Smart car toad pros and cons

[nusslejj]

Originally Posted by KatanaPilot

Sure I'll get flamed for this, but -

There are better car choices than a Smart for the same money. Honda Fit comes to mind (yes I have one that I use as a Toad). The Smart is not highly rated by any of the consumer publications or car magazines. The Fit is.

Second, adding the weight of a scooter to an already weight limited MBS platform will probably put you over maximum weight. My Forester MBS is payload limited to 925 pounds per FR. Add 26 gallons of diesel, plus any water, stuff, dog and people - I think we are already overweight. Probably not as big a deal as an overweight airplane (which is quite illegal) but questionable practice to me.

Yes - weight is a concern. I found the spec's on my 24R -
Dry Weight 9,852 lbs + Payload Capacity 1,178 lbs = GVWR 11,030 lbs. The "R" has a bit more payload capacity than the "W". Probably because of the massive slideout - which is way cool.

[KatanaPilot]

I have a 2401R - probably same floor plan as you. Side slide and rear slide. Wonder why your MH is so much lighter than mine - you have almost 250 lbs of additional payload vs me. Can't believe the Forester MBS vs. Solera differences weigh that much! I know the diesel generator weighs 35 lbs more than the propane, but where is the additional weight coming from?

[Pod2Vibe]

Originally Posted by Mikegjax

No offence taken. And yes the Fit will hold its value much better than the Smart.

Hey Mike, congrats on the new toad.

Wondering if you have installed the brake cable for your ReadyBrute yet?

If so, was there room at the firewall area to access the brake pedal?

My Fiat had brake lines and components in the way and made it tough to route the cable.

Cheers,

Jay

[Mikegjax]

Originally Posted by Pod2Vibe

Hey Mike, congrats on the new toad.

Wondering if you have installed the brake cable for your ReadyBrute yet?

If so, was there room at the firewall area to access the brake pedal?

My Fiat had brake lines and components in the way and made it tough to route the cable.

Cheers,

Jay

The new base plate arrived today. Plan on starting the install in the AM. Today I pulled the brake and breakaway cables from my old toad and plan on using them on the Smart.

Been doing as much research as I can and it looks like it is doable even though it will be tight. I will let you know how it turns out.

I also plan on making metal brackets to mount my magnetic lights inside the rear hatch. Don't want to mess with the diodes and semi permanent lights.

[Mikegjax]

Originally Posted by Pod2Vibe

Hey Mike, congrats on the new toad.

Wondering if you have installed the brake cable for your ReadyBrute yet?

If so, was there room at the firewall area to access the brake pedal?

My Fiat had brake lines and components in the way and made it tough to route the cable.

Cheers,

Jay

Finished the installation today. I did install the ready brake cable and had know problems. Actually installing the cable was one of the easier tasks.
The breakaway unit was a little more involved due to finding a location for the stop block.

All in all the base plate installation was pretty straight forward even for a one man operation. I was even able to install the permanent safety cables.

[Kels4g]

Originally Posted by nusslejj

So here is an off-the-wall idea that might appeal to some.

I have been looking at the TOAD solution - albeit a SmartCar on the ground, on a trailer, on a dolley, etc. It all looks like more than I want to get into right now, as we are mostly weekend-warriors with an occasional longer trip maybe 1-2 times a year.

For now, we just take the RV if we want to go somewhere when we are camping, but I don't think that is always going to be practical. What if we are at Hershey Campground, and want to go 1-2 miles to the Hershey Amusement Park, or what if we need to run to town for milk, or a movie, or dinner ?

This appeals to me -- buy a Honda PCX150 scooter, and a motorcycle hitch-rack from eTrailer.com for ~ $180 that would hang directly on the hitch. It is < 350 pounds total, so the hitch can handle it, the bike rides two, gets 100mpg, goes 70mph, and has a large storage area under the seat.

I only have two reservations - ONE is the 350 pounds I add to the rig, but no matter how I look at it, it appears the 350lb scooter will always be easier on the RV than pulling a TOAD - whatever the toad is, and I can back the RV up without having to physically disconnect something. TWO - will I cover up the taillights ? The bike is 75.3". I'll have to measure the RV, but worst-case is the lights shine around the 5 wheel spokes.

My wife said "what if it is raining ?". My reply - "We get wet. Bring a raincoat"

A scooter for your only transportation is going to stink- been there, done that (only with a motorcycle). A rain coat will not even begin to keep you dry. Also, 70mph with two people on a scooter? Maybe but I wouldn't do it

Instead of a Smart car, I'd go with something like a Chevy Sonic (or Spark) It's very light and offers some room to put some things and a back seat just in case. They can be purchased well under 20K brand new.

[dblr]

There is actually plenty of room in a Smart car for carrying things behind the seat, we use ours all the time it is the wife's daily driver. She grocery shops with it, heck it can even carry a couple of cases of beer if needed. We do not tow ours but carry it on the deck of our Kenworth before the 5th wheel

[Pod2Vibe]

Originally Posted by Mikegjax

Finished the installation today. I did install the ready brake cable and had know problems. Actually installing the cable was one of the easier tasks.
The breakaway unit was a little more involved due to finding a location for the stop block.

All in all the base plate installation was pretty straight forward even for a one man operation. I was even able to install the permanent safety cables.

Nice, glad to hear Mike, Enjoy!

[Mikegjax]

After getting the light mounts fabricated, took the RV and Smart out for a test drive. Really tows well. I did use a bungee on the steering wheel and have also installed a battery cutoff switch. Very quick and easy set up.

Here are some photos of the light mounts.

[Pod2Vibe]

Very "smart" idea, well done!

[dblr]

Looks good nice job

[Pod2Vibe]

Great Smart Car for sale in classified section today:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...le-105726.html

Not setup as Toad, though.

[Mikegjax]

Just returned from 900+ mile trip towing the 2013 Smart. PERFECT! Just the thing for our needs. Running around in the Smart as been fun and the highway mileage is above my expectations. For those that don't need a four place vehicle I recommend the Smart.