Blue Ox base plate. The Nighthawk actually only offers the hooks, since Roadmaster’s new base plate design uses them, not the balls.
On the RV side of the safety cables, they all use hooks to connect to the receiver. But the hooks happened to be a little too thick/robust to fit through the holes on our hitch receiver (not really surprising, since Roadmaster overbuilds everything)! So we added in a threaded quick link on each one and it works like a charm. Roadmaster makes those too: https://alexa.design/2o1qjqr
Hope we answered your question okay, but if you want to hear more details from the source, we highly recommend calling Roadmaster, since they’re obviously the experts!
Any good reason to travel at night?
We do generally try to minimize our nighttime travel, but it’s sometimes hard to avoid. That’s especially true during busy periods for us working-age full-timers, where long distances between customer locations and meetings can require less-than-optimal travel days (i.e. long or late-starting).
WOW that looks incredible. I think this tow bar will be very
Popular.
You have to come out and see it at night. Be sure to call us and let us know how you’re doing.
Thanks for the video. I’ve been looking for an upgrade to our current tow set up and the Nighthawk looks to be the way to go. Question: Have you addressed tow’d braking systems / options in the past? I did a quick search of you past articles but didn’t find anything on the subject. Maybe this would be a good segue into the topic? Thanks for all you do for the community! Scott
Hi Scott! The Nighthawk is, indeed, a great towbar. It combines everything we love about the Sterling All-Terrain (non-binding lock-arms, channel guides for the cables, stainless steel inner arms, etc) and adds several great new features (LED lights for safety/convenience, textured powder-coat surface that makes it easier to handle when wet, longer and even-more-nicely-integrated cables, etc). It’s really an all-around great package (not to mention the “RVgeeks Package” that gets you a couple of great extras)!
As far as toad braking systems, we haven’t done a video/post about them because we’ve had the same system for 14 years… an old one from Blue Ox that isn’t in production any longer. That said, if we had to replace/upgrade our system today, there are two systems that are our top contenders (keeping in mind that we don’t have personal experience with any of these systems… and haven’t done a comprehensive comparison, since we’re not currently in the market):
Or course, both of these systems are more-permanent installations in both the RV and the towed… so if you think you’re going to be swapping RVs or toads in a short period of time, or if you want to tow more than one vehicle (not simultaneously, of course), you might be better off with a self-contained system like the RoadMaster EvenBrake or the BrakeBuddy that can easily be moved from car to car.
Sorry for the long reply, but hope this information is helpful!
When it comes to replacing your toad braking system you might consider looking at RVi Brake (https://rvibrake.com/). I bought one at Quartzsite this past January and it worked well on the trip home to BC.
I like the fact that it is portable and can be used with any car I decide to tow. Plus it requires very little installation time – just a breakaway switch and a 12v plug from the battery.
It is in my RV at Harrison Hot Springs so if you want to see an actual unit just let me know.
I appreciate the detailed reply. Just what I was looking for. I currently have a Brake Buddy that works OK but is cumbersome to store (truck camper). I like the RM Invisibrake for the functionality and integration with the tow’d.
Thanks again. Scott
LED’s along the sides: What a great idea! I do like the black power coat as well.
When you did a close-up it shows the LED’s are mounted into a recessed channel so that ought to prevent damaged when handling the tow bar. Also like the heavy duty Roadmaster coiled cables and power cord. Both are excellent designs.
Will you be providing an Amazon link when it’s available?
Yup… those LEDs are nicely recessed to protect them. We weren’t planning an Amazon link right now, since the deal Roadmaster is offering – the free cover and lock – are only ordering factory direct. We wouldn’t want to send someone to buy it for the same price on Amazon (which it likely would be) and miss out on the package. If you think we should include an Amazon link, we’ll certainly consider it once it becomes available… maybe giving people the option?