Using toad to pull MH backwards

[Snowman9000]

I've always wondered. If you have a Jeep or a pickup toad with a low range in the transfer case, and get into a spot where you need to go backwards, could the toad be used to drag the MH slowly out of the pickle?

The MH could be in reverse, lightening the load. Someone in the MH drivers seat, of course.

Has anyone here ever done it?

OK, tell me I'm nuts. It was just a question. 🙂

[wallynm]

I have backed one time with a tow dolly at less than 5 MPH and it was straight back. I had folks watching and communication via CB radio. Back up maybe 250 feet.

[shepfly]

My wife drove our land cruiser pushing our 32ft.Bluebird up Whiskey Creek in Colorado on a foggy morning when it couldn't get out of first gear. I was afraid of being rear ended at such a slow speed and hidden by curves. The bird shifted up to 3rd on a steep grade and away we went! I had a heavy duty towbar (2.5in.dia.) so no damage whatsoever. Amazing what adding an additional 150hp will do! Dave

[garry1p]

I tried backing up once with the toad connected and darn near broke my wife's arm
so I disconnected everything (Brake Buddy) and backed the MH all of 20ft to get in a position to pull forward and turn.

I wondered then why in the heck did I not just pull the MH backward with the Jeep. If ever in this situation again that is what I would do.

[J-Rooster]

Yes

[Mr_Mark1]

We had a 'towing' experience back in 2008 when we were in Tea, South Dakota. We pulled into our site where it had rained previously.

The next morning I noticed that the entrance step had sunk almost into the ground which meant that the whole front-end had sunk. I thought 'huh oh'. So, I started up the '08 Dynasty and set up the '07 Honda to tow. We rolled forward about 3 ft. and the wheels on the motorhome started to spin. I tried three times, same result.

I had my co-pilot get in the Honda CR-V with a walkie-talkie, when I said 'hit the gas' along with the propulsion of the Dynasty, it gave us enough momentum to get out of the mud puddle. The Honda saved us!

MM.

[howdy35]

I have pulled my MH backwards three different times with my toad. Longest, about 30 feet. Wife in the bus and us both on the phone.

People are so inconsiderate and sometimes don't leave you room to pull out of parking spot and missed the right fuel pump once. All were on fairly level ground. I decide on the circumstances and consider whether to pull the MH backwards or unhook.

I don't know if it hurt the Blue Ox tow bar but I have 90,000 on it pulling toad and it seems fine. I wouldn't be afraid to do it but always use good judgement considering the circumstances.

Happy travels

Arnold

[Canadian_Rainbi]

Wish we had had the nerve to try that when this happened 4 years ago in Queretaro, Mexico. Took three hours with a couple of Mexican lads helping (actually doing all the work!)

[slickest1]

I pulled my neighbor's 40 foot Mountain Air DP 35000 lb plus with my Dodge 3500 diesel. Man did it pull hard! After I pulled it backward off the road I discovered that the parking brake was not all the way released. We built up the air and it moved fine.
We used a heavy chain to pull with.
I would be concerned with pulling or pushing a heavy coach with a tow bar. They are rated to pull a tow vehicle but going the other way may be too much for the tow bar or the receiver hitch. I realize there will be a fudge factor but wonder how much that may be

[scabello]

I think this depends on the weight of the motorhome and the tow bar rating. A 10,000 lb. tow bar pushing a 22,000lbs motorhome does not sound like a problem as long as you are not thinking of pushing up a steep grade. That towbar can pull a 10k toad up or down anything and with any turn of radius.. so it seems reasonable it can handle 22k (or thereabouts) in ideal conditions.

But a 40-50,000lb motorhome I do not think this is a good idea.

[CVD]

If you have recovery stuff in the Jeep (winch or tow strap), I’d prefer to use that over the tow bar. The receiver is probably the only good “attach point” on the RV, so pulling it backwards should work.

Keep in mind the pressures involved. Moving a 20,000 lb RV when in neutral and on flat, hard ground probably requires only a couple hundred pounds of pressure. Moving that same RV in a “stuck” position (e.g. 18” of mud), requires more pressure than the 4,000 lb Jeep can produce.

[rgatijnet1]

Tom/Barb wrote:
As long as the rear wheels of the towed stayed in line with the coach track, you could do it. but when you need to make a turn you'll have a problem with the steering caster of the towed.
The tow bar does not allow the front of the towed to move side to side when the front wheels of the towed are steered. then the caster will spin the steering wheel out of your hands. When / if the driver of the coach were to turn the steering wheel of the coach, the same thing will happen.
pushing forward, no problems, the towed will track just like it does when being towed.

Since you are going to have to have the toad motor running when you either push or pull, I doubt if there is anything that will defeat the power steering and spin the wheel out of your hands. As you mention you do have to stay very close to being in line with the MH or you will lose traction. When we moved about 50 yards we did have to make a gradual turn to get where we were going. Making a 90 degree turn is probably going to take a pretty large radius so that the toad does not try to push the MH sideways instead of forward.
I did this with a Chevy HHR, front wheel drive. It might be entirely different with a rear wheel drive vehicle where the drive wheels are farther away from the tow bar.

[usersmanual]

Snowman9000 wrote:
I've always wondered. If you have a Jeep or a pickup toad with a low range in the transfer case, and get into a spot where you need to go backwards, could the toad be used to drag the MH slowly out of the pickle?

The MH could be in reverse, lightening the load. Someone in the MH drivers seat, of course.

Has anyone here ever done it?

OK, tell me I'm nuts. It was just a question. 🙂

yes u can;; just run the toad so the power steering works and do it slowly with MH also running and in reverse although if really tough disconnect toad

[Tom_Barb]

As long as the rear wheels of the towed stayed in line with the coach track, you could do it. but when you need to make a turn you'll have a problem with the steering caster of the towed.
The tow bar does not allow the front of the towed to move side to side when the front wheels of the towed are steered. then the caster will spin the steering wheel out of your hands. When / if the driver of the coach were to turn the steering wheel of the coach, the same thing will happen.
pushing forward, no problems, the towed will track just like it does when being towed.

[Mile_High]

I pushed a Class A 14 miles into town and into a service bay with a Bronco II when the transmission went out on the coach 🙂 I wouldn't hesitate to try to back one up.

We didn't have cell phones back then, so I let her drive the MH and brake as she needed, I just applied the forward thrust. Talk about being in the blind space back there!