Roadmaster

What Roadmaster does

Roadmaster, Inc. is a family-owned American manufacturer of RV towing and suspension equipment, founded in 1974 by Jerry A. Edwards and headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. The company designs and handcrafts products that enable motorhome owners to flat-tow passenger vehicles (commonly referred to as dinghy towing), including tow bars, vehicle-specific baseplates, supplemental braking systems, suspension and steering components, and supporting accessories such as safety cables, wiring solutions, and protection products. Its portfolio spans more than 1,200 baseplate designs covering over 2,000 vehicle applications, and it produces proprietary supplemental braking platforms including BrakeMaster (direct-connect proportional), Even Brake (portable proportional with wireless monitor), and InvisiBrake (hidden system). The company operates with no institutional or private equity ownership, with the founder still active as Founder & President.

Roadmaster's product engineering is grounded in traditional advanced manufacturing rather than software-driven methods. The company applies Finite Elemental Analysis (FEA), a simulation method also used by NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and GM, to validate designs before prototyping, and subjects tow bars to fatigue testing equivalent to 600,000 road miles. Production is consolidated at the Vancouver facility, where CNC machining, EDM processes, and powder-coat finishing exceeding 500-hour salt spray standards are performed in-house. The company holds multiple patents, including its non-binding tow bar latching mechanism and Freedom Latch technology featured on the Liberty Tow Bar.

Roadmaster sells exclusively through an authorized dealer network and wholesale distributors operating under a Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policy, supplemented by factory-direct phone support and a network of regional factory representatives across the United States. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of towing systems and aftermarket accessories such as second-vehicle kits and replacement parts. End customers are primarily individual RV owners and motorhome enthusiasts who tow 3,000–10,000+ lb vehicles, served through dealers and installers who receive factory training and dealer-portal access. The company also operates the Fitmaster online fitment tool, which provides vehicle-specific compatibility lookups and serves as a digital front door to the dealer network. Operations span the United States and Canada.

Name

Roadmaster

Legal name

Roadmaster, Inc.

Website

https://roadmasterinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Roadmaster, Inc. is a family-owned American manufacturer of RV towing equipment, including tow bars, baseplates, and supplemental braking systems. Founded in 1974 in Vancouver, Washington, it sells exclusively through authorized dealers serving motorhome owners in the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RV Towing Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Brake System Manufacturing (33634), Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (33633)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)

akta.pro primary industry

Recreational Vehicle (RV) Bodies & Towables Manufacturing (IMACAGAJ)

Keywords

• RV towing equipment
• Tow bars manufacturing
• Supplemental braking systems
• Tow bar baseplates
• RV suspension solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Sale of physical towing and suspension products including tow bars, baseplates, braking systems, and accessories. One-time purchase model with products sold through dealer network at MAP pricing.
2. Aftermarket Accessories: Sale of replacement parts, second vehicle kits, second motorhome kits, and accessory products for existing customers upgrading or maintaining their towing systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Roadmaster designs and handcrafts RV towing and suspension equipment at its Vancouver, Washington facility, including motorhome-mounted tow bars, vehicle-specific baseplates, proportional supplemental braking systems, and suspension/steering products. The company manufactures over 1,200 different baseplates fitting more than 2,000 vehicles and complements the hardware portfolio with accessories, wiring kits, fitment tools, and care products sold exclusively through its authorized dealer network.

