Toads? January 05, 2018, 12:14:15 pm What do you use as a toad? Just curious as I am considering finding something to pull. 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #1 – January 05, 2018, 12:41:27 pm 2016 Subaru Forester. It is also my everyday car. 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #2 – January 05, 2018, 12:45:34 pm First decide what you want from your toad. We tow a '13 Honda Fit, last year that model was towable. However, we can't go off-road, and have to be judicious about certain rough road travel. Ironically, most poor road travel is no problem for our '04 FL, which can present a dilemma, and require un-hitching. Still, any 'off-road' we prefer foot travel anyway, so this solution gives us the mobility we want for most destinations, stress on the rig is minimized, and we can sight-see extensively with very low fuel costs. If the latter is not part of any trip, we just leave the toad at home. A 24' rig solo can be maneuvered through most parking and other travel situations, as we had done for the 20 years prior to the toad. That's our story...Steve 3 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #3 – January 05, 2018, 12:52:09 pm I guess I should have said a toad for flat towing with a automatic. I have a Nissan Xterra I would like to tow but it is heavy and nissan says it can't be towed with an auto transmission.
Re: Toads? Reply #4 – January 05, 2018, 01:37:19 pm Duro, have you looked at the several articles on Toads and Towing in The Companion?Here's oneThe Lazy Daze Companion: Tow Vechiles 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #5 – January 05, 2018, 02:36:17 pm Quote from: Duro - January 05, 2018, 12:52:09 pmI guess I should have said a toad for flat towing with a automatic. I have a Nissan Xterra I would like to tow but it is heavy and nissan says it can't be towed with an auto transmission. I should have added our Fit is auto, and is also our everyday driver. A friend with a MB has towed 1st gen 2wd auto CRV's for years. Though older, they are reliable, roomy for driver, good cargo room, fairly lightweight, and decent bad and off-road access. No Jeep trails, tho...Steve 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #6 – January 05, 2018, 02:44:08 pm Don't want to tow a vehicle? Ever consider an electric bicycle? While it's not a solution for every toad need, we have been using ours for:Extended pleasure riding pulling a trailer with our aging dog along for the ride.Running errands - If there is a town 15 miles or so away, it's an easy run to re-provision.There are full suspension mountain bike versions - off road adventures!Range varies widely, depending on battery size and human input, but a typical pedal assisted range is about 40 miles with out breaking much of a sweat.Here's a link reviewing most decent ebikes:Electric Bike ReviewOr build using your own bike with kits from here:Luna Cycle KitsRegardless, avoid really inexpensive ebikes if you go down this road. You will regret it later when they fall apart or run out of range after 20 miles... Pete 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #7 – January 05, 2018, 04:28:14 pm Quote from: Peter Weisel - January 05, 2018, 02:44:08 pmDon't want to tow a vehicle? Ever consider an electric bicycle? While it's not a solution for every toad need, we have been using ours for:PeteWe took a test ride on the ebike yesterday and it was a blast. Introducing the Turbo Como | Specialized.comWe aren't seriously considering this over our Subaru but we were in the shop for something else and gave it a try. If I lived in a town without lousy traffic I would love to get around on one of these.Shop owner claimed 40-60 mile range but I see that Specialized doesn't address range unless I'm missing something.Jim
Re: Toads? Reply #8 – January 05, 2018, 06:14:43 pm Peter a bike would be fun but I need something large enough to carry a couple people and a 89 lb dog.
Re: Toads? Reply #9 – January 05, 2018, 06:53:21 pm Although not technically a "toad", we have been pulling a small trailer with a motorcycle and two bicycles for over a decade, previously behind our camper and now behind the Lazy Daze. The down-side: Bicycles and motorcycles are inconvenient in really hot weather, rain, and nocturnal travels. We don't find cold to be a problem, but we don't ride in snow; of course I don't like to drive in snow either. The good side: We can, however carry quite a bit of groceries and supplies on the motorcycle and visit places where we would think twice about taking a car. Parking is never a problem anywhere, even when parking lots are packed. Fuel consumption is almost insignificant. People almost always talk to us at gas stops and visitor centers, much more so than when we are traveling in a four wheel vehicle. Nearly all of the cool places we have visited over the years have been on the motorcycle.The little trailer is easy to maneuver and when sites are too short, I disconnect and put the trailer elsewhere. I have never crashed with my bride at pillion and she is so relaxed on the back that she sometimes falls asleep while we are riding. She regularly reads a book while we pass through the less stimulating areas and rides no-hands to take pictures when she feels moved to do so.Motorcycles aren't for everyone, but it has been a great alternative to a four wheel toad for us. Did I mention that it is ALWAYS fun?!Photo from the Olympic peninsula with Will G., another Lazy Daze owner and forum member.HD 3 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #10 – January 05, 2018, 06:54:49 pm Had Lee Iacocca E-Bikes back in the day including having them at the Lazy Daze 50th Anniversary get together in Cheyenne. Too much fun. Took them downtown and had dinner one night so if you were there you know that was a pretty impressive there and back for what were, unfortunately, an idea before their time. The company went belly up and when the batteries finally gave out we were stuck with hunks of iron that are long out of our lives.I would think new technology is far advanced but once burned, twice shy. If anyone has extensive experience with one LASTING and have the ability to get replacement battieries I might give them another go. BTW, our present toad is a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, manny tranny. Love it. Subaru no longer recommends flat towing their rigs. LAWYERS TALKING. They are still towable and we have thousands of miles of towing with Soobie (and Ruby. I’m a poet and didn’t know it!) 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #11 – January 05, 2018, 08:09:35 pm Duro, We flat tow a 2013 Honda CRV and use the Blue Ox Alladin aluminum tow bar. We only tow on longer trips but this set up works extremely well for us as this is my wife's everyday vehicle. It is lightweight and the tow bar is very easy to use. I believe that 2014 is the last year the CRV is towable. The only issue is that there is an accessory fuse under the dash that needs removed if you tow for long periods of time. I have found that if the fuse is not removed, after approx. 6 hours the CRV will need jumped. If it is removed I have never had any issues, even for two days.Hopefully this helps, Paul 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #12 – January 05, 2018, 09:10:20 pm Thanks Paul. Sure wish I would have been thinking about a toad 6 months ago. My mom sold her CRV when she decided she couldn’t drive anymore.
