What To Tow?

[DallasSteve]

I bought a motorhome and my plan was to buy a Jeep Wrangler and tow it. We are living in the motorhome full time and my plan was to do that for a few years and I would want something to drive around. But now with the Coronavirus problems I'm not sure what to do and I don't want to invest much more money in this until I'm sure what I want to do. I might even sell the motorhome in a few months and just eat the loss. I still think I have learned something and had some interesting experiences whatever I decide.

So today we were walking around the RV park and looking at other setups. One neighbor had a motorcycle. My wife said "Why not get a motorcycle?" We still have the physical fitness to be able to ride a motorcycle but I'm not sure that's what I want to do. I don't really want to buy a used car, but I might buy a used motorcycle. I'd like something I could take off road and I suppose a motorcycle would do that, too.

One area I was considering is what other cars with automatic transmission can be flat towed besides a Jeep? I might go with a used Jeep, but those are still pretty expensive. I could rent something for a few months, but then I would need a trailer to tow it. I might go with a used car with a manual transmission but I would rather stay away from a clutch.

So I'm all over the board on this one not sure what to do and wondering if someone here has an idea that will spark me towards a solution.

[STBRetired]

Had a '01 Chevy Malibu and now have a '16 Ford Edge. Both are 4 down towable with automatic trans. Edge is AWD, Malibu was FWD. Lots of stuff out there in the used market that is listed in the guides as 4-down towable. Kind of hard to carry a week's worth of groceries in the rain on a motorcycle.

[Alan_Hepburn]

Grit dog wrote:
Well a motorcycle built for 2 and off road sounds like a YouTube video in the making!

You want a motorcycle able to carry passengers, with off-road capability, and it's a ton of fun to ride? Look no further than a Ural - they are decent on the highway, but are in their element once you leave the pavement behind!

[rjstractor]

DallasSteve wrote:
Thanks for those replies. Those are some thoughtful responses. As for the hitch rating, I haven't eyeballed the rating, but the brochure says it's 5,000/500. This is a Class A 2020 Winnebago Intent. It is built on the Ford F-53 gas motor chassis (not a bus chassis) so I call it an A Minor (music humor).

A 4-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited weighs around 4,500 from what I've read so I would be near the tow limit, and I still need to weigh this loaded to be sure I'm under GAWR and GCWR limits. I was thinking maybe a 2-door Wrangler due to weight limits, but I do like the 4-door. As for the motorcycle I hadn't thought about how a road bike performs off road. That's important to know. I had also thought of towing a 4X4 truck with a motorcycle in the bed, but that's probably over my weight limit.

Most true road bikes are pretty sketchy off the pavement. I mean you can ride a Harley on a gravel road but why would you? There are some pretty nice large dual sport type bikes that perform very well on the road and will handle "mild" off roading. Those big 600-1000cc dual sports are not for beginners. A smaller dual sport type bike (250-350cc range) would be good for forest service roads or secondary roads, but not suitable for interstate highway travel, especially two-up.

[DallasSteve]

Thanks for those replies. Those are some thoughtful responses. As for the hitch rating, I haven't eyeballed the rating, but the brochure says it's 5,000/500. This is a Class A 2020 Winnebago Intent. It is built on the Ford F-53 gas motor chassis (not a bus chassis) so I call it an A Minor (music humor).

A 4-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited weighs around 4,500 from what I've read so I would be near the tow limit, and I still need to weigh this loaded to be sure I'm under GAWR and GCWR limits. I was thinking maybe a 2-door Wrangler due to weight limits, but I do like the 4-door. As for the motorcycle I hadn't thought about how a road bike performs off road. That's important to know. I had also thought of towing a 4X4 truck with a motorcycle in the bed, but that's probably over my weight limit.

[Grit_dog]

Well a motorcycle built for 2 and off road sounds like a YouTube video in the making!

If your worried about expense, get over the want for a new vehicle. Sure way to lose $ when you change your mind as you said.
Idk what your deal is, but you don’t have a car, you are full time ish? but if you stop RVing you won’t need a car or want to go “off road “ anymore?
Collect your thoughts here and you’ll realize that whatever you buy now, you can still drive later even if not RVing.
And the least loss here, you said it yourself, jeeps retain value. Buy one use it, sell it if you don’t want it anymore.

And don’t letup on your covid conspiracy theories.
Cheers!

[bgum]

There are many Jeep Wranglers on EBay that sell for $7500 or so and are between 2000 or 2010 models. The have between 105000 and 150000 miles. Some are 4 cyl and some are 6 cyl. You may have to invest in new seat covers or top. Choosing a southern car will negate any rust issues. Some are already set up for towing otherwise figure cost to set up to tow. Anything you buy will need that.

[wanderingaimles]

There are quite a few possibilities, check the different years dinghy guides as a starting point, and then verify any specific one you are looking at is towable. This can help you start choosing,
Dinghy guide
And there are multiple years listed because they do change as models do.
I bought DW a little chevy cobalt a couple of years ago that she has had no problems with, it was a 06 model, flat towable, automatic front wheel drive with only 70k miles and it was less than $4k. former state owned car so should have seen regular maintenance. So yes there are some inexpensive possibilities out there if you are budget shopping.

[Bumpyroad]

what ever you decide on, check the owner's manual for instructions on towing behind a motor home. that is the only true source.
bumpy

[mowermech]

IMO, the best toad is a Jeep Wrangler, preferably 2001 to 2006. I like the look of them, I like the 4.0 inline 6 engine, I like the hardtop, I like the 6 disc AM/FM/CD changer stereo. If I was going to go back to serious off-roading, I would want the Rubicon model. That is not really needed for a daily driver. Regardless, for comfort and cargo capacity I would want the Unlimited (long wheel base) model.
I have seen such Jeeps for sale around here for less than $15,000, I have even seen them for less than $10K! Yes, many of them have lots of miles, but there is a lot of life left in them!
Mine will likely turn over 200K miles sometime this year, not including towed miles. It is still going strong, doesn't make any strange noises, doesn't burn or leak oil, and has good oil pressure. My son found it in Reno for under $10K!
Keep looking; I bet there is a Wrangler out there that meets your needs and budget.

[Ductape]

What is your towing capacity?

I prefer to drive a 4x4 myself, so it’s easy for me to find something. I just buy what I like to drive and then tow it. Not so easy for people who like cars.

You could get a used CRV or similar.

If you have no experience motorcycling off road let me caution you it’s whole different skill than road riding and for the most part road bikes suck off road and vice versa.

Motorhome magazine publishes a list of towable cars every year and you can see the older lists on their website.