Toad.... trailer or tow?

[turf]

howdy folks!

i got a new car.
now i got to make a decision.

to take the new vehicle with me....do i put it on a trailer, or set up dinghy tow 4 down.

ive done both. they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

currently i have a little fiat 500 set up to dinghy tow. its 2500 lbs.
now, i just got a chevy silverado pick up. its 5200lbs. this is what i want to take with me now.

so.... the dilemma.

to set up the pick up dinghy towing.... about $5k
to get a minimum trailer to tow the chevy...... about $5k
to get my dream trailer to tow the chevy....... about 15k.

parts from the current toad setup dont work for the heavier truck, so i have to start over and buy everything new.

the pickup is to wide for my trailers. i have 2 trailers already, too small for the pickup... so have to buy something new.

i'd prefer trailering the truck. but i'd like the fancy trailer. between dinghy tow and shitty trailer, i'd dinghy tow.

if i sold the old toad, and 1 trailer..... hmmmmmm

towing weight with a crappy trailer will be 9-10k, towing weight with a nice trailer..7k.

what would you do?

[s2mikon]

I'v done trailer, tow dolly and flat tow. In order of convenience to me it is 1 flat tow, 2 trailer and dead last tow dolly. But I keep all of them available. Why? In case I need to do something odd. I was given an older GM front wheel drive car years ago so I used the tow dolly to bring it back. I didn't think it would roll up my trailer easy, and I was right. Flat tow was out for that. One time we went to Dallas to get some equipment and I used the trailer put my jeep on it and got the stuff and had my son drive the Jeep back. I like to have a run about if possible. It came in handy that trip when the tread came off 2 trailer tires. My son went to town 30 some miles away and had 2 new tires mounted and we came home. There really is not a "right way". It's what works for you.

[Tejon7]

I like making pros and cons lists. Trailer vs dinghy towing was probably the longest pro/con list of my build so far. There are just so many factors to consider, and at the time it was all guesswork because we hadn't traveled in the bus yet. Now, after about 7 months on the road over the past year, I think dinghy was the right can in our case.

The main argument for dinghy towing in our case is that we unhitch the car frequently. Sometimes it's to run errands in town with a smaller vehicle, but usually it's so that we can fit the bus into smaller camping spots, navigate tighter turns, etc. We could have made a trailer work, but it would have made my life slightly harder overall having to move the unloaded trailer around to get it out of the way.

I hate the extra wear and tear on our car from dinghy towing. I've replaced a lot of steering /suspension/brake parts in the last few months, and while they were definitely due for maintenance, I suspect that I could have pushed it another year or more if it had been trailered.

I'm curious what dinghy tow setup you're considering. I got the NSA ready brute for my 4400# Nissan Xterra. It works fine, though I'm not convinced it's the best out there. It was only about 2k all told though, which was the cheapest new option I could find at the time.

[turf]

i do enjoy the convenience of the dinghy toad i use now.

i feel like it tears up the vehicle, though. and this is my new truck....

i have a utility trailer.... 78" wide that i can carry a midsize car on. but the pickup is 82"wide. so thats a no go.

when i say crappy trailer... i mean steel. when i say nice, i mean aluminum.

so a steel trailer and my truck is going to push 10k towing.

i blew the tires off of my trailer once while towing. the car was fine and replacing a couple of wheels from the trailer was $400. had that happen when dinghy towing... it would have totaled the vehicle.

i wish i'd take pictures at my more spectacular fails..... usually im embarrased, but years later.... i sure wish i had those pics.

ya, im that guy.

i was looking at roadmaster toad gear.
basplate 700
nighthawl tow bar - 1300
brake controller - 1300
wiring, safety cables.....500

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

a few years ago i found a company in florida that builds custom aluminum trailers and at the time a trailer with 7000 lb axles only one brake axle was around 7000$ and they said they would add a second brake axle for 600$ more.
NEXTRAIL 888-386-8685.
of course the price has probably gone up but its worth a look.
i am only trying to tow a subaru forester all wheel drive so can only trailer it.

