Need advice on 4WD Toad... October 17, 2011, 08:32:39 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126051A good bit of my use of my LD will involve locations where a 4WD toad would be extremely handy. Among the options that can be flat towed, the Suburu Forester and Honda CRV seem the most appropriate. At 3300 pounds the 2011 Forester seems the wisest choice and has the highest clearance. The CRV is distinctly heavier - closer to 3500 pounds. The Suburu Outback is pretty nice also but weighs 3795 which seems too close to the hitch capacity. Plan is to use the toad as a trailer for kayaks and inflatables. A Honda Fit is a great tow vehicle but just doesn't seem capable of serving in this capacity! I am leaning to the Suburu, mainly on weight. Would welcome comments and alternatives!Thanks in advance! Jay
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #1 – October 17, 2011, 09:05:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126052Quote A good bit of my use of my LD will involve locations where a 4WD toad would be extremely handy. Among the options that can be flat towed, the Suburu Forester and Honda CRV seem the most appropriate. At 3300 pounds the 2011 Forester seems the wisest choice and has the highest clearance. The CRV is distinctly heavier - closer to 3500 pounds. The Suburu Outback is pretty nice also but weighs 3795 which seems too close to the hitch capacity. Plan is to use the toad as a trailer for kayaks and inflatables. A Honda Fit is a great tow vehicle but just doesn't seem capable of serving in this capacity! I am leaning to the Suburu, mainly on weight. Would welcome comments and alternatives!Thanks in advance! Jay Jay, we tow a '10 CR-V with '02 31'. Have not used it 4 wheeling yet. The 200lb difference would not be noticeable while towing. You'd have to have a manual tranny on the Subaru, right? Either is a great vehicle.Chris
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #2 – October 17, 2011, 09:09:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126053Attachments : "A Honda Fit is a great tow vehicle but just doesn't seem capable of serving in this capacity!"Jay, you obviously haven't seen my liftkit-equipped Turbo Fit! ;-)Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #3 – October 17, 2011, 09:30:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126054Yes, IF I buy a Suburu it will be the manual transmission. The Outback has a better transmission but weighs 500 pounds more. Seems a bit much! They both have the advantage of not needing to be started and run through the gears before towing every day. OTOH, I am not sure how big a deal that is. The number of people who tow CRVs seem to say NOT!Thanks! Jay
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... [1 Attachment] Reply #4 – October 18, 2011, 01:30:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 126055Your kidding, right!!??From: Andy Baird To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 9:09 PM Subject: [LD] Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... [1 Attachment]"A Honda Fit is a great tow vehicle but just doesn't seem capable of serving in this capacity!"Jay, you obviously haven't seen my liftkit-equipped Turbo Fit! ;-)Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #5 – October 18, 2011, 01:45:27 am Yahoo Message Number: 126056QuoteA good bit of my use of my LD will involve locations where a 4WD toad would be extremely handy. Among the options that can be flat towed, the Suburu Forester and Honda CRV seem the most appropriate. At 3300 pounds the 2011 Forester seems the wisest choice and has the highest clearance. The CRV is distinctly heavier - closer to 3500 pounds. The Suburu Outback is pretty nice also but weighs 3795 which seems too close to the hitch capacity. Plan is to use the toad as a trailer for kayaks and inflatables. A Honda Fit is a great tow vehicle but just doesn't seem capable of serving in this capacity! Note that none of these cars is equipped for serious off-roading. All would be capable in varying degrees for handling all types of roads in all types of weather, with the Forester your best bet if the going gets really tough. If you happen to try to surmount a boulder-strewn 45 degree slope, though, you'd be making a mistake.Steve
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #6 – October 18, 2011, 07:47:21 am Yahoo Message Number: 126057We tow a 2004 Jeep Wrangler. It hauls our bikes on the back and a Yakama storage pod on the top. We store our chairs, dog pen and Weber BBQ box in the back instead of the back seat. The Wrangler tows great and if we do decide to go off road, or even on really bad gravel or dirt roads, we can do it.Denise
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #7 – October 18, 2011, 10:38:14 am Yahoo Message Number: 126058Andy, I am going to need you to add that to our HHR.Jim C
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #8 – October 18, 2011, 05:08:43 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126064Jay: we replaced our 01 Forester with an 11 CRV this spring. Both cars have added weight over the years. The Forester handles and drives more like a sports car but requires manual transmission to tow. We put about 120K driving plus about 40 toad miles on it without major problems. The CRV appears to tow just fine, altho we have only towed it on a couple of short trips. It has more internal space, gets better gas milage and is available
