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05-16-2011, 01:01 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Nor'easters Club Fleetwood Owners Club Mid Atlantic Campers Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Medway, MA
Posts: 394
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Lightest Toad for 4 wheel down towing?
Hello all you wonderfully knowledgeable RVers! 
We have a 5k tow capacity, and will soon be looking (I think) for a vehicle to be towed. I'd like the lightest toad that can carry 4 people - adult sized - the darned kids are getting bigger every day. Any suggestions?
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Landcruisers for life
2 adults, 2 kids (tweens) and 2 dogs
2004 Fltwd Southwind 32V from 2000 Tioga 26F
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05-16-2011, 01:09 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Fulltime/ SE Minnesota
Posts: 3,119
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A Honda CRV is a popular choice that would fit your bill.
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05-16-2011, 01:24 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Vaughn, WA
Posts: 1,460
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A bit more information might generate some additional responses.
New models? Late model used? Older used?
Do you need/want 4WD?
Are you OK with a stick shift or Automatic only.
The CRV is a popular choice but certainly not the lightest at 3500+ lbs. The Honda FIT is much lighter at around 2500+ lbs.
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Nick
1995 Coachmen Santara 360MB 36' w/slide.
Ford F53/460 chassis, 2020 Chev Equinox "toad"
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05-16-2011, 01:48 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 4,722
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A compact or mid-size sedan will be lighter than an SUV, especially if the SUV has AWD, but there are still several SUVs that are well under 5,000 lbs. Cars such as the Chevy Cruze, Ford Fiesta, ford Focus, Chevy HHR or Chevy Malibu come to mind. These are all towable 4-down with auto trans. There are also many light-weight foreign makes that are towable 4-down, but most of those are only towable with manual trans.
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05-16-2011, 02:52 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Nor'easters Club Fleetwood Owners Club Mid Atlantic Campers Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Medway, MA
Posts: 394
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Nick- used would be the way, I think, older is fine. We are fine with manual transmission, even like them. Maybe I should wonder if my 2005 impala can be done with a dolly, although that's not the way we really wanted to do it, but maybe that would be the cheapest way - and the mileage is nothing to sneeze at right now.
__________________
Landcruisers for life
2 adults, 2 kids (tweens) and 2 dogs
2004 Fltwd Southwind 32V from 2000 Tioga 26F
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05-16-2011, 03:48 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Vaughn, WA
Posts: 1,460
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Since you already have the Impala, and it is not excessively heavy (~3500) for your gasser coach, then a dolly might be worth considering. Double check your hitch and towing weight capacities especially since you need to add the weight of the dolly.
If you want to find a lighter toad, and since you are fine with a stick, then the window of choices is much wider to tow 4-down.
Good luck! 
__________________
Nick
1995 Coachmen Santara 360MB 36' w/slide.
Ford F53/460 chassis, 2020 Chev Equinox "toad"
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05-16-2011, 04:32 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SOUTH LOUISIANA(GOD'S COUNTRY)
Posts: 645
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The best and one of the lightest toads is a Chevy HHR. They weigh about 3100 lbs.
All you have to do to tow it four down is to install tow brackets,lights and fuse switch. It tows well, drives well, will comfortably hold four people and cargo behind the back seat. The car is easy on gas and handles well.
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07 PHAETON, FREIGHTLINER, CAT, FOUR SLIDES, JEEP WRANGLER TOAD
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05-16-2011, 04:36 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 4,722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Purplefans & Harvey
aybe I should wonder if my 2005 impala...
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Remco makes a lube pump for $850 that will allow you to tow a 2005 Impala 4-down. No dolly necessary. Their charts say you need LP-1. The pump circulates the ATF through the transmission allowing you to tow the car.
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05-16-2011, 05:53 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 231
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We pull a SMART CAR behind our 1997 bouncer , it can be pulled 4 down but we picked up a smartcartrailer and it's great. Turns great backing up 1800 lb car 800 lb trailer
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05-16-2011, 06:18 PM
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,678
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And your Smart Car hold 4 adult-sized people? Remember, the OP has a family to tote around...
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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05-16-2011, 06:21 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,678
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The 4WD version of the Suzuki Grand Vitara and its sister, the Chevy Tracker (1999-2004), will carry 4 comfortably and weighs about 3200 lbs. We owned two of them and towed over 80k miles.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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05-16-2011, 08:13 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 52
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We tow a 2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ 4 wheels down. Just hook up the tow bar, put the transfer case in neutral and the trans in park. It tracks very nicely, and it's fun to put the soft top down for cruising around on occasion.
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05-16-2011, 11:56 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Federal Way, Wa.
Posts: 2,901
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Our first tow was a 99 Saturn SL ----she ran strong----I liked it and it was trouble free----sold it to a person wanting to tow. It was too low to the ground for us---so we went to a new CR-V in 04---both tow four down with automatic, Saturn just hook up and go---CR-V there is a little ritual to go through before towing. CR-V comfortable for 5---- Saturn more like 4-----if you found a good one it would be inexpensive I'll bet.
__________________
I do all my own stunts
03 Dolphin LX 6355, Workhorse W22, 8.1 vortec, 04 CR-V, Blue Ox, Brake Pro----Norm, Barb and
Doc(He's a PhD)
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05-16-2011, 11:59 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Federal Way, Wa.
Posts: 2,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by njs42
Our first tow was a 99 Saturn SL ----she ran strong----I liked it and it was trouble free----sold it to a person wanting to tow. It was too low to the ground for us---so we went to a new CR-V in 04---both tow four down with automatic, Saturn just hook up and go---CR-V there is a little ritual to go through before towing. CR-V comfortable for 5---- Saturn more like 4-----if you found a good one it would be inexpensive I'll bet.
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I checked the weigh slip for the Saturn 2460 pounds---CR-V around 3500 as stated by others.
__________________
I do all my own stunts
03 Dolphin LX 6355, Workhorse W22, 8.1 vortec, 04 CR-V, Blue Ox, Brake Pro----Norm, Barb and
Doc(He's a PhD)
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