Tow bar rattles when starting and stopping. How can I stop it?

Hello Dave,
I am new to “ flat towing” a car behind my motorhome. I purchased a Blue Ox Alpha non-binding tow bar and pull a 2014 Honda CRV that has the proper tow plate installed. Entegra installed a 7500 LB hitch at the factory. There is slight, normal play between the hitch and the tow bar. I’ve used hitch “rattle clips” on other hitch applications and wonder if these type of tow bars can also use these clips or is there a reason not to. Thank you. —Anthony, 2025 Entegra Odyssey 26M

Hi Anthony,
First, let me congratulate you on the purchase of a Blue Ox tow bar and what seems to be a correct setup. I am not familiar with hitch “rattle clips” you referenced and can’t find anything on a web search, so I cannot advise as to the product you have used in the past.

However, I have used a U-bolt type hitch stabilizer in the past for this same reason. The “stinger” of the ball and hitch mount slides into the receiver hitch mounted on the tow vehicle, either in a motorized application such as yours, or even a bumper pull trailer.

Receiver hitch

Your Entegra has a factory mounted receiver hitch with what is called a 2” female opening similar to this one that is on my truck.

I measured it and it is actually 2-1/16” so the 2” male portion of the ball mount can slide in without much resistance. However, it does create a gap that will mean movement of the hitch mount.

The hitch pin is also slightly smaller than the hole that holds it in place, so there are two “clunk” points. This will create the rattle you are experiencing when stopping and starting. It can get worse over time with the hole elongating.

Hitch immobilizers

There are several products on the market that can be applied to the hitch receiver and tow bar post, so I sent your question off to Blue Ox and got the following response.

Dave,
Good morning. The use of a hitch immobilizer is always recommended when flat towing a vehicle behind a motorhome. The forces that happen when accelerating and stopping cause the hitch connector on the tow bar to slide inside of the receiver hitch on the coach.

Blue Ox offers two solutions in our hitch immobilizer lineup. The first is our single hitch immobilizer that isolates vertical movement. The second is our dual immobilizer that isolates both vertical and horizontal movement. Both products are effective in eliminating the noise and play. Hope this helps.

The single hitch mobilizer is BX88371 and is available on Amazon here.

The second one is the dual immobilizer that can be purchased here.

 You might also enjoy these posts from Dave 

• Why did my Blue Ox tow bar snap?
• Can I flat-tow my Honda CR-V?
• Can weight distribution hitch bars get weak?
• What is the proper setup of safety chains when towing?
• Warning: Welded hitch broke loose and “toad” took off! Preventable?

Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

Read more from Dave here. 

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