We have a 23'-8" motor home and we tow a Jeep Liberty as seen in my signature picture. Our trips focus mainly on national parks and monuments. A regular vehicle can park easily at all pull-offs. A motorhome has to pass up many over-looks and trail-heads. We don't want to miss out on the very things we came to enjoy.
The trail head parking lot to Longs Peak and Chasm lake is one of many good examples of why a motorhome alone is a serious problem. Why miss out on this because you can't park your motorhome?
After a year or so traveling without a toad, we had the same question. Here's what we did. We selected a camp site about 200 miles away and my wife followed the MH with our Honda CRV.
The conclusion was we really liked the freedom the extra car gave us so we had it set up to tow, 4 down.
Sometimes we tow, sometimes not. It depends on the destination. We like having the option.
Trade offs:
It cost about a mile per gallon towing, but you make it up using the car for sightseeing.
Slows you down going up the hills.
An extra piece of equipment you need to learn how to use. You do have to be careful hitching up. The consequences for not being careful can be very expensive!
Extra wear and tear on the tow car.
Your overall length has increased considerably and you definitely need to plan entrances and exits to parking areas and gas stations.
You can go places the MH can't. Ex- downtown parking/driving is very difficult.
Folks can opt to stay "home" while others drive around.
The quick run for s'mores stuff doesn't mean packing up the whole rig.
You can go to remote spots like Ron Dittmer's photo post.
The toad can be used to carry extra stuff, bulky jackets, hobby supplies, and you can put a bike rack on the back of it. I have a rack on my Honda so I can carry my motorbike.
Do you need a toad? No, just like you don't "need" a motorhome.
Jim Shoe wrote: If you intend to do sightseeing, I'd say take the toad. If you plan to tour the Black Hills, you won't be able to drive many parts of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Highway. One lap around Yellowstone is 140 miles.More like in excess of 250, but your point is well taken,I did those miles in my Kia at 34 mpg vs 8 in the MH The difference in gas cost will pay for a campground for a night. In the Tetons, driving to the top of Signal Mountain wouldn't be much fun. You won't be allowed to drive the Going to the Sun hwy. in Glacier. If you intend to see some cities and towns, parking on the street at meters won't work and neither will parking garages.
As Jim says, there are a lot of places you won't be able to, or won't want to see in a MH, while in Glacier, I wouldn't want to miss Polebridge, Bowman Lake or Kintla, but no way would I want to drive up that dirt road in my MH.
2007 Forester 2941DS
2005 KIA Spectra
Zamboni, Long Haired Mini Dachshund
You can have my RV, when you pry my cold dead fingers from the Steering Wheel
You have a very good and valid question.
We have asked the same (never here) and done many different things over the years and miles.
You ask if it is a hassle to tow a car....
..In Spades.. Add about an extra half hour to departure - every time.
Not all cars can be towed 4-down (on its own wheels) so, that will require a tow dolly. You had better have one with brakes as that is now required in most states. If the car of choice can be towed 4-down, you still need a remote braking system (not cheap) and a tow bar and base plate (which is specific to the vehicle). In any case, you will have to rig tail lights for the toad.
They make maneuvering the rig in tight places much more difficult. The additional fuel is not insignificant in out size rigs.
If you are traveling in a smaller coach (like yours and mine) a toad is just another thing to be in the way. You can drive your rig any place other people can drive a stretch van (except for vertical clearance). We were once in a Walmart lot when a four door long bed pickup parked near us. He was not a whole foot shorter and I know his turning radius was more.
As to actually Needing a toad.
Are you going to tour a national park or other very scenic venue?
You might consider it.
Otherwise, forget it and use the bicycles. If you are going to stay in an urban area for a few days (we try to avoid this), call a rental company. Some will even bring you the car.
Wouldn't it be handy for collecting provisions? Not really
If one is actually capable of planning, provisions can be collected in your travel. The only time I really had to do anything was when I was silly enough to run out of bourbon because we had company the day before.
Do I have a vehicle set up as a toad?
Yes
Have I used it in the last four years and 20000 miles of excursions. Yes, less than two hundred miles total, and that, only because it was there.
Not a good return on the near 2000$us it cost for the brakes, towbar and lights. And I installed all that stuff myself, if you have it done, it could cost twice that.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie
A sailor, his bride and their black dog going to see some dry places that have Geocaches in a coach made the year we married.
