too rent a car or tow a car

[dottie999]

hi new to posting and love all the info here
A few years back we had a TT but soon will have 30'class c. the question is do we tow our Chevy Equinox or do we rent a car at destination?
Thanks everyone

[paddykernahan]

We bought a 22 foot class C (B+) so we wouldn't have to tow.
So far we have driven coast to coast and would never consider a toad.

A 30 footer? A toad would be needed.

[tenbear]

When we retired we started RVing. Our MO was to take 2-3 month trips and drive from about 10AM to 3PM. We would pick up Tourist brochures at the state lines and plan our sightseeing accordingly. Normally it would be a 2-4 day stop and we would tour the surrounding area, visiting the sights we had learned about. A normal daily trip would be a hundred miles or so and be all day long. Our MH would be our home base with all the chairs out, awning open, hookups, etc. A towed car just made more sense than using the MH for touring. Much better gas mileage, no unhooking and hooking up again, easier driving. etc, etc.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Oh, almost forgot, on 2 of our trips we had unplanned visits to the hospital, each for several days. The car made that much more tolerable.

[johnwalkerpa1]

We have a 32' Class C and have done it several ways....in our case, no single solution fits all of our needs so we pick and choose depending on the situation....Some variations are:

1. On an 11,000+ mile trip to Alaska we did NOT tow or rent. Never had any issues. Sure, a few times it would have been nice to have a car along but we went everywhere in the RV even when we had to break camp to do so. Or we walked when reasonable. No problem getting anywhere. We moved often on this trip, rarely staying any place for more than a few days.

2. We often take shorter trips to the beach. On these we tow a car. We have a home base campground then use the car to get around. The beach areas are more congested and we tend to stay in one campground for at least 4-6 days.

3. We have rented a couple of times. It works assuming there is a rental place nearby but it can be a hassle. It can easily take a couple of hours to get or return the car. and if you want to get it on an evening or weekend, often times you are out of luck.


We find that on trips where we are moving often and/or covering long distances, it is often not worth towing the car. On shorter trips OR those where we plan to stay mostly at one location for more than a few days, it works best to tow the car...

[pauldub]

Our motor home is a 24' and with no slides. We take our toad for any trip longer than one night and I can hook it up or unhook it in about 2 minutes. Renting a car would rarely work for us because there aren't car rentals anywhere near many of our destinations. If your not an explorer or wanderer, maybe you can get by without a car. The right answer is whichever works best for your travel style.

[bobm253]

We have a smaller 24ft rv that is very easy to drive and park. Never towed with any of my M/H's. One time we rented when we stayed in Myrtle Beach for a week. What we did actually did not require a car.

I would rather do a quick unhook and use the m/h to drive around town. I just have to tuck in the power cable, disconnect water hose and close awning and I'm off. Takes only a few minutes.

[ron_dittmer]

Hi Dottie,

Our motor home is only 23'-8" end-to-end and we tow, and love doing so. If your Equinox can be towed, I highly recommend it, especially with a 30 foot motor home. The type and brand of tow bar and secondary brake kit will either make the hook/unhook process manageable or not-so-manageable. Renting a vehicle at every destination has it's own hassles and costs.

Ron Dittmer

[jimx200]

Uber and Lyft is what we use. So easy and they are in even small towns and even in the boonies. We also take along a small scooter that weighs less than 200lbs ion back sometimes..easy peasy

[pnichols]

Of course as one "gets older" ... it sure is nice to always have right along on an RV trip when sightseeing, picking up groceries, going to hiking trailheads, going to fill up with propane, etc. your whole rig for:

- A bed.
- A refrigerator.
- An air conditioner.
- A microwave.
- A medicine cabinet.

A rental car to us would have to be used just for running around for only very short periods of time.

[tenbear]

Don't forget the extra cost of gas for the MH when using the MH for sight seeing. It adds up pretty fast.

[PghBob]

Have put over 65K miles on our 27 foot C and have never towed. We take it to stores, site seeing, small towns without problems. We don't go "off road". We will, on occasion, rent a car and that has not been a problem. We have not come close to the cost of buying tow gear and such, by renting a car. But that's fine for us, you may want something different. My recommendation is to start out without towing and see. If you feel you need a tow, you can spend the money on the gear later.

[docsouce]

As stated, this is such a personal choice, there is no right answer. We have a smaller Class C and being small it is very maneuverable. Easy to drive around the towns and easy to park. The KOA at St Mary had a car rental service right in the park. We rented a car for the day there because RV's aren't allowed across the "Going To The Sun" road and we wanted to do that. After 2 cross country trips the only other time we rented a car was at Niagara Falls. Just to busy and tight there. I may change my mind eventually but for now running "light" (a RR term) is ok.

[PopBeavers]

When we had the class C we towed a Jeep Wrangler. Where we wanted to drive the rental companies did not want me to drive (miles and miles of fire roads).

[DrewE]

Bordercollie wrote:
I'm lazy and the complication and cost of setting up for towing and having something in back to deal with, un-hitching and hitching seems like overkill compared to planning ahead or occasionally having to disconnect the RV and drive the rig to the store or restaurant, etc. Occasional renting a car to tour NY city, Boston, etc. seems more cost/effort-effective for our RV'ing style. Some people are more tourists than campers or are involved in social camping activities, sharing rides to restaurants, etc. where towing is considered necessary.

I'm (so far) in the same boat as Bordercollie; towing a car has thus far seemed like it would be far more hassle and expense than it would be worth for me. The times when I've needed or wanted to leave the camp site with a vehicle have been few and far between.

Incidentally, New York City and especially Boston are about the last places I would care to wander around by car. Public transit is far less hassle and far cheaper than trying to navigate the city streets, trying to hold my own with city drivers, and trying to find a place to park.

[Bordercollie]

I'm lazy and the complication and cost of setting up for towing and having something in back to deal with, un-hitching and hitching seems like overkill compared to planning ahead or occasionally having to disconnect the RV and drive the rig to the store or restaurant, etc. Occasional renting a car to tour NY city, Boston, etc. seems more cost/effort-effective for our RV'ing style. Some people are more tourists than campers or are involved in social camping activities, sharing rides to restaurants, etc. where towing is considered necessary.