Thor Forums

[Laco]

Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your coach purchase!

The ultimate resource for cars to tow is the annual Motorhome Magazine Dhingy Gude. Here's the site: http://webcontent.goodsam.com/motorh...inghyGuide.pdf A quick check shows either of these can be towed.

We had Blue Ox on our first car, then when we set up our newer car, Roadmaster was the only available option. Blue Ox and Roadmaster are both great companies with great products. The folks at etrailer.com will help guide you. Check the baseplate prices for both the cars you are considering. Shop around on the hardware and the install. If the installer can get the hardware for the same price you can, you might as well let them make a little on the margin.

When we started towing our Miata ten years ago, I installed a Unified Tow Brake system, which mounts to both the car and the coach. (No longer sold.) Some like the Brake Buddy type units, which you have to put in the car each time you hook up. If you want a system that you permanently mount to the car, check out Roadmaster's Invisibrake. Very similar to our 10 yr old UTBrake.

Word of caution, when you flat tow, you CAN'T BACK UP, more than a couple of feet, and only if you go straight back. It takes a bit more planning to get in and out of gas stations and any parking area. It wasn't cheap to set it all up and connect the brake and turn lights, but we intended to tow for a lot of years and a lot of miles. Traveling without a car would Not really cramp our style, the way we like to travel.

Unified brake, or U.S. Gear braking systems are still available. I just had my U.S. Gear unified braking system moved from my former coach to a little Gemini we just bought. The Tech managed to connect things backward, and blew the controller in the car and in the coach. Parts are still readily available, fortunately. Now the reality is towing with the Gemini is not exactly like towing with our former diesel pusher, but possible, though I don't think I'm going to tow over any major mountain ranges. It is useful for local towing and short trips that don't involve a lot of climbing or descending. One positive of the Gemini is its small enough that it fits in parking lots, so stocking up on the road is possible, not really an option with the big pusher.