so is 29 ft the cutoff for not towing a toad ?

luberhill wrote:
our plan is more fall and spring boondocking,,,don't want to have to buy another vehicle just to tow,,,my current car and my wifes will not tow w/o a dolley......just a pain,,,rather not tow,,,and I didn't really answer my own ?...my question was "what is the cut off size for NOT towing and being able to drive into town etc "?

There is no cut-off. Folks with 45' Diesel pushers park in store parking lots or even on the street (if they can find parking), so do little 19' Roadtreks and other Class Bs. It all depends on where you are, what parking is available and whether you feel comfortable taking up lots of spaces in a parking lot.

Depending on how we park it, we take up 2 to 3 parking spaces with our 32' Class C. If it is a small lot, I don't always feel comfortable taking up the space. In a large department store or grocery store parking lot, I'm not really worried about it.

-Michael

mgirardo wrote:
You need to determine where you will be camping most and whether or not you can make do without a car. The first 5 years we owned our 32' Class C we were toadless. The first year, we unhooked and drove the motorhome around. For us, the size wasn't an issue. The inconvenience of unhooking and re-hooking was a hassle. The cities we visited in the south (except Savannah) are relatively RV friendly with RV parking available.

For the next 3 years, if it were needed, we rented a car. Most of the campgrounds we stay at are far from town or any stores. A handful are in the mountains, so bicycling with a few grocery bags would be a challenge. Yes, we'd stock up before getting to camp, but there are always times when things are needed.

Then we bought a Honda CRV because we needed a new car, so it is our toad. I was not reluctant to tow the first 5 years, we just didn't have a toad at the time and didn't need a new car, so we did without. Having the toad is much easier. I love to ride my bike, but having the toad is just more convenient. A 10 mile ride to the store in the car is 20 minutes round trip. On the bicycle, it is easily 2 hours round trip.

-Michael

You need to ride faster,lol. My 20 mile rides are an hour :)

luberhill wrote:
our plan is more fall and spring boondocking,,,don't want to have to buy another vehicle just to tow,,,my current car and my wifes will not tow w/o a dolley......just a pain,,,rather not tow,,,and I didn't really answer my own ?...my question was "what is the cut off size for NOT towing and being able to drive into town etc "??

There is no all around answer, as you've already read, it depends on the "town", and the individual driver, some are more comfortable driving into a town/city than others, personally I avoid cities (especially large ones) like the plague, with or without an RV or toad.

our plan is more fall and spring boondocking,,,don't want to have to buy another vehicle just to tow,,,my current car and my wifes will not tow w/o a dolley......just a pain,,,rather not tow,,,and I didn't really answer my own ?...my question was "what is the cut off size for NOT towing and being able to drive into town etc "?

bukhrn wrote:
Just trying to wrap my mind around this (as limited as it is), whats the problem with a toad, fear of towing or an economical problem.

For me, it's a combination of things. I don't fear towing, but I do understand that towing makes maneuvering and stopping en route somewhat trickier when gassing up, etc.

Then there is the cost of a tow setup, which is not negligible. (I would be much better off than some in this regard in that my car is readily towable.)

Then there's a number of state park campsites that are already somewhat tight with a 32' motorhome and would be even tighter with the motorhome and a towed car. Setting up and breaking camp would likewise be a little more involved; I think it's nice to have the freedom to back in and be all set. (Well, back in, and get out the leveling ramps, and be all set.)

Then there's the thought that at some point I might want to carry some canoes and bikes and so forth on a trailer, and very few states permit recreational double towing when the head trailer is not a fifth wheel trailer.

And finally, there's simply the fact that, so far, I haven't really felt any need to have a towed--that is, for the sort of camping and travel I've done, I can't say I've ever particularly pined for a smaller vehicle.

Other people may very well have different experiences and priorities and quite reasonably come to different conclusions for their own uses.

Just trying to wrap my mind around this (as limited as it is), whats the problem with a toad, fear of towing or an economical problem.
We have a 29 foot class C, & wouldn't be without a toad, we did it once on a local trip one weekend just to get away & relax, no sight seeing or anything, but after getting there, wished we had brought the toad.
We're from the camp that hates to set up only to break down & re-set up just to go sight seeing.
Plus, there are many places that are impossible to see without a toad, Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP is the first one that comes to mind, yes, you can take the Red Bus Tour, if you don't mind the expense, and being on someone else's schedule, I hate it.

We have done both - pulling a toad and renting as we went (not able to bike those distances!) We would never go without a toad. Here are another reason, quick access to a vehicle in case of an emergency or some other reasons - getting that forgotten grocery essential items, getting to a Dr/hospital/vet quickly, ability to leave the RV in event of a breakdown and the list goes on. Renting may work but as stated it adds up quickly. We like the peace of mind of having our "life boat" behind us just in case.

I agree , if going toad-less, the max is whatever can fit in a standard length parking spot easily.

Using my 19' Roadtrek I find I can park in many car spots. Some of the small lots have problems. Since I use handicapped spots I find they are sometimes a little larger. If I have to park in a far away spot I will use my Travel-Scoot to get to the store. Having had a Moutain Aire there was never a spot to park in most lots. A toad was a necessity. I have had others from 27'-38' and they were all too large for parking lots.

luberhill wrote:

cruiserjs wrote:
We had a 28 ft MH and would never travel without a toad!! Way to much for town or woods travel!!

really ?? I don't want a toad...we can go into town on bikes...

You answered your own question. I personally don't want to break down the camp just to go into town for groceries or site seeing ventures.

As a single RVer, my first one was a Class B. I fell in love with everything doing double duty. But it turned out that I'm a visitor as much as a camper. If I was in a CG and left to explore, I often came back to see my spot taken. And going into a town to shop, I was too long for a single metered parking space on the street, and too tall for a garage. So I swapped for a 'C' with a full time bed and I pull a Jeep Wrangler toad four down. I got the Jeep really cheap. The original owner drove it back and forth several miles to work every day and wore out his leg shifting. The first thing I did was remove the rear seat. Lots of storage for things like cases of beer and soft drinks. And I can park it almost anywhere. And its fun to drive.