I love my toad. I would not leave home without it.It gives me freedom to move around easily with out moving MH.
If you can aford it buy a second hand vehical just for a toad. My cost for set up was $1000 for set up. All second hand stuff.
"Not all cars can be towed 4-down (on its own wheels) so, that will require a tow dolly. You had better have one with brakes as that is now required in most states."
" MOST states"?? I don't think that is QUITE true...
Not all cars can be towed on a dolly, either.
In fact, some can't be towed at all, without expensive modifications, and must be put on a trailer.
I enjoy having my Jeep with me, and take it almost every time we hit the road in the Tioga.
CM1, USN (RET)
2002 Fleetwood Southwind 32V, Ford V10
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
Other toad: '06 PT Cruiser, Kar Kaddy dolly
Toy: 1977 Dodge W100 CC SWB, 3/4 ton axles & springs
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"
To toad or not to toad, that is the question. In my experience, it depends on what type of camping my wife and I are going to be doing. If the trip involves camping at a site that has a variety of extracurricular activities available nearby, then most likely we will not. If, on the other hand, the site does not have ready access to such activities, then in most cases, we will.
For example, when we camp at the Powell campground on the Lochsa River in Northern Idaho we do not take the toad because the types of activities we enjoy (hiking, river access, dining at the Lodge, etc.) are readily available nearby. However, when we stay at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone this summer, we will tow our Ford Fiesta. We will use the RV Park as a base camp and use the Fiesta to tour the park. The better maneuverability and gas mileage of the Fiesta (Class C motorhome = 9 mpg; Fiesta = 40+ mpg) together with the convenience of not having to break camp every day justifies (for us) towing the car in this situation. Since the toad does not substantially affect the motorhome mileage and we use the Fiesta as our principal vehicle at home, I think it can be reasonably argued that the additional cost of towing is comparable to or less than that of renting a car. (The towing setup – Blue Ox base plate and Ready Brute Elite tow bar/braking system – cost about $1500 and I installed them myself. With this setup, it takes us 5 minutes or less to connect and disconnect the toad.)
I have towed on my last 3 MHs and can't tell the difference in fuel mileage with a car behind or not. I am also the guy who has every drop of gas and every dollar in the little book on the dash. I takes me about an extra 5 minutes to hook up the car at a CG. The car is already wired for the tow lights and braking system so it is just a matter of plugging in the cable from the MH to the car, hooking up the tow bar and safety chains and go. If it is raining I may be a little quicker.
2003 Newmar Mountain Aire, Workhorse W22, 2008 Saturn Vue, Falcon 5250, & US Gear Unified Tow Brake
bsinmich wrote: I have towed on my last 3 MHs and can't tell the difference in fuel mileage with a car behind or not. I am also the guy who has every drop of gas and every dollar in the little book on the dash. I takes me about an extra 5 minutes to hook up the car at a CG. The car is already wired for the tow lights and braking system so it is just a matter of plugging in the cable from the MH to the car, hooking up the tow bar and safety chains and go. If it is raining I may be a little quicker.
I agree, that's about what it takes.
Class C, 2004/5 Four Winds Dutchman Express 28A, Chevy chassis
2010 Subaru Impreza Sedan
Camped in 45 states, 7 Provinces and 1 Territory
I have 82 k in my 23.8 with no toad
When you tow you no longer have a small rig ,more like a 40 foot rig
It will tell were you can and can not go
Twice as much$$ for toll roads
Whant to stock on more food take 6 parking spots
You see a cheep gas make sure theirs room fo a 40 ft rig
In Calif car pool lanes in the fast lane
I was in the Carolinas at aRV park an me the folks next to us
in the morning we went to visit a Plantion 25 miles away there the folks were with their toad 50 mi round trip .Ijust kept on trucking to the next stop
I have all around Utah ,Colorado most dirt roads can be traveled in a small rig
Spent two dayes on the north rim off the Grand Canyon watched a wonderfull sun set watchet the chaning colers and a lovely sun rise
Go to Truck Campers and read Sleepys poast 598 pages he just had a poast off 1000 nights with no camp grounds His rig is 25ft on the stub when went to Nova Scotia wonder what it would cost with a 40 ft rig
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