Towing a Car July 07, 2009, 10:34:34 am Yahoo Message Number: 103731Hi...my husband and I have recently relocated from San Diego to Bend, OR...finally have TIME to enjoy our 2004 26 1/2 mid bath...Oregon has so many beautiful campgrounds to explore...never towed a car before...would appreciate tips on "BEST" car to get and related issues involved with getting set up...thanks
Re: Towing a Car Reply #1 – July 07, 2009, 10:44:16 am Yahoo Message Number: 103732We've towed a Honda element for four years now and love it. A big plus is you can fold the rear seats up and carry three full size bicycles in it while towing.We went with Blue Ox Aventa tow bar and SMI Stay-N-Play tow brake control (that allows you to set your tow up for towing with a flick of a switch). The SMI has an audible signal when the tow brakes are applied. This has the unadvertised feature I call "Bride Alert." I know when she returns from shopping as soon as she puts the brakes on close by )best, paul"Thriving not surviving" - Paul Schaye (at 2008 NYC Marathon)
Re: Towing a Car Reply #2 – July 07, 2009, 11:52:43 am Yahoo Message Number: 103735would appreciate tips on "BEST" car to get That's a tall order, because what's best for one person may not be for the next. What do you want to do with your toad...do you want a 4-wheel toad so you can explore off road, or do you want one that will just be on paved roads (or, at least, not taken off road)? The answer to that will go a long way in helping you determine which car to look for. In your position, the first place I'd start looking would be Motorhome Magazine's Dinghy Towing Guides...there are several years worth on their website, and earlier issues can be had for a small fee. Note that the vehicles listed in the Dinghy Towing Guides are only those that are approved by the manufacturer for 4-down towing...that doesn't mean that other vehicles can't be towed 4-down with an after-market product. Contact Remco Towing if you're interested in a vehicle that's not listed in the Dinghy Towing Guides, www.remcotowing.com. Paul mentioned the Element. We had a 2003 Element that we towed behind our LD. Note, however, that later models (2005? 2006? and newer) are not approved by Honda for towing 4-down. Frankly, that's never made any sense to me because the Honda is made on the CR-V chassis and the CR-V is still approved for 4-down towing.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Towing a Car Reply #3 – July 07, 2009, 12:02:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103736We went with a 5 speed stick transmission in our Element to remove all issues about towing 4-down, even though in our model year towing with 4-down with an automagic was OK. Do consider that a manufacturer's recommendation on towing 4-down is often set by lawyers not automotive engineers. (There are so few towing, percentage-wise, that the risk/benefit equation favors the manufacturer if they do not recommend towing 4-down.)best, paul"Thriving not surviving" - Paul Schaye (at 2008 NYC Marathon)
Re: Towing a Car Reply #4 – July 07, 2009, 12:04:44 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103737Barbara, there are lots of good choices for towed cars ("toads"). Your best overall references are Consumers Union's lists of used cars to buy and to avoid, and (as Linda suggested) Motorhome magazine's "Dinghy Guides" that tell which models are towable:http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/dinghytowingguide/> I bought a toad this past January. Because I wanted a reliable car, I ruled out some popular toad choices such as Jeeps, based on CU's reliability ratings, and ended up with a Honda Fit, and I'm very happy with it. If off-roading had been important to me, I'd probably have chosen a Honda CR-V or Subaru Forester instead--also very reliable cars, but with all-wheel drive and 7-8 inches of ground clearance instead of the Fit's 5 inches. But for my purposes, the Fit is ideal: very lightweight and easy to tow, extremely economical, has lots of storage space, and is fun to drive. If I were buying used, I'd be looking at a Honda Civic, CR-V, Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe (which is a rebadged Toyota Matrix), or a Subaru Forester. To read about my decision-making, purchasing, and outfitting processes, take a look at the recent articles "Having a Fit" and "Follow the Leader" on my Skylarking website:http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/>Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Towing a Honda Element Reply #5 – July 07, 2009, 12:48:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103738Quote "Paul mentioned the Element. We had a 2003 Element that we towed behind our LD. Note, however, that later models (2005? 2006? and newer) are not approved by Honda for towing 4-down. Frankly, that's never made any sense to me because the Honda is made on the CR-V chassis and the CR-V is still approved for 4-down towing."Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/ Remco towing shows the Element through 2008 towable "as is" It seems a few years back Honda removed towing instructions from all manuals except the Fit and the CR-V because of liability issues (so I read).Chris
