Toad Options

[tlf65]

You might want to rethink towing, your hitch maybe rated for 4000 lbs but the number you have to worry about is the GCWR which is the total weight your motorhome can haul and tow. The GCWR for your mh is 15,250 lb.

[rthomaslyons]

Originally Posted by tlf65

You might want to rethink towing, your hitch maybe rated for 4000 lbs but the number you have to worry about is the GCWR which is the total weight your motorhome can haul and tow. The GCWR for your mh is 15,250 lb.

I can find a GVWR and gross axel weights for front and rear axels plus load capacity weights and I’ve weighed my Sunseeker 3010 empty with me in it and loaded with gasoline, water, propane and my wife and I while towing my Toyota Corolla IM but I’ve yet to find a posted GCVWR is this a calculation or is it listed somewhere.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Saw a Newmar Dutchman last year towing a Ford 15 passenger Transit Van.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by rthomaslyons

I can find a GVWR and gross axel weights for front and rear axels plus load capacity weights and I’ve weighed my Sunseeker 3010 empty with me in it and loaded with gasoline, water, propane and my wife and I while towing my Toyota Corolla IM but I’ve yet to find a posted GCVWR is this a calculation or is it listed somewhere.

Ford E450 like yours is 21,000 or 21,500. You’re good.

[tlf65]

You can find the GCWR for your MBS in one of the Forester or Sunseeker sales Brochures. It is the same for all MH on the same chassis like all E450s are 22,000lbs.

[Dennys67]

I have a 2018 3011DS and tow a 2018 Ford CMax Hybrid, not the Energy model. Tows like a dream with no restrictions and 40 plus mpg when driving it. Wonderful little car.

[Squirelboy]

Thanks all for the advise. I ended up with a 2016 Hyundai Accent with manual transmission. . Weighs about 2600 lbs and tows great. Also used a Roadmaster Invisi brake system and so far it is working great.

[AbdRahim]

Interesting topic. I just did this quick analysis. 4 one month stays per year. Car rental on three of them - max $500 ea (less than two weeks). Total per year is usually less than $15,000.

Purchase option - $12000 car plus $2000 for set up to tow = $14,000 - plus maintenance -say 1,000 over 5 years = 15000.

So at this rate it would take 10 years of rentals to match the price of a fairly cheap used car.

Now I realize many camp in different styles and some people move around a lot more. Also, depending on rentals, may limit the choices of where one can camp, but for now it seems that renting is the more economical choice for me. Of course, if money is not the major consideration buying is certainly more convenient, less restricting and less time consuming (running back and forth to the rental place on each trip).

Thanks for encouraging me to examine the numbers.

[formerFR]

...like you, I'm a 'calculator', too, and always 'weigh' the pros and cons, financially speaking....BUT, I'm wondering if you've left a valuable consideration that changes the whole dynamic of your equation:

Most folks DON'T 'just' buy a $12,000 vehicle simply to ONLY tow behind their motorhome several times a year, but USE this vehicle in their stock every day, just like any other of their vehicles.

So, to use a 'strict' equation of buying a car to 'only' use for traveling is not what the majority of users base their decision on, and can't be used effectively as a way to 'compare' to rental vehicles for only a few specific instances.

Generally, someone will want to actually tow a vehicle they already own, which means there's only the cost of the tow bar setup.

Someone else may find that none of their vehicles are towable, so any 'purchase' of a tow vehicle will simply 'replace' one they already own, such as a trade-in, and the cost of towing setup.

A small few may purchase another vehicle simply to tow behind their motorhome, but it's unlikely it is 'only' used for that purpose. I have, though, seen situations where owners, especially snowbirds or those with seasonal vacation cabins, will have a dedicated vehicle ONLY for that location, that's always parked there, but they're also rarely tow vehicles.

I would also add that the idea that finding and accessing rental cars or uber or any other mode of transportation while traveling and camping is not as 'easy' as just using an app and magically having someone instantly show up at your campsite with a car. There are just way too many places that most of us want to travel to and camp at that are off the beaten path and not in metro areas, if someone 'bringing you a car' is even a remote option.
Sure, if you're seasonal to a certain area that you know you have access to those options, you might have no problem.

I think it might be a better comparison to make if you use a 'rental car' option versus a TOW DOLLY, for a vehicle you already own - then you are making a comparison that makes a lot more financial 'cents'...so to speak. : )

[AbdRahim]

Originally Posted by formerFR

...like you, I'm a 'calculator', too, and always 'weigh' the pros and cons, financially speaking....BUT, I'm wondering if you've left a valuable consideration that changes the whole dynamic of your equation:

Most folks DON'T 'just' buy a $12,000 vehicle simply to ONLY tow behind their motorhome several times a year, but USE this vehicle in their stock every day, just like any other of their vehicles.

