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Mike43's avatar
Mike43
Explorer
Jul 14, 2014

Class C Toad

Buying a Class C. How many of you that own a Class C find that it is necessary to tow a car?

Class C to be 28-30 feet.

Thank you
  • It all depends on your camping style. I tow one now when I need a car but when I pick up my new Tiger TX, a little smaller than my Born Free, I don't plan to tow. In fact, I've already sold my Honda CR-V to my sister!

    If you like to stay in one place for any length of time with hookups, you will probably want a toad.
  • Not all Class C's are created equal. Make sure you have the tow rating (and hitch rating) to tow whatever you have in mind.
  • We have 28' Class C and don't use a toad. Doesn't take very long to get rig ready for quick drive to store etc - you leave the chairs and "stuff" at the campsite (may not work in Calif). Parking can be a challenge and we will rent a car if were heading into someplace crowded like San Francisco etc .. but we usually seem to find a a spot - even if it means a longer walk.
  • I pull a Jeep Wrangler behind my 'C'. Easy enough to do, but I'm more of a 'visitor' to places than a 'camper'. Other than an overnight on the way to my destination(s), I tend to stay in one RV park for a week or more, so that I can take my time visiting the places I came to see. Helps to be retired.
  • I've towed behind my "C" for 28 years. We dry camp a lot and if I want to go fishing, shopping, sightseeing, I don't want to break camp and pack things away.
  • We are travelers and sightseers. We normally go to a site for 2-4 days and spend our time seeing the local sights before moving on, local being within about 70-80 miles. The toad with 25-30 mpg sure beats the MH at 9 mpg and is much better for sightseeing.

    We also sometimes go "camping" and stay at our site for several days. In those cases we don't bring the toad.

    It all depends on your RVing style.
  • We have a 31' class c and unless we're doing a short "out and back" trip we always take the Harley's or the car. only took one long (2 month) trip to show we needed to have something. Renting a car was OK but occasionally it was a major inconvenience 1. no rental agency, or 2. We had to unhook and drive 20-30 miles to pick up the car. Once we had to get it in the rain and hated it!! Pretty much depends on what you are out to do.

    Dave
  • Another thought: The toad serves as our lifeboat. If something goes wrong out in no mans land and you have no cell service, you can drive the toad to the nearest town and get help.
  • It depends on how I am using the C.

    I don't tow when I travel/tour/roadtrip, as I can get my shopping done enroute, my stops are overnight, and if there is room at a tourist site to park a bus there is room to park a C. Because I'm not towing, it is easier to get around, easier to park. I frequently back into spaces at parking lot edges, because with the overhang off the lot, what's left takes up about the same space as a crew cab dually pickup.

    If I towed on these trips, I would have to put the C in a campground and use the toad to get around. That's because the additional length of the combination, and the inability to back it, makes getting around in the RV too difficult at most places I choose to visit. Mostly because I can't back up to deal with parking and turn-around situations, and I am somewhat more limited on terrain I can cross with the lesser ground clearance of the towed vehicle and what's in the hitch.

    I do tow when I am going out alone to the lake for a few days, or choosing to stay there for a couple of weeks, so that I can get around, get back into town to take care of business. If I'm going out for a few days with a group, whether I bring along a car depends on who else is bringing what for getting around.

    Just the opposite of Tenbear. So what works for you may not be what works for me.
  • Timely question for us. We are just now setting up our Jeep as a toad after seeing ourselves with a medical emergency about 30 miles from the closest ER. Granted, we've had the Class C for a year and never needed a second vehicle before.
    That all said, there are lots of ways to camp without a toad. A recent example: we camped at Mackinaw City in Northern Michigan at a campground that had a shuttle to the docks so we could take a ferry to Mackinac Island.
    We also like to get lake front sites so we can enjoy our campground without having to travel anywhere else.
    That's about to change with having the Jeep and I'm secretly thrilled because I love, love, love sightseeing. DH doesn't as much.
    Whatever you decide, you can always adapt and make changes.
    Happy camping!