Re: Towing a Car Reply #6 – July 07, 2009, 06:57:10 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103740to answer your question re: what would I do with the toad: NOT for off road...something that gets good gas mileage, reliable, low cost...I have a miata that would be perfect but i'm told it would need to go on something and then what to do with the "something" would probably be a pain
Re: Towing a Car Reply #7 – July 07, 2009, 08:21:23 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103742"I'm told [the Miata] would need to go on something and then what to do with the 'something' would probably be a pain." Yes indeed. Dollying or trailering a car has many drawbacks. It adds 500 to 1,500 pounds to the total weight you're towing, which could put you over the LD's weight rating. It means another set of tires, wheels and brakes to maintain. And perhaps worst of all, when you get to where you're going, you'll need a much bigger campsite, because you'll have to have space for the motorhome, the car AND the dolly or trailer. For most of us, these drawbacks outweigh the advantages of bringing along a favorite car that can't be towed "four down."Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Towing a Car Reply #8 – July 08, 2009, 09:47:47 am Yahoo Message Number: 103746I have a miata that would be perfect but i'm told it would need to go on something and then what to do with the "something" would probably be a pain Have you checked with Remco Towing to see if there's some way of making it towable 4-down?Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Towing a Car (AWD vs. 4WD) Reply #9 – July 08, 2009, 11:31:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 103747AWD is an improvement over 2WD, but AWD is NOT, by any means, the equivalent of 4WD for off-roading or even "rough" roading.Terry Tanner
Re: Towing a Car (AWD vs. 4WD) Reply #10 – July 08, 2009, 01:44:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103750"AWD is NOT, by any means, the equivalent of 4WD for off-roading or even 'rough' roading." Thanks for the clarification, Terry! You can see how much I know about it. ;-) That kind of stump-jumping and gully-hopping makes me carsick, so I just don't do it.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Towing a Car (AWD vs. 4WD) Reply #11 – July 08, 2009, 01:59:46 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103751"Terry Tanner"wrote: AWD is an improvement over 2WD, but AWD is NOT, by any means, the equivalent of 4WD for off-roading or even "rough" roading. Terry TannerTerry I completely agree. We've had 2 4WD and an AWD Subaru and we much prefer the 4WD. With our current toad (a 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara) it has "4WD on the fly" which means we can just shift as we are driving. This makes it perfect for when we are on questionable roads. Example, we found it really helpful when we took off on a gravel road that was fine for a while, then the gravel became really deep and our wheels began to spin. The 4WD kicked in and we moved right along. While we aren't serious off roaders, we do like to explore and several times have found ourselves in a spot where the 4WD was a perfect solution to furthering our explorations.Kate http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.comWant to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096
Re: Towing a Car (AWD vs. 4WD) Reply #12 – July 08, 2009, 02:02:43 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103752While I admin that it won't be everyone's cup of tea, if you have the opportunity to go offroading in the Colorado Rockies, or many another scenic place, it shouldn't be missed. Going over Mosquito pass in Colorado, for example, at over 13000', the last 2000 of which are above treeline, offers fantastic photo opportunities and soul fulfillment for scenery junkies. Seeing the twisted, gnarled 1000 year old bristlecone pine forest is better and more spiritual than church, for me. These and many other places are only available with a good 4wd vehicle. I and my bride don't wheel for the joy of climbing boulders and stumps, but rather for the opportunity to enjoy natural spectacles not available from paved roads, and to do so with few or no people around. But everyone is different; I personally know people who get great joy in jumping out of perfectly functioning airplanes *g*, so, as always, YMMV. But that's just me! And on that subject, if anyone towing a 4wd ends up in Colorado and wants good offroad recommendations, and possibly a Jeeping companion, feel free to contact me. Long form inflt AT yahoo DOT com.Lee
Re: Towing a Car (AWD vs. 4WD) Reply #13 – July 08, 2009, 02:11:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103753An old friend of mine who was a long-time 4-wheeler told me years ago that the definition of 4-Wheel Drive is that which allows you to get into a much worse place before you get stuck. :-)Dick
Re: Towing a Car (AWD vs. 4WD) Reply #14 – July 10, 2009, 02:51:02 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103804""AWD is NOT, by any means, the equivalent of 4WD for off-roading or even 'rough' roading.""AMEN... Consider my perfectly good 2002 Ford Escape (AWD) which I'd hoped to tow behind my 30'IB. Wrong *** it CANNOT be towed, not four down, not on a dolly but ONLY on a flat-bed. Had to buy a Honda Civic and leave the Ford at home, mores the pity.Steve S. Lazy Bones & Jiggs
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Topic: Towing a Car (Read 10 times)
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