Car towing considerations

[Debo]

I started out with a tow dolly, and used it for several thousand miles. It worked great, and I still have it if ever needed, but we tow a Jeep Wrangler 4-down now, and it's been one of the most significant things I've ever done to make traveling easier and less of a hassle. The dolly is a huge advantage if you want to be able to tow multiple vehicles, but the Jeep is WAY easier. I don't notice any MPG difference, but hill-climbing is slower. As others have stated - physics...

[luvrbus]

Don,you are not going to notice much difference towing than with just the bus alone,the only place you will notice a drop in fuel mileage is going to be on 2 lane highways winding,twisting and hilly then it will take a toll.The Eagle had a 8v92 on freeway driving towing it was always around 7 mpg I could hit the 2 lanes in Idaho,Oregon,Ca, or other anyplