I believe that if you spend the day away from your campground in a tow, you have lost all the conveniences the RV offers, esp the ability to bring dogs with you and use the on-board genset for their air-conditioning needs while you shop, eat, or take a tour.
+1
This past Saturday, we took our small C to a festival at a small city about 100 miles away. Spent the whole day there. It was great having a place to come back to where we could fire up the A/C and rest a spell. Also great to have a clean bathroom whenever we needed one.
Sure, it was only a day-trip and we could have taken one of our other vehicles, but we love traveling in our small C, even for the times when we don't really need a motorhome. So whether it's a one day trip or a much longer one, we like having our MH with us when we go places, and prefer it over something that could be considered a toad.
Yes, sometimes. But, when it really limits us we rent a car at our destination. We've done this in Florida when we have full hookups and want to get out. We generally will rent a car for only a portion of our stay and generally stay in places where we can be pretty happy just hanging out. We also rented a car to drive around Yellowstone since our 31ft MH wasn't a good option for touring the park.
This question is like which came first chicken or egg. There really any answer it depends on each persons ideas and freedom they want. Some of us hook up sewer,awning and lights.ele.cable,water, then if you need to travel drop everything and pick up every thing inside, and secure stuff before moving coach. I never would travel any where with out my toad and people with pedal bikes going shopping, the way we shop that won't work being in woods traveling some time 20 miles each way. LOL
We thought, when we first bought our 24ft Class C, that we might want a toad. Two years later we know we don't. Compared to to driving a pickup and towing a fifth wheel, just driving a large van-like vehicle with no toad is SO much easier.
We have a Sprinter motor home and get about 16 to 17 mpg, so errand running is not an expensive deal for us (compared to the truck), and we like going to local attractions and having the house nearby for a quick lunch, rest or bathroom break, or to grab something needed. In fact, when we had the truck and fifth wheel, we found that we'd go back to the park for those things and then leave again, which got tedious.
It is so easy to leave the campsite. We generally fill our freshwater tank and then don't need to leave the hose connected. Leaving just entails unplugging the electric (if we have been using it for the AC; otherwise we don't even need to plug in), pulling in the slide and driving off. We leave the picnic tablecloth and lawn chairs out, and have never had our site disturbed.
For us, the expense of maintaining a second vehicle would not be worth it, but if you find that you often camp near crowded urban areas with no parking for a motor home, you may want one.
We see more and more small motor homes when we go camping now, and I would say that the vast majority do not have toads.
People who belong to social camping clubs like to drive around to local restaurants and attractions in their toads. People who often like to "go shopping" in nearby towns, while camped, often "feel a need" for a toad. We have never towed and never felt the need. It takes 5 minutes to disconnect and drive away in your Class C . Parking is not usually a problem at restaurants and attractions, antique stores, etc. Enterprise, etc. will often deliver a rental car to an RV park so you can tour cities like Boston that are not RV friendly.
The added expense and complication, not being able to back up, etc., with a toad are more problem than convenience to us but that's just us.
Jim Shoe hit the nail on the head. We are also travelers and feel we need a toad. When we had a TT, we had the truck to sight see with but never liked the 15? mpg. Now with the class C the toad gets 27-30 mpg, the MH gets 9. We leave the MH in camp for 2-4 nights and use the car to see everything within 50+ miles before moving on.
Class C, 2004/5 Four Winds Dutchman Express 28A, Chevy chassis
2010 Subaru Impreza Sedan
Camped in 45 states, 7 Provinces and 1 Territory
There is another side what ever you get for MPG on you coach, my 3 cylinder Geo metro gets 40 MPG no brain drain here. Saves money to do other things I really hate giving money the crooked oil company's and there buddy's.
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