thinking aobut going solo

[zippyphil]

I am thinking about going solo for a while and have some questions. I think a 25' RV is physically big enough for living but I think I want to take a small car with me. I know I will not need something over 30'. The car would be handy for side trips. Has anyone towed a small car with a 25'? is it too much of a strain?

1 buy a 30' class A or C so towing is OK

2 buy 25' with no car and call it a day

phil

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Smart Car??

[wa8yxm]

I am solo in a 38 footer.. I only use about 32 of it and a good part of that just to walk through. 25 would fit me nicely.. I tow a small car (2500 pounds) or rather did till the engine went BOOM.. and will again when I get a new engine.

[Jim_Shoe]

I'm a solo RVer. My first RV was a Roadtrek. I ran into a couple of problems. It turned out that I'm more a visitor than a camper. The CG is where I park my current 'C' so I can go exploring in my Jeep toad and return to the same spot that I left. Even a Roadtrek is too long to park in a metered space and too high to fit in a parking garage. And hooking and unhooking in an RV park gets really tedious when you have to do it 2 or more times a day. If you know that it won't be a problem, go for it.

[alliemac9]

We've had a 25'9" Class C for 4.5 years. We just got it set up for towing this summer (despite purchasing our toad a few years ago). We tow a tiny '96 Toyota RAV4 (2-door, manual, AWD, about 2,600lbs). Our RV has the Chevy chassis and we can tell the vehicle is back there, but it's not a problem. It didn't even seem to affect gas mileage on our first trip (not a lot of data, but the calcs were in the same range we're used to seeing, depending on speed, headwind, etc.). On a particularly steep uphill in Colorado recently, we were definitely traveling slowly and maxed out, but otherwise we really haven't seen any performance reduction from it. And I'm not certain we've been on that stretch of road without the toad, so I didn't have a baseline to compare to.

For our normal roadtrip style travel (5,000 miles in 2.5-3 weeks) we probably won't drag the toad. We're always on the move and the RV is short enough not to be a problem in getting where we want to go.

For a trip to one area (i.e. we spent a week in Jackson/Tetons this summer) we'll probably take the toad. While there are times I love having the RV everywhere we go (e.g. getting caught in a downpour while hiking in Olympic NP and having the RV with towels and dry clothes at the trailhead), there are also conveniences to having a separate vehicle to explore in.

[Monaco_Montclai]

imho--a 26ftmh, we had one, 30ft now,they have the same motor. so I think they are good too. now its all happy-camping

[mockturtle]

I towed a Honda CR-V with my 24'9" Born Free for years. Recently sold it and am going toadless. Have ordered another RV that's two feet shorter and will not need to tow. Personally, I find it a bother. But, then, I travel rather than staying in one place more than a few days so I do my grocery shopping, etc. in transit.

[wbwood]

Veebyes wrote:
Thought of it too in the 'What ifs' department.

I'd seriously look at a larger B like a Sprinter van & maybe carry a smaller, 200cc scooter or multisport bike to get around.

The only issue with a bike or scooter is weather and cargo. Maybe tow a small pickup with the scooter in the back. Best of both worlds.

[Veebyes]

Thought of it too in the 'What ifs' department.

I'd seriously look at a larger B like a Sprinter van & maybe carry a smaller, 200cc scooter or multisport bike to get around.

[Golden_HVAC]

Sure the car is handy, and I probably would not take a trip without towing my Edge anymore. I also have a small dune buggy, Manx type, and it comes along on some trips if I wanted to do some off roading and meet up with people who have ATV's or motorcycles.

Yet with a small enough RV, you can decide to take the RV everywhere, and not have the expense and insurance of another vehicle. So if you are considering a Mercedes based small diesel class C, then you might not want to tow anything.

The 22- 26' long class C with a Ford chassis is nice in that the V10 allows plenty of power to tow a 3,500 - 5,000 pound car, you hardly know it's back there. It will cost you a tiny amount more in gas, like changing MPG from 8 to 8.8 while not towing.

Still if you plan on staying put for a while in a campsite, and doing a lot of sightseeing, then the car is nice to have with you. Are you planning on full timing? Then a car sure is handy, to avoid breaking camp each time you need groceries, or if you decide to take a job someplace like Yosemite or Yellowstone, and need to leave the RV in a campground for a few weeks. You can get a free campsite in exchange for agreeing to work minimum wage, and stay for most of the summer season. It is just a way for many retirees to extend their limited income, while also seeing a wonderful area, and working only a few hours a week in a gift shop or something.

The larger class C's such as 30' with a slide out might have to much curb weight to consider as a full time RV. Check the weight, and make sure that you can add about 1,000 - 1,400 pounds before reaching the GVWR. You are better off thinking of a smaller unit, it will allow more cargo before going over the GVWR.

Fred.

[wbwood]

Go the smallest as you feel comfortable in and tow something small. Sounds awesome. I would definitely tow something because there will be days when you will want to be able to jump in the car and go and not have to close up shop. Then when you get back, you got redo it again. At least you will have the freedom to just go and won't second guess yourself. We tow a Toyota yaris (2000 lb range) behind our class c. Granted ours is over 32' in length, but the smaller ones will pull it fine.

[Happily_Retired]

We tow a Ford C-Max Energi with our 25.5 ' Axis. Does great! Just be mindful of the hitch's weight limitation on whatever motorhome you choose.

[Nutinelse2do]

We used to tow a Chevy Tracker with a 26' Class C. It was a V10 and had a 5k hitch.
Towed like a dream. Suzuki Samurais, Chevy Trackers, Suzuki Grand Vitaras, etc all make excellent 4 down tow cars, as long as they are 4wd. Some smaller cars are towable if they are manual trans. Either check with the owners manual, or get some good ideas on this forum and escapees on dingy towing. I know Saturns are popular little tow cars. Just be aware of what the tow hitch rating is in your coach.