Whats the best car to tow ??

[Ozzie1]

My wife and I will be buying our first MH in the very neat future and we have decided that we will need a car to get around in when the RV is parked, But I have read in this forum that there is some question about what you can tow and what you can't. We have looked at an MH with Blue OX equipment fitted, is this the best way to go ???? Thanks for any comments. O.

[crasster]

My opinion is the Toyota Yaris standard shift.

Extremely reliable car. Great gas mileage. Super easy to tow & light. You won't really know it is back there. It is a peppy car. Very fun to drive in the mountains. Simple to drive, easy to park. Simple when you go downtown somewhere to drive and find a parking place. I suggest the hatchback, as if you aquire some loot on your ventures out, you'll have plenty of room with the fold down seat. It tows 4 down, or super simply with a dolly.

[Tregaskis19]

My wife and I tow a 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx. Just about the perfect toad in our view. Plenty of room to haul stuff, powerful v6, 30mpg on the road when driving, pulls flat on all 4 wheels with the automatic transmission, very pleasant and comfortable car to drive. We are just hitting 100,000 trouble free miles on ours (not counting the towed miles)but have been notified of 2 recalls being done...brake lights and power steering motor...so far we have not had either issue but will have the recalls done as soon as parts are in. Oh...they also don't have real high resale so finding a good clean used one with low miles should be fairly easy.
Greg and Connie
2004 Damon Daybreak 3270

[willald]

2gypsies wrote:

willald wrote:

bshpilot wrote:
observations going down the road...i think you'll count more Jeep Wranglers being towed behind an RV than any other single make or model.

Indeed, Jeeps are very easy and simple when it comes to flat towing. However, they do not fit the bill for many folks, for various reasons.

Especially for those for which the 'toad' has to also serve as an everyday driving vehicle when not camping/RVing. Jeeps are awesome for going offroad, but that offroad prowess comes at a price in terms of road manners, comfort.

I know they've got much better in recent years, but overall, Jeeps can be a VERY uncomfortable ride on pavement, and due to their design they can also be extremely lacking in various 'creature comforts' many other vehicles have (yes, I have driven and rode in several of them).
Will

Will, you really need to test drive the new Jeep Cherokee (different from Grand Cherokee). It is a luxery car with very nice appointments along with lots of room for passengers and trunk space. It's quiet on the road and extremely comfortable. It will change you mind on Jeeps. 🙂

I have test driven them, and I agree the Cherokee and Grand Cherokees both are a whole different animal.

Remember, though, I was responding to a post that specifically mentioned the Jeep WRANGLER as a toad, not a Cherokee.

And, I stand by what I said: Jeep Wranglers, generally speaking are NOT a very comfortable everyday driving vehicle. Anyone thats owned or driven one knows, whether they want to admit to it or not.

Oh, as far as the newer 4 door Wranglers are concerned, that bshpilot mentioned: A good friend of mine owns a new 4 door version, and I agree they've come a long way and those new 4 door ones are nice, and a huge improvement. Still, though, for a vehicle one is going to drive everyday to work and back or whatever....There are much, MUCH more comfortable vehicle choices out there that can easily be flat towed as well, cost significantly less, and get considerably better fuel mileage.

Will

[bshpilot]

the law doesnt require grade 70 safety chains be connected to my toad...but i do it !
anyone can sue anyone over anything....and you don't have to struggle to find a lawyer willing to do it.

i'll error on the side of "i did everything reasonable and MORE" to prevent an accident and ill take comfort in being able to say it here & in court if i ever have to !

[JimM68]

I do not currently have braking systems on my toads.
My "old toad" 2000 Wrangler, the aftermarket braking system has died and is no longer effective.

The "new toad" the wife's 2011 Liberty, has never had a braking system installed.

I do firmly believe a braking system on any toad is, if not required, then just a really good idea. While I try to believe my coach has great brakes on a sunny day, the thought of a breakaway situation is simply beyond scary.
And the thought of a runaway toad killing someone, perhaps a child, just scares me to death.

And unlike the wrangler, where the safety cables attach to the frame, the liberty they attach to the tow bar baseplate....

We all know what is right and what makes sense. Someday soon, I will purchase a breaking system for the liberty. If we continue to use the wrangler as a toad, I'll have it's braking system fixed, or replace it. It's a lot of money, and that for sure plays a part in anyone's decision.

But to quote your understanding of any law in any state, that is simply BullSH*T

One of the biggest problems in pour world today is some peoples reasoning that if it's not against the law then it is ok. Laws cannot and should not replace common sense in all instances. Do what is right. The law doesn't change that.

[hipower]

rgatijnet1 wrote:

LindsayRichards wrote:
I hope anybody making their decision looks it up for themselves and not rely on somebody on the internet. A lot also depends on the travel plans of the person. I have had my RV's in all 48 lower states. This is supposed to be a fun forum where we help each other.

And I was trying to help people by giving them the truth so that they can decide for themselves.
I assume that an adult can make an informed decision if he has the truth, right from the source, rather than accepting some BS from companies that are trying to sell a product as gospel and that have no problem lying to perspective buyers.
I also travel in all 48 states, and I do use a toad brake, but I was interested in informing others of what the various State statutes say, rather than to let them go through RVing with the wrong facts from BS links by the brake sellers.

