tow vehicle

Tow it backwards? IMO very risky if the steering wheel is not secured in a perfectly straight line...or what you use breaks...I don't think ANY car is really made to tow backwards.
You have 4 choices...as I see it:
1- Tow 4-down if the owners' manual says so.
2- Tow on a dolly, if it's front wheel drive
3- If it's a RWD car, google "driveshaft disconnect" and go from there.
4- Get a car trailer and put the entire car on that.

or: as I did....research towable cars (4-down) and buy one. My first "toad" was a FWD 1996 Ford Contour....5 spd. stick. Leave the key in the ignition (keeps the steering free), put it in neutral and tow forever.
Current toads are: A 2007 Chevy automatic. Pull one fuse, leave key in, put in neutral and tow forever. The other current toad is a 2011 Ford Ranger 4WD automatic. More involved...had to buy a Ford Only "Transfer Case Disconnect Kit"....400 bucks installed....follow the steps to "activate" it and tow from there.

thanks jerseyjim....maybe i need to tow it backwards....that won't work...I guess....will look in the manual .....

Where the ENGINE is....IMO is not important. What IS important with any care you want to tow is the TRANSMISSION.
Look at the owners' manaul for your Toyota. That should tell you weather it can be towed or not....manual tranny or automatic...4-down or on a dolly...or not at all.

Seems like you guys know about towing behind a motorhome...was wondering if anyone knows the best way to tow a rear engine vehicle with a standard tranny...We have a 2000 Toyota Spyder only weighing in at 2100 lbs which might make it really easy to tow but the rear engine has me a little worried...Any advice would be really appreciated...thanks

The rubber smell has been noted for many years by many people towing vehicles, and the logical explanation is that the rubber particles that constantly wear off the thousands of tires that use the highways stick to your toad's exhaust system as it passes over them, likely stirred up by the coach. When the toad is then started, it takes a few minutes for the accumulated rubber to burn off. In normal operation, the particles burn off as fast as they hit the pipes, making any smell virtually unnoticeable. I've noticed the same smell over the years towing multiple vehicles, but I've also noticed that the smell rarely occurs when the bulk of the towing trip has been on wet roads during or right after a rain or snow storm.

"Rubber dust"...a new one. "Toading" for 12 years, 3 "toads"...1 Ford. 1 Chevy. One pickup. Never. Nothing.

A "burning smell" is something to definately worry about. I don't think dust on a tailpipe qualifies.

I have heard from several on this topic and after my last trip i sprayed off my under carriage and after driving my auto did not notice a smell. I believe as a few persons stated, that the cause might be the road particles.
Thanks all.

As previously stated, it is a coating of rubber dust on the exhaust system pipes.
The dust is stirred up from the roadway by the passage of your vehicles.
There is no way to avoid it.
It is not "vehicle specific". I have occasionally encountered it after towing a Jeep for a long distance (several hundred miles) without starting it.
It has been my experience that it dissipates rapidly, with no dire consequences.

IMHO, "Smell" = "problem". FIND IT! and g'luck!

Moved from Class C.