TOWING A TOAD

[Colliemom]

Question for those of you who are towing a toad behind your rigs. Some I know are towed on dollies and some with all 4 down. How do you get a toad with all 4 down to follow along behind and turn with your rig. I know on today's cars, when you remove the keys it locks the steering wheel. How do you get around that so the wheels turn with the rig? Another friend and I were discussing this yesterday as they have a MH but use a dollie for their car.

[AlmostThere]

I've never towed, so this is just my guess: you turn the key to aux, that should loosen the wheel, and then disconnect the battery.

[Bethers]

You don't disconnect the battery! That is needed in order to have the tail lights work - and if a braking system, for that, also with some of them.

In my toad, you simply put it in aux (they call it something else, but it's basically aux) and the car in neutral and that's it. In some you have to take out one fuse (to make sure you don't have mileage add up - I don't need to do that - but many do - you have to check with each car - they're different). And not all cars can be towed all wheels down as they are - only some can. That's why many have a tow dolly - they don't want to change cars.

I just helped someone hook up their tow dolly to their rv this week - and I'd much rather do what I'm doing than that. And she wasn't even going to put the car on it then - just needed to do that to move the tow dolly here to our new sites.

[Getupngo]

Yeah, I put my CRV's key in the first position from "lock." It's the one that I would use to listen to the radio without the whole dash lit up. That way my steering wheel remains free. BUT I have to make sure I turned the radio OFF (have had a dead battery. )

Before you decide to tow a car, check Motorhome Magazine's Dinghy Towing Guide to see if your car can be towed 4-down, 2-down, or only on a trailer. I had a Subaru Forester, and was very surprised (read: ticked!) to learn it cannot be towed with ANY wheels down. So I traded my beloved Subie in for my Honda CRV (a very popular 4-down toad).

Also, you cannot back a toad up (the steering wheel will rack one way or the other unless you are perfectly straight). However, that has been a problem for me exactly once, because I always make sure I can pull out of any place I pull into.

[Birdie]

My Ford said to turn the key to "accessory', put the gear shift in neutral, make sure all accessories are turned off. That was all you had to do to make it a toad. There are other things to consider for a toad and that is what is the tongue weight that your rig can tow and what is the amount of weight that your rig can tow, and finally what is your rig/toad weight limitations. That is one of the reasons that I wanted a lighter weight car. The Edge with me in it and loaded as I would tow it weighed 4650 pounds. Take my weight out and it was about 4500 pounds. That is a lot of weight and put me right up to within 250 pounds of maximum (plus or minus any day).

With the HHR I start out about 950 pounds lighter, it holds less gas (and goes farther) so overall I will be gaining in the less weight loaded capacity and that is going to be better for me. I still have figuring to do and I haven't weighed the HHR loaded yet. I'll do that when I get back to Texas.

Just read your manuals, your rig, and search online for a 'maybe car' manual. See what they say about recreational towing.

[bikerchic777]

Don't make a stupid mistake like I did! In Utah, I thought I figured out how to tow my truck without running the battery down. I turned the key back further and ended up dragging the truck when I turned because the steering locked. Thank God I had my window down and heard it Then, I couldn't get the truck back in gear or anything! My GF, Julie's, BF noticed me stranded at the top of their street and helped me get the truck unhooked and I started all over again. Now, I have to remember to just take my truck out of neutral when I stop for the night and start it up, then put it back into neutral in the morning. Hooking up isn't real hard to do, though.

[Getupngo]

Yes, those all-terrain tow bars they make now are SO easy to hook up. You don't have to be level OR perfectly lined up. Just a joy -- as much as getting road dirt all over my hands is a joy.

Oh, I have one more tip for you. When you are unhooking your toad ... either put it in park or engage the emergency brake. Just sayin'. I had one roll away in the dark ... across a four-lane road and end up on someone's flowers.

Remember: Parking brake, parking brake, parking brake.

[VickieP]

I had one roll away in the dark ... across a four-lane road and end up on someone's flowers.

Shall I search You-tube?

[Getupngo]

I had one roll away in the dark ... across a four-lane road and end up on someone's flowers.

Shall I search You-tube?

Thankfully, no. Picture a "woman of a certain age" running as fast as her chubby little legs will carry her ... and then stop dead, her hands over her mouth as she watches the car cross the road. Then relief. Dodged the bullet. Again.