[Tejon7]

Wow, just looked up the NSA tow bar I bought for $1220 in 2022. Now it's $2500! If it hadn't doubled in price I might have recommended looking at it, but I have the feeling that the dedicated brake controllers from other brands are probably better at their job.

It's going to be a tough decision. S2mikon's approach sounds like your best bet - get ALL the tow options!

[nikitis]

I'd grab anything that takes the front wheels off the ground. What I'd end up doing is since I've already restored and built a 20ft trailer before I even started the bus project is buy a rusted car tow trailer from facebook marketplace. $500, grind the rust off, prime, etch it, Have axles redone professionally for $400 for the axle. Weld in any patches to the frame you need to, profit. With paint another $300, so for $1200 you got a tow trailer that can put your trucks front wheels up on it.

[turf]

i requested info from that trailer outfit. i'll pass it along when they answer.

a dolly is not for me. i need either 4 up or 4 down. if i used a dolly id have to disconnect the drive shaft.

here are some that i've been looking at.

dream trailers:
https://www.mheby.com/product/14k-de...ipment-trailer

https://alumaklm.com/products/execut.../ex-8200-tilt/

this is cool, but heavy.. over 10k lbs
https://www.poplarblufftrailer.com/N...ff-MO-15319301

and then cheap
https://www.happytrailers.com/2022-p...9pmOXxwjToaKuI

[nikitis]

Do 4 up then, and do a restoration like I did for 1/3 of the costs. Do you know how to weld?

I didn't and I learned on my trailer above. A trailer is the perfect thing to learn to weld on and you pick up a new skill that'll benefit you for life. (assuming you don't weld)

[turf]

nice trailer nikitis! you did good

for that matter, i could redo my steel utility trailer and make it work. or like you say pick up something cheap and used.
yes, i can weld. i have a wire feed machine. but... not looking for projects, i want to travel.

but that puts me down the path of thing i dont want...
no steel trailers

i think my steel trailer is a 2011 or 12. its rusted out, it didnt last.
my aluminum trailer is a '14 or 15 and still looks brand new. it got some hail damage on it but other than that its a beast.

imo, a steel trailer is good for 5-10 years, aluminum is good for your lifetime.

if i cheap out... i'll just dinghy tow. if i sold my fiat, and trailer... i'd go for that fancy deckover.

decisions decisions

[nikitis]

Yeah aluminium trailers are good, just gotta check the major welds every few years as they've been known to crack but they don't rust. If you find cracks in the weld drill out the ends of the cracks, then just re-weld them.

They can last longer. My steel trailer is now officially 54 years old and fully restored, no rust. It was a rust bucket when I bought as you can see from my first picture, but it still ran and only needed one body patch. I've been carrying it at max capacity of 7k lbs with my mini-excavator. It's only a 4 lug but those are true dexter wheels which the rims ride on the hub for extra strength so it only needs 4 lugs, if it didn't ride on the hub like they do 4 lugs would be very dangerous for a mini-excavator to carry it on. In other words the lugs aren't the only thing holding the weight. Most hubs today don't intersect with the wheel like these do, and are just flat face on flat face. 4 lugs on that kind of setup would snap the bolts with 7k lbs.

Steal can last awhile, but I get it, if you got the money and just want to go, just buy aluminium. I'll have to touch this one up in 20 years probably again.

[nikitis]

Last two. Shortly after I finished this trailer project, I bought the bus.

The deck is polyurethaned here.

[Beeb2]

My wife just drives our Tundra behind me. It means we don't drive together, but with the noise of the bus we wouldn't be able to talk anyway. We have walkie-talkies and I use a noise canceling headset to communicate.

Driving separately has the benefit of allowing us to quickly pull over, hop in the truck, and go scout out a new boondocking location. We don't need to detach and reattach our truck to scout any new locations. Additionally, it allows me to tow a cargo trailer with the bus, which increases our storage and potentially water capacity.

