Are our toads being devalued??

[csrrsr]

I went to the car show last week and was talking to one of the salesmen (I know...you take what you hear with a grain of salt). But, he surprised me when he said if a vehicle has been used as a toad it devalues them. He really got me to thinking....has anybody run into this?

[palehorse89]

I have not run into this, If you are a super honest person, when trading a TOAD in, and the odometer reads 36,000 miles and you have records that you have towed it 80,000 miles......... the only way for anyone to know this with today's electronic cars is if you tell them. Being towed is just like sitting in your garage. So, who tells.....when trading or selling?

[Dr4Film]

The ONLY way they may be devalued is through additional mileage that would accumulate on the odometer while towing and that would only be brand and model specific, some do and some don't.

My 2006 Saturn Vue has a 30 amp ignition Bypass Switch which disables the odometer so the electric transmission does NOT accumulate any additional towed mileage.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[csrrsr]

We don't get mileage on the odometer either, but that was not his reasoning. He said if the brackets or wiring plug is noticeable it tends to shun potential buyers unless of course, the buyer is looking for a toad. I just never thought about it before and was wondering if anyone had ever run into this.

[Peteyboy]

Kind of dissagree about being the same as sitting in the garage. Weather on the body alone will take it's toll, along with all related bearings and any friction surfaces that are turning. Shocks and springs are still working along with the steering gear that turns when the MH does. I can understand why they may devalue the vehicle somewhat.

[Route 66]

It didn't affect my toad's trade in value at all.

[Scarab0088]

Was the salesman in OP's post selling dolly's or car carriers?

Assuming the question is about a car set-up for flat tow...here's an actual experience. I was looking at cars before I had a Class A. I saw an import on a car lot with funny cut-outs on the front bumper fascia...asked the dealer what that was. He said it was already set-up for flat-towing with a motorhome.

The price on the car was the same as similar cars on the lot, but I walked away from that one for the fear of unseen miles on the lower driveline.

Now, if I was buying a toad for our RV, I might have jumped at it...saving the costs for purchase and install of the base plate system and lights.

So, could a toad be hard to sell or demand a lower price? What do you think? I think the answer is not always.

Safe travels

[abrasv]

Originally Posted by csrrsr

We don't get mileage on the odometer either, but that was not his reasoning. He said if the brackets or wiring plug is noticeable it tends to shun potential buyers unless of course, the buyer is looking for a toad. I just never thought about it before and was wondering if anyone had ever run into this.

We are looking at getting a larger SUV and selling our GMC Terrain so the other day I stopped at a place in St. Louis called Car Max. Nationwide place that advertises they will buy your car. I told them I was interested in trading for a vehicle I had seen on their lot. They appraised it and said since it had the hookups on the front (Blue Ox) for towing they had to discount the value. Quote was $7000 under what KBB said it was worth.

I've never had any luck trying to trade at a dealer anyway but I've also never been insulted like this before. My own fault for going there.

I could remove the bracket in a couple of hours but have chosen instead to advertise it for sale in the classified section on here.

If a non-rver ends up buying it I would take it off for them.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by csrrsr

I went to the car show last week and was talking to one of the salesmen (I know...you take what you hear with a grain of salt). But, he surprised me when he said if a vehicle has been used as a toad it devalues them. He really got me to thinking....has anybody run into this?

Some owners would say "remove the base plate and wiring and if no one asks don't tell".
Others might say, "Sell it set up for towing, the car toad is worth more as a toad, (if you can find someone wanting a toad already set up)".

BTW, whenever you are trading in, car dealers always tell you, "No one is looking for a car like that, they are hard for us to sell"!.......
No matter it is...... (and no matter if it is, or was, or never was set up for towing).

Mel
'96 Safari

[Gary RVRoamer]

No set pattern that I can see.
There are a couple dealers in my area that are anxious to get towable cars, especially if they already have base plates. They know they have a ready market for them because customers with motorhomes ask for them. Other dealers either don't know or would reduce the value if they did know, since they only see the potential extra wear or disfiguring tow gear on the front.

One car salesman I talked to privately (it was a social occasion) was aghast when I mentioned that towing miles are not recorded. He all but accused me of violating federal law and said his dealership could never sell such a vehicle if they knew about it. He is dead wrong re the federal laws, but it shows the lack of knowledge about this subject among the genrral car-buying public.

[Dr4Film]

I have to agree with Mel in that a Toad is actually worth more than if it wasn't setup as a Toad.

After all, with the installation of the base-plate and electrical plus any permanent braking system all adds value to the car. But only if the person wanting to purchase it wants to USE it as a Toad.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[wincrasher]

Quite obviously, they take a beating being towed around. Someone buying as a daily driver needs to take that in account. If I was a dealer, I wouldn't touch one unless I could get it super cheap. Probably strip off the hardware and send it to auction.

Now if you can sell as a toad to another RV'r, they may pay a bit more for the setup. RV'rs aren't known for wanting to pay extra for anything, so good luck expecting them to pay full value plus a premium for the setup.

[smlranger]

When I traded a 2008 Explorer on our 2012 CRV they offered us the full trade in value for the Explorer, even though the base plate and other towing connections were still on and obvious to their appraiser. They knew I was going to remove the towing hardware before the actual trade.

That said, I think if any of us are totally honest, we may hesitate to purchase a used vehicle that we knew was towed behind a motorhome. If I was just looking for a good reliable used vehicle, I would not particularly want one that has been used as a TOAD, or at least I would expect to pay less for it.

Yes there odometer doesn't show the towed miles but there is wear and tear on the vehicle.

[jamesrxx951]

Originally Posted by palehorse89

I have not run into this, If you are a super honest person, when trading a TOAD in, and the odometer reads 36,000 miles and you have records that you have towed it 80,000 miles......... the only way for anyone to know this with today's electronic cars is if you tell them. Being towed is just like sitting in your garage. So, who tells.....when trading or selling?

Originally Posted by Peteyboy

Kind of dissagree about being the same as sitting in the garage. Weather on the body alone will take it's toll, along with all related bearings and any friction surfaces that are turning. Shocks and springs are still working along with the steering gear that turns when the MH does. I can understand why they may devalue the vehicle somewhat.

I also agree with Peteyboy. Even though the engine is not running, the wheel bearings, suspension, body, steering, rear differential (RWD), some bearings in the transmission (FWD), rear output shaft bearings (4x4), CV joints or U-Joints are all subject to wear and tear from being on the road. If I was looking at a used car and knew it was used as a 4 down toad, I would pass unless it was a stellar deal.