Community Forums

Wingrydr57 · 05-05-2014, 08:56 PM

As my wife and I eek closer to retirement, we are researching everything we can before we take the class a motorhome plunge. We love our 2012 rav4 but it can't be towed 4 wheels down. Now we really don't want to buy another vehicle just so we have something we can tow. I thought about buying a flatbed and tow our goldwing trike, that would be nice to have with us when we snowbird, but not so much for rainy days if we need something at the store etc. aluma makes a nice tilting flatbed I could put my rav on but would I have a problem getting into rv parks and where could I put the trailer while we are parked? Heck I even though about just renting a car the 4 months we snowbird but I don't think that would b very cost affective! Any thoughts would be helpful as we work on getting our ducks in a row .

Clear skies, Steve W.

brian-nicola · 05-05-2014, 09:01 PM

Maybe look at a tow dolly?

Raining Star · 05-05-2014, 09:18 PM

I sold a paid off sports car that I really loved to drive, and instead bought a new sensible vehicle that is 4 wheel towable. Adding in the cost of the base plate, tow bar and braking system brings the total to just over 30k.

In retrospect my budget would have been better served by a tow dolly, although obviously the toad has a huge convenience advantage which my back appreciates. It's mostly just a question of convenience vs budget.

You might be better off asking your wallet first, then checking in with other people about how to go about getting set up in the rig that best suits your situation.

Bumps · 05-05-2014, 09:24 PM

Are thinking about ditching the Wrangler and getting something that is easier for the DW to drive. Putting "it" in/on a trailer is starting to sound like an easier option than going through the brake and baseplate setup again. Just don't know if we will have a place to stash a big ol' trailer every place we stop. Hmmmmm... \ken

TonyDi · 05-05-2014, 09:26 PM

I would use a dolly before a trailer. A dolly is small and doesn't take up a lot of room. At some campgrounds you may not be able to store a trailer at your campsite, or if you can, you may have to put it somewhere other then your campsite. How do you get it there. Too much hassle.

Lincolnut · 05-05-2014, 09:30 PM

I just made a 3600 mile trip from New Mexico to Florida and back....I stayed in RV parks going and coming back.....I have a 30 foot HR Adrmial with a 24 foot enclosed trailer that hauls a 1923 Ford T Bucket and in all the 10 or so parks we stayed in, no problem with that rig in pull-through spots......

..Very nice trip other than the microwave malfunction........

Mike

distaff · 05-05-2014, 10:40 PM

Can't back up with a toad, but you don't need to get rid of the trailer. That is pretty much the call you have to make.

Scarab0088 · 05-05-2014, 10:49 PM

Suggest a "Tandem Dolly" that can carry the Moto AND drag the existing car along.

Usually, they are not too long, easy to use, and affordable.

Like: Landgrebe Manufacturing: Specifications TD 40 101 with Motorcycle Carrier

Best luck

Snomas1 · 05-06-2014, 07:26 AM

You might look into a shaft disconnect for the Rav and tow it 4 down! Some folks like them and some don't!

harleychief · 05-06-2014, 07:47 AM

Here's my $.02 (for what it's worth). I've got a Jeep that I tow 4 down, but I've also got an enclosed trailer that I can put the Harleys in the front of and the Jeep in the back. Hook up is a big difference, with 4 down you don't have to lay on the ground, but you are out in the weather. With a trailer you've got to hook up the trailer, then tie everything down, so it usually takes longer. I haven't had any problems with the trailer at a CG, but I let them know ahead of time. If we don't plan on riding the bikes the Jeep goes 4 down and I don't back up.

OLYLEN · 05-06-2014, 08:18 AM

I tow with a trailer and for two years now have not had to drop it. Get a tilt trailer so no ramps to lift. There are trailers, even tilt that have bike area in front of the tilt. I can back up with the trailer, can't with 4 down. I can switch rigs at any time. You will be in the weather hooking up tying down or 4 down either way. And I can tie down much faster than I could set up for 4 down. No wear on towed but wear on trailer
. Some parks have storage area's for trailers so a hookup to the towed is of help. The trailers come with brakes you will need this option. there as 're few parks we can not get into but seem to be always a park nearby. On our trip to Alaska we never dropped the trailer. But I have no experience in the eastern US. Good luck with your choice.

LEN

DegoRed · 05-06-2014, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wingrydr57

aluma makes a nice tilting flatbed I could put my rav on but would I have a problem getting into rv parks and where could I put the trailer while we are parked?
Clear skies, Steve W.

