What do I need to know - smart car- toy hauler

[Amberella8]

Husband and I have decided to travel travel work. We know we will need a second vehicle so have been looking at smart cars and toy hauler fifth wheels. Can anyone help with basic specs I need to know to travel with the smart car inside the toy hauler?

[Reisender]

No problems putting a smart car in a toyhauler. Ours fit fine. No problem with the ramp or entry angles. The gassers are around 1900 pounds and the electrics around 2200. Our old smart was a diesel..about 1800 pounds. Diesels are hard to find in the USA unless they were imported from Canada,





We have an electric now. We tow it behind our motorhome. The electrics are just city cars though. 110 km of range...ish. 5 years, never had a service.

[Dennis_M_M]

Fair amount of mis-information on smart car safety here. cwill925 has it right. If you are concerned do some investigation, don't listen to uninformed alarmists.

Our 2011 smart was hit 3/4 head on by a Chevy pickup running a red light at 50 MPH plus. My buddy & I had slight injuries caused by the seat belts. All eight (yes 😎 airbags deployed and the egg shaped frame protecting the passenger compartment was undamaged, doors still opened and closed.

We have no fear at all driving our smart - better crash damage ratings than most cars on the road.

[cwill925]

I have almost 147,000 miles on my 2010 Smart Car. They are safe to drive and have respectable crash performance. I've worked in the Automotive manufacturing business for 33 years and don't have any concerns about its safety performance. I carry my Smart in a Raptor 412TS. There is no problem with ground clearance or high centering on the ramp. My car weighs in at 1,860 lbs. The RV ramp is rated for 3,000 lbs. I've hauled the Smart in the Raptor for a few thousand miles with no issues.

[noteven]

BBC Top Gear did some smash tests including smart. The crash protection is interesting.

What I don’t want to do is roll over my won ton pickups- the cabs like to flatten. Local tow feller says most of the wrecks he hauls in people survive roll overs because of the natural tendency to duck.

I’ve only seen 2 smarts involved in collisions and both times the occupants were not injured. The cab is very strong and the light weight vehicles bounced off the heavier vehicle instead of trying to plow through it. The one was a 3/4 ton running a red light at about 30-40 mph. smart ended up on a lawn and the pickup ended up on its side. Both totalled. smart driver helped the pickup people out the passenger window.

[joebedford]

I ride a motorcycle so the poo-pooers about "Smart" Cars don't get much traction with me.

My DW's trike weighs 1250lbs and mine is 850lbs - more than a Smart would weigh.

Voltage 3950.

[fj12ryder]

Grit dog wrote:
Friends don't let friends drive smart cars.

Pish tosh. More protection than walking, or a motorcycle. Just depends on your personal fear level.

[discovery4us]

The couple that bought my old Raptor with a 12' garage came and looked at it and agreed to buy in on the condition that there fiat 500 would fit. It loaded and fit just fine in the garage. I think it actually fit better than my Polaris Ranger and I bet the weight was about the same. Keep in mind you can always raise the front of the FW to help with the loading angle.

[Grit_dog]

Friends don't let friends drive smart cars.

[ependydad]

fj12ryder wrote:
I don't know that the weight of the Smart car will be that much of an issue. They only weigh around 1,500 lbs., so I think any solid toy hauler will work. But it definitely needs to be kept in mind, just because some won't haul much.

I think the transfer from the door to the toyhauler floor will more of a clearance issue.

It made me cry a little, but I recall a 40' toy hauler with 1,800 pounds of cargo carrying capacity.

Nice layout with a super slide (slide in a slide) in the living room. The space was amazing. But I was shocked at how little CCC it had.

[fj12ryder]

I don't know that the weight of the Smart car will be that much of an issue. They only weigh around 1,500 lbs., so I think any solid toy hauler will work. But it definitely needs to be kept in mind, just because some won't haul much.

I think the transfer from the door to the toyhauler floor will more of a clearance issue.

[smarty]

You need to be careful in your selection of toy haulers. Be fully aware of what the carrying capacity of the ENTIRE toy hauler is, not just the garage area. You will find that for some toy haulers if you put your smart car in the garage that you literally can't put anything else in the entire toy hauler because you have met the entire carrying capacity of the toy hauler by having your car in it.

[Y-Guy]

One of the challenges you will face is most of the "Smart" cars have low ground clearance. So the ramp angle is a problem for some, many street motorcycles have the same challenge. What happens is as your front end goes up the ramp the rear end drags on the ground. You can add extra ramps to lessen the approach angle.

As already shared weight limits of some ramps and the garage are other factors.

[Bedlam]

I would look a car haulers with living quarters rather than toy haulers.

[noteven]

If you go on the Escapees RV club forum “HDT” there will be people carrying smarts on the back of trucks who will tell you exactly how much break over angle you need, and smart dimensions.

Also the “Discount Ramps” company might still have a ramp calculator on which you plug in the wheelbase and ground clearance and height dimensions to solve ramp length needed. You can math out the minimums that will work and have those dimensions wheith you when you are trailer shopping.

I’ve seen a few toyhaulers carrying smarts in my travels but can’t say what make and model they were.

My Carriage C-Force would load a smart it has a well thought out ramp with a beaver tail sloped floor section inside.