Is a TOAD possible with this MH?

[Shore2Shore]

Hi all

We are looking to go travelling for 6 months or longer and trying to figure out whats best for our situation.

Our 1987 34ft fleetwood bounder has a ford 460 and C6 box, just wondering will it be able to pull a toad? If so what sort of vehicle would you recommend?

It can tow as it has a hitch,will check to see what the specs are, would be so much easier to be able to tow 4 down.

Is there any info that you require to recommend any particular vehicle or even suggest its fine for our vintage to tow 4 down.

Thanks in advance for any info & help ,sorry if this is a silly question but new to the possibility of towing 4 down.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Sure it can tow one, but the question is how heavy can the toad be? On that vintage of coach, it may well be limited to 3500 lbs or possibly even less. The hitch rating is one key item and the motorhome GCWR (combined max weight for coach and toad0 is the other.

[njs42]

A nice used Honda CR-V would make a fine tow---we have an 04---it weighs about 3300#'s easy t set up and tow.

Check your hitch for capacity and do not excceed your GVWR---and put some brakes on that tow and you will be fine.

There are many baseplate and tow bars out there pick one you like---we use a Blue Ox and prefer it.

[Shore2Shore]

Hi thanks for the info,just checked up the GVWR etc and here they are:

GVWR =15,440 F GAWR= 5600 R GAWR = 9840

With a base weight of 11659

From what I remember the hitch is rated for around 3000 will have to double check tomorrow.

[WheelingIt]

The key is not to exceed the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) and hitch rating. If your MH doesn't have a GCWR, then use the GVWR number as your max. allowable total. Start by weighing your fully loaded motorhome to get an accurate base weight (it's the only way). You can get it done at many truck stops (search the internet for the nearest CAT scales) for only a few $$. Then subtract your motorhome weight from the GCWR and you'll have the lbs you can tow.

The CR-V is nice and light. Tow bar and supplemental brakes will then set you up.

[Senior Chief]

We tow a 1999 Saturn SW2, which is a hatchback wagon. Tows 4 down, very light at 2450#, has enough room for 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 St. Bernards. Good gas mileage and inexpensive to buy.

We tow with a lightly used Blue Ox Aladdin towbar and baseplate (more Saturn baseplates available used than any ther kind) from Ebay >$500.

Been pleased with the whole outfit.

[Senior Chief]

Originally Posted by WheelingIt

The key is not to exceed the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) and hitch rating. If your MH doesn't have a GCWR, then use the GVWR number as your max. allowable total. Start by weighing your fully loaded motorhome to get an accurate base weight (it's the only way). You can get it done at many truck stops (search the internet for the nearest CAT scales) for only a few $$. Then subtract your motorhome weight from the GCWR and you'll have the lbs you can tow.
.

I don't think using the GVWR is the answer.

Fleetwood defines Net Carrying Capacity (GVWR minus unloaded VW) as The maximum weight of all occupants including the driver, passenger, personal belongings, food, fresh water, LP gas, tools, tongue weight of towed vehicle, dealer installed accessories, etc., that can be carried by this motor home.

The tongue weight of the toad is essentially zero, you clearly aren't meant to include total toad weight as part of the cargo (frankly, no Class A of this vintage other than a bus conversion will have more than couple k of carrying capacity at best)

I'm truthfully not sure of how you can define maximum toad weight without the manufacturer's defined numbers.

Personally, using a supplementary braking system in the toad, towing a light vehicle and running under our max GWVR and within our hitch rating is what makes us comfortable.

These old rigs were obviously designed and expected to tow, but the motor home/toad combo was not as ubiquitous as it is today.

[njs42]

I was wrong when I said GVWR---it should have been GCWR-------then knowing the weight of the toad and the weight of the vehicle and the capacity of the hitch---you can figure out how much you can tow--

I typed an oops right after I sent my first reply but see now that I did not send it properly----my deepest apologies

[ahicks]

Originally Posted by Senior Chief

I don't think using the GVWR is the answer.

Fleetwood defines Net Carrying Capacity (GVWR minus unloaded VW) as The maximum weight of all occupants including the driver, passenger, personal belongings, food, fresh water, LP gas, tools, tongue weight of towed vehicle, dealer installed accessories, etc., that can be carried by this motor home.

The tongue weight of the toad is essentially zero, you clearly aren't meant to include total toad weight as part of the cargo (frankly, no Class A of this vintage other than a bus conversion will have more than couple k of carrying capacity at best)

I'm truthfully not sure of how you can define maximum toad weight without the manufacturer's defined numbers.

Personally, using a supplementary braking system in the toad, towing a light vehicle and running under our max GWVR and within our hitch rating is what makes us comfortable.

These old rigs were obviously designed and expected to tow, but the motor home/toad combo was not as ubiquitous as it is today.

I'm thinking the same as you are. To the best of my knowledge there is no GCWR available on the older coaches. Luckily, I have a fairly well documented coach, and even after searching through all that specifically looking for that number on several occasions (OK I was bored, but curious), have not been able to find anything I can use.

My hitch is rated for 3500lbs. so that's what I used....

[Senior Chief]

Originally Posted by njs42

I was wrong when I said GVWR---it should have been GCWR-------then knowing the weight of the toad and the weight of the vehicle and the capacity of the hitch---you can figure out how much you can tow--

I typed an oops right after I sent my first reply but see now that I did not send it properly----my deepest apologies

The sticky issue with older rigs is that there is no published GCWR .

[WheelingIt]

Deleted..

[Jim Gibson]

I towed my 05 Cobalt with my 93- 37' Mountainaire with a 460 with no problems.