What's the best toad?

[Ray Davis]

I am thinking about giving my Honda Hybrid (current tow car) to my son, so I'm looking to pick up a toad for the bus.

I don't necessarily need anything new, and I don't want to spend a ton (I think hummers are definitely out of my price range!), but want to get something at least 2004 or newer.

I had been out at a Carmax lot, and found a nice BMW suv (X-3), which I later found is not towable. This started a bit of a search to find that many cars are not towable. Stopped at a Toyota lot yesterday, and salesman indicated Toyota doesn't recommend towing any of their cars.

In look at car websites, none of them seem to make it easy to find out what is and what is not 4-wheel towable.

So, I' thought I'd ask here. What is the best toad? What do you tow, and why do you like it?

I did find that Saturn indicates all of their cars (except the little sports car) is 4-wheel towable. The Vue kinda looks like an options. (By the way, there was a used H2 on the lot. 2005 with 10,000 miles for $45k. Now why would they get rid of a Hummer with only 10,000 miles?)


Ray

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

(By the way, there was a used H2 on the lot. 2005 with 10,000 miles for $45k. Now why would they get rid of a Hummer with only 10,000 miles?) Ray

The color of the Hummer didn't match their new Liberty Elegant Lady??:

Ray if you are an FMCA Member, go to their website, they have the last 6 years of Towables... http://www.fmca.com/fmcmag/towing/index.asp

Very Good Place to start.

I think I will start there for a Toad,.... when ever Peg lets me get a bus to pull it? I know, ... don't even say IT !

Gary S

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ray,

The options available to you are almost endless. As Gary posted the FMCA magazine has all the vehicles that do not require modifications, but with the Remco kits almost any car made can be flat towed.

Since you will not customarily deal with snow I think any 4WD would be a waste of money, so if you want an unmodified towable vehicle you are looking at some manual transmission vehicles, or the rare few like some Hondas, the Saturns, and some Chevy models that can be towed with automatics without restrictions or modifications

Personally, regardless of whether I ever see another snow flake my personal preference would be the Grand Cherokee. Nice size, not too heavy and with the right transfer case you can easily tow it four wheels down forever without having any special limitations or restrictions on distance before starting it up. A smaller version such as the Liberty or the Wrangler would be another choice. They are bulletproof but don't tell Ken a Hummer guy is recommending a Jeep.

[Denny]

Ray,

That is a loaded question. FWIW, I have towed a Jeep Wrangler for many years without any problems. I believe all Jeep products are towable on all fours. As previously suggested, check with FMCA as they publish an annual report on all towable vehicles. In fact, two weeks ago I threw out a stack of FMCA magazines and that issue was one. Perhaps someone else has it and can send it to you.

Denny

[Ray Davis]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I didn't realize FMCA did publish that, and I'm in the process of printing right now from the web.

I had noticed in the two POG trips that jeeps seemed to be a vehicle of choice. In our group of 7 from CA and CO to POG3, I think 3 out of 6 towables were jeeps. I had really bad luck with a Jeep Cherokee in the 80's and had never purchased one like that since. A liberty is a nice size, and I know several of the group tow them.

Ray

[Just Plain Jeff]

1. We had good luck with a Saturn VUE, which we towed for five years, if you are looking for the budget end of things (more room on the inside than it appears.

2. Whatever towable you choose, make sure that when you tow it the wheels are actually turning. Can you imagine this: Some guy yanked a Hummer down the road without first checking the details to insure that the wheels were turning...and wound up with four tires with flat spots on them.

Imagine that.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I heard it was only two tires that were not turning. Rumor has it that with a Prevost it really doesn't matter if the wheels are turning or not. When you want to go, you just go and the toad tends to follow you.

There is less noise if the wheels turn however, a lot less smoke, and you don't get those pesky black rubber marks on the road.

[Ray Davis]

Prior to POG2 I purchased an EvenBrake system from Roadmaster. This is one of those system which go in the toad, and push on the brake pedal. I got this because I wasn't sure I'd keep this toad, or want a more internal supplemental braking system.

With POG2 trip, I had no problem. But, going to POG3 it had been 6 months since using it, and I didn't quite read the directions. When stopping for fuel at a Flying J I took the opportunity to disengage the brake thingy, and run the Honda through it's gear pattern to be set for another 300 miles.

I was idling for the last couple of minutes, and put the brake system back, and ran the test which it pumped the brakes three times. All is good, right? Not!

I got out towards the freeway, had to hit my brakes a bit, and next thing I here is tires screeching, smoke coming from the toad, and the brakes didn't release for probably 10-15 feet.

Ultimately I had two flat spots on my fronts. Jim and Chris reported on the CB that my Honda had been enveloped in smoke! The bus had zero problem dragging my poor little Honda, who was kicking and screaming behind me!

It's then I remember that the brake test is supposed to be done when the engine is off, to bleed off all extra vacuum. I had tried to save time, and ran the test while idling. So, I had a fully charged vacuum when the brakes engaged.

That's one I'll remember to do in the right order!!!

Ray

[Just Plain Jeff]

Ray, I hear ya.

The devil is in the details. Not being, well a very detailed oriented kinda guy, we always ran illegal; that is, without a brake dealie on the toad. I figured that if there were problems with the toad stopping, I had bigger problems to handle.

That may not make a lot of sense, but usually the little bugger followed along behind the bus.

Ol' Bob, whom some of you met at POG II, lost a Grand Waggoneer in TX when his hitch failed. It was his claim that the guy who put the hitch on forgot to put in The Pin. The guy said it was Ol' Bob's fault.

Anyway, his comment was memorable: "I was a lookin' and a Jeep just like ours passed us on the freeway."

And then it crossed the median, across a field and negotiated a hard stop against a cement wall.

Details, details.

[merle&louise]

Ray,

I tow a Honda Pilot; it has automatic 4WD. It would be the same set up as your previous Honda, put in neutral and go (be sure to make Drive the last gear selection before putting it in neutral).

I like it because it is small and can seat 7 with the fold down seats up, or seat 5 people with enough room for 4 golf bags in the back. I like the SUV fold down seats; it lends itself to all kinds of carrying cargo ability, and it gets 21 mpg.

Hint: after connecting the toad for the first time, put the bus in D and pull forward without giving it any gas pedal, after rolling a few feet, put it in neutral and see if you can still roll forward. If you can, the toad is free wheeling and the brakes aren't on. It's a good little test.

Good luck