Opinions on Suzuki Samurai or equivalent for a toad?

I just sold my '88 samurai JX. I installed a towbar myself, just a standard one. Also installed lights for towing. Put the transfer case in neutral, tranny in 2nd gear and unlock the steering wheel. Tow it anywhere. They only weigh 1900# so no need for brakes in most states. Didn't even feel it behind my gas motorhome.

We have two Suzuki's, one a 87 Samurai and the other a 01 Gran Vitara, both tow extremely easy. Use the Samurai in spring and fall, and the GV in summer (it has AC). :B

Standard tow bar should work just fine. Be careful on real tight turns in MH as it could drag the front end sideways. This can happens with many short wheel base toads when the MH has overhang behind the rear wheels..

I don't yet own any of these. I would prefer manual trans but DW can only use an auto.

I asked about a long tow bar because of the short wheelbase and I was thinking it would have a tendency to wander too much if the tow bar is short.

My intended use is for grocery runs, sightseeing and going to the fishing spots.






The more I know about people, the more I like my dogs. Mark Twain

My 2000 Tracker is an excellent toad and does well off road. It is no Jeep but as dependable as a vehicle can be. I retired it from RVing last winter due to age and cosmetics, but I cannot seem to let it go.

Nutinelse2do wrote:
A 4wd Suzuki Grand Vitara or Chevy Tracker make excellent four down tow cars. Very light and great to tow. We just used a regular Stowmaster 5000. No special equipment needed as long as it is 4wd.

We have had three of these cars (4WD V6 automatics). They are excellent tow cars.

Depends on if you want or need 4x capability? Either of these are quite PRICEY if you can find a good one. Most I have seen were in the $2500+ bracket and all needed $$ to repair. Guy had one wanted $3K for it, the AC was gone, the seats all needed upholstering, tires etc. Plus high mileage!

We bought a Hyundai Elantra and it tows very well. Has a good wide track for stability and is long enough to not be impacted by rough roads. The samurai and GV are generally narrow track, particularly the sami, thats why they quit making them too many roll overs at speed particularly off road. Spoke with a guy and he said that he lost his going too fast with it in tow dont know if true or not but that was his explanation of what happened>

I have two Suzuki's, a 1995 Sidekick and a 2006 Grand Vitara, both are AT, 4X4's. The GV is like a QuadraTrac and the Sidekick has a manual Xfer case with locking hubs. The Sidekick is "2700 lbs." and the GV is >3200 lbs.

Both are easy to tow, fast hook up time and use standard Roadmaster 5000 tow bar and brackets.

Sidekick racks up odometer mileage while the GV does not. Both hace receivers, I don't know why, both are underpowered for towing.

I haven't really had the Sidekick off road but we had the GV off road near Blouse, AZ in the quad tracks and it goes most places quads go but in comfort. Never used 4 Locked.

The only time I really notice they're back there is when in a city with steep hills and stop and go traffic. That means it doesn't go up hills fast from a stop at the bottem. But that is the MoHo's carbed engine and advanced age.

The only drawbacks are the lack of parts and the lack of Factory trained mechanics.

A Samurai has rigid front and rear suspension more like the old Jeeps. Great for off roading! Just keep shiny side up!
The Grand Vitara and Trackers have independent suspension.
The Independent suspension makes a much better ride and is more stable then the older Samurais.
They all make good toads but I would recommend the later models with the smoother ride.

did you want automatic transmission or stick shift? what does the owner's manual say about towing 4 down? don't understand wheelbase and tow bar questions however.
bumpy