TOAD

How To Tow A Vehicle Behind Your Motorhome

Definitions...

TOAD: A vehicle being towed (toad). Most common term for a towed vehicle. Could be all 4 wheels on the ground, or could have 2 wheels on a dolly.

FROG: Four Rolling On Ground.

If you have a motorhome of any size, you will need to tow a vehicle if you plan on making any side trips along your journey. An older RVer told me years ago, "I don't care what setup you have (5th wheel, TT, Class A, C, etc.), plan on towing something". My coach is 36' 10". It's hard enough just squeezing into a gas station. If you want to go downtown, where are you going to park that bus? With a TOAD, it only takes a couple of minutes to unhook, and you have the freedom to go anywhere you want.

Another big selling point of a TOAD is that it becomes a lifeboat in a breakdown. Loose a fan belt? No problem, unhook and go. What's your plan otherwise?

There are many choices for TOADs. Keep in mind that most have a limit on towing speed and/or towing distance. Many limit the towing speed to 55 MPH, and the distance to 200 Miles. If you plan on driving near the interstate speed limits, this will be a limiting factor. On the vehicles that limit distance, the engine must be started for a few minutes, allowing transmission fluid to circulate. The distance limitation doesn't worry me as much as the speed does. According to the driving course offered by Lazy Days, we should travel at 63-65 MPH in 70 MPH zones. This allows us to almost keep up with the traffic, and cars that pass us, pull away. You won't have to worry about constantly adjusting your driving speed to keep a safe distance between you and the person in front. This will be done for you automatically if you drive their recommended speed. Driving below this speed makes you a rolling roadblock, creating a hazard.

I chose a RoadMaster Falcon 2 towbar. There are several good brands on the market. This folds up nicely when not in use. You can either leave it attached to the back of the motorhome, or disconnect it. It easily fits in any storage compartment. Notice that this inserts directly into the receiver, making for a very safe method of towing.

Here's a an inexpensive alternative. I would not recommend this type. It bolts to a bumper, and attaches to a ball hitch. The strength of the bumper and ball hitch are questionable.

The kit I ordered came with all the necessary wiring and hardware. I started by lacing the wiring under the hood on the left side.

The wiring follows the fender and is kept away from moving parts. I used tie wraps to secure it to existing wiring harnesses when possible.

I mounted the trailer light connector on the bumper bracket under the front of the Jeep. The holes in the connector bracket lined up with two holes in the bumper bracket. No drilling was required.

Another view of the trailer light connector. I can easily reach under the front bumper and plug the light cable into it.

The kit also included diodes to isolate the Jeep's wiring from the motorhome's wiring. This is the back left corner of the Jeep. The included wiring should follow the existing factory wire harness to this corner. This is a good place to tap into the taillights. The included instructions show how to wire the lights.

When the carpet is rolled back into position, the diodes and associated rat's nest is hidden. The only thing left exposed is a harness that was added earlier for a trailer.

I purchased Hidden Hitch tow brackets from RoadMaster. These were easy to install. Only had to drill one hole. The bracket bolts go through the frame, making for a secure method of mounting.

Here's the other bracket.

The finished product. I bought the optional covers for the two tow bracket receivers. This keeps dirt out of them while traveling offroad.

Here's how all the pieces go together. Looks a lot more complicated than it actually is. Only takes a few minutes to connect it all up or disconnect it.

Here's the Falcon 2 Combo kit. Includes everything you see. Everything necessary to wire up your Toad, safety cable, locks, connectors, storage bags, and light cable.

I ordered the following items from The RV Toy Store. I found they had the best prices at the time. This included EVERYTHING needed to tow my Jeep. It included all the brackets, towbar, connectors, wiring, diodes, safety cables, locks, storage bags, etc. The instructions were easy to follow. This is a DIY project for those with a day to kill. Only basic tools are needed, but an impact wrench makes the job even easier. I think the only thing I had to buy was a #55 Torx bit to remove the bumper bolts.

ITEM	DESCRIPTION	QUANTITY	PRICE
`RM52000`	`"Hidden" Bracket Set #1424-1`	1	`$274.85`
`RM520`	`Falcon 2 Towbar`	1	`$394.75`
`RM9260`	`Combo Pack-Falcon 2`	1	`$178.75`
SHIPPING			`$70.25`
TOTAL			`$918.60`

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