Community Forums

dsczepan · 03-27-2012, 09:06 PM

I'm new to iRV2 and a relatively new owner of a 23-foot diesel V6 powered Winnebago View. Because we want to begin some long trips and had hoped to tow a vehicle under the 2,500 pound limit, we had settled on a 2,300 pound manual transmission Toyota Yaris. It appears that we can tow this "flat" and I like the idea of a self-aligning coach-mounted receiver. Am I headed in the right direction? Any suggestions on brands? Thanks much. Darryl

JJH3rd · 03-27-2012, 09:39 PM

Here is how we tow our Yaris with our 05 National. The tow dolly is from ACME TRAILER,http://cartowdolly.com/. We've been using one for two years now without any problems. I've made one change to the tie-down method: I have it set up so that the rachet-tensioner stays beside the wheel rather than going up from the front of the dolly. If you want more information, let me know and I'll send you some pictures. Out Yaris has an automatic transmission

JJ

Cat320 · 03-28-2012, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsczepan

I'm new to iRV2 and a relatively new owner of a 23-foot diesel V6 powered Winnebago View. Because we want to begin some long trips and had hoped to tow a vehicle under the 2,500 pound limit, we had settled on a 2,300 pound manual transmission Toyota Yaris. It appears that we can tow this "flat" and I like the idea of a self-aligning coach-mounted receiver. Am I headed in the right direction? Any suggestions on brands? Thanks much. Darryl

What is designated as the 2,500# limit? Your tow capacity is the GCWR of the View, minus the weight of the View when ready to tow (loaded) or the capacity of the View's hitch, whichever is less.

DutchStar38 · 03-28-2012, 02:07 PM

JJH3ed, I would say you need a longer drop hitch. From the look of the angle of the front of the dolly and the tail light angle pointing downward I would say you really need to drop the front of the dolly to a more level position.

BobGed · 03-28-2012, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DutchStar38

JJH3ed, I would say you need a longer drop hitch. From the look of the angle of the front of the dolly and the tail light angle pointing downward I would say you really need to drop the front of the dolly to a more level position.

I agree.

GaryKD · 03-28-2012, 04:18 PM

Hi JJH3rd,
Don't want to hijack the thread, but you really do need to drop the hitch down so the dolly tongue is parallel to the ground.

GaryKD · 03-28-2012, 04:21 PM

Hi dsczepan,
I almost forgot to respond to your OP. If the owners manual says the car can be towed 4 down, then yes, you are headed in the right direction. Just follow the instructions in the owners manual.

JJH3rd · 03-29-2012, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryKD

Hi JJH3rd,
Don't want to hijack the thread, but you really do need to drop the hitch down so the dolly tongue is parallel to the ground.

What is difficult to see is that the front wheels of the MH are about 1.5'~2' lower that the rear wheels in these photos. You will note that I do have a drop-down hitch which reduces the angle of the tow to the acceptable range.

This was the first and only time I loaded up from our driveway. The un-level MH caused problems with the refrigerator overnight.

ImagineIF · 03-29-2012, 08:35 AM

If you can pull 4 down, it is the easiest and preferred method. You'll just have to determine with tow bar you want to use. I've used Roadmaster on two vehicles and really like them. My decision to go with Roadmaster over Blue Ox was based on my examination of the installation instructions that illustrate the brackets and how they are mounted. I just liked what I saw from Roadmaster better.

Your next decision will be how to get lights to the Yaris. I prefer using the manufactures bulbs. This is a bit more difficult, but not all that hard. You'll need to identify the wires, your dealer's service department may help here. You'll also need to install blocking diodes. The other options are to drill into the rear light housings and add bulbs or to use magnetic mounted lights. FWIW, added bulbs will almost always be dimmer than factory as they won't fully benefit from the factory reflectors.

Finally, you have to decide what supplemental braking system you'l use. I can't help you here because I have air brakes and use a system that depends on air brakes.

Good luck and enjoy,

Gil

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsczepan

It appears that we can tow this "flat" and I like the idea of a self-aligning coach-mounted receiver. Am I headed in the right direction? Any suggestions on brands? Thanks much. Darryl