So, to use a 'strict' equation of buying a car to 'only' use for traveling is not what the majority of users base their decision on, and can't be used effectively as a way to 'compare' to rental vehicles for only a few specific instances.

Generally, someone will want to actually tow a vehicle they already own, which means there's only the cost of the tow bar setup.

Someone else may find that none of their vehicles are towable, so any 'purchase' of a tow vehicle will simply 'replace' one they already own, such as a trade-in, and the cost of towing setup.

A small few may purchase another vehicle simply to tow behind their motorhome, but it's unlikely it is 'only' used for that purpose. I have, though, seen situations where owners, especially snowbirds or those with seasonal vacation cabins, will have a dedicated vehicle ONLY for that location, that's always parked there, but they're also rarely tow vehicles.

I would also add that the idea that finding and accessing rental cars or uber or any other mode of transportation while traveling and camping is not as 'easy' as just using an app and magically having someone instantly show up at your campsite with a car. There are just way too many places that most of us want to travel to and camp at that are off the beaten path and not in metro areas, if someone 'bringing you a car' is even a remote option.
Sure, if you're seasonal to a certain area that you know you have access to those options, you might have no problem.

I think it might be a better comparison to make if you use a 'rental car' option versus a TOW DOLLY, for a vehicle you already own - then you are making a comparison that makes a lot more financial 'cents'...so to speak. : )

You are 100% correct on all accounts. This calculation was personal in that respect. My everyday truck is too big to pull with the current MH. Since I need and prefer the larger vehicle for most everyday use the toad would mostly be dedicated to the MH.

I did mention that renting limits where I can camp, but thus far that has not really been a problem. Everyone's calculation will be slightly different. This was just one perspective. I realize my camping style does not represent the majority, but hopefully, it sparked some ideas. This thread pushed me to take a closer numerical evaluation of my situation, so I thought I would share it.

[newRVer]

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

Interesting topic. I just did this quick analysis. 4 one month stays per year. Car rental on three of them - max $500 ea (less than two weeks). Total per year is usually less than $15,000.

Purchase option - $12000 car plus $2000 for set up to tow = $14,000 - plus maintenance -say 1,000 over 5 years = 15000.

So at this rate it would take 10 years of rentals to match the price of a fairly cheap used car.

Now I realize many camp in different styles and some people move around a lot more. Also, depending on rentals, may limit the choices of where one can camp, but for now it seems that renting is the more economical choice for me. Of course, if money is not the major consideration buying is certainly more convenient, less restricting and less time consuming (running back and forth to the rental place on each trip).

Thanks for encouraging me to examine the numbers.

That math may work if you have to buy a car just for towing. In our case we lost our 3rd car which was set up for towing and and used by our son when he moved to North Carolina. Now my wife has a CRV as a daily driver and is also a great toad. In this case, the numbers will work more in favor of towing instead of renting. This is especially true if you do all the towing setup yourself.

Additionally if your travels take you to some more remote areas, renting a car may not be very feasible. For example, we have a trip planned to the outer banks in a month. My son tried to rent a car but the nearest location was 50 miles from where we are camping so we had to alter our route to have us pass the car rental place. There's something to be said for always having your car with you......

[Garrette]

We went through this same question 5 years ago. We rented for a year but decided that it was not worth the hassle. We had an old Honda so the Subaru Outback is what we decided. The DW had to get used to the 6 speed and their was conversation around this.

Assuming you are planning to tow 4 down and not use a dolly, this site can be helpful.

Go to http://www.motorhome.com and look at their Dingy towing guide. They also keep the the older guides on line so you can look for used as well as new. This is your first stop. They list what is towable, curb weight, modifications needed as well as how to tow.
Also you will need tow a setup. This is not cheap and If your reasoning for a less than 3000lb tow is so you will not need to purchase supplemental braking, well, I for one would not recommend towing any toad without it.

I look at what people tow and what I see is
Jeep, CRV, Fiat, Subrau in that order. The Fiat is probably the lightest car with the Subrau coming in 2nd. Our Outback curb weight is 3400lbs so you could consider something smaller.

Just last year, I meet a gentleman who was towing a New Chevy Malibu automatic and He stated that you needed to order the car with the correct ECM. Of course it is heavier than your specification. This would need to be verified.

Hope my rambling have helped a little. Just post back what you decided and why. We all get to learn.