Rethinking our Toad plan

Try it without a toad, talk to toad users, then decide. No rush. There are alternatives such as renting a car when and if you need one, shuttle busses in urban areas, tour buses, walking tours, etc. You can't park an RV in Boston and some other place. We have never had a desire to tow but are mostly campers.

I wont go without the ... TOAD ... If I go and breakdown in the middle of no place and the cell phone does not work and I have to set forever for someone to come along... or like several places we have been (small towns) do not have rental companies, so you have to bike, walk or thumb to get someplace. And if you have a emergency, you have to breakdown the campsite to go.... Life is so much easier with a TOAD.

Since I'm single, my first RV was a Class 'B' Roadtrek. One feature was that everything did double duty. The dinette was also the bed. The toilet was also a clothes closet. And the shower was in the kitchen. That just became a PITA, making the switch, often more than once a day. The big problem was sightseeing. When I left the CG, my spot was often taken when I returned. So I traded for a 'C' and a Jeep Toad for sightseeing. I'm happy with this setup, but its hard to know how you're going to RV before you begin.

I like it both ways. On some trips we can get by without a car and carry bicycles instead. I realize that hooking up the car isn't the most horrible job around, but being able to just get up and go without worrying if the towbar is secure, checking if the lights work, running the engine as required by Honda, etc., is a big relief. For other destinations we just won't see what we want to without the car, and I'm happy to pull it, with the benefit justifying the extra hassle.

to see things from another angle, 25' delivery trucks run all over urban streets and parking spaces all day long.

maybe all that it takes in an intensive immersion in a site-filled place like gatlinburg or san antone to get the hang of it

We've thought about this a lot as well. Our new Sunseeker has a 5000 lb towing capacity, where our Four Winds had a 3500 lb capacity. Our potential toad is a 2012 Canyon crew cab, weighing in at 4200 lbs.
Now that we are 3 feet shorter, we'll have a much easier time poking our noses into the places we go, so it lessens the need for a toad. Yet, we now have the capacity to tow!
We may set up the Canyon to tow, then may tow on certain trips where we'll stay for a few days and yet desire the mobility of the toad.

As others have said, it'll depend on your usage models. There are conveniences and inconveniences both ways.

A lot depends upon why you RV. We RV so we can see the country side where we are. This would be difficult without a toad. We just got back from a cross country trip. we drove around Coco beach, Florida, drove around Charleston and Savannah, etc. None of which can be done easily without a toad. One word of caution. If you connect the toad 4 down, you can't back up, so you need to be prepared for that. Also, be sure to check the manual of the toad you get to be sure you can tow it 4 down

jjrbus wrote:
I use to have a 35' diesel pusher and towed a Ford Windstar van. Who wants to go out running around in something that gets 7mpg and does not fit anyplace?

Now I have a 21' Toyota based RV and will be taking a trip with it. It is incapable of towing anything so not an issue. I am wondering how this will work out.
Jim

Having such a small, easy to maneuver MH, your only real issue will be staying organized so that you can de-camp without a big production. And that can be done. It just takes some thinking ahead and putting stuff away when you are not using it. Also, you can store some small everyday things in secure ways that are always "out" at hand. So you don't have to keep packing them away.

I use to have a 35' diesel pusher and towed a Ford Windstar van. Who wants to go out running around in something that gets 7mpg and does not fit anyplace?

Now I have a 21' Toyota based RV and will be taking a trip with it. It is incapable of towing anything so not an issue. I am wondering how this will work out.
Jim

"But with the little C, it's not so clear cut."

if you were still in the 22' trail lite, would you even consider a toad? i am just guessing, here, but maybe not. but you are only 3' longer now in the sunseeker, and most seasoned C drivers seem to feel that added length has limited impact on driving experience.

what has not been mentioned is how day-long tours in the car means all your MH amenities are way back at the c.g., perhaps even your pets. we like having all this w/ us all day on our travels.