Community Forums

Coral · 01-02-2018, 08:45 AM

I bought my tow bar first, a year and half before on FaceBook the deal was so good I could not pass it up, then I bought the Jeep, a used 2016 with 8000 miles on it, had that for about a year. Then last July I bought the coach. Planned on a toad from day one, and always take it with me. Love that Jeep.

My wife could not understand why I needed a fricken tow bar when I had no coach or Jeep. I said we will have to get a Jeep then, worked on her for 1 1/2 years, I got the Jeep. Then I said we need get something to tow the Jeep with.

And you know the rest of the story.

My RVing lifestyle would always include my Jeep so a rental would only be required IF the Jeep was in for extended service.

grindstone01 · 01-02-2018, 09:12 AM

My suggestion would be to try the rental car for awhile and see how it works for you and your needs. You can always buy a toad vehicle in the future and add it to your lifestyle. Another option is to hire a tow operator to move your trailer if you don't plan to move far or often for the first couple of years. You can always buy a tow vehicle in the future if the hire thing dosen't work for you. Don't force yourself into purchase decisions until you are ready or are confident in your needs.

MSHappyCampers · 01-02-2018, 09:28 AM

We've always had a toad. I would never consider renting! JMHO

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Happy New Year!

grumpy0374 · 01-02-2018, 09:30 AM

Your decision should be based on where you travel/camp. If always near large towns/cities, renting may be OK for you.
We avoid the large metro areas, tending to stay near small towns/villages where you would be hard pressed to find a rental company.
When we did our 3 month trip out west, then north into Canada and Alaska, our toad was a necisity. We stayed in areas that we wanted to explore, but no rental companies were within hundreds of miles.
Dosen't cost us anymore to tow our Subi, as it's my daily driver when home, and a reliable toad on the road. Can hook/unhook in less than 5 minutes, and the expense of the set up equipment was offset many times over by not having to rent a vehicle, spend time to pick up/drop off the rental.
For us, a toad is the only way to go. Take it with us even on 2-3 day trips.
Bottom line is that it will depend on your camping/rv style.
Grumpy

momdoc · 01-02-2018, 10:43 AM

As many have said it depends on your lifestyle. IF you are camping in resorts in large metro areas then rentals are available. If you are in the mountains of the west where the closest town with a rental car is 2 hours away then you are stuck at your campsite unless you break camp and explore with the coach.
There is also the issue of break down of the coach or needing a part. We had this happen to us last year and the toad made a difficult situation not all that bad.

Mr_D · 01-02-2018, 11:02 AM

In 1988 we got our first MH, a 17' Type B Okanagan. Small and I used it for my daily driver for years. Traded it in on a Type C MH in 1997 and got a dolly. Haven't been without a towed since then, either on a dolly or four down.

StevL · 01-02-2018, 11:48 AM

We started out two years ago doing the RV thing, we decided to rent as we didn't even know if we would like traveling this way.

Everything was fine for a couple trips, then we hit two in a row that the rental car company would not pick up the vehicle, both of these times we had to drop it off about 30 minutes in the wrong direction. This added well over an hour to our drive. I hated passing where we started from an hour+ after I left.

This is the point I said we are going to tow. We absolutely love towing, more expensive as we had to purchase a tow, added insurance, taxes, etc. But, I've never been so happy, we will always tow.

Best of luck in your decision.

Steve

hohenwald48 · 01-02-2018, 01:19 PM

Half the places we go don't even have cell service. I suspect a rental car would be hard to come by also.

If you already own the toad then the incremental costs to pull it are negligible. After hooking/unhooking a few times you can get that process down to a few minutes. I wouldn't even consider a rental as a solution. Your results may vary.

Won't take many $200 rentals to surpass the cost of setting up a toad. You have to pay the insurance, gas and maintenance either way. Of course, when you rent, those are buried in the rental price but you are still the on paying them.

ThePowells · 01-02-2018, 05:45 PM

So far, we have done the rental thing on trips away from home area. Located an Enterprise agency on our way in and out and pu/do there. Have not had a problem other than my rectal cranial inversion and picking an Expedition with a black interior when we have a white dog that creates a snowstorm when she shakes. Until we get a couple of trips with a dolly and can see actual MPG numbers, then we will decide on a trip by trip basis which will be better.

mikeannetta · 01-03-2018, 06:52 AM

Great feedback, I have decisions to make. I would love to do 4 down with wife’s Civic, but it’s an automatic not standard. She can not drive standard.

StevL · 01-03-2018, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbleiweiss

OP drives a gasser, like we do. We rent because it is much easier in gas stations to never have to unhook to back up. I find myself backing up maybe one in eight times in gas stations;

Wow, we also drive a gas, I've never had to unhook in a gas station.... I shouldn't have said that

Steve

wa8yxm · 01-03-2018, 09:05 AM

Rental which I did for one weekend when I buried my wife cost me $300 With insurance (Turns out the RV policy does not cover a towed, even though in my Home state an existing auto policy is supposed to cover rentals).

Towed car, is now a 2001 Neon, I paid 2,000 for it in 2013, I paid abut another 2000 to make it towable. It has needed about 200 in service since (not counting routine oil tire and gas)

It does cost me a bit MPG wise when I tow it (Strangely my first towed which was 1500 pounds heavier did not cost me MPG to tow, and yes, I do know why.. Wind.. (Air low spoiler).

So I'd say the TOWED option makes sense.

OLYLEN · 01-03-2018, 09:06 AM

Guess it boils down to, what your camping needs are. If you go to sit at a campground or resort no towed needed. If your like most, explore,shop, meals out, visiting towed is needed. As far as backing up at gas stations in 50 years of towing I can't remember when towing 4 down ever needing to back except once and that was a missed turn at a campground. Now towing a boat or when I towed a towed on a trailer yes. Towing you must look before you turn in a bit more than just the RV alone.

LEN

hohenwald48 · 01-03-2018, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbleiweiss

OP drives a gasser, like we do. We rent because it is much easier in gas stations to never have to unhook to back up. I find myself backing up maybe one in eight times in gas stations;

We've been towing a car since 2002 and have yet to have to unhook to get gas. Sometimes we drive by a station because I can't figure a good way to get thru but I've never had to unhook.

Having said that, it'll happen tomorrow.