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Does a toad lose resale value just by being (obviously) set up for towing? Ie will your Focus be worth less than another similar vehicle showing similar mileage? I have a manual transmission Focus that I’ve been thinking about setting up to tow behind my Class A. Not sure it’s worth the cost of all the needed equipment, wear and tear on the Focus and possible loss of value. “Enterprise will pick you up” has been my motto so far.
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The only wear and tear would be on all the running gear except the engine and transmission. Since the ODOMETER doesn't count the miles, really the only way someone could tell the car had been towed more miles than it's showing is if the shocks, brakes, suspension, etc. were worn out or excessively worn. I wouldn't worry too much about it because I doubt it would impact the car enough to be able to tell. I also considered just renting a car but then thought about being out on the open road in a remote area, maybe breaking down or somewhere not close to an area to rent a car so I wanted the peace of mind knowing I wasn't at the mercy of someone else. In my case, I had to buy another car just for towing, well, I didn't HAVE to but wanted to. I could have towed my Wrangler but it's jacked up with big tires and it's a standard which my wife can't drive. I didn't want to tow my heavy truck which weighs 6,000 lbs. although the MH has the capacity. The Focus is small enough that you can't tell it's back there, yet big enough to haul 4 people. I spent about $3,000 on my set up and did all the work myself. While not cheap, you figure if you spend $200 each time you rent a car, if you go on 5 trips a year, in about three years you'll recoup your money. But again, peace of mind, it being your own vehicle, not having to worry about if you have an accident, the rental car getting dings or scratches, etc., etc. all weigh in as well.
If I were in your situation, I'd go the tow route since owning a MH and traveling is all about freedom to do as you want. Good luck!