Using toad to pull MH backwards

Tom/Barb wrote:
As long as the rear wheels of the towed stayed in line with the coach track, you could do it. but when you need to make a turn you'll have a problem with the steering caster of the towed.
The tow bar does not allow the front of the towed to move side to side when the front wheels of the towed are steered. then the caster will spin the steering wheel out of your hands. When / if the driver of the coach were to turn the steering wheel of the coach, the same thing will happen.
pushing forward, no problems, the towed will track just like it does when being towed.

Since you are going to have to have the toad motor running when you either push or pull, I doubt if there is anything that will defeat the power steering and spin the wheel out of your hands. As you mention you do have to stay very close to being in line with the MH or you will lose traction. When we moved about 50 yards we did have to make a gradual turn to get where we were going. Making a 90 degree turn is probably going to take a pretty large radius so that the toad does not try to push the MH sideways instead of forward.
I did this with a Chevy HHR, front wheel drive. It might be entirely different with a rear wheel drive vehicle where the drive wheels are farther away from the tow bar.

Snowman9000 wrote:
I've always wondered. If you have a Jeep or a pickup toad with a low range in the transfer case, and get into a spot where you need to go backwards, could the toad be used to drag the MH slowly out of the pickle?

The MH could be in reverse, lightening the load. Someone in the MH drivers seat, of course.

Has anyone here ever done it?

OK, tell me I'm nuts. It was just a question. :)

yes u can;; just run the toad so the power steering works and do it slowly with MH also running and in reverse although if really tough disconnect toad

As long as the rear wheels of the towed stayed in line with the coach track, you could do it. but when you need to make a turn you'll have a problem with the steering caster of the towed.
The tow bar does not allow the front of the towed to move side to side when the front wheels of the towed are steered. then the caster will spin the steering wheel out of your hands. When / if the driver of the coach were to turn the steering wheel of the coach, the same thing will happen.
pushing forward, no problems, the towed will track just like it does when being towed.

I pushed a Class A 14 miles into town and into a service bay with a Bronco II when the transmission went out on the coach :) I wouldn't hesitate to try to back one up.

We didn't have cell phones back then, so I let her drive the MH and brake as she needed, I just applied the forward thrust. Talk about being in the blind space back there!

You gotta do what you gotta do when the times comes... I call these events PLAN B's

Roy Ken

I guess it could be done with precise coordination and communication between drivers. My main concern would be the tow bar and hitch being damaged. They're rated for the weight of the towed. The motorhome far exceeds that rating. It would be a last ditch effort to get out of a 'pickle'.

Ive seen similiar same and done. Once was friends motor home that got stuck slightly off road on snow covered ground in an RV park, the other was me in a grass RV parking spot. In both cases the RV park pulled us out with their 4x4 truck hooked to the motor home receiver. Another was an RV that got stuck in a relatevely new filled but inadequately compacted trench where new electrical service had been run to the electrical pedistal. His tow vehicle was still hooked up and his wife just backed the truck while he was in the coach. So unlessthe RV is totaly buried I dont think there is any pronlem doing what you are suggesting.

I used the toad to PUSH the MH out of the way when a transmission line split and dumped all of the fluid on the ground. I moved the coach about 50 yards on a paved surface. The wife drove the toad and I steered the MH. We communicated with our cell phones. It didn't seem to hurt the toad, the MH, or the tow bar since all have put on at least 30,000 miles since this incident.

A friend told us about having the DC Beltway tied up when his DP would only idle. I asked how many HP his car was...200. I asked why the DW had not push when the brake lights were off to the exit that was 1/4th mile away.:S

Another friend who heard this got stuck on wet grass a couple weeks later and used their jeep to pull it backwards. You will have some say NO. NO as you will ruin the tow bar and yes if you pushed real hard you might but not pulling on one.

I ran out of fuel one time and was going to push the motorhome to the exit close by but fortunately the pick up is on the right side of the fuel tank and I was able to get enough fuel to get to the station. Had been told I had a 150 gallon tank.. took 120.