Re: Toads? Reply #13 – January 05, 2018, 10:33:58 pm Just traded in my 2012 Honda Fit for a 2014 Honda CRV. Now I just need to get it outfitted with the same tow gear my dad has on his CRV. Now when borrowing the LD I won’t need to take his car away from him. 😊🚐 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #14 – January 05, 2018, 11:00:36 pm We had a 2015 Pilot but traded down for the CRV because it seemed too big and we wanted to be able to tow if needed. We actually like the CRV much better than the newer Pilot. We had a 2004 Pilot for years and our CRV seems much more similar in size. It is too bad that the new CRV is not towable. Anyhow, we love it. 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #15 – January 05, 2018, 11:40:13 pm The only issue is that there is an accessory fuse under the dash that needs removed if you tow for long periods of time.PaulAdd a charge line for the toad battery via the umbilical cord and you wont have to pull that fuse any more! 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #16 – January 06, 2018, 02:20:35 am In my NSHO, you misspelled 'towd'.We bought a 1996 Toyota RAV4 the first year they came out and ran it for 16 years during which time we had a number of travel trailers and trucks to pull them. When we replaced it in 2011 we looked at the Rav4, Honda CRV, and Suburu Forester. Based on history we bought a 2011 Rav4. In 2013, we decided to go RV instead of TT and selected LD. Our '11 Rav4 needed a transmission pump to tow which voided the warranty. We opted for an '11 CRV coming off lease, and dropped $3K into towd conversion. I selected Roadmaster Falcon All-terrain tow pkg, but in retrospect might go for the Blue Ox for the amount of hardware on display when not towing.I am satisfied with the CRV AWD for light ORV - rock crawler it is not. It also functions as the shed for stuff to keep the 31 IB under the GVWR and hitch limit of 4K. The Stay-n-play brake system works well. I added a cutoff switch for the daytime running lights and don't usually have a problem with the battery when towing (on a long slog of 3-4 days w/o stopping an running the towd, the battery may get a bit feeble).I bought a '96 tacoma 4x4 manual with a possible eye to converting that to a towd, but the jury is still out on the cost of converting that to a towd.YMMVJoel & dogs 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #17 – January 06, 2018, 10:15:08 am Quote from: joel wiley - January 06, 2018, 02:20:35 am I added a cutoff switch for the daytime running lights and don't usually have a problem with the battery when towing (on a long slog of 3-4 days w/o stopping an running the towd, the battery may get a bit feeble).Why would the DRLs come on with the engine off? They don't in our '13 Fit.Steve 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #18 – January 06, 2018, 11:13:29 am Joel,A vehicle that is towed is called a “toad” in the RV world. Some prefer the word “dinghy,” borrowing from the nautical world, meaning a smaller craft pulled behind a larger craft. 😊 3 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #19 – January 06, 2018, 11:43:01 am After losing a towed dinghy in heavy seas, we now carry the dinghy and tow the "toad".Other advantages to pulling a small trailer is that we can carry firewood, extra gear, and the propane fire pit in addition to the bikes, and it is still less than 2500lb total weight. It is easy to back out of situations that require a change in direction (tight exit fuel stations) , and tongue weight can be controlled by the placement of heavy items fore and aft of the axle. I aim at a 15% tongue weight (less than 400lb.) for towing stability. Having flat towed a vehicle in the past, one has to be thoughtful about one's path because if you can't back up with a flat towed vehicle.Did I mention that motorcycles and bicycles are fun?HD 5 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #20 – January 06, 2018, 06:23:28 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - January 06, 2018, 11:43:01 amDid I mention that motorcycles and bicycles are fun?HDYes they are, and so is a Vespa, our toad for the last 9 Years. 😀 — Jon 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #21 – January 06, 2018, 06:44:30 pm Like HD, taking the motorcycle along hits all the right buttons for us. However, with two large dogs that we like to take away from camp for remote exploring - a car is nice as well.We get both with our setup...albeit, with only one motorcycle. When we both ride, bringing two bikes - the dogs will stay home and we'll tow the enclosed trailer. 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #22 – January 06, 2018, 07:04:28 pm Photo and story of our first trip with the Vespa on rack. Wow. Time does fly indeed. Houn's Journal: CA to AZ: A Lot of Desert-Jon 2 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #23 – January 06, 2018, 08:45:18 pm Syspig does it right: motorcycles, dogs, and a car. All bases are covered!HD 1 Likes
Re: Toads? Reply #24 – January 06, 2018, 09:39:41 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - January 05, 2018, 11:40:13 pm The only issue is that there is an accessory fuse under the dash that needs removed if you tow for long periods of time.PaulAdd a charge line for the toad battery via the umbilical cord and you wont have to pull that fuse any more! Steve,Can this work with a four to four connecter using the factory plug on the LD? I thought this was only for lighting. I appreciate the advice.Paul
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