What do you pull behind small class c ?

[MiniTT]

Forgive me if this has been answered. We just bought a new 24 foot Solera diesel . What do you suggest we purchase as a toad? We have had several trailers but this is our first motorhome. Thanks for helping me out ..

[ron_dittmer]

taigarazz wrote:
So for 4 wheel drive, 4 wheels down, 4 passenger capacity, and light weight, what fits the bill besides a Jeep Wrangler?

A Jeep Wrangler is not considered light weight. Nor is the Jeep Liberty that we tow. Our 2006 Liberty 4x4 automatic weighs 4100 pounds. I think the Wrangler 2 door weighs the same, the 4-door Wrangler weighs more.

If going light weight <2500 pounds, you need to be looking at a Miata, MR2, Fit, Smart, etc. but many are 2-seaters. If you can get <2000 pounds, I believe you could legally get by without secondary braking for the tow vehicle. But don't take my word on it. We towed a 2000 MR2 Spyder that weighed 2200 pounds and we had no brake kit. I'd say it was marginal relying on the E350 to do all the braking.

The 2014 Chevy Spark with a 1.2L engine seems interesting with a curb weight of 2270-manual 2370-automatic but not sure if either version is towable.

[Mich_F]

taigarazz wrote:
So for 4 wheel drive, 4 wheels down, 4 passenger capacity, and light weight, what fits the bill besides a Jeep Wrangler?

Someone earlier made reference to this link. http://www.blueox.com/Uploads/Docs/2013DinghyGuide.pdf (starting on pg 16)
which should cover current year towables. Keep in mind that the a vehicle that is towable this year, might not have been towable in previous years. The opposite is true also.

[taigarazz]

So for 4 wheel drive, 4 wheels down, 4 passenger capacity, and light weight, what fits the bill besides a Jeep Wrangler?

[pnichols]

Robocop wrote:
Breaking down on the road regardless of roadside insurance is a real PITA without an alternative transportation option.

Outstanding argument for ... not necessarily a towed vehicle ... but for, well, alternative transportation.

We bought a 24 foot no-slide no-towed Class C to intentionally keep our travel live's simple. I don't know if we could fulltime in it, but so far we have taken 10 week trips in it and could have kept right on going.


Now, with regards to alternative transportation being available for our small Class C ... here's a photo clipped from another thread showing alternative transportation that would carry the two of us. I'd love to conveniently bring one of these along on a rack mounted on the front of our Class C:

[Robocop]

The original question posed is one or two of the most vexing questions I ever had to answer since buying my Sunseeker. The first being, why on Earth did I buy a Class C and not upgrade my truck and get a bigger TT? Dunno. Maybe because I just wanted to and the bank said okay. But could I 'survive' without a toad? Of course. I pack the MH with enough stuff to last weeks at a time. Many of my trips are with friends, so a gallon of milk or a ride to the diner for breakfast is no big deal either. However, I also camp a week at a time in the dead of winter when my friends are no longer in the mood for such folly and the likelihood of things going awry is more apparent. Also, there have been work related issues which I could not address personally without a toad. And finally, the observation of rockhillmanor. Breaking down on the road regardless of roadside insurance is a real PITA without an alternative transportation option. So, after 2 1/2 years, a Honda CR-V became one more vehicle in my driveway. Not the lightest toad but I have fun with it since it is a manual transmission. Yeah, now I have three vehicles which require insurance and maintenance and it is only me at home. But now I have options even when I am not camping.

[pnichols]

That Honda Fit really is a neat little package to tow. I wish it was four-wheel drive, though, so it could be used a bit on sandy off-roads.

[sand_crab]

I just recently purchased a Honda Fit ss. Love it. Bought it to tow behind a Winnebago View Profile 24G. Needed something light with enuf room to store a few more things...This fits the bill and gets 33mpg. Am able to carry two electric foldup bikes between the toad and the RV with room to spare. Tried camping w/o the toad taking just the bikes. Problem was bikes had to get on highway most times to get anyware, DANGEROUS. Everytime you wanted to go anywhere you had to pick everything up to road ready condition, and move. Then there was the pets (Parrot and Yorkie Poo) Needed a/c or heat. Bottom line needed a tow vehicle. Decided on 4 on ground type ergo Fit/Honda. Made the decision, glad I did. (I put an invisibrake on the trunk of the Honda for stopping help.) Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar, and a Yakima 2 bike rack which I had already owned. Will post again if I change my mind after the October trip, but so far it is a good choice. Fit is a fun car to drive also, lots of extras and plenty of storage room. My other car is a GM Volt, love it also.

