OK, I bought a Smart Car. Love it actually. Hella a gocart that haul ass. Three ideas being floated on how to pack this baby. Either, build a rack for the back of my Class A--glorified handicapped scooter type carrier that connects to the hitch, etc. The Smart weights about 1800.A trailer. I looked at Lowes. Since the Smart weights about 1800, and is about 5x8ish, a 6x9 or so flatbed type would work. Maybe.Or tow bar. Roadmaster builds for about $400 a setup that mounts to the subframe of the front of the Smart. I'd then have to buy the tow bar setup, but that is extra.My inclination is to build a rack. Such as in this picture that is attached. https://imgur.com/f9b08Wb

I have had a Smart since 2014 and have towed it all over the country on a dolly. This works for me as I can also tow our Honda CRV or DWs Camry if I choose. Last year I bought a Featherlite trailer so I can now take our Mercedes or F-150. You will never know the Smart is there unless you look. I originally bought the Smart to take with me to the Drag Races because it fits in the same space in my 32ft enclosed trailer as a golf cart and unlike the golf cart has a/c and tags so I can drive it to town if I wish.

I looked at ToyHaulers (or am looking at ToyHaulers) since I upgraded my Suburban to an Excursion V-10, but the motorhome, I think its best to buy a Lowes trailer...some of the other stuff I saw online is pushing 5-8grand for a platform.

Dolly is a lot simpler than a trailer and since smart is so light you don't need brakes on the dolly

Did you consider a swivel wheel dolly which would place most of the weight on the dolly wheels?Just curious but nice job!

What's the Class A and how much excess payload do you have? CoG for 1800lb 15ft behind the rear axle might add 3000lb to the rear axle(s). Plus a lift for something that big is going to be at least a few hundred pounds more.If you have a big bus based diesel pusher with 2 rear axles, that might be viable. If you have a lower end gas MH with a single rear axle, that gets iffy.A dolly or swivel wheel trailer would likely make more sense and be a heck of a lot cheaper.

Towing or packing a Smart Car on the back of a Class A

JRscooby
Explorer II
Jun 21, 2020
CA Traveler wrote:
It's air suspension and the tag is adjustable. Possibly with the tag set to 10,000 lbs it could make up the difference of the steel structure and car weight located about 13' behind the tag. Right now I can't quickly get my head around the lever arm math.

Even though the suspension can be raised 6" with modification that would be an very poor choice for traveling but works well for air leveling.

Don't know much about MH, but a lifetime of messing with trucks I always found a rougher ride when some axles maxed out, while others where unloaded.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jun 21, 2020
JRscooby wrote:
CA Traveler wrote:
It's air suspension and the tag is adjustable. Possibly with the tag set to 10,000 lbs it could make up the difference of the steel structure and car weight located about 13' behind the tag. Right now I can't quickly get my head around the lever arm math.

Even though the suspension can be raised 6" with modification that would be an very poor choice for traveling but works well for air leveling.

Don't know much about MH, but a lifetime of messing with trucks I always found a rougher ride when some axles maxed out, while others where unloaded.
Not the greatest design for my unit. Front axle is maxed at just under 14K, back axle is maxed at just under 20K. I wanted to increase the 5K tag and reduce the drive weight but can't with the front maxed. And if I emptied the cargo it wouldn't help much.

I suspect that the stability and safety of a RV is compromised with a car on the back. Probably is fine for normal traffic.

But my red line is liability: In case of a major issue my fault or not I don't want to be standing in front of a judge explaining why my RV doesn't meet his state requirements. Also why I recommend aux brakes on a toad.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jun 21, 2020
I have no experience of changing the suspension the air pressure. However the ride is better than any non air suspension RV I've been in, don't know about Class B types. It's also better than any pickup truck I've been in towing or not. Plus with the rear engine significantly quieter to drive.
Ivylog
Explorer III
Jun 23, 2020
CA Traveler wrote:
JRscooby wrote:
CA Traveler wrote:
It's air suspension and the tag is adjustable. Possibly with the tag set to 10,000 lbs it could make up the difference of the steel structure and car weight located about 13' behind the tag. Right now I can't quickly get my head around the lever arm math.

Even though the suspension can be raised 6" with modification that would be an very poor choice for traveling but works well for air leveling.

I suspect that the stability and safety of a RV is compromised with a car on the back. Probably is fine for normal traffic.

That’s 1800 lbs off the rear, on 3 DPs over 120+K miles. Takes 700 lbs off the front axle
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jun 23, 2020
Maybe you could trade your current Class A for one like this. The owner stated that it would also take a Smart Car.
fernandolegend
Explorer
Jun 17, 2021
Hey everyone! Would anyone know where I could find and purchase one of these smart car haulers?
Ivylog
Explorer III
Jun 17, 2021
Congrats on finding this thread for your first post and posting a picture.
You do have a tag axle coach… with only one post it’s hard to tell.
1600 lbs that far back is going to put 2100 lbs on the rear axles and take 700 off the front.
A Smart car is 106” long, 4” over the max legal width…hard to solve this issue.
A modified Hydra Lift is the only one I would use and hopefully I’d not have to get a over width permit for every state I’m in.

I would do a modified wheel lift that doesn’t raise and lower… I drive the car up. Fairly easy to back it up.
tarnold
Explorer
Jun 18, 2021
I tow a smart with a self installed elite ll. Look at aluma for a single axle trailer for a smart. But then you have to find a place for the aluma.
Alan_Hepburn
Explorer
Jun 18, 2021
It's only been mentioned once here, but be aware that the smart cars from 2008 forward are 4" longer than the maximum allowable width of vehicles. The older, grey-market smarts were shorter and that's why some people got away with loading them cross-ways on the back of their tow vehicles.

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Towing or packing a Smart Car on the back of a Class A

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