My research exactly mirrors yours. That said I do use a auxuilary braking system and would suggest that we all should, if for no other reason than the breakaway feature.

When we travel to and from our winter destination our Silverado 4x4 is heavy to begin with and we haul our golf cart in it also, adding nearly another 1,000 pounds. Even then I set the activation on the lightest setting so the aux braking rarely activates the truck brakes except under heavy braking.

[rgatijnet1]

LindsayRichards wrote:
I hope anybody making their decision looks it up for themselves and not rely on somebody on the internet. A lot also depends on the travel plans of the person. I have had my RV's in all 48 lower states. This is supposed to be a fun forum where we help each other.

And I was trying to help people by giving them the truth so that they can decide for themselves.
I assume that an adult can make an informed decision if he has the truth, right from the source, rather than accepting some BS from companies that are trying to sell a product as gospel and that have no problem lying to perspective buyers.
I also travel in all 48 states, and I do use a toad brake, but I was interested in informing others of what the various State statutes say, rather than to let them go through RVing with the wrong facts from BS links by the brake sellers.

[LindsayRichards]

I hope anybody making their decision looks it up for themselves and not rely on somebody on the internet. A lot also depends on the travel plans of the person. I have had my RV's in all 48 lower states. This is supposed to be a fun forum where we help each other.

[rgatijnet1]

LindsayRichards wrote:
Check out the link:

http://www.readybrake.com/state_laws.html

Another link from someone selling brakes. Again, a link for the gullible. :R
Why don't you do what I did and contact the people that make and enforce the laws in each State and then post exactly what they have to say regarding a VEHICLE in tow behind a motor home.

southpark wrote:
In a lawsuit involving questions of liability regarding property damage, personal injury, and possibly death, I'm going with what the state statutes say and what the courts have interpreted them to mean first, how an agency has interpreted the laws -- in writing, in official publications -- second, and what individual cops and DMV employees think last, if at all (probably not at all). But that's me.

Then you obviously agree with me when I said that no state legally requires brakes since the DMV OFFICERS that emailed back about vehicle towing quoted the exact STATE statutes(Florida statute 316.261 as a drive away, tow away operation). The rank of those DMV officers also puts them well above some DMV clerk or police officer on the street.
In fact, most States that I contacted gave me their State statute.
All you have to do is ask the right people and you can get the correct answers. In California the State statue is Vehicle Code Section 2XXXX. I'd give you the exact statute, but I'll let you do your own research because you would not believe me anyway. :B

[southpark]

In a lawsuit involving questions of liability regarding property damage, personal injury, and possibly death, I'm going with what the state statutes say and what the courts have interpreted them to mean first, how an agency has interpreted the laws -- in writing, in official publications -- second, and what individual cops and DMV employees think last, if at all (probably not at all). But that's me.

[LindsayRichards]

Check out the link:

http://www.readybrake.com/state_laws.html

[hanko]

I dont know about the best, but one of the easiest, no screwing around is a focus manual tranny. there is no steering collum lock, no fuses to pull, no jerking around with whatever you have to do with aouto trans. put it in neutral and go. lock it and take the key out to boot. plus its an american car.

[rgatijnet1]

LindsayRichards wrote:
If it is a state law to have a braking system and you do not have one, you are going to find yourself in a very bad situation. Giving people advise to not follow the law isn't the smartest thing to do. It is up to the other side to prove your system wasn't hooked up properly which isn't easy. It is very easy to prove you didn't have one. If you look through that link, you will find most states require it for a toad over a certain weight generally about 3,000 pounds.

If you look through that link you will find that they talk about TRAILERS or use vague references about other vehicles rather than state a "vehicle in tow". Naturally that is a link provided by BrakeBuddy. No conflict of interest there. :B
As I said, if you do not believe me, send an email to your State, or any other State and ask them. When you get the reply, post the name of the police officer that replied, like I did.
Be sure that when you send an email to any State Department of Motor Vehicles that you specifically ask about towing a vehicle behind a motor home, NOT towing a TRAILER behind a motor home.
I'll give you a hint......if you look at that link you are referring to it shows that both Florida and Connecticut require auxiliary brakes on a TRAILER over 3000 pounds. As I posted, and gave the names of the officers that responded, NEITHER of those states requires auxlilary brakes for a VEHICLE IN TOW. I gave the phone number for both officers, feel free to call them yourself.
As I said, I use a brake system but NOT because it is required by law. If I was driving a 40,000 pound DP and towing a Smart Car, I probably would not use one. The facts are that I found ZERO states that require, by law, auxiliary brakes when towing a VEHICLE behind your motor home. A tow dolly is a trailer and requires brakes.
I've done my research, now do yours.

[LindsayRichards]

If it is a state law to have a braking system and you do not have one, you are going to find yourself in a very bad situation. Giving people advise to not follow the law isn't the smartest thing to do. It is up to the other side to prove your system wasn't hooked up properly which isn't easy. It is very easy to prove you didn't have one. If you look through that link, you will find most states require it for a toad over a certain weight generally about 3,000 pounds.