We tow an Aluma trailer that we haul our Jeep on. It is a piece of cake, best decission we ever made. We have traveled almost everywhere in the US, and only once have we had to unhook our trailer from out MH, and that was mainly due to a the park giving our pull through site to someone else ahead of us.

On that one time we had to unhook our trailer, they had a spot for us to park it in. Don't fear the trailer, it is a piece of cake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyDi

I would use a dolly before a trailer. A dolly is small and doesn't take up a lot of room. At some campgrounds you may not be able to store a trailer at your campsite, or if you can, you may have to put it somewhere other then your campsite. How do you get it there. Too much hassle.

So much miss information here, zero hassles my friend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by harleychief

Hook up is a big difference, with 4 down you don't have to lay on the ground, but you are out in the weather. With a trailer you've got to hook up the trailer, then tie everything down, so it usually takes longer. I haven't had any problems with the trailer at a CG, but I let them know ahead of time.

Chief, what are you doing laying on the ground?

Have never had to lay on the ground. Just back up, crank down jack, flip lever on ball, plug in brake line, hook up chains, and Im gone. Never takes me more than 3 minutes to hook up and go. I would imagaine it take longer to tied down a bunch of motorcycles, but staping a Jeep is just 4 ratchet straps on the bumper and im done.

Chief did speak some good wisdom, it is important to tell wherever you are staying that you are 65ft long and that you need a pull through. So far for us, never been a problem finding one. This includes State & NP campgrounds during peak times.

Here is what it looks like.

Wingrydr57 · 05-06-2014, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DegoRed

We tow an Aluma trailer that we haul our Jeep on. It is a piece of cake, best decission we ever made. We have traveled almost everywhere in the US, and only once have we had to unhook our trailer from out MH, and that was mainly due to a the park giving our pull through site to someone else ahead of us.

On that one time we had to unhook our trailer, they had a spot for us to park it in. Don't fear the trailer, it is a piece of cake.

So much miss information here, zero hassles my friend.

Chief, what are you doing laying on the ground?

Have never had to lay on the ground. Just back up, crank down jack, flip lever on ball, plug in brake line, hook up chains, and Im gone. Never takes me more than 3 minutes to hook up and go. I would imagaine it take longer to tied down a bunch of motorcycles, but staping a Jeep is just 4 ratchet straps on the bumper and im done.

Chief did speak some good wisdom, it is important to tell wherever you are staying that you are 65ft long and that you need a pull through. So far for us, never been a problem finding one. This includes State & NP campgrounds during peak times.

Here is what it looks like.

Ahhhh grasshopper you speak with such wisdom! There is a store only a few miles from here that sells the Aluma trailers, looks like a tilting flatbed is in my future! Thanks for the advice

TinMan Trvlr · 05-07-2014, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DegoRed

We tow an Aluma trailer that we haul our Jeep on. It is a piece of cake, best decission we ever made. We have traveled almost everywhere in the US, and only once have we had to unhook our trailer from out MH, and that was mainly due to a the park giving our pull through site to someone else ahead of us.

On that one time we had to unhook our trailer, they had a spot for us to park it in. Don't fear the trailer, it is a piece of cake.

So much miss information here, zero hassles my friend.

Chief, what are you doing laying on the ground?

Have never had to lay on the ground. Just back up, crank down jack, flip lever on ball, plug in brake line, hook up chains, and Im gone. Never takes me more than 3 minutes to hook up and go. I would imagaine it take longer to tied down a bunch of motorcycles, but staping a Jeep is just 4 ratchet straps on the bumper and im done.

Chief did speak some good wisdom, it is important to tell wherever you are staying that you are 65ft long and that you need a pull through. So far for us, never been a problem finding one. This includes State & NP campgrounds during peak times.

Here is what it looks like.

It appears that you use a Trailer Toad between your nice aluminum tilt deck trailer and your coach. Is there any extra manouvering diffuculty due to the added length or any issue when backing the combination up? Also, since the trailer likely has a relatively light (900-1000 lb) tongue weight, is a Trailer Toad required? Is the TT a 3500 or a 5000 model? Do you use any extra shielding or rubber mud flaps to prevent rock chips on the Jeep's paint or windshield? Also, can you tow the trailer to storage by hitching it to the Jeep, or is the tongue weight too high for that?