Re: Honda Fit with liftkit Reply #9 – October 18, 2011, 05:33:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126066"Your kidding, right!!??" Of course. If I were as good with a wrench as I am with Photoshop, I could do that mod on my car and Jim's HHR too. ;-) But alas, it's all photo-fakery.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Honda Fit with liftkit Reply #10 – October 18, 2011, 11:20:07 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126077hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....I shudda seen that coming...hahahahahahahaha GeneFrom: Andy Baird To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 5:33 PM Subject: [LD] Re: Honda Fit with liftkit"Your kidding, right!!??" Of course. If I were as good with a wrench as I am with Photoshop, I could do that mod on my car and Jim's HHR too. ;-) But alas, it's all photo-fakery.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #11 – October 21, 2011, 08:13:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126134Jay We have a 2004 30'tb, with a Banks system added, which greatly helps towing. We started out towing a 2004 CRV with an automatic tran, which was 3200 lbs. It worked fine, and the set up time to tow was less than 5-6 minutes. In Feb of 2009, we got a 2009 Fit with an automatic tran. The towing set up is the same as for the CRV. It weights in at about 2500 lbs. I can really tell the difference in weight between the CRV and the Fit. We like the Fit, except for one thing. The ground clearance is non existent. It is difficult to go on any dirt roads without grounding out at times. I am toying with the Forrester in the future, but have not driven it yet. It would have to be a manual trans to tow. Also, the weight is back up to the 3200 lbs, like you said. It is probably the best of the three you mentioned for use in the dirt, although it is not a real 4 wheeler. Hope this helps. John beckman
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #12 – October 21, 2011, 08:57:58 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126136I am toying with the Forrester in the future, but have not driven it yet. It would have to be a manual trans to tow. Also, the weight is back up to the 3200 lbs"John I have been looking at various vehicles with off road capabilities to someday replace my Jeep Cherokee. We do go into the back country and few, if any stock cars are up to the task. A Subaru Forester is probably your best choice for a car like machine. It has a well-proven all-wheel-drive system and sits a little higher than the others. I'm sure small 1-2" lift kits are available. They have a great reputation among mountain dwellers. Weighing 3600 lbs, the Suzuki Grand Vitara is another choice but I'm thinking on giving up the back seat and getting a short 4X4 Ford Ranger. It has the needed ground clearance, a decent ride and dependable 4X4 running gear. Aftermarket parts are widely available since the Ranger is a popular off-road vehicle. It's too bad the US does not have access to so many of the world vehicles. There are plenty of smaller off-road worthy machines that would make great toads. Maybe this lightweight, diesel will show up at your local Chrysler/Fiat dealer someday. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/62416/fiat_panda.html>Larry
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #13 – October 21, 2011, 11:06:25 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126138"Maybe this lightweight, diesel will show up at your local Chrysler/Fiat dealer someday." I like the mpg rating at 55.5 mpg for the 2007 DPF diesel version. Right up there with my 02 Jetta TDI.Ramon
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #14 – October 23, 2011, 02:29:20 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126160Jay, We have a 2010 Forester manual transmission & we love it. We live in North Idaho so AWD was a major driver in opting for the Subaru. It is an excellent car & a great toad. We lose about 1 mpg when towing with our '99 RB. It tracks beautifully. As you know there are a lot of great toad options out there. We looked hard at the CRV & liked it but liked the Forester a bit more; the Fit was eliminated because of 2wd & clearance for rough roads. We based our decision on our need for a vehicle to be a car 1st & a toad 2nd. After having it for a year & using it for both towing & driving we would do it again if the need arises.Dave
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #15 – October 30, 2011, 02:37:36 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126286Denise What length coach do you have? We have an 04 Wrangler too and are considering the same options a pod and bike rack. But like The OP we are watching our weight. Since we have a 30 foot 06 LD. Lydia
Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #16 – October 30, 2011, 05:14:58 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126287Does anybody know if the Ford Focus Electric 2012 can be towed with all 4 wheels down? We've contacted Ford but haven't received a response back yet.It would be great to have an all-electric car that could regenerate while being towed. It would be even neater if it could (somehow) serve as a reserve battery source for the rig. With an estimated 100 mile electric range it would complement the general usage of how we use our current tow vehicle (a '93 Jeep Wrangler). We rarely wander very far from the rig during a trip.The new electric vehicles coming on the market will make for some interesting considerations now and in the coming years. It is pretty exciting stuff![Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #17 – October 30, 2011, 05:39:15 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126288QuoteDoes anybody know if the Ford Focus Electric 2012 can be towed with all 4 wheels down? We've contacted Ford but haven't received a response back yet. It would be great to have an all-electric car that could regenerate while being towed. Note that electric vehicles are quite heavy for their size, and have more limited storage than their gas counterparts. In addition, if an EV could be towed in regenerative mode, that would be an even greater load on the RV. On both counts, the poorer RV fuel mileage would likely more than counterbalance any supposed cost savings with the electric vehicle. Hard to see any advantage of such a toad compared to a lightweight gas-powered econobox.Steve
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #18 – October 30, 2011, 07:22:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126289On 10/30/2011 2:39 PM, aq433 wrote: QuoteDoes anybody know if the Ford Focus Electric 2012 can be towed with all 4 wheels down? We've contacted Ford but haven't received a response back yet. It would be great to have an all-electric car that could regenerate while being towed. Note that electric vehicles are quite heavy for their size, and have more limited storage than their gas counterparts. In addition, if an EV could be towed in regenerative mode, that would be an even greater load on the RV. On both counts, the poorer RV fuel mileage would likely more than counterbalance any supposed cost savings with the electric vehicle. Hard to see any advantage of such a toad compared to a lightweight gas-powered econobox. It is an interesting idea, though, especially if it campground charging was used; possibly, it could be towed with less potential problems. Now, if the braking while towing could be done regeneratively, that might be an (small) advantage. I like the idea of using the car's battery as an additional power source when dry camping. Excess solar power could be diverted to it, and it might make it practical to run the A/C off battery power. Drive into town every few days to charge up and get some more groceries.Eric
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #19 – October 30, 2011, 10:40:58 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126291"It would be great to have an all-electric car that could regenerate while being towed." Even if you could do that, it would be like towing a car with its brakes on: it would seriously slow you down and badly reduce your fuel economy. This is not an efficient way to generate electricity. Your motorhome's alternator does a much better job, with much less impact on performance and fuel economy.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #20 – October 30, 2011, 11:28:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126292QuoteEven if you could do that, it would be like towing a car with its brakes on:My mistake, as Eric mentioned I should have clarified that I meant about tapping into the regen braking as a means of recharging.[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Need advice on 4WD Toad... Reply #21 – October 31, 2011, 12:00:16 am Yahoo Message Number: 126293Lydia, our LD is a 24 2002 RB. Our bikes are on a bike rack behind the spare tire on the jeep. We are trying to think of another way to bring the bikes so that we don't have to remove the bikes to get to the BBQ stuff in the back of the jeep. (we took the back seat out of the jeep and put a platform shelf in it, level with the rim that the jeep top sits on.) Here's a picture of the LD and the jeep, although here they aren't attached. https://picasaweb.google.com/106083066221408563731/20110919#5664669362780208962 They are attached here, but its not a real side view. https://picasaweb.google.com/106083066221408563731/20110925#5664657636648812786 Here we are all hooked up and ready to head out. https://picasaweb.google.com/106083066221408563731/20111006#5663195754631283202Denise
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #22 – October 31, 2011, 10:38:19 am Yahoo Message Number: 126298"I meant about tapping into the regen braking as a means of recharging." Oh, I see. Yes, that would get you a little extra power. I wonder whether it would make a difference, though, since in normal towing the brakes aren't on for more than a small fraction of the time. And meanwhile, as Steve mentioned, you'd be pulling an extra half ton or so of batteries.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #23 – October 31, 2011, 12:53:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126299"I meant about tapping into the regen braking as a means of recharging." If we are going to dream, how about linking the toad's controls to the MH (in railroad terminology this is called a 'slave') and using the toad's motor (battery or petrol powered) to assist on steep hills. Most of us have already have the toad brakes 'slaved' to our LDs, could the engine/transmission be next? The ability to use the toad as supplemental motive power would allow the use of smaller engines in RVs used for towing. Most of today's engines and automatic transmission are completely electronicly controlled (fly-by-wire) so integrating the toad's controls, with the RV's, could be done by a talented automotive electronics engineer without adding a lot of complicated mechanisms. It would mostly be done with software. Many times, while climbing a long upgrade, I have wished I could use the toad's engine to help pull its weight. Surprisingly, I have never seen it done. If it is good enough for the railroads, it's good enough for us.Larry
Re: Ford Focus Electric 2012 Reply #24 – October 31, 2011, 05:46:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 126300QuoteMany times, while climbing a long upgrade, I have wished I could use the toad's engine to help pull its weight. Surprisingly, I have never seen it done. If it is good enough for the railroads, it's good enough for us.Larry This would be a great idea - if we could adapt it to our '83FL and '08RAV4! Not only would our RAV4 be converted to a towable, but our combined horsepower would increase from 160 to 430!! Take that, you miserable 13% grades!Steve
Topic: Need advice on 4WD Toad... (Read 7 times)
previous topic - next topic
Topic: Need advice on 4WD Toad... (Read 7 times)
previous topic - next topic