If you have a spouse/partner/companion/friend/accomplice traveling with you, it's a pretty good option.

Also of note - the Tundra gets incredible gas mileage driving behind the bus. Not even worth worrying about it.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Beeb2

My wife just drives our Tundra behind me. It means we don't drive together, but with the noise of the bus we wouldn't be able to talk anyway. We have walkie-talkies and I use a noise canceling headset to communicate.

Driving separately has the benefit of allowing us to quickly pull over, hop in the truck, and go scout out a new boondocking location. We don't need to detach and reattach our truck to scout any new locations. Additionally, it allows me to tow a cargo trailer with the bus, which increases our storage and potentially water capacity.

If you have a spouse/partner/companion/friend/accomplice traveling with you, it's a pretty good option.

Also of note - the Tundra gets incredible gas mileage driving behind the bus. Not even worth worrying about it.

talking in a bus on the highway is interesting.. when the bus group im in goes on a bus caravan we all talk on radios.. if a couple of us ride together , we cant hear each other.. grab the radios and we talk easier than in person lol

[nikitis]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

talking in a bus on the highway is interesting.. when the bus group im in goes on a bus caravan we all talk on radios.. if a couple of us ride together , we cant hear each other.. grab the radios and we talk easier than in person lol

Grab a Beofang Ham radio and add a headset.

[s2mikon]

Let me through this out there for you all. My Jeep Liberty Toad Rated Edition gets 22 mpg at 60-65 mph. When I tow it, the added fuel used in the bus calculates out to 33 mpg. It does cost some to tow but not that much. If the wife was to drive it behind me I would miss out on all the back seat driving assistance. She never looks at the forum, so I'm safe. Your mileage and relationship health may vary.

[Beeb2]

Originally Posted by s2mikon

Let me through this out there for you all. My Jeep Liberty Toad Rated Edition gets 22 mpg at 60-65 mph. When I tow it, the added fuel used in the bus calculates out to 33 mpg. It does cost some to tow but not that much. If the wife was to drive it behind me I would miss out on all the back seat driving assistance. She never looks at the forum, so I'm safe. Your mileage and relationship health may vary.

My 2000 Tundra gets about 17mpg. But when my wife drives it behind the bus, it gets over 30mpg. That was my point.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by turf

howdy folks!

i got a new car.
now i got to make a decision.

to take the new vehicle with me....do i put it on a trailer, or set up dinghy tow 4 down.

ive done both. they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

currently i have a little fiat 500 set up to dinghy tow. its 2500 lbs.
now, i just got a chevy silverado pick up. its 5200lbs. this is what i want to take with me now.

so.... the dilemma.

to set up the pick up dinghy towing.... about $5k
to get a minimum trailer to tow the chevy...... about $5k
to get my dream trailer to tow the chevy....... about 15k.

parts from the current toad setup dont work for the heavier truck, so i have to start over and buy everything new.

the pickup is to wide for my trailers. i have 2 trailers already, too small for the pickup... so have to buy something new.

i'd prefer trailering the truck. but i'd like the fancy trailer. between dinghy tow and shitty trailer, i'd dinghy tow.

if i sold the old toad, and 1 trailer..... hmmmmmm

towing weight with a crappy trailer will be 9-10k, towing weight with a nice trailer..7k.

what would you do?

get a trailer that you can tow with either the bus or the silverado and you have much more versatility PLUS you save a lot of wear and depreciation on the new silverado. To me, pickups and trailers go hand in hand.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by s2mikon

Let me through this out there for you all. My Jeep Liberty Toad Rated Edition gets 22 mpg at 60-65 mph. When I tow it, the added fuel used in the bus calculates out to 33 mpg. It does cost some to tow but not that much. If the wife was to drive it behind me I would miss out on all the back seat driving assistance. She never looks at the forum, so I'm safe. Your mileage and relationship health may vary.

you think she never looks at the forum??

[nikitis]

Originally Posted by kidharris

you think she never looks at the forum??

I mean he didn't say he threw the wife into the car being towed...