[Jimbow-USAF_Ret]

We went out west last year and just returned from Nova Scotia. We used to tow but gave that up to relieve the associated stress. On both trips we rented from Enterprise which is a little inconvenient but worth the hassle less travel. NOTE: rental car costs in Nova Scotia are about twice that stateside.

[The_Two_Ds]

I'm pulling a 2004 Honda CR-V with a Thule bike rack on the back of it for mountain bikes. Or road bikes. Or Both! Our next will be a Honda Fit. Tough to beat.

[RckyMtnVia]

You should try the Forest River Solera Forum which has lots of good information and there are discussions on towing. Forest River

[ron_dittmer]

We've towed a 2000 MR2 Spyder, a 2006 Jeep Liberty, and also nothing. Each has it's advantage and disadvantage. No clear winner for every kind of vacation.

ADDING:
The Two Ds mentions below, a bike rack on the back of their CRV. We did the same with our Jeep Liberty as shown, experiencing no trouble at all. We do have a class-3 3500 pound hitch on the Liberty which makes it very trustworthy given the cantelevering of the rack to clear the spare tire. If installing a trailer hitch, always get the heaviest duty you can find.

[rockhillmanor]

I drove my 31 MH for years without a toad. Didn't need no stinkin toad.
If a town has a grocery store you have a parking spot period.

Then I went full time and 'everyone' said I just HAD to have a toad. I dug my heals in for about a year about getting one. I just couldn't justify paying money for a 'new' small car. I don't even like small cars! :B

Well while searching Craigslist I ran across a used one. It fit the bill in every way. Small, light, 4x4, 4 doors and tons of storage area and the most important factor cheap. I bought it and have not looked back and really wondered why I waited so long!

First and foremost "IMHO" the most important reason to have one is for breakdowns. I travel off the beaten path a lot and have 4 dogs with me. So MH breakdowns take on an whole nuther set of added problems.

My first breakdown, at first I had a total meltdown then thought....I have the toad!!! Call for a tow truck, unhook the toad, load the dogs in the toad, throw the keys to the tow truck driver and simply say call me when it's fixed.

Never thought breaking down in a MH could ever feel so good! :W

[pnichols]

Mich F wrote:
I need about 3 lanes to make a U turn with the 24'er, but don't remember what the 22'er needed, but pretty sure it was about the same.

That's an important point concerning turning radius. There's not much talk about that in these forums. A long wheelbase reduces tail drag and improves highway ride, but increases turning radius and increases the chance for high-centering off pavement.

A 24 foot or less Class C will often be on a 158 inch or less wheelbase. Ours is on the Ford 158 inch chassis, so we can make a U-turn on the average residential street with only two turn points. I believe some 22-23 foot Class C rigs even come on a 139 inch wheelbase -> those little guys should be real sweet for maneuvering!

[Jim_Shoe]

I'm like TJDave. I pull a 4 cyl. 2004 Jeep Wrangler stick shift. I had the RV dealer install an aux. braking system and connections for the lights. It takes longer to pull it up the right distance for hooking up than it does to make it ready to tow. Key in first position to unlock the steering wheel, transfer case in neutral, stick shift in any gear, and I'm ready to go.
With a 4 cyl. engine, there's a lot of downshifting, but its not my daily driver, so I can live with it. Besides, its fun to drive.

[rjstractor]

To me its kind of a four step process, and the end result won't be the same for anyone.

First, you have to know the towing capacity of your motorhome. If it's 5000 pounds then your options are pretty wide open. Under 3500 there are still choices but that limit narrows them considerably.

Second, what kind of vehicle do you like and what fits your needs? Do you need all wheel or 4 wheel drive, and if so do you need true off-road capability? Sedan, wagon, SUV or pickup? 2 seats or 4 or more? A car that one person loves may be totally worthless to another.

Third, how do you want to tow? Four-down, dolly or trailer? Many vehicles can't be towed down, and many can. I would suggest finding one that can be towed 4 down with no or minimal modifications if you choose to go 4 down. Also, a braking system should be addressed, although due to the gross amount of misinformation about braking systems on this forum I'm not going there. Nearly any front wheel drive vehicle can be dolly towed, but the dolly adds weight to the combo and gives you an extra thing to deal with when you arrive. You can trailer anything on wheels, but you are adding even more weight and more footprint.

Fourth, you have to find a vehicle that matches your three above criteria. The internet can be a great resource, but in determining whether or not you can tow a given vehicle, get the data from the horse's mouth- the owner's manual. Good luck. 🙂