Product overview

Roadmaster is an American manufacturer of RV towing and suspension equipment, producing over 1,200 different tow bar baseplates for more than 2,000 vehicle applications. The product portfolio centers on four core categories: Tow Bars (including Nighthawk - the world's first illuminated tow bar, Falcon 2, Falcon All Terrain, Sterling All Terrain, Tracker, StowMaster, BlackHawk 2 All-Terrain, and Liberty), Baseplates (direct-connect and crossbar-style), Supplemental Braking Systems (BrakeMaster direct-connect system, Even Brake portable proportional system, and InvisiBrake hidden system, plus BrakeAway emergency component), and Suspension/Steering Solutions (Comfort Ride shocks and springs, Reflex steering stabilizer, Exact Center bracket, anti-sway bars, TruTrac bars). Supporting products include wiring solutions (FuseMaster, diodes), safety accessories (safety cables, quick-disconnects), protection accessories (Guardian rock shield, Tow Defender), care products (Voom), and the Fitmaster online fitment tool. All products are manufactured in the USA at their Vancouver, Washington facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liberty Tow Bar Limited edition motorhome-mounted tow bar with 8,000 lb capacity featuring Freedom Latch technology, multi-functional LED arms, and premium corrosion-resistant construction, designed for RV owners who flat tow heavy vehicles.
• Nighthawk Tow Bar Illuminated tow bar described as the world's first tow bar with integrated advanced safety features for motorhome owners flat towing vehicles.
• Falcon 2 Tow Bar Cost-effective motorhome-mounted tow bar weighing 38 pounds with capacity to pull up to three tons, targeted at RV owners seeking value-oriented flat towing.
• Falcon All Terrain Tow Bar Premium all-terrain tow bar with patented latching mechanism that virtually eliminates binding when detaching the tow bar from the towed vehicle.
• Sterling All Terrain Tow Bar Premium tow bar designed for all-terrain flat towing performance for motorhome owners.
• Tracker Tow Bar Simple and affordable A-frame tow bar with deluxe features including baked-on powder coat finish and sealed tubular arms, targeted at value-conscious RV owners.
• StowMaster Tow Bar Legacy tow bar offering simple storage and reliability for motorhome owners flat towing vehicles.
• BlackHawk 2 All-Terrain Tow Bar Heavy-duty all-terrain tow bar described as the beefiest Roadmaster option for demanding flat towing applications.
• BrakeMaster Braking System Direct supplemental braking system that connects to the motorhome's air or hydraulic braking system for proportional braking of the towed vehicle.
• Even Brake Supplemental Braking System Portable, proportional towed vehicle braking system with wireless monitor and constant self-diagnostic testing that automatically applies brakes in proportion to motorhome deceleration.
• InvisiBrake Hidden Supplemental Braking System Hidden supplemental braking system with set-it-and-forget-it functionality for towed vehicles being flat towed behind motorhomes.
• BrakeAway Emergency Braking System Emergency braking system sold with BrakeMaster that brings a towed vehicle to a controlled stop if separation from the motorhome occurs.
• Tow Bar Baseplates Over 1,200 different vehicle-specific tow bar baseplates for more than 2,000 vehicle applications, including direct-connect and crossbar-style options that mount to the towed vehicle to receive the tow bar.
• Reflex Steering Stabilizer Steering stabilizer that improves vehicle handling and reduces driver fatigue during flat towing behind a motorhome.
• Exact Center Steering Bracket Steering bracket product that ensures proper alignment of the towed vehicle during flat towing behind a motorhome.
• Comfort Ride Shock Absorber Kits Shock absorber kits for improved ride comfort and handling in towed vehicles and motorhomes.
• Comfort Ride Slipper Spring Kits Slipper spring kits designed for enhanced suspension performance on towed vehicles.
• Anti-Sway Bars Anti-sway bars that reduce body roll and improve stability during towing and everyday driving.
• TruTrac Bars Suspension bars that improve handling characteristics on towed vehicles and motorhomes.
• Guardian Rock Shield Rock shield protection accessory mounted on towed vehicles to shield against road debris during flat towing.
• Tow Defender Protection Accessory Protection accessory for towing that shields the motorhome and towed vehicle from road debris.
• Tow Dolly Tow dolly for towing front-wheel-drive vehicles without requiring permanent baseplate installation, ideal as an alternative to flat towing.
• Safety Cables Secondary safety devices connecting the towed vehicle to the motorhome in straight or coiled configurations to prevent runaway in separation events.
• Voom Care Products RV care and cleaning products formulated to maintain towing equipment and accessories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-world fatigue testing to equivalent of 600,000 road miles per tow bar
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wheel MastersminorOthersWheel Masters is referenced as a partner company whose products are offered through Roadmaster's dealer resources. Wheel Masters appears to be a complementary product line for RV accessories that Roadmaster dealers can offer.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Ox: Blue Ox is a direct competitor in RV flat-towing equipment, manufacturing tow bars, baseplates, and supplemental braking systems. They serve the same motorhome owner customer segment with very similar product lines (e.g., Blue Ox Patriot braking system vs. Roadmaster BrakeMaster), making them Roadmaster's closest like-for-like peer.
• Demco: Demco manufactures towing products including tow bars, baseplates, and KarDem accessories for the RV market. They overlap directly with Roadmaster in flat-towing solutions for motorhome owners, especially in baseplates and tow bar product lines.
• B&W Trailer Hitches: B&W manufactures tow bars and trailer hitches with an emphasis on adjustable, heavy-duty solutions. They overlap with Roadmaster's all-terrain and high-capacity tow bar product lines (e.g., BlackHawk 2) and serve similar RV and trailer-towing customers through similar dealer channels.

Broad incumbents

• Curt Manufacturing: Curt is a major manufacturer of towing products (hitches, ball mounts, wiring) serving the broader automotive towing market. While not focused on RV flat-towing, they are a well-established incumbent with adjacent product categories that compete for shelf space at the same dealers that sell Roadmaster products.
• Reese Towpower (Horizon Global): Reese is a legacy towing products brand offering hitches, brake controllers, and tow bars. As a broader towing brand rather than RV-flat-towing specialist, they are a competitor for dealer channel attention and a comparable reference point for the towing parts category.
• Lippert Components: Lippert is the dominant supplier of components to RV OEMs (chassis, axles, slide-outs, leveling systems). While not a tow bar specialist, they are an adjacent RV component manufacturer with massive scale that influences RV industry dynamics and competes for share-of-wallet on RV-adjacent vehicle equipment.
• Draw-Tite: Draw-Tite (a Horizon Global brand) manufactures tow bars, baseplates, and trailer hitches, including products specifically marketed for flat-towing behind motorhomes. They compete directly with Roadmaster in the aftermarket tow bar / baseplate category through shared dealer channels.

Emerging players

• Camco: Camco is a major RV accessories manufacturer producing thousands of products across care, plumbing, electrical, and towing categories. While they don't focus solely on flat-towing like Roadmaster, they distribute through the same RV dealer channels and compete for accessory add-on sales alongside Roadmaster's wiring and towing accessories.
• RVibrake (Full Power Industries): RVibrake makes supplemental braking systems for vehicles flat-towed behind motorhomes - a direct overlap with Roadmaster's BrakeMaster, Even Brake, and InvisiBrake product lines. They focus specifically on the portable braking system niche where Roadmaster's Even Brake also competes.

Others

• etrailer.com: etrailer.com is a leading online retailer and installer of towing products including many competitor tow bars and baseplates. While not a manufacturer, they shape the dealer/D2C channel mix that affects how Roadmaster's products reach end consumers and serve as a comparable benchmark for the broader flat-towing category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RoadmasterTowing
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoadmasterTowing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roadmaster-inc-?trk=hb_tab_compy_id_2991847
• Instagraminstagram.com/roadmaster_inc
• Xx.com/roadmaster_inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roadmaster