Community Forums

LamarAt · 12-05-2008, 02:30 PM

We are getting close to buying a new car which will be my wife's driver and the toad for our HR Admiral.

So far we have pretty much decided on the Honda CR-V as our vehicle of choice. Does anyone out there have any negatives on this choice?

Next, what are the advantages between a tow hook-up and a tow dolly? I see some of both on the road with the majority being the tow-bar.

Thanks for feedback!

-Lamar

LamarAt · 12-05-2008, 02:30 PM

We are getting close to buying a new car which will be my wife's driver and the toad for our HR Admiral.

So far we have pretty much decided on the Honda CR-V as our vehicle of choice. Does anyone out there have any negatives on this choice?

Next, what are the advantages between a tow hook-up and a tow dolly? I see some of both on the road with the majority being the tow-bar.

Thanks for feedback!

-Lamar

moisheh · 12-05-2008, 02:39 PM

The CRV is a great car and a very popular toad. It can be towed 4 wheels down. Personally I would never have a dolly They are OK for snowbirds who travel from the snow belt to the South and stay in one place. If you are a traveller they are a pain in the neck. When you get to a CG there may not be enough room in the pull thru for the car on the dolly. Now you have to find a spot for the dolly. Not worth the effort. Unless you step up and buy a high end dolly they have bearing problems!!

Lash · 12-05-2008, 02:47 PM

We have a 2007 Honda CRV for our Toad and it is a great vehicle. Only limitation is 65mph and stop after 8 hours and start and run thru the gears. This has never been a major issue from my perspective. Weight is great at 3400 lbs.

Regards

PizzaGuy · 12-05-2008, 03:20 PM

On my first coach, I used a tow dolly. It was easy to put the car on the dolly but finding a place for the dolly at a campground was a pain. It was take the car off, push the dolly to the end of the pad and then back the coach in. For my second coach, I used a tow bar. It was a "fixed" A frame. You had to be spot on moving the car up to the coach. It too was a pain. Usually required several attempts to get it connected. For my new coach, I went with the Roadmaster All Terain tow bar. Boy, is it easy to connect and disconnect. My wife doesn't drive so I always had to connect and disconnect my self. Life is much easier now. So, if you choose Tow Bar, get a good one. I will never go back to a tow dolly. Although I drive a Saturn as my toad, you will be very happy with the Honda CRV. It is a great car.

Happy Travels

BigSkyBob · 12-05-2008, 05:02 PM

I started out with a tow dolly and it was a pain in the rear. I then went to a Roadmaster All Terrain tow bar which I loved. I changed toads and needed a heavier tow bar so I went with Blue Ox and it's stowed on the back of the coach. It's very easy to hook up and unhook so I'm pleased with it. I still have the Roadmaster All Terrain I'd like to sell but it's so heavy the shipping would be expensive.

GaryKD · 12-05-2008, 05:43 PM

Hi Lamar,
Per my signature I use both a dolly and 4 down methods of towing. When using the dolly, I mention I need a pull through space when reserving a site. There has never been a problem. The dolly stays attached to the coach.

The tasks are different to hook and unhook for the dolly vs 4 down. Consider understanding the tasks and determine which will be the least irritating to you. The tasks can be dependent on the brand of components purchased.

I've done both for so long, it matters not to me which method I am using.

CoolJudy · 12-05-2008, 07:55 PM

Your Admiral is the cousin to our Monarch. We have a 34' gas rig so weight was a factor for us. We sold our heavier Honda Odyssey and chose an '06 Honda CR-V and have 32K of towing four-down and 32K of odometer driving. It came with Bridgestone tires which my husband thought gave us a hard ride. While we still had tread left, we just switched to Michelin X-radials this week.

Our Monarch came pre-wired for the Unified Tow braking system so we went with that and mounted the solenoid on the interior firewall, behind the carpet. We also have the Roadmaster All-Terrain tow and it works wonderfully. All we do is plug in the lights and plug in the brakes. No Brake Buddy to move around or store. We have also added a "Protect-a-Tow" rock protection system. Takes about 5 minutes to hook-up and do the Honda pre-towing gear shifting routine. A great set-up.

We got a great deal online for the brake and towing system. What we saved on sales tax and with free shipping we were able to pay the somewhat expensive installation. At the time, our dealer and their subcontractors did not like to do the installations so we ended up going to a dealer who was experienced with the installation. There is no problem with voiding the warranty when connecting the braking system. If you need more details, drop me a PM and I'll have my hubby respond with the details.

becks · 12-06-2008, 09:49 AM

We tow a 2003 CRV or a 2008 Ford Ranger (4x4) pickup if we want to take the motorcycle along. Both units are 3400 pounds and fast and easy to hook up. As you have heard, the CRV is a very popular toad. Enjoy.

Lennyzx11 · 12-06-2008, 11:23 AM

Cath & I traded our 2008 Pilot in for a 2007 CRV last weekend and it's at a shop right now getting the Demco baseplate installed. I bought the Demco towbar also. I decided to go this route from talking to others in the various campgrounds and reading here and on the net. We really like the little thing, it's a lot easier to park, nimble is the word Cath calls it, And the little gage on the dash showing real time gas mileage at 30+ MPG is nice! I'm still researching the brake system because i'm not sue if our Cayman is prewired for a system or not. We'll post more as we plan on leaving here in a coupla weeks heading south.

Lenny

Toby · 12-06-2008, 11:45 AM

Lamar

We started out towing a chevy Malibu and loved it behind a gas HR Vacationer. However, getting in and out of the low seats started to become a problem, so we decided to get a CRV. The problem with the CRV (living where there is no snow-so do not need the all-wheel drive cost us about .05 miles per gallon ( we went from 8.0mpg to 7.5 mpg. I assume the all-wheel drive is the .05mpg problem since both cars are about the same weight. In order to get anti-lock brakes and side airbags, we had to go to the EX model and that model came with the all-wheel drive. Overall, we are very pleased with the CRV (72000 drive miles) and would probebly buy another one. s/Toby

Norton · 12-06-2008, 01:21 PM

We have both a 2004 PT Cruiser and a 2006 Honda CRV and both are set up for towing with 4 wheels down. In my opinion (for whatever that's worth) I wouldn't want to have a tow dolly to mess with.

GoneFishin · 12-08-2008, 05:10 PM

We love driving and towing our '08 CR-V EX. Around town we get 25 mpg, driving the interstate we get 30 mpg, and with cruise control on the interstate we get 38 mpg. We have the Roadmaster Sterling tow bar and US Gear Unified Brake System and either one of us could hook/unhook it by ourselves if necessary. When towing I don't even know it's there.

Vet Man · 12-09-2008, 05:11 AM

I have owned 3 CRV's and wife uses as everday driver and a Toad, great car. Check closely before you purchaase the CRV I do not believe the 2 wheel drives are towable 4 down. Most are 4 wheel but the 2 wheel drives are around.