any good advice about towing a car

Just got back from towing a Pontiac Vibe for 2500 miles. Never towed a car behind a motorhome. First motre home. Had it a month and had the car hooked up on a Friday and left Monday!
Only problem I had was they were suppose to hook up a charge line. Newmar lays in the wires, but doesn't hook up the charge line. So they assumed it was hooked up. I used the car almost every day. But coming home we did not disconnect it much. In Nevada my car battery was dead. I had to leave the key on ACC to unlock the wheel. So for about 400 miles I had no brakes in my tow car. Make sure your charge line works.

I have toad Saturns for years. Never a problem. That said. I have used a few rattle stoppers on the receiver and found that most do not work that well.
The main reason is that most depend on the rattle stopper to take the load not the receiver itself. This does not work very long. The best and most effective hold the hitch down against bottom of the receiver just as the hitch down pressure does.

The reason for posting this is, when I towed a friends car on a tow dolly I found that any play in the hitch would allow the tow dolly to try to fish tail. The tail wagging the dog. (Not my dolly, so did not try to fix)

You may want to consider a rattle stopper when towing.

Google: StowAway-Tightener-Anti-Rattle-Stabilizer

You have a diesel so use the big truck stops. They fill fast and no worries about 'will I fit'. You will.

If you're going to be in one place the whole time, do one last fill as close as you can to your stay and add a stabilizer.

I pushed a 35 ft Winnebago with a Sebring convertible for a couple years ago. Only two complaints I had was straps coming loose and not being able to back up. Lol just start planning for your next tow vehicle now and a blue ox tow bar. Me?.... I went with a fifth wheel cause I hated towing a car and I really miss a class a. We will see what a few years brings. Otherwise driving with it was no big deal. Keep an eye on car with back up camera.

Some tow practices we use.
1. For me, a rear view camera is essential. Without it I can't see the towd at all.
2. I try to fill the MH while the towd is not attached. Our routine when leaving a campsite is for me to fuel the MH, my wife takes the car, picks up breakfast or groceries and we meet in a large flat parking area.
3. Unless absolutely sure you can make it, do not try doing u-turns!
Have a designated box or bag for all the straps, pins, locks etc. you need for hooking up. Include a check list and a pair of work gloves.
4. First few times, instead of a few miles before checking, I would check after a block or so. Give it a firm braking then check all the attachments, car and dolly.

Norm's 2 cents

darsben1 wrote:

ricelake922 wrote:
Thank you to everyone for your responses. Very very helpful. I understand that there are numerous rest areas on the way to Florida from Ontario. Can a RV 40' towing a car stay overnight at the rest areas?

If you are coming down 81 the first rest area past Watertown exit 44 will hold you nicely in the truck area.
Your next opportunity for a rest area on 81 is about 30 miles north of Binghamton near Whitney point.
After that there is a brand new rest area at Halstead PA and a little further down the road at Gibson, PA is a FlyingJ. They will all hold your rig.

And, if you are traveling on I-81, you can overnight at the Mohegan Sun Casino just off the interstate near Scranton, PA..

ricelake922 wrote:
Thank you to everyone for your responses. Very very helpful. I understand that there are numerous rest areas on the way to Florida from Ontario. Can a RV 40' towing a car stay overnight at the rest areas?

If you are coming down 81 the first rest area past Watertown exit 44 will hold you nicely in the truck area.
Your next opportunity for a rest area on 81 is about 30 miles north of Binghamton near Whitney point.
After that there is a brand new rest area at Halstead PA and a little further down the road at Gibson, PA is a FlyingJ. They will all hold your rig.

For me, sharp right turns in cities are more difficult than lefts. You want to be sure not to cut the corner. Set up the mirrors and/or cameras so you can see the curb or edge of the road, and also the toad as you round the curve.

In most cases, 90 degree turns require more than one lane to complete.

As stated several times above, I find my biggest challenge is when fueling. You have a large fuel tank which means you can be a bit pickier on where you fuel up. Before I start my trips, I identify potential fuel stops and use google maps satellite and street view to see if I will be able to maneuver at the pumps or pass it up. Also, I have sat and waited for an end pump to come open rather than try to jam my rig into an inside pump with less room.

2chiefsRus is right about checking the tie down straps. it is a good idea to do so after 50 miles or so. You can always go to utube and type towing with MH and you will get a hundred different videos on how to do it