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Need TOAD advice ........................

Richard_999
Explorer
Explorer
I am looking for a FLAT TOW car , but it seems that almost EVERY one I consider , has really rotten ratings and histories on Car Complaints website.
I prefer something between 2005 and 2012 , for price reasons.
Jeeps ... ALL , seem to be a garbage car..
Saturns ... seem to drop transmissions often...
Equinox ... appears to have LOTS of complaints, except for '09 and '14 and newer...
Malibus ... Perhaps the worst transmissions & steering columns ever made...
Pickups ... just too heavy ...
I have had 5 in the past , and minimal issues , but those were older , and as such, made better than the non-American versions of newer ones.

I would GREATLY enjoy any input from actual owners on this topic.

Thank You
36 REPLIES 36

Y-Guy
Moderator
Moderator
OP bought his car, and this thread is going south so going to close it down.

Two Wire Fox Terriers; Sarge & Sully

2007 Winnebago Sightseer 35J

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

Richard_999
Explorer
Explorer
Lane ... I agree with you that people only make NOISE when they are unhappy.
BUT ............... as you research cars on CarComplaints website , as I have ( extensively ) ... you will see that MANY MANY MANY MANY MORE people seem to be VERY VERY VERY unhappy with JEEPS , than ANY other vehicle.
THAT... cannot be ignored by someone that has an open mind.
Then again ... look at how many people still smoke & take Opioids , until they die.

If YOU like JEEPS ... and want them for some personal reason that overcomes financial risks ... then BUY ONE !
Then again ... we ALL are guilty of that EXACT same logic-flaw when it comes to MOTOR HOMES !
THEY .... are certainly an excuse follow personal preference , and NOT prudent financial judgements.

Thanks for your comment .............. Richard

lane_hog
Explorer II
Explorer II
Lol.... Maybe the reason you see low ratings on CarComplaints.com is because only people who are pissing and moaning about their car would go there. People who love their car won't go to a complaint site...


I'm on my second Liberty, and I've owned two Cherokees, and two Patriots.

Patriots are essentially an AWD Dodge with a Jeep label, but the Liberty and Cherokee 4x4s were rock solid for us. No major mechanical issues that I couldn't fix in my own driveway on a Sunday afternoon.
  • 2019 Grand Design 29TBS (had a Winnebago and 3x Jayco owner)
  • 2016 F-150 3.5L MaxTow (had Ram 2500 CTD, Dodge Durango)
  • 130W solar and 2005 Honda EU2000i twins that just won't quit

Richard_999
Explorer
Explorer
AGAIN ... Thanks to all ( minus Mike ) ... who responded and gave me input.
To those who have JEEPS , and feel my comment about them is off base... please keep in mind , I have never owned one , so my only source of info is from Car Complaints website and people who HAVE owned them... and are EXTREMELY unhappy about it ... BUT ... like an earlier poster said... if they treat them like ATVs ...Mud-Boggers .. and abuse them ... then THEIR opinion is invalid.
Without knowing who is who .. I can only walk away with a negative opinion.
Thanks again ... I did buy a Honda ELEMENT
( sorry Mike ... )
(( well ...not REALLY sorry ! ))

Richard_999
Explorer
Explorer
mike brez wrote:
So you did all this research on a toad and you went out and purchased a POS Damon made by Thor. ROTFLMAO


Well Mike ... I have owned 13 motorhomes to include..
..TWO Damon Challengers ( YUP... count 'em .... TWO ! )
..a REXHALL AERBUS
.. a REXHALL Rose Air
.. a BOUNDER
.. two COACHMEN units
.. a PACE ARROW
............ and the list goes on
AND ( wait for it ! ) ...... there is VERY LITTLE difference in any/ all of them !
The mfgr buys the frame / drive train from FORD-CHEVY or whoever..
... They ALL use the same companies to supply Appliances - Furniture - TV's - Beds - and almost EVERYTHING inside.
... The ONLY places they differ , are on design features , and uh ... well ... uh ...gee , not much else.. even then , they are more alike than NOT ! ( get it ? )

BUT ... who am I to challenge someone with YOUR wealth of wisdom , that can see thru all of this, and declare THOR to be a POS ?
Since I now own a SOUTHWIND , I will consider myself LUCKY to NOT own a THOR ( whew ! ) ......
I hope my current choice is good enough for YOU !
I am certain YOUR jeep rides like a flying carpet , especially as you bounce around on those trails in he backwoods ... and has every CHROME addition that makes people SWOON as you pass by....
One day .... I may as wise as I feel you see yourself... but perhaps not today !
IF .... you wish to go to CarComplaints website , you can tell the 12,700 people with severe JEEP complaints how WRONG they are... and it MAY make them feel better.

Until then ... try NOT to help ME any more ... I seem to have digested your input , and
feel a bit queezy from it ........................ ENVY - I guess !

Ha

magicbus
Explorer
Explorer
mike brez wrote:
So you did all this research on a toad and you went out and purchased a POS Damon made by Thor.

