Community Forums

Mom travelin · 08-16-2015, 09:16 AM

Hello
We are new to RVing have had our rv almost a year but have never had a toad. I am reseal now to get a toad. I want to flat tow. I want to make sure what I tow meets weight limits etc.
We have a
1999 Four Winds 31 ft Class C Ford engine 10 cylinder.
I am thinking we will use a blue ox tow system. I have researched past issues of Motorhome Dinghy towing and have a good idea of what is towable. Now I am just concerned about the weight of tow. I am thinking 3500 would be the max.
Cars we are researching jeep, honda ford and maybe Chevy
Just wondering what others tow and if I m correct in my thinking about max towable weight

mikebreeze · 08-16-2015, 09:29 AM

Welcome to irv2.com! I have a 5.4L V8 Ford 24 foot Four Winds with a Blue Ox system (tow bar, brake assist and base plate) and tow a 3750 lb Chevy Captiva with no issues. So I would think that, with a V10, you could go a bit heavier as far as the toad is concerned.

Ridemist · 08-20-2015, 03:19 PM

We had a similar size class C, towed a 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara. I think curb weight is just less than 3500 lbs. Towed well with the Class 'C' and easy to set up. Suzuki's no longer sold in states, but there are plenty of used ones. Ours currently has 123K miles on it.

Easyrider · 08-20-2015, 04:12 PM

Your hitch should show the allowable weight for towing. Since you have a V10 it may say 5000lbs, but since you also have a class C it may be 3500lbs. Either way you should check to be sure, and then I'd recommend staying below the max as much as possible and still have a toad you'll enjoy using. We used to tow a motorcycle in a trailer that combined weighed about 1500lbs. We now tow a Captiva at about 3800lbs. We used to pass slower vehicles towing the motorcycle, can't do that with the toad, the extra weight means we stay behind slow movers and wait for a passing lane to come up.

TonyMac · 08-20-2015, 06:25 PM

RTFB. Read your book, or whatever literature you can find, to find your max towing weight and your Gross Combination Weight Rating, the weight of the motorhome, the toad, and all the queep therein. Know these numbers? You didn't post them.

But really, here's the bottom line -- buy the lightest thing that can suit your needs, that is easily towable. Most Jeeps are just a flip of a lever. My 2000 S10 2dr Blazer is a push button transfer case; there are three transfer cases offered with the 2000 blazer and this one is the only one towable without a big PITA.

If you're only towing a few miles, a heavy toad ain't too bad, but why limit yourself.

wa8yxm · 08-21-2015, 07:12 AM

Blue-Ox is what I use.. They have a tow bar now with the Auto-Stop surge brake system (you need some kind of brakes on your towed so why not)

It looks like you have a good handle on the issues. have done the math and thus know what you can tow.. I will add only one comment.

You need to have your tow bar more or less level, I think Blue Ox says the ends when sitting on level ground should be within +/- 3 inches.. On many Motor homes this means using a drop receiver adapter.. IF you need to do this (or a riser) it de-grades your hitch system limits big time. They are not designed for torsion force, only pulling and turning. I had to upgrade the end brackets on the bar that crosses over the Motor home and the receiver is welded to. The originals broke.

JFNM · 08-21-2015, 07:32 AM

Hi Mom and welcome!

I'm not familiar with your rig so can't answer your weight questions.

I tow a Jeep Wrangler (manual trans) with a ReadyBrake bar - it is ridiculously simple to connect/disconnect. I always feel bad when I see folks spending 30 minutes hooking up or crawling on the ground disconnecting stuff - seems like an awful lot of work. I suppose if you only tow a couple times a year it might be ok. I'm a fulltimer and am always towing so I want quick and easy. I realize that not everyone is a Jeep person but I have found my Wrangler to be a LOT of fun. It can easily go places that many other vehicles cannot. I guess my point is: pick something that is easy to use - you do not have to settle for something less.

Triker56 · 08-21-2015, 08:04 AM

A Chevy HHR weighs around 3,300 lb. Pull one 2 AMP fuse or better yet put a switch on it. Put Transmission in "N" and go.

**CLIFFTALL** · 08-21-2015, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triker56

A Chevy HHR weighs around 3,300 lb. Pull one 2 AMP fuse or better yet put a switch on it. Put Transmission in "N" and go.

Don't forget to put ignition switch to accessory.

FRR2EYW · 08-21-2015, 08:17 AM

Check the weight sticker and hitch for max towing weight. The lower of the two rules. Will it tow more, probably. Should you tow more, probably not.

Oh yeah, one more thing. The limiter on weight is usually not the engine or transmission, it's the brakes.