Tomorrow is my first day towing a toad: Any advice?

[Unicorn Driver]

Thanks Thom,

I will let my wife watch the monitor :-)

[Betr2Trvl]

Our “toad” process is 2 person teamwork.

Wife pulls Jeep forward while I guide / align her to where it needs to be.

She gets out, and being on the left side she hooks up the left bar and I the right. She ensures I hook up the umbilical cord and the breakaway brake cable, then we double check each other’s hook ups and ensure the snap pins are properly installed.

She then waits for me by the Jeep drivers door and observes me put the Jeep in tow mode (yes, I have almost walked straight back to the coach once or twice before she caught me ). I have the pages from the Jeep manual for tow set up copied and kept in the console, and refer to it every time I put it in (or take it out) of tow mode.

We have walk-in talkies, and I”ll get in the RV and she’ll stand at the back of the Jeep and we’ll make sure the brake lights, turn signals and tail lights are working. Then, while I slowly pull away she is walking around the Jeep and is ensuring the tow bar locks out, all wheels are freely turning, and that everything appears and sounds as it should be. She will walk around the Jeep at least a couple times while I am slowing driving; sometimes it’s 25 yards, other times 50 or more.

If it’s tight to get out of the site / campground, she’ll just walk until we’re clear (same getting in / out of gas stations).

Unhooking is 2 people as well. I always take the Jeep out of tow mode before we unhook the bar, as it has to be in Park when you are done so it won’t roll, and chances are I’ll have to turn the steering wheel to ease strain on a pin to get at least one of them out anyway. Again, since it’s both of us, she makes sure I take it out of tow mode first.

Once your on the road, it’s just watch your mirrors when turning.

I also know my rear camera reference point vs. the top rear of the Jeep for what is a safe clear ahead distance when passing.

And as noted, don’t let anyone distract you when hooking up or unhooking. If they do, start all over.....

Good luck.

[Unicorn Driver]

Hi all,

I was at the dealer most of the day so my apologies for not getting back.

All went well at the dealer. The service manager came for a test tow and then off home we headed.

There was a 20mph wind with stronger gusts, the tow went well.

When I got back in to town a truck driver beeped at me and beckoned me to open my window. He complimented me keeping the rv straight in the wind. :-)

My wife is going to make up and laminate a checklist.

[scbwr]

Congratulations on the safe trip home! Using a check list is a great idea, and after you've done it a while, it goes more quickly. But, I still make sure I check and double check before heading out, and always do a "walk around" every time we stop.

[Unicorn Driver]

Thanks Scbwr,

I am definitely up for double checking everything:-)

[AKIQPilot]

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

Just look and plan ahead. In most cases - You can't back up so you need to look ahead and plan your path when fueling, shopping, etc. To start off not a bad idea to have a checklist and have copilot double check all items satisfactory.
I find it best to establish a routine / sequence and follow it every time. Also resist stopping to chat w CG neighbors etc when hooking up. If distracted start over and be sure which steps have been completed and work from there.
Being familiar w driving the coach should make the addition of a toad EZ.
I avoid cutting MH wheels sharply before beginning fwd motion... its puts an undesirable side load on tow bar due to MH rear end overhang and swing. I try to start rolling and then begin turning.
In general it is EZ just a few extra points to keep in mind.
Enjoy the adventures

Absolutely great advice.

After I complete the hookup my wife does the inside jeep stuff. Then I have her check over the hook up. I check the inside of the Wrangler to make sure the TCase is in neutral, the Trans is in park and the key is off. I confirm the steering wheel is not locked. I pull the key and lock the doors.

If you dont already have D handled hitch pins you should really consider buying some. Under $20 for the pair. Made in the USA. Super tough steel. Much easier to install and remove than the stock pins.

I also use 2 bungees between the hitch pins to hold them in place. This is just in case the lynch pins somehow snap open and fall out.

The other nice thing about the D handled hitch pins is they can not twist in place. The handle hits my bumper and doesn’t allow but a small amount of twisting. This is good because the lynch pins are always put in from the top and makes them much less likely to fall out in the rare occasion that they may snap open.



PS. Just to reiterate, do not get distracted by another camper, your dog, your DW, a pretty girl walking buy, etc. If you get distracted start over from the beginning and check to make sure you’ve done everything correctly. Im not saying to unhook your hitch pins, just saying to pretend you are at the beginning of the procedure and go through every step again to make sure you didn’t miss something while being distracted.

[AKIQPilot]

One more thing and something I am sure you realize. You definitely need to make sure your tow bar arms are fully extended and locked before you just drive the coach away. An arm that is not locked can easily collapse and the jeep will want to steer away from the unlocked bar. If you pull away with both arms locked you could easily damage the tow bar and possible more.

Sounds like things went good on your first tow.

[Dark Sky]

Lots of great advice given here! One thing I didn't see mentioned.... if you have been driving your rig 'solo' a while, you might have developed the habit of making a sharp turn immediately from a dead stop. This is never good due to the possibility of your tail swinging into an object like a post or a nearby vehicle, but it's even worse if you've got your Jeep hooked up. You can drag it sideways and put a lot of undue stress on your towbars.

[davendeb]

What a nice thread. I'm in the same boat as the op. Just picked up my Jeep liberty toad last Friday and towed it home 70 miles all interstate. Towed great but it was my first time with a toad after many years of towing RVs.
This thread was a good read.

[Snoopkat]

Most helpful thing I've found is to look in the rear camera when passing a car. It makes it much more clear about when you are a safe distance ahead to move back to the right lane. For what it's worth.... Happy motoring!

[Arch Hoagland]

99% of the time I pull a toad.

Occasionally I'll go somewhere without it and scare myself to death when I look at my rearview monitor and there's no toad.

[bldrbob]

Have towed over 70000 miles with no problems but glad I read this post. Never thought about tail swing starting out.I can see how it could cause problems cutting the wheel sharp before moving.

[Unicorn Driver]

Thanks all, I do appreciate the replies.
I won't be towing again for about 10 days which will be 150 mile round trip.

Will report back :-)

[Ventana LE]

Here’s my experience with the first toad drive. Pulling onto the highway I achieved entry speed while still in the entrance ramp. I was constantly glancing at the camera to verify all was good with the toad. After satisfying myself that the lane was clear I signaled my intention to merge and glanced once more at the camera. My heart stopped as the toad was no longer there. I forgot that when using turn signals the camera view changes. I now know that my heart is sound!