Jeeps ... ALL , seem to be a garbage car..
Saturns ... seem to drop transmissions often...
Equinox ... appears to have LOTS of complaints, except for '09 and '14 and newer...
Malibus ... Perhaps the worst transmissions & steering columns ever made...
Pickups ... just too heavy ...


I feel like I have slipped into an alternate universe where everything is reversed...

Dave
Current: 2018 Winnebago Era A
Previous: Selene 49 Trawler
Previous: Country Coach Allure 36

mike_brez
Explorer
Explorer
So you did all this research on a toad and you went out and purchased a POS Damon made by Thor. ROTFLMAO
1998 36 foot Country Coach Magna #5499 Single slide
Gillig chassis with a series 40
02 Ford F250 7.3 with a few mods
2015 Wrangler JKU

Islandman
Explorer
Explorer
We're very happy with our 2003 Jeep Wrangler TJ with auto trans, no problems whatsoever and it's really great to haul the lawn chairs, fishing gear, and the extra stuff that we all seem to add to our "nice to have just in case" belongings. The Jeep is really great when you want to explore the off-beaten paths in the western USA and Canada. It's towed four-down and is easy to hook up and unhook; no disconnecting battery and other items to take care of like some other dinghys; we have the Stay-N-Play towing system for our Jeep.

happy2rv
Explorer
Explorer
When we had motor homes we flat towed a couple of cars and a Ford Ranger extra cab pickup. The Ranger was by far my favorite. It was a 5 speed and we used a brake buddy aux braking system.
2018 Forrest River Salem Hemisphere 282RK - 2017 RAM 1500 TV

Previous RVs and TOADS
2004 Fleetwood Bounder 32W on WH W20
2000 Four Winds 5000 21RB
1986 27' Allegro
TOADS
2005 Ford Ranger XLT 2WD
2004 Suzuki Aerio
1988 Chevrolet Sprint

wildtoad
Explorer II
Explorer II
Iโ€™ve only had two towed cars. A 2013 Chevy Sonic Automatic, and my current 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The Sonic was great to tow, only had to bypass one fuse to allow tow, never had a single issue. Currently have been towing ( and daily driver ) a 2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr Sahara ht. A fine running car, looks brand new inside and out. I picked it up at Carmax. Not one single issue towing or just driving. If you get one just keep in mind it was not designed to ride like a luxury car and you will be fine.
Tom Wilds
Blythewood, SC
2016 Newmar Baystar Sport 3004
2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr HT

MetalGator
Explorer III
Explorer III
dodge guy wrote:
They now get bad reviews because soccer moms are buying them and they expect them to ride and handle like a full size luxury SUV. Look what they have done to it already! Luxury interior with heated seats and touch screen. Sliding soft top, electronic t-case on some models (youโ€™re never know it because the shift lever is just a switch with a lot of resistance to make you believe it is manual!). Once they go independent front suspension itโ€™s game over for the wrangler. And itโ€™s going to happen just give it time.


I always love the reviews that talk about Wranglers riding stiff. Duh, it's designed to be an off road vehicle, not a luxury car.

Anyway, I have been happy with both of our Jeeps. The wife wanted one when we were looking at motor homes. I thought it would be a good idea since they are so easy to hook up and tow. She bought a 4 door hard top and I liked it so much a year later I bought a 2 door soft top.

To the OP, they make great toads. I wouldn't let the negative reviews scare you off. I have a gas Class A and hardly even notice the two door when towing. The 4 door is heavier but the motor home pulls it just fine as well.

Burch
2018 Miramar 35.3 Motorhome
3 fur kids (Monty, ZuZu and Pinto)
Rainbow bridge (Murphy, Petie, Lola)

Richard_999
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks to all who responded...
I did buy a Honda Element yesterday ...

Richard_999
Explorer
Explorer
MetalGator .... I do suspect your analysis has a LOT of merit , since there seems to be a lot of them as toads.
MANY ... of the Jeeps I see ( mostly Wranglers / NOT being towed ) ... are "pimped-up" ... and their decals are consistent with Off-Road and "Me-Bad-Dude" mentality .
Sounds like YOUR experiences are GOOD and consistent with actually TAKING CARE of them .
Thanks for the input.

I did buy a Honda Element yesterday. Nifty little item.

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
MetalGator wrote:
Not sure why Jeeps get such bad reviews. We currently have two Wranglers and used to have a Jeep Cherokee. All 3 have been great vehicles. I have two friends that have Jeeps and they haven't had any issues. I have both Wranglers (2 door and 4 door) setup for flat towing behind our Motorhome. They are really easy to setup and tow. I often wonder if the bad reviews are because many people abuse Jeeps by rock crawling and other off road activities. Both our Jeep Wranglers are daily drivers and neither of them have had any issues (except for airbag recalls).

Burch


They now get bad reviews because soccer moms are buying them and they expect them to ride and handle like a full size luxury SUV. Look what they have done to it already! Luxury interior with heated seats and touch screen. Sliding soft top, electronic t-case on some models (youโ€™re never know it because the shift lever is just a switch with a lot of resistance to make you believe it is manual!). Once they go independent front suspension itโ€™s game over for the wrangler. And itโ€™s going to happen just give it time.
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!