What and How to Tow?

[Steve N Sal]

You'll get many opinions on this but you'll have to make the final decision. We to on a dolly only because at the time of the purchase of our vehicle the equipment needed to two 4 down was a 6-8 week wait. Well that wasnt' going to cut it as we were leaving on vaca in 2 weeks. Now that we have the dolly I don't mind it at all. For one I didn't have to modify the car (base plate, wiring etc.) so when I go to sell it for one I don't have to replace a facia that has been cut out to accept these mods. The other advantage is we can tow others vehicles if we want providing they are front wheel drive. Is it easier 4 down? Probably a bit. Cost wise it could be a toss up depending what equipment/dolly you purchase.

[alvinc]

As mentioned in some other posts, weight is also an issue. Depending on the size of the RV it will have a 3500 lb, 5000 lb, or a 10000 lb hitch. In general the more you spend on the coach the larger capacity the hitch.

A 5000 lb capacity hitch can tow most vehicles except Large SUVs, Large Pickups, etc.

The killer is an RV with a 3500 lb hitch; this will limit you to less than half of the vehicles listed in the 2011 Dinghy Roundup.

[BpK9Miami]

As has been mentioned previously, opinions vary. I'm presently very happy with my current TOAD...but, I went through several to get here.

It's too long to post all the plus and minus here, but click on my blog below and scroll down to the first entry for the sad tale. Hope it may help you out and good luck!

[DHart]

It seems like one sees more Wranglers being towed than any other single vehicle. 4WD Jeeps are very easy to tow 4 down. Really quick to hook up and to unhook and drive away. And they're really versatile in the ability to go most anywhere, in most any weather conditions. If you're the type that would enjoy a Jeep, I can heartily recommend the Wrangler.

Late model Wranglers offer all the creature comforts you desire (heated seats, navigation, Sirius radio, power windows, voice controlled cell phone use, etc.) and they really drive and ride much nicer than older model Wranglers. And having 4 doors sure helps for access convenience. My wife and I use the rear doors every time we go anywhere, for our day bags and such. The 4-door model (called Unlimited) also gives you more carrying capacity inside the Jeep. We love our 2011 Unlimited Rubicon.

First Rest Area entering Texas from New Mexico.

[Mr_D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by njs42 The "best" set up is completely relative to your circumstances and preferences, what is most economical and practical for you. All tow systems have their pros and cons but work well in any event. 4 down seems to be the most used, then dolly then trailer (not scientific other than my observations over ten years). ---a sure fire one is Honda CRV--4 down--towed ours 30,000 miles the car has 85,000 other wise--trouble free a combined 115000 original miles and we just installed our third set of tires so around 55000 on tires---pretty normal---transmission still is silky smooth. CR-V top of consumers best buy every year Rated top ten in highest resale Silky smooth engine and transmission, economical Roomy, durable---tows really well---easy conversion and set up---lots of good used ones out there I'll bet---some already equipt to tow. Not to discredit any others I'm just saying this one is a winner, Give it a look.

I've thought about going to a CR-V but the Ody gets almost as good a mileage as the 4WD and has lots more power. I get 19 around town and 27 on the freeway at 70 mph. The only drawback is that it's not approved for four down towing but there are a large number out there towing them. We're headed for AZ in a short time and I'm still on the fence about towing it four down or taking the dolly. They both have advantages and disadvantages. I don't consider the dolly to take anymore time to setup than four down, especially if the removable extensions have been removed and need to be put back on.

[Mr_D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alvinc Depending on the size of the RV it will have a 3500 lb, 5000 lb, or a 10000 lb hitch.

Not necessarily, ours has a 6,000# hitch but most do fit in the three you listed. Spartan says I can just bolt a new 10,000# hitch right on.

[Grimesy]

I vote for 4 down, you can check with the Remco company to ascertain if the vehicle you want to tow can be towed or ascertain which mods need to be made to do so. My Toyota 4X4 pickup has 70K on the clock but I just put my 4th set of tires on, so yes it does wear the towed vehicle, but not so much that it is obvious.

Don

[ncbounder]

We tow our '04 Chevy Tracker (AKA Suzuki Grand Vitara) 4 down and love it. Just put the 4x4 transfer case in neutral and off you go. Using the Blue Ox bar and baseplate. The baseplate is invisible when not in use.

[Winemaker2]

IMHO - How you are going to use the MH / Toad combo will make some difference. If you are going to spend a few days on the road going south once / yr and another few days heading home a dolly probably won't be a big deal - especially if you use pull thru sites. If you will be making more frequent trips & stops my vote is for 4 down as the easiest to connect / disconnect and nothing to find a place to store. If you have questions go to a local campground on at a time folks are arriving / departing and watch the various options hook up. Then imagine doing each in the rain and/or mud!

[free2rv4fun]

The BEST way to go, as far as towing, is what's best FOR YOU. What others do doesn't matter, as much as what will work the best for you. We considered all the options, and what works best for us is hauling a flat-bed aluminum car trailer behind our Holiday Rambler. We had 2 newer 4-wheel drive/all wheel drive vehicles (a must for the winters in Northern MI) and didn't want to change either vehicle, just because of hauling it with the RV. With the trailer, we take whichever vehicle we want to take. We could even take our Kubota RTV if we wanted to! Plus, we have the trailer for other uses when at home doing projects, or having to move equipment. So, it works really nice for us.