We need to buy a toad! Need to know towing capacity first

JimMartin wrote:

rk911 wrote:

JimMartin wrote:
I really think I'm going to get a tow folly with electric brakes in lue of a tow bar, baseplate, lights, and braking system. I will only tow my toad two or thtee times a year. And thst will only be about 1200 miles to Florida and back to Atlanta

just be sure that you combine the weight of your dolly and vehicle when determining your total towed weight.

Thanks, I did that. Tow Dolly is just under 700 lbs

good. happy travels to you.

rk911 wrote:

JimMartin wrote:
I really think I'm going to get a tow folly with electric brakes in lue of a tow bar, baseplate, lights, and braking system. I will only tow my toad two or thtee times a year. And thst will only be about 1200 miles to Florida and back to Atlanta

just be sure that you combine the weight of your dolly and vehicle when determining your total towed weight.

Thanks, I did that. Tow Dolly is just under 700 lbs

JimMartin wrote:
I really think I'm going to get a tow dolly with electric brakes ($1,300) in lue of a tow bar, baseplate, lights, and braking system. I will only tow my toad two or thtee times a year. And that will only be about 1200 miles round trip to Florida and back from Atlanta.

Plus this will open up more options as far as Toads. Should be able to get any small front wheel drive SUV that weighs under 3800lbs. Right?

I traded my Ford p/u for a smart car. Yes, I'd rather have the p/u but it was RWD only and would need a $2,000 drive shaft mod. My requirements in a toad were:
light weight
grocery getter
errands/dr appts
keeps the rain off of my head
ease of towing

With no kids/grandkids, an 1,800 lb 2-seater was perfect. At under 2,000 lbs I don't have to worry about it overloading the MH. A $15 to $20 battery disconnect switch is the only mod needed for flat towing (other that the tow bar, base plates, tail light kit, etc). The 2-seater also has a bonus. It keeps cheapskate RVers from bumming rides. Believe me. They are out there.

I believe your toad search needs a bit of refinement - regardless of flat or dolly towing. Start off by first determining what you need the toad to do for you:
2-seater vs 4-seater
2-door vs 4-door
room for kids/grandkids
sedan
wagon
4WD
driving on beaches (some vehicles are not good for this)
yadda, yadda, yadda

Once you have the specs that you need in a toad, then search for a toad that does not exceed the weight/towing limits of your MH - preferably staying well under it as much as possible.

There are many vehicles that can be towed by your MH, but only a short list of those that may fit your needs.

JimMartin wrote:
I really think I'm going to get a tow folly with electric brakes in lue of a tow bar, baseplate, lights, and braking system. I will only tow my toad two or thtee times a year. And thst will only be about 1200 miles to Florida and back to Atlanta

just be sure that you combine the weight of your dolly and vehicle when determining your total towed weight.

I really think I'm going to get a tow dolly with electric brakes ($1,300) in lue of a tow bar, baseplate, lights, and braking system. I will only tow my toad two or thtee times a year. And that will only be about 1200 miles round trip to Florida and back from Atlanta.

Plus this will open up more options as far as Toads. Should be able to get any small front wheel drive SUV that weighs under 3800lbs. Right?

I haven't bought a yiw bar yet. Might just get avtow dolly with brakes. But haven't decided yet.

No, if one reads the OP's posts it is evident that their towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. if the tow bar is also rated for at least 5,000 lbs.

based on your spec sheet the GVWR minus UVW = payload (what they now call NCC). payload is the total weight you can add to the MH without violating the GVWR, in your case 3568 pounds. but...and like me in a former life it's a big but...that does not take into account any options added by the dealer. and the dealer may not know how much weight he has added. and unless you actually get individual axle weights you won't know where that payload is. in 2000 we were looking at a nice class A and at the urging of a friend who was a lot more knowledgeable than we were we insisted that the dealer get certified axle weights. after he did and we computed the added weight of full fresh water and LP tanks we discovered that the rear axle was overweight by a lesser amount than the front axle was underweight. and that was before we added food, clothing, stuff and people. had we just had the MH weighed with both axles on the scale it would've appeared that the MH weighed less than it's GVWR. this is why it is vital to load your MH the way you plan to use it, get individual axle weights and then compare those weights against the published gross-axle weight ratings (you may have to call the MFG or dealer for that). add the two actual axle weights together, subtract that from the GCWR and then apply the three conditions I wrote about in the other post.

be sure you know which hitch is installed...it's likely to be a Class III but with an 8000-lb difference between the GCWR and GVWR it may be a Class IV. assuming you have a Class III (5000-lbs) and, for illustration purposes only, assuming your MH will weigh out at 18,000-lbs (neither axle overweight) your maximum safe towing capability will be 5000-lbs, not the difference between the GCWR (26,000-lbs) and the GVWR (18,000-lbs). that's because your hitch is the weakest link (and that assumes that your tow bar can handle at least 5000-lbs). if you have a Class IV hitch (10,000-lbs) and making the same assumptions you can safely tow 8,000-lbs assuming your tow bar can handle that much weight.

so why not just assume your towing capacity is GCWR-GVWR? because you haven't taken into the account the weakest link...the tow bar and the hitch.

and because your loaded-as-you-travel MH, or even the actual weight (by axle) of your empty MH, may actually weigh more than the GVWR which will further decrease your towing capacity in addition to creating handling issues, increase braking distances and decreasing life expectancy on shocks, springs, etc.

and because you should know what your rig and toad weigh...not assume that everything is OK. understand, i'm not implying that this is what you're doing..quite the contrary.

this stuff isn't sexy and it does take some time to accomplish but it's well worth the hassle. my suspicion, based on comments seen in this and other forums and from campground conversations I've had over the past 26-seasons, is that there a lot of overweight motorhomes on the road towing vehicles they shouldn't be towing. or at least a lot of owners who don't have a clue, and don't really care to know. what their rigs weigh. don't be one of them.

assuming your hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs. any of the standard CRVs et.al. would work. assuming you want to tow 4 down, skip the idea of a toyota automatic transmission.
bumpy

here's my info sheet

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