We have some circumstances that are different than most and are considering towing a dinghy. I am blind and my wife drives the MH for obvious reasons. We have had a MH for about 8 years and she has done a very good job driving it. The only times it has ever gotten tense is in larger city driving with tons of traffic. She is a very conservative, defensive driver and only gets real frustrated in high traffic situations when needing to change lanes and others don't give her any room.We have never towed a dinghy and are now considering doing so on some trips. My concern is that there will be a lot more things she will have to be paying attention to with the toad. Right now she hads to be aware of the MH extra size, height, width, acceleration ability, braking distance, etc. She has done great with all this over driving a car. With the extra length of the toad and weight, I know there will be other things she will have to add to her list of things to be aware of while driving. We will have supplemental brakes. I am concerned about the added things she will have to keep track of. It might be a bit overwhelming for her. Don't want to get all the stuff to tow and spend the money just to find out that she is miserable, or can't handle the extras.We would appreciate any observations, suggestions, and thoughts on all this. Thanks-- Mick

Wider turns.NO backing up with toad.Finding fuel stops you can get in/out easly.Type of toad braking system to use.Toad towing lights set up.

You will also need a larger 'space' to change lanes in heavy traffic.

23hotrodr wrote:We have some circumstances that are different than most and are considering towing a dinghy. I am blind and my wife drives the MH for obvious reasons. We have had a MH for about 8 years and she has done a very good job driving it. The only times it has ever gotten tense is in larger city driving with tons of traffic. She is a very conservative, defensive driver and only gets real frustrated in high traffic situations when needing to change lanes and others don't give her any room.We have never towed a dinghy and are now considering doing so on some trips. My concern is that there will be a lot more things she will have to be paying attention to with the toad. Right now she hads to be aware of the MH extra size, height, width, acceleration ability, braking distance, etc. She has done great with all this over driving a car. With the extra length of the toad and weight, I know there will be other things she will have to add to her list of things to be aware of while driving. We will have supplemental brakes. I am concerned about the added things she will have to keep track of. It might be a bit overwhelming for her. Don't want to get all the stuff to tow and spend the money just to find out that she is miserable, or can't handle the extras.We would appreciate any observations, suggestions, and thoughts on all this. Thanks-- Mickmost dingys will turn INSIDE the turning radius of the MH so making turns is usually not a problem. if the rear wheels of the MH don't run up over the curb during a turn then the dinghy won't either.

On the positive side, you won't have to use the MH for sightseeing, only for getting from campground to campground. We usually avoid cities and when we can't, we take the route around them. Even when we didn't have a choice, my wife drove thru Denver and did just fine.What does your wife think?

I think a lot of your concerns may be irrelevant. It all depends upon what size and type of mh you have (which you didn't indicate). The smaller the mh, the more a toad will affect the driving characteristics of it. With most DPs (36 and above), you won't even know the toad is back there and as mentioned above, it will follow within the tracks of the mh. With smaller motor homes, the toad can become more prevalent and may require more input from the driver. Be aware that smaller motor homes do have a towing limit that can require only the very smallest of toads to be towed.Having the toad equipped with brakes will take care of your concern with stopping. Actually, a mh towing a toad with supplemental brakes, will stop quicker and in a shorter distance than a mh without a toad.IMO, the only negative aspects of a toad is one, you can't back up with it attached and two, you have more overall length to your rig and you need to be aware of this when merging, changing lanes, etc.I think she will do just fine. There will be an adjustment period, but won't take her long to get the hang of it.Good luckRon

Newby to dinghy towing | Good Sam Community

Sooboy
Explorer
Feb 24, 2015
23hotrodr wrote:

I am concerned about the added things she will have to keep track of. It might be a bit overwhelming for her. Don't want to get all the stuff to tow and spend the money just to find out that she is miserable, or can't handle the extras.

We would appreciate any observations, suggestions, and thoughts on all this. Thanks-- Mick

I would encourage you to consider creating and then closely following a set of checklists - Particuarly a robust one to be completed prior to departure. This would include often overlooked items like lowering your TV antenna, but also a step-by-step of what's needed to connect the toad, set the brake system up, etc. Even experienced pilots use checklists on every single flight to ensure that no task is missed.
Hank85713
Explorer
Feb 24, 2015
23hotrodr see if there are any other folks who tow near you that you might know. See if they would let ya tow their veh with your rig as a short test so that you would see how it all goes. You have the rv they have everything else that would be required. Are there not some uhauls nearby? Rent a dolly from them use your DD as another subject to see what it is like.
rk911
Explorer
Feb 24, 2015
23hotrodr wrote:
Wife is unsure about towing a toad. It would be nice if she could give it a try without going to all the expense of all that goes into setting up a toad. Thought about renting a dolly and giving it a try in our local area. This might be the best thing to do to see how she does. Thanks-- Mick

I suspect that your wife would not be able to tell if she was towing or not. there's really no change in how the MH 'feels' going down the road. the only issue are turns and situational awareness so you don't end up having to disconnect to get out of a spot.

and if you do end up getting a toad it's important that you understand weights and weight ratings. in general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

• the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, etc.)

• the weight rating of your tow bar

• the weight rating of your hitch

this is why it's vital to know what your MH weighs as it is loaded and configure for travel before choosing a toad. Your MH will not collapse if it is overloaded but you will experience handling issues as well as longer braking distances and accelerated wear on suspension, brakes, steering, etc. it's best to at least get weights for each axle and compare the actual weight to the axle's weight rating.

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