Forum Discussion

dcmac214's avatar
dcmac214
Explorer
Mar 12, 2019

? Loaded Dinghy Ques

What's wrong with towing a loaded dinghy?

Saw a photo of a towed dinghy with a couple of canoes or kayaks on the roof with the "Do Not" circle and slash superimposed. Probably saw it on Pinterest, but couldn't open or enter whatever the site was for an explanation. Got me to wondering what would be verboten about us dolly-towing our dinghy with our kayaks on top. ?
  • as long as you’re within the weight rating of the toad, hitch and towbar i can’t imagine why there would be an issue.

    the amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

    - the gross combination weight rating of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded and configured for travel

    - the weight rating of your hitch

    - the weight rating of your tow bar
  • Agree with the above ^^. We tow our Explorer with Kayaks on racks, Bikes, etc inside.
  • I also have no idea why they would forbid that, provided of course the kayaks are properly secured. The added weight is relatively small, as well--maybe a hundred pounds or so. It would be very easy to add more weight by putting stuff in the cargo space of the vehicle.

    If they extend past the front of the towed vehicle, one would be well advised to verify adequate clearance in tight turns. Likewise, if they extend beyond the back of the towed vehicle, one needs to be aware of that as well (and of whatever applicable restrictions there may be on overall vehicle combination length).
  • Could have been a warning about hauling stuff in a towed vehicle with no camera to see how the load is faring.
  • Cause some people cant walk and chew gum at the same time?? idk
  • When I had a Class C and towed a car behind it, I frequently put our small boat on top of the car. Never thought twice about it.
  • Might be the kayaks and not the toad that they were talking about. If plastic kayaks are left on the roof long term (as in full time RVing) without some sun protection the UV rays will eventually cause the plastic to deteriorate.

    Kind of need to know the context of the picture you saw.

    Most all toad's are loaded to some extent. Mine is really loaded. Probably 500-600 pounds of junk in there.
  • JoeH's avatar
    JoeH
    Explorer III
    Well, I have 2 kayaks on the rack on top of my pickup truck, 2 bicycles on side mounted racks on the bed rail and a Harley in the bed. Inside the truck are 2 inflatable paddleboards and numerous other play toys and tools. Been towing like that with 3 toads over the last 15 or so years ( before that I pulled an enclosed trailer) . So far, the world has not come to an end nor have any of the toys been lost or broken.

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