toad and fresh water

Tow four down and don't put poison in your water tank!

iquilt888 wrote:
I'm considering getting a toad. Have no clue what to look for when shopping.

For 40+ years we've had a toad. It's always been a manual transmission Jeep Wrangler, CJ, TJ etc. with a high/low 4WD lever that will also put the transmission in neutral. We hook up, and throw it into double neutral (transmission shift lever in neutral and the 4WD select lever in neutral). There's something about vacation that makes it so much more fun with a Jeep. We always seem to find 4WD roads to explore regardless of whether we're on a Canadian island by ferry, or at Yellowstone.

The best way is four down towing. I tow a 2013 Honda CRV and I do not have to pull any fuses to tow, the battery has not gone dead on me yet. All you have to do is turn everything off, like radios, heater fans etc etc and you should not have much drainage on the battery.

My next best choice would probably be a enclosed trailer if you have more then one toy to haul around, but this does create a problem on many RV parks because of space.

Dolly for me is the worst way to tow a toad. I had a bad experience losing a automobile I was towing that way, so maybe that is why I am a little timid towards use of a dolly. And again you will have the same problem of any trailer which is space required to accommodate them.

As far as whether it is standard shift or automatic really does not make any difference. Just make sure that if it is automatic that it can be towed four down. Some automatic transmissions you can not tow without damaging them, but also there are many that you can. You have to ask the dealer before you purchase a toad if it can be towed four down and what are the procedures that you have to take before you take off.

On my 2013 Honda CRV all I have to do is run it through drive for thirty seconds and you are ready to roll. Now the Honda Pilot I had before I had to run it through all the gears for a couple of minutes before I could take off. So it is best to check your manual for instructions.

As far as towing, we've done both trailer and four down. IMHO, a manual transmission is a PITA more often than not so I'll comment on cars with automatic transmissions. Motorhome magazine publishes a dinghy guide every year. The link is provided below. (Note: I just looked at their site and they now charge $1.99 for their guides...do a google search for motorhome dinghy guide and you'll see the same guide for FREE..D)That said, try to read the owner's manual about recreational towing for advice. Most newer vehicles need a fuse pulled so you don't run down the battery. We tow a HHR, 3150 lbs, seats five and the rear seat folds flat for carrying stuff. Leather interior, sunroof heated seats etc. lots of comfort. Downside, Chevy decided to stop making them..:(...as for hookups consider a braking system for the toad/trailer. While many states do not require them, it's simply a feature that doesn't cost very much for that extra measure of safety. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. If you decide on a tow bar, my preference, then consider a BlueOx baseplate mated to a Night Shift Auto ReadyBrute tow bar. The ReadyBrute has it's braking system built in so there's nothing extra to buy. (Except the readystop, recommended, that stops the toad automatically if it breaks away from the tow vehicle)

If you go the dolly route then get one with brakes on it..either surge or electric. Problem with the dollies is finding someplace to put it, (usually under the coach) and more things to deal with when towing, such as straps etc. The dolly offers you more choices on what you can pull...so that new Mercedes convertible you just bought your wife for Christmas can be taken camping with you....:W....see the links below...good luck...Dennis

Dinghy Guides

ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute Tow Bars

I don't care what you may have been told, but READ THE LABEL. The jugs of RV antifreeze have labels. If it says Propylene Glycol (and maybe water) it i safe to drink, but it still tastes terrible to me. That stuff got expensive, so many manufacturers switched other more toxic but not deadly glycols and alcohols sometimes denatured ethyl alcohol. The reason for denaturing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is to make it too toxic to drink.

That said, if that is what your RV suggests and you choose to do it that way, buy only propylene glycol. If you want to use the cheep stuff, figure out how to break into the system so you don't have to fill the potable tank.

Matt

There was a recent survey of blowing only, using pink, and drinking... Thanks D..Sport. I'm in the 20% that only blow my lines out and the 57% that drink our water. Putting the pink in the tank takes a bunch of it after you get all of the water out of it. Using a hose at the pump is better as two gallons will probably do your 32'. Even with a small 12V air compressser you can blow your lines out and then a gallon of pink put in at the pump will be enough. Your water heater needs draining (remove plug on it) and hopefully it as a bypass valve on it. I would suggest finding someone to help you the first time.
Four down will be the easiest way for you and you can search on Remco for cars that are towable or look in the car's manual under emergency towing. Yes, there are more manual tranny cars that are towable but there are plenty of auto too.

I remove the INlet to the pump, which comes from my fresh water tank, and add a piece of hose about 3ft long. This allows me to submerge the hose in either a 5gal bucket of antifreeze or a 10gal bucket of water.
Before disconnecting the INlet to the pump, I drain the tank. My drain is on the passenger side of the tank, so I use my leveling system to raise the driver's side of the coach, allowing all water in the tank to drain.

The "two bucket system" allows us to use the coach on weekends by simply moving the plastic tubing from one bucket to the other.

4-down is the easiest way to handle a toad. Blue Ox makes a great towbar and baseplate. Very easy to self-install if you know which end of a wrench to hold. You have no trailer or dolly to store/maintain. Connect/disconnect takes about 2 minutes. Many vehicles with auto transmissions can be towed 4-down. We use an HHR, perfect vehicle for us, and there are many others that fit the bill also.

Jim

Make sure you leave the drain valve open if you dont put anti-freeze in the tank,ours is a low point drain and will freeze and break if water is in the valve itself.and if it pink its safe to drink so they say! I blow all my lines as well drain the water heater leave the plug out. I dont have a toad but if I did I would think a trailer would be nice and a truck big enough to haul the trailer in case you need to pick up material? Then again I use mine for work more than Play! At this point anyway.

Takes too much anti freeze putting it in the tank.
Add a spoon to the inlet side of the pump.
You should be able to do the RV with a gallon or 2 than.

I have tried towing Dolly and trailer and 4 down is the easiest and works the best for us. Past toads have been 2009 Jeep, 2011 Chevy Malibu and now 2013 Kia Soul with manual Tranny. Kia has been the best light weight and easy hookup to motorhome.

I do not like putting antifreeze in the tank so I use air to blow out all lines and only use it up to pump to be safe and in all drains

Both items you listed are basically preference and how you want to set up your RV ing