Toad or Car Rental

[deasnealy]

It seems like a number of folks prefer having a toad. My question is why not just pick up a rental when you need it and follow the rig to your park? Better yet, why do more parks not offer rentals. Seems the cost of prepping your toad, cost of additional fuel insurance, gas and maintaining the toad would be greater than renting when you need it.

Additionally, the stress of pulling the toad and all the checklists you need to handle with all four down?

Would be interested in your opinions.

Thanks!

[ga traveler]

From 1974 thru 1993 we never pulled a towed. In 93 we started to pull a mazda pickup. It is much better having a vehicle to sightsee in. You can rent, however there are two big problems. many times you will be in the middle of nowhere and rentals will not be close by. Second: rentals are expensive. I would vote for the towed.

[ahicks]

Our toad is an everyday driver when not in "toad" service, so there's no extra prep or insurance required to take it on a trip. Having chosen what I feel is one of the simpler to use toads, towing the toad has become a non-event, other than the cautions taken when pulling into an area that might be tight maneuvering.

Having the toad with us increases our ability to sight see in areas not accessible by motorhome, or at minimum, reduces the driving stress while on "adventures" to the point we're more likely to go. When we arrive at a campground, the toad is dropped first thing. The toad is then used to scout out a park we're not familiar with in our hunt for a campsite we'll enjoy the most for our stay.

We enjoy having the extra level of security offered by having an extra set of wheels in case of trouble with the motorhome. Having that option was a pretty big deal for us at first... pretty much eliminating the potential of being seriously stranded.

Hooking up our toad is a pretty simple process for me. Nothing complicated, no stress involved. My checklist is a mental one, and it's backed up with a "walk around" performed after moving the hooked up coach ahead 50 feet or so.

In return for "dealing" with a toad, we avoid ALL the hassles associated with finding a reasonably local rental agency, traveling to and from the agency before and after (by motorhome, and very likely involving heavy/city traffic), scheduling arrival during business hours, not to mention the expense.

[tncruiser]

we toad a wrangler
its a JEEP thing
brianj

[njs42]

Our MH is 36'. Not an easy drive around town vehicle.

We pulled into Redding last year with my wife needing to get to a Doctor---quick! Can't imagine going through what we did and having to drive the MH all over to get where we needed to go. Not the first time it has happened. We tow---always.

A lot, I suppose, depends on how you personally use your RV. If you go one place and stay for a long time then maybe renting is a good choice.

FYI---towing 4 down and set up is really not all that much bother. I'm old and cranky and I manage just fine.

[wildtoad]

You don't say if you are fulltiming or not. We use our RV a couple of times a month thus far as the new wife still works mainly to provide health insurance. In a former life we would rent a car when we knew we would want to go sight seeing in and around the place(s) we were going. Other times we would make sure we had enough supplies to hold us while we were parked and when required and distance and safety were not an issue we could bike it. I can rent a lot of cars for the cost of prepping the dailey driver for towing.

[dajudge]

Toad is the way to go. I am also old and cranky sometimes, and I don't need the hassle and expense of a rental. We to four down and us teh DW everyday ride, a 09 HHR. Not a problem.

[frankdamp]

Tom:

That's my feeling also. We have a Kia Sedona which weighs 4800 pounds. We couldn't dolly tow without exceeding the hitch rating and a dolly for a car that heavy would be expensive.

Since very few Sedonas are towed four down, the bits are expensive. I researched what it would take, and it added up to over $3 grand. Most trips, we do our sight-seeing while going between CGs and we do the same for grocery shopping if we need to. In two seasons with our old Class C and a half seaon last year with the current rig, we haven't felt the need for a toad.

In any case, we couldn't leave our two Labradors in a car while we went inside someplace and we probably woould have problems with the rental agency carrying the dogs in the car. We can leave them in the RV with the generator and a/c running, though and have done it a couple of times in hot weather.

Three grand covers quite a lot of days with a rental car. Opinion might change with more experience, since the current rig is 6' longer than our Class C was.

[Cat320]

I use the toad as a daily driver at home. Plus it's lots easier on the road having it with us rather than going through the hassle of renting a car, having to pick it up, drop it off, etc.

[mythplaced]

It kind of depends on your situation....

As I am a "Value Minded" kinda guy (read:CHEAP) I make many decisions based on $$ and cents...

TOAD COSTS:

• Towbar/baseplate or dolly ($1K- $2K)
• Supplemental brakes ($1k)
• Toad Tire wear
• Fuel milage
• If TOAD is not a daily driver, then add the depretiation of TOAD vehicle.

OK, add all those costs up.....divide by the number of days you actually USE the TOAD, and come up with a $$$$ per day figure...

My numbers figured over a 3 year period (100 camping days)

• Towbar $950
• Hitch drop and pins $100
• Baseplate $350
• Supplemental Brakes $1000
• TOAD wear $200
• Fuel mileage decrease (.25MPG) $1500

TOTAL $4100
divided by 100 camping days = $41 day

For me its about an equal $$ equation, and I like to have the flexibility of the TOAD

[HD4Mark]

Depends on your usage. For four of the first five years we RVed we rented. Our only major trip was one vacation of three or four weeks to escape part of winter. The first year we towed a trailer with our motorcycles but that didn't work well. None of our vehicles could be towed four down so we rented after that. The price of a rental was less that the price, insurance and registration of a toad. No worries about breakdown either.

This worked great when going from point A to point B without leisure (not just rest and go) stops on the way. We would stop near our destination park at a rental agency with reservations and pick up the car. Drop it on the way home. To stop for a few days somewhere on the trip to or from would be a major PIA.

Now we escape for much longer so the toad is a must have. Four down, light and kind of fun to drive. Enough to get us to the grocery store and do some site seeing.

[Blaster 22]

Seems to me the ideal solution is have a toad that you use as one of the normal vehicles when not on the road...thus killing two birds with one stone.

[Dave and Jaime]

Originally Posted by ahicks

Our toad is an everyday driver when not in "toad" service, so there's no extra prep or insurance required to take it on a trip. Having chosen what I feel is one of the simpler to use toads, towing the toad has become a non-event, other than the cautions taken when pulling into an area that might be tight maneuvering.

Having the toad with us increases our ability to sight see in areas not accessible by motorhome, or at minimum, reduces the driving stress while on "adventures" to the point we're more likely to go. When we arrive at a campground, the toad is dropped first thing. The toad is then used to scout out a park we're not familiar with in our hunt for a campsite we'll enjoy the most for our stay.

We enjoy having the extra level of security offered by having an extra set of wheels in case of trouble with the motorhome. Having that option was a pretty big deal for us at first... pretty much eliminating the potential of being seriously stranded.

Hooking up our toad is a pretty simple process for me. Nothing complicated, no stress involved. My checklist is a mental one, and it's backed up with a "walk around" performed after moving the hooked up coach ahead 50 feet or so.

In return for "dealing" with a toad, we avoid ALL the hassles associated with finding a reasonably local rental agency, traveling to and from the agency before and after (by motorhome, and very likely involving heavy/city traffic), scheduling arrival during business hours, not to mention the expense.

Ditto. The marginal "cost" of a toad that is an everyday driver is additional wear and tear on the tires and brakes (even though the odometer is not turning, those brakes are being used and the tires are wearing). Plus, you get more road grime, paint chips, etc. towing. but that cost wouldn't be as much as the rental car. We spent about 30 days on the road so far this summer. 30 days car rental would have cost at least $1000. But the peace of mind knowing that you and your pets won't be stranded in the middle of nowhere if the MH doesn't start or the slides are stuck, etc. is invaluable. Sure, I suppose in an emergency you could also call for a rental car but only Enterprise will pick you up and they are not typically found in areas where MH's go camping. Plus, are you going to rent a car to run down to Wally World to pick up some groceries or parts or something?

I'll stick with the toad.

[Dave and Jaime]

Originally Posted by mythplaced

It kind of depends on your situation....

As I am a "Value Minded" kinda guy (read:CHEAP) I make many decisions based on $$ and cents...


TOAD COSTS:

• Towbar/baseplate or dolly ($1K- $2K)
• Supplemental brakes ($1k)
• Toad Tire wear
• Fuel milage
• If TOAD is not a daily driver, then add the depretiation of TOAD vehicle.

OK, add all those costs up.....divide by the number of days you actually USE the TOAD, and come up with a $$$$ per day figure...


My numbers figured over a 3 year period (100 camping days)

• Towbar $950
• Hitch drop and pins $100
• Baseplate $350
• Supplemental Brakes $1000
• TOAD wear $200
• Fuel mileage decrease (.25MPG) $1500

TOTAL $4100
divided by 100 camping days = $41 day

For me its about an equal $$ equation, and I like to have the flexibility of the TOAD

Most of those expenses you mention are 1 time expenses (braking system, towbar, base plate, hitch drop, etc). So for NEXT year, you can omit those costs and the toad will be much cheaper than renting. All you will have is the extra tire wear on the toad and the lower mpg. Probably will drop you $/day to closer to $20 or less, making it a no brainer after you have recouped the one-time costs in saved rentals.