Considering a Toad: What should I know first?

[jklbus01]

Last August we moved from a 28ft class C to a 36ft class A Gas motorhome. I said I needed a year before I'd feel comfortable towing. Now that time is approaching. We have only been RVing for 5 or 6 years, and neither of us has ever towed anything. We're at that Unconscious/Incompetent state; we don't know what we don't know. So I'm reaching out to all of my fellow Thor owners.

In considering the purchase of a flat-towing vehicle, what factors should I consider aside from price?
In terms of towing equipment, what are the requirements and preferred brands?
In terms of driving behind a 36ft Class A, what kind of impact does it have when turning?
Is there anything I may not have considered? What should we know about towing a vehicle that you wish you'd known earlier?

Thank you for your expertise.

 

[16ACE27]

TOADs can be towed one of 3 ways:
Flat towed - all 4 wheels on the ground - This can only be done with cars that the manufacturer has designed/engineered/evaluated and allowed to be flat towed
On a dolly with the front wheels off the road - This can be done with many Front Wheel Drive cars, almost no AWD cars, and many of the same flat tow cars.
On a trailer with all wheels off the road - this can be done with any car that fits the trailer and weight requirements.

Most people like to flat tow and many have dolly towed only to change to flat towing after finding how much easier it is.
Make sure your prospective TOAD can be flat towed or dolly towed by referring to the Owners Manual. It will list the procedure in either case.

Make sure your prospective TOAD meets your needs for side adventures. A family of 4 won't work in a Smart Car. That Chevy Sonic won't work well on those off roading trails in Utah.

Because of the long overhang behind the rear wheels the TOAD will go anywhere the RV will. And do to the large weight difference, most likely will not be felt behind the MH. If you can maneuver that MH into the gas station lane, the TOAD will follow you tire tracks and not clip the corner of the pump like a trailer behind a pickup truck.

Preferred brands? They all do the job. The big difference is in the choice of type of braking system: Permanently installed in the TOAD with minimum hook-up or portable with a little more hook-up.
And lighting systems which range from magnetic wireless systems to systems wired into the TOAD's lighting system.

 

[Beau388]

As Ted said flat towing (4 down) is the best all-around tow method. The setup price is high (base plate, tow bar, diodes in the towed taillight wiring, aux braking system and labor). I chose dolly towing because I tow multiple cars and a truck. There are no base plates made for any of my old cars. A trailer would better for the towed, but what do you do with the trailer when you get there? The dolly fits under the rear overhang of the coach, so I am only 35' long when parked. Only a few state RV parks have spots under 35'. I barely fit in a 50' pull-through when hooked up.

There is also the rental car method. When I had an UltraVan, we often used Enterprise, because they will come out and pick you up at the campground and give you a ride back to the campground when you turn the car back in.

 

[pwoods]

Towed trailers for 29 years before getting a MH and toad. Have had 2 toads in past 4 years and I agree you won’t notice them behind you in terms of performance (maybe a little longer braking). Just make sure you are well within your weight limits (hitch and rig).

We chose 4-down and Demco Stay-n-Play for ease of hitching and unhitching but it did cost a lot. We can hook up in about 5 minutes.

 

[Lt Keefer]

I would suggest you start with an older vehicle. Learn on something that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Any brand of towing equipment will satisfy your desires. You can also find a fabricator to create a base plate. My first toad was an old Isuzu Trooper. I had a local fabricator build a base plate. We learned a great deal and then sold it before we moved on to a new dinghy. As others have said, anyplace you can take your 36 footer you can take your toad. None of the toads I have had have impacted my travel plans, stops, or range.

 

[GTM41261]

Jeeps are popular as the still have a manual transfer case to shift into neutral. As the others have said they pretty much track behind you. You do not back up with them though. figure around $3000 to $3500 for the tow equipment and then labor to install. If you are handy it's not that bad of a install.

 

[k_enn]

Keep in mind that if you are flat towing, you cannot back up with the towed vehicle attached to the RV. That will damage the tow bars at a minimum.

If you are flat towing a towed vehicle with a manual transmission, make sure it is in neutral.

If you are flat towing, you will need a braking system for your towed vehicle. Not only is it a good idea, it is legally required.

 

[Vv11b40]

Last August we moved from a 28ft class C to a 36ft class A Gas motorhome. I said I needed a year before I'd feel comfortable towing. Now that time is approaching. We have only been RVing for 5 or 6 years, and neither of us has ever towed anything. We're at that Unconscious/Incompetent state; we don't know what we don't know. So I'm reaching out to all of my fellow Thor owners.

In considering the purchase of a flat-towing vehicle, what factors should I consider aside from price?
In terms of towing equipment, what are the requirements and preferred brands?
In terms of driving behind a 36ft Class A, what kind of impact does it have when turning?
Is there anything I may not have considered? What should we know about towing a vehicle that you wish you'd known earlier?

Thank you for your expertise.

I have a 38kb toyhauler. Didn't want to tow anything. Well, fiancee doesn't like 2 wheelers so I bought a used jeep wrangler automatic with 124k on it. Been flat towing for 3k now and I never know it's there. Hasn't affected gas mileage either. Turning is easy since the jeep is narrower than the mh. Glad I went to towing since it's Hot in AZ. Much more comfortable in a vehicle sightseeing with the air on. Oh, love the jeep for some off roading.

 

[Ge01]

Consider a 4x4 where the steering wheel does not lock. I have a Ram 1500 4x4 without locking steering wheel. That way I dont need to leave the ignition on when towing. I have a dolly as well for towing my front wheel drive cars. DO NOT dolly a Ram. Can't do it. I didn't try but just saying. Plus having a pickup in tow gives you more storage space for all yer camping stuff!

 

[Vv11b40]

I bought the bluox tow system with the brake system for the jeep. Pricey but glad I got it with all the hills out here that requires braking.

 

[NOMO925]

Flat towing is definitely the way to go unless as stated above, you have multiple vehicles. We use Blue Ox tow bars and they are great. On and off in 5 minutes. The tow pulls right behind and does not affect turning radius. You might feel it when braking or on steep terrain but other than a slight dip in fuel effeciency you probably won't know its there. Regarding vehicles, there are a lot to choose from based on how you will use it when unhooked. Pay particular attention to labor regarding wiring harnesses, braking systems, fuse disconnect switches, etc.

 

[ducksface]

You'll want to rent a jeep wrangler and put a weekend of driving in to it.


Noise
Handling
Road
Seating
More noise
Air leaks
The WIDER your butt is, the HIGHER a Jeep seems.(Ingress is problem)

They're a bit cultist long before they're a bit adequate.

 

[Jubilee Life]

I've been towing with a dolly because I didn't want to purchase a new vehicle. After three years of full timing I'm looking for a vehicle to flat tow. Crawling under the car to hook and unhook during travel days is a pain especially when the weather isn't cooperating. I've done a little research and it looks like the DEMCO system would be best but I've only met RVers that use BluOx. Any insight would be great here. Also anyone tow a Ford Mustang Hybrid?

 

[DogLovers]

Look it's very simple. A 36' V10 gas RV will tow lighter vehicles with ease. Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Jeep CJ Series and a few others will flat tow with zero issues. Best of all you won't even know they are back there when turning and driving. Easiest gear to use is the BluOx setup and a good electric brake set up. You can hook up or unhook the car in less than 90 seconds. Just remember when you flat tow there is NO backing up, not even a little.

 

[The Rookie]

With a 4-down towing setup, is the weight on the hitch near zero?

 

[PS89]

With a 4-down towing setup, is the weight on the hitch near zero?

If your tow bar is level, the weight on the hitch while not moving is about half the weight of the tow bar and all your cables. The other half will be on the toad's base plate.

 

[rudyhehn]

You are smart to ask around before getting into towing a vehicle. We have a 33 foot Diesel Palazzo. Our first towed was a Honda CR-V but they can no longer be towed 4 down. Our current is a Ford Escape hybrid.
--I agree with those above. We love having a vehicle available.
--Flat towing is much easier than dolly towing.
--As noted be sure your vehicle is towable 4 down. For example, the 2024 Ford Escape non-hybrid is not towable but the hybrid is. And the plug-in hybrid is a problem due to the larger battery interfering with the baseplate. Check the owner's manual and research baseplates from Demco or BluOx.
--We elected to use a car that is a good in town vehicle rather than a jeep but there are trade offs either way.
--It will cost $1500 or so to get a baseplate installed and lights wired. Unless you are unusually handy this is a pro level job.
--A portable braking system costs $750. Lots of threads about pros and cons of braking systems. For safety and legal reasons you need a braking system.
--Hooking up and detaching is fast. We use a checklist. We can hook and unhook in 5 minutes, and you do not need to store the dolly or trailer.
--We don't notice much driving change with our towed. A bit slower to accelerate. Longer length when accessing gas stations or parking. Need to unhook before entering your campsite. Max speed 65mph. minimal changes with turning.
--Your hitch weight is only a hundred pounds or so, but you are towing and braking 4-5000#. Check your RV specs.
--We use BlueOX tow bar and lighting kit.
--The only negative is it does take a few minutes to hook up and take down. Also we check the towed when we stop to rest and you need to plan ahead for restaurants, etc.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Consider what you'll be using the towed vehicle for. Grocery runs? Going into town to sightsee? Always on decent paved roads? If so, I recommend avoiding Jeeps. Get a comfortable small sedan. Remember... with a Jeep you are required to attend weekly indoctrinations and carry a "cult card".

I happened to have my Jeep TJ (which I almost sold a few years back) parked in the garage... rarely driven. It's an older TJ, built before the cult existed. It's probably the easiest to setup for flat towing. So... it's our towed. We boondock a lot, so it's great for recon into boondocking areas. However... it's noisy, rides rough and is NOT fun on freeways. Newer jeeps might be better... but they have been completely redesigned.

If you're buying used, go test drive a good variety and narrow down your choice.

EDIT addendum... my remarks above generally refer to the Jeep Wrangler model. Other Jeeps are more SUV-like... our daughter has a new Grand Cherokee, which definitely is NOT "your father's Jeep"... it just happens to have a Jeep badge.

 

[16ACE27]

I'll add to CN's post above and say there are plenty of 4WD vehicles that aren't Jeeps that ride like luxury vehicles and can be towed 4 down if an off-road vehicle checks your box. Our Colorado drives better than our 2WD Silverado did and tows great as well.

 

[Peter J 5]

Last August we moved from a 28ft class C to a 36ft class A Gas motorhome. I said I needed a year before I'd feel comfortable towing. Now that time is approaching. We have only been RVing for 5 or 6 years, and neither of us has ever towed anything. We're at that Unconscious/Incompetent state; we don't know what we don't know. So I'm reaching out to all of my fellow Thor owners.

In considering the purchase of a flat-towing vehicle, what factors should I consider aside from price?
In terms of towing equipment, what are the requirements and preferred brands?
In terms of driving behind a 36ft Class A, what kind of impact does it have when turning?
Is there anything I may not have considered? What should we know about towing a vehicle that you wish you'd known earlier?

Thank you for your expertise.

A couple years ago we decided to flat tow vs tow our escape suv on a trailer. The trailer mode worked very well, but was more set up and break down time consuming.
I looked for a jeep product because the jeep line offers vehicles that can be flat towed and can tow 6,000 pounds, and are a luxury ride for general use.
We use wood pellets for home supplemental heat, so with the 7,000 lb capacity trailer and 6,000 lb towing capable vehicle we’d be in good shape.
Jeep has an incredible variety of vehicles. However I found 3 models that met our requirements. Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and overlander. Also wagoneer. We found a used 2021 trailhawk ~33,000 miles in n our price range. We bought it.
To make it physically towable we had to install a towing system to connect our 24’ Thor magnitude ga 22 class c rv to our jeep. The Jeep needed a base plate, tow bar assembly (Curt), safety cables, braking system (blue ox), integral emergency runaway braking signal system, wiring for 7 way to 6 way signal/charging purpose and voltage regulator to monitor rv to automobile battery charging. We had it installed complete for $4,500 and it works flawlessly.
Our class c rv handles the jeep well but I feel it, nothing major but keeping it real.
We have traveled over 8,000 miles with our rv and jeep. No issues.
Have hawled 3 loads of 2 x 1 ton pallets of wood pellets handily.
Curiously our rv typically gets 10.2-10.5 mpg. Nothing changed while towing the jeep. Maybe we go up hills and down hills about the same??? Very unscientific, but the only thing I can guess.

Hope this report helps your decision making.
any questions please fire away.