Recommended Tow Set-Ups (Brands) for the Toad

Chevy Sonic except the RS model can be flat towed with the automatic.
@ 2700-2800#
I have the 5-dr hatchback which offers a lot of storage or seating for 4 if needed .

If you use the ignition in the "ON" position to release the steering wheel it will NOT record towed mileage. If you click one more click the "RUN" position then it will record mileage. You have that option.

Tow bar : Blue Ox Alpha 6k with baseplate.

Brakes: Brake Buddy II, sits on the floor , attaches to the pedal.
Works well and the $1200 cost can be transferred to any vehicle down the road.

Lights: hardwired a 7 way plug under the hood to accept a separate charge from rv to car. Also ran separate wires thru it to the rear taillight housing where new holes where drilled to accept 1157 bulbs for brake/tail/running lights. That way I avoided cutting into the cars electrical system.
When I run at night I turn on the cars running lights to offer more amber illumination.

my DW says it tows real smooth allowing her to do her needlepoint in peace n quiet. :E:B

I wanted a fairly light toad, but under 2500 pounds limits you to vehicles with very little room inside and are frequently uncomfortable. If you can do 2800 pounds you can do a Kia Soul. Very roomy and with the back seats flat offer a lot of storage. Needs a manual tranny though.

Curious how you arrived at the 2500 lbs. Is that based on the calculation of your tow capacity? That's a pretty light tow vehicle and really limits your shopping. I can only think of a few cars that are even that light let alone towable. Cars like the Spark, Fiat 500, Accent, Versa, and the Yaris are the only new cars I know of and they all have limitations based on transmission. Good luck.

Blue Ox. They can provide all the hardware you'll need to tow 4 down (flat, no dolly or trailer), and their product support is great, in my experience. I'm not sure how they fare as far as price goes, but I think they're worth it.

Under 2500 pounds is a light weight tow vehicle. It will not be stressing any available tow bar. Seemingly, it then boils down to what tow bar is most friendly to use for the particular vehicle you are towing. You do need to make sure your tow vehicle can be towed and the tow bar you select also has an available tow bar bracket specifically designed for your vehicle.

As far as a tow brake is concerned, your available options will get your head spinning. There are pros and cons to each. Some are installed and left in for-good. Others are less intrusive and can be used in various tow vehicles, but can be cumbersome because you remove them before driving the vehicle.

Any tow bar and tow brake setup will require a minimum of
- tow bar
- tow bar bracket (permanently installed on your tow vehicle)
- 2 safety cables (colored light blue in the picture below)
- umbilical cord (for tow brake and tow vehicle lighting, the red coily)

Many setups will also have a thin break-away cable (see picture) which activates the tow brake in the event of a total accidental separation between vehicles while being towed.

Pending vehicle height mismatch, you may require a hitch riser (see picture), then "Quiet Hitch" brackets are recommended (also in the picture)

If the tow brake installation is done cheap and dirty, you could have an additional umbilical cord to support the tow brake independent of lighting.



The above picture is our setup, a 4300 pound 2006 Jeep Liberty towed by a 2007 E350 chassis, a Phoenix Cruiser 2350 motor home with a 5000 pound hitch. I installed a UNIFIED TOW BRAKE, a system that is installed and left inside our Liberty all the time.

Our previous tow vehicle was a 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder that weighed 2100 pounds. We got by without a tow braking system which to be honest with you, was marginal. Surprisingly, that light weight vehicle pushed hard when braking the motor home.

As already suggested. Checkout Dinghy Towing

Search on dinghy towing with the year of vehicle you're examining and a variety of links from good Sam, motorhome magazine, and trailer life magazine, will show up. These are confirmed by the mfg, and flat towing is probably easiest/ fastest. If you don't drive a manual, your choices decrease, and at that weight you're in a small car or SUV. Lots of smart cars, Fiats, etc get towed and your rig won't even notice. We pull a full size sedan on a dolly without trouble.