Is a toad necessary with a small motor home?

[goufgators]

My wife and I in the market for a class c (down grading) and we've begun to wonder if a toad will be needed if we buy a class c in the 24-26' length.
If you have a 'c' in that length range, are you traveling w/o toad?

[bobndot]

The normal limit for absorption reefers in about 3°

3 degrees, as you are looking at the fridge ,
I feel comfortable with it being a little off north/south but not so much east/west. The tubes on the rear of the fridge run east/west being more critical to be level .

[pnichols]

siremike wrote:
I do have a question concerning the fridge. While breaking down the Rv and going somewhere is not a problem what are the chances of finding a level parking place to keep the fridge level within limits.

I do travel with pets so I am not sure leaving them in an RV while visiting a location would make me feel comfortable.

The fridge is the big concern. I sometimes wish I had pushed to have a compressor fridge installed instead of the 3 way.

I live in Florida and my trips always stress me some concerning the fridge temp.

Thanks

For temporary seriously off-level parking spots when away from a campsite shopping, sight-seeing, etc. - you can just shut off the refrig for a few hours so as to keep it from not-cooling and/or otherwise damaging itself.

[acm]

Have you considered electric bikes as an alternative. Even if you aren't a bicycler they will do most all of the work for you. If you need to shop, or have littles you can bring along a bike trailer, but realistically getting a good cargo system and/or some bungees would likely be sufficient.

Our family was too big to carry bikes for everyone, but we found that even just having one e-bike, allowed for grocery or laundry runs by one parent without moving the motorhome. It was a great in between.

I literally used a diy electric bike and double bike trailer as our second vehicle in rural Appalachia for 5 years. When I had 100lbs of kids and trailer going up a steep hill I had to pedal hard, but without the kids or only moderate hills I could ride like it was nothing if I wanted to.

[wintersun]

WE spent many years with a truck with a slide-in camper that was 22 feet in length and 7.5 feet in width, or about the same as our new Class C motorhome. The big difference is that the pickup had a foot more ground clearance and so I neverr worried about taking it anywhere. With the motorhome I do have to be more careful not to drag the rear, even when exiting a parking lot.

It is quite restrictive to have a toad and if one has a Class A motorhome it is a necessary evil, so to speak. Lots of work arounds for dealing with fuel stops but if you are driving along and want to pull off to see the view or stop for a bit to eat then you need a lot more space and also have concerns about getting back on the road.

With the toad you pretty much have to find a place to park the motorhome and then detach the vehicle and run your errands or explorations and that affects how one travels. If you don't mind planning stops and staying in one location for days at a time then the toad works well, much as would having a tow vehicle and a travel trailer.

We wanted the simpler mode of travel with the motorhome and no trailer or towed vehicle to worry about. No issues with making tight turns or backing up or finding a place to park or going into a restaurant or grocery store while in route to our next location.

The advantage of the toad is in part having a 4 passenger vehicle and room for attaching kayaks or bicycles or e-bikes and other recreational equipment. But it entails a $20,000 or more investment in the toad purchase and insurance and the hitch and brake controller.

For our motorhome I have been looking at cargo carrying e-bikes that could be carried on a special bike rack on the motorhome. At this time these racks cannot be bought as they have been sold out eeverywhere for many months.

[Matt_Colie]

To goufgators first,

We have a small A. We had a towed and it was way more trouble than it was worth. Most of the time, we have carried a pair of folding bicycles (I often refer to as inflatable) that are inside the coach when we travel and they stay safe and clean.

To siremike,

The normal limit for absorption reefers in about 3°. Get a calibrated level or use your phone and you will find that the 3° is a serious slant. Most parking areas are way flatter than that.

Matt

[AJR]

I came from a class A. Since you have the toad try both ways. My first class C was 28’. I did a tour of Michigan’s UP without a toad. Also went to Lambeau Field without one. I missed things doing that. Ever since then I continue to tow. The one thing about a toad is you always have a second set of wheels, if needed.

[Ivylog]

siremike wrote:
I do have a question concerning the fridge. While breaking down the Rv and going somewhere is not a problem what are the chances of finding a level parking place to keep the fridge level within limits.
The fridge is the big concern. I sometimes wish I had pushed to have a compressor fridge installed instead of the 3 way.
Thanks

Get a ARP controller for it.
https://www.arprv.com/index-amp.php

[bobndot]

You're downsizing from a class A and already tow a toad ?
If so, I would think you have enough experience to know if your rv style warrants a toad or not.

Make a toad decision once you get the new rv and test the waters. You already have the setup and toad.

26' or less can get around towns pretty well, 26' plus get a little tighter.
It really depends on your intended use and you should know what that is. Tourist trap places with limited parking will be a problem for anything larger than a car. A CG trolley , Uber or a rental would be your best bet if you opt out of the toad.

I see now that u came back 3 posts ago. We are on the same page.
Good luck with the new rv and stay safe. 😉

[klutchdust]

"Today, Norcold recommends that their refrigerators operate within 3 degrees off level side-to-side and 6 degrees off level front-to-back. ... Taking a few extra moments to properly level your rig will enable your refrigerator to cool better and last longer by preventing ammonia crystals from forming."

[goufgators]

I'm the OP. Thanks to all who responded. Very good information. I learned that towing with a 24-26' C is a personal decision (aren't they all) 🙂 Appears that we'll just have to try with and without a toad to see what best fits our MO. Again, thanks!

[GizmosMom]

We have a 26 foot Class C. When we stay for longer than 2-3 days at a location we rent a car. It is better for us to pay the rental fees than to purchase a car to tow, pay for insurance, and pay for the towing bar or whatever. (Our other vehicle is a Chevy Suburban and we would not tow that car)

[valhalla360]

siremike wrote:
I do have a question concerning the fridge. While breaking down the Rv and going somewhere is not a problem what are the chances of finding a level parking place to keep the fridge level within limits.

I do travel with pets so I am not sure leaving them in an RV while visiting a location would make me feel comfortable.

The fridge is the big concern. I sometimes wish I had pushed to have a compressor fridge installed instead of the 3 way.

I live in Florida and my trips always stress me some concerning the fridge temp.

Thanks

I'd say most parking lots are level enough, that a propane fridge will be fine.

Going down the road, the jostling eliminates most of the out of level concerns.

[phillyg]

Personal preference. It's only needed if you don't want to break camp to go shopping or sightseeing.

[siremike]

I do have a question concerning the fridge. While breaking down the Rv and going somewhere is not a problem what are the chances of finding a level parking place to keep the fridge level within limits.

I do travel with pets so I am not sure leaving them in an RV while visiting a location would make me feel comfortable.

The fridge is the big concern. I sometimes wish I had pushed to have a compressor fridge installed instead of the 3 way.

I live in Florida and my trips always stress me some concerning the fridge temp.

Thanks

[valhalla360]

You don't "need" a MH in the first place, so it's really do you "want" a toad.

Depends on where and how you travel.
- If you are going to be on the road driving every day anyway (say a 1 week trip planning on a new stop every night), a small 20-22ft class C (about the same size as a conversion van), not a ton to be gained by dragging a toad along.
- If you are doing a 3 month trip and expect 1-2 campsites per week with a couple of 1-2 week stops, the convenience of not having to pack up makes a toad a valuable addition.

Especially for longer trips, sometimes it's nice to have a little alone time (we've been traveling pretty much full time since 2007). With a toad, one of you can head out and do some grocery shopping or other task, while the other one stays behind. Without a toad, you are both going or both staying.