Community Forums

Pepper2 · 03-31-2013, 06:59 AM

We have a 30ft. MH, so navigating parking lot's for shopping is a breeze, and most of our trips are 3-4 days long, so stocking provisions is also a breeze. On longer 2 week stays, we just buy more. We have never missed having a toad. Any others rely on peddle power?

Big Oil Guy · 03-31-2013, 11:16 AM

On our last outing, we were gone for 6 days and only used the toad twice, both times to go out for Mexican food. So, we towed 450 miles for a couple of meals out! Still, we like the flexibility and security that having another means of transportation available provides.

We usually like to set up and use the toad to explore the area. If we were only to spend a few days without venturing out, the desire for independence would be much lower. Stocking up on provisions usually isn't a problem due to the large parking lots at WalMarts or other grocery chains.

Our current rig has always been totally reliable. However, the one we had previously had a habit of winding up on the rear end of a tow truck. There were a couple of times we really NEEDED a toad, and didn't have one. I guess old memories like that sometimes dictate our current preferences.

StevieG · 03-31-2013, 11:28 AM

We have a tow dolly, but only use it when the trip demands it. We are going to Hilton Head Island in 2 weeks for a week. We will be bringing the bikes and renting a car while there. For $100 for 5 days, it doesn't make sense (to us) to tow for 1000 miles each way. We can bike around the island and use the car to drive to Savannah and Charleston. Enjoy!

vanbuskirk · 04-01-2013, 07:07 PM

We recently purchased a 125 cc Vespa motor scooter that comfortably holds both my DH and me. It affords us the capability of gong to restaurants, site seeing and shopping without having to toad however it's obviously not a conducive means of transportation for a family or during a rain storm. We just came back from a trip to Savannah and Myrtle Beach and had a blast trolling around on the scooter. The other advantage is parking...we just locked it up at a bike rack!

CampDaven · 04-01-2013, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pepper2

We have a 30ft. MH, so navigating parking lot's for shopping is a breeze, and most of our trips are 3-4 days long, so stocking provisions is also a breeze. On longer 2 week stays, we just buy more. We have never missed having a toad. Any others rely on peddle power?

We were totally that way, but just hiking, no bikes. Then as we got more vacation, we would plop the moho down and explore about 50 miles in all directions. 35 mpg beats 9 any day!
Must admit, unhook/rehook for every outing got to be a drag.
Now, for every 1000 miles we put on the moho, we put more than 3000 on the toad.
Wait for it!

Happy trails!

WeatherTodd · 04-01-2013, 08:40 PM

yes. I got a really nice 4 bike carrier that works fantastic. I also keep a foldable in the basement.

Mrs.M · 04-04-2013, 09:48 AM

Our coach is a 'dainty' 27 feet, and fairly nimble (we took him up OR 46 to Oregon Caves National Monument

) We mostly take weekend trips, with the occasional longer 10 or 12 day vacation. Like you, we take on supplies en route as needed, and rely on bikes or feet for getting around when we get where we are going. I routinely take my bike grocery shopping at home, taking it to the market on vacation is no problem.

I can understand the appeal of having a toad (see OR 46), but neither of our cars is 4 down towable, so at this point it's just not practical. If we were someplace where we needed more than a bike, there are often other options - public transportation, taking a cab, or even renting a car for a few days. If we were taking longer trips, though, I think having a toad and the bikes would be the way to go!

Mrs. M

StevieG · 04-04-2013, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanbuskirk

We recently purchased a 125 cc Vespa motor scooter that comfortably holds both my DH and me. It affords us the capability of gong to restaurants, site seeing and shopping without having to toad however it's obviously not a conducive means of transportation for a family or during a rain storm. We just came back from a trip to Savannah and Myrtle Beach and had a blast trolling around on the scooter. The other advantage is parking...we just locked it up at a bike rack!

How do you carry your Vespa? Thinking about buying one for the same purpose...

doglover116 · 04-05-2013, 07:49 AM

We have been RV'ing for 2 years and just bought a used Jeep as a tow vehicle - it has come in handy this trip - we are in Hilton Head and it has poured for 2 days! We take our bikes also and use them if we are not going too far. I found that not having a car to use can be a problem in some areas where there is nothing around for miles - we are not olympic bikers so am limited as to how many miles I want to bike!!

papa peter · 04-07-2013, 10:41 AM

Last year we bought a 26' Class A and decided we didn't need to have a toad because we could use our bikes to get around ... WRONG!! We traveled from California across to Virginia, up the East Coast to the Canadian Atlantic Provinces and back home. We cut our trip short after Mount Rushmore because it was NOT working for us.

We discovered that most areas are not conducive to using bicycles to get around. We were forced to look for RV parks that were close to public transportation and/or had access to tours. For example: Washington DC - you're not going to park in an RV park and take your bike to the city and get around ... etc. I could give lots of examples but you get the idea.

On the other hand, if we were to go somewhere for a few days to just relax I could see taking our bikes.

We came home early last summer and bought a Jeep Liberty which is designed to tow four down. Going to visit Alberta and British Columbia this summer with our toad

Medico · 04-07-2013, 11:54 AM

Many if not most of the posters here are PTers that spend a couple of weeks to a month in their RV.

For us FTers, especially those of use with a larger MH (remember we live in this FT) a toad is essential in most cases.

I guess it depends on your use of your RV. If this is your home, not your home away from home, then the need for a toad increases dramatically. We also take our bikes and do enjoy riding, but when you get to some of the most spectacular places to visit, it seems the conveniences of modern life are too far away to do everything on a bike.