too toad or not to toad that is the question

[Danford50]

as a new owner of a 30 ft class c , I have seen some motorhome owner not pulling a toad, just wondering what you do once you park in the campsite? my plan is to go west and see some of the national parks just wondering will I need a toad in order to be able to see the parks, I only have for a toad a 2013 honda civic and a 2015 f150 , and neither of them can be flat toad.

[samsontdog]

All the times that I owned MHs I always towed either a car, small P/Up or cargo trailer with my M Cycle inside it.

[darsben1]

I drive a class A with no towed. I have rented cars when necessary usually from ENterprise because they will pick you up if within their service area.
For example Enterprise in Flagstaff AZ serves the Grand Canyon area.

[OLYLEN]

We tow 99 percent of the time. We dont tow when we go to a spot and we know we will not be moving, sight seeing or going somewhere to eat. We are nosy when it comes to sight seeing, want to see it all to the end of the road, even when there is not much of a road. True a few National Parks have shuttles but they go to the high volume points and not the little hide aways. Many have none and are not conducive to RV travel to many of the sights.

LEN

[sdianel_-acct_c]

we put 80,000 miles on our toad in 8 years and we full time. We park the RV centrally located and sightsee in the toad. Can't imagine traveling without it. We towed a 2008 Chevy Colorado pickup and now a Chevy Equinox 4-down.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Far cheaper to rent a car at the destination. That is not always possible--but I don't mind driving my C around.

[gafidler]

you can always get a tow Dollie and take the civic.. If only going to use it one time rent the tow dollie.

[SweetWaterSurpr]

pauldub wrote:
I take a toad for any trip that's more than one night and my motor home is only 24'. I tend to put more miles on the toad than on the motor home. Whether or not you need a toad probably depends upon how much of an explorer you are.

Exactly how we do it. I've towed our Wrangler for colder weather areas and our 2 person scooter for the warmer spots.

[F1bNorm]

Before we decided to tow, we did a simple test. Pick a campground, not too far away, 150 miles for us and had my wife follow the MH in our daily driver. We enjoyed having the car and decided to try towing.

At least now we have the option of towing or not.

Plus: easy sightseeing or running errands once you have reached your destination. MH can be left hooked up , slides out etc. Save gas using the toad for day trips. Spouse can stay "home". You can go to the car museum, she can go to the quilt store!

Minus: you lose some freedom on the road. Your already oversize rig is even longer making it tough to stop at that cute little roadside diner. If flat towing, you can't back up, so you have to be more careful pulling into gas stations etc.

Gas milage: while towing, the MH loses about a mile per gallon. You kind of make it up because you you use the towd for sightseeing. BUT that saving goes away because you tend to do more sightseeing!

If you do tow, get a system that is easy to hook and unhook - they not all the same. We use a Ready Brute brake and tow bar and we're very happy with it.

Norm

[pauldub]

I take a toad for any trip that's more than one night and my motor home is only 24'. I tend to put more miles on the toad than on the motor home. Whether or not you need a toad probably depends upon how much of an explorer you are.

[GizmosMom]

We also own a Class C. Our other vehicle is a Chevy Suburban. We would need to purchase another, (smaller) car, pay the insurance, possibly purchase a tow dolly, etc.

For those times that we need a toad, maybe twice a year, we find it is more economical to rent a car.

Just my two cents...

[rv2go]

Several National Parks have a shuttle system.
Grand Canyon, Bryce, Yosemite, Zion and Glacier just to name a few.
I have seen large Class C's in Yellowstone and the Tetons without a toad.

[Ivylog]

Out west we put as many miles on our toad as it takes to get there so Yes on wanting a toad.

[DrewE]

I don't pull a toad, and so either walk, drive the motorhome, or ride a bicycle to get around from the campsite. How practical these are varies quite a bit based on the specific situation and one's own preferences (and, in some cases, physical abilities and limitations). Thus far, it has worked out fine for me and the places I've gone.

It is also sometimes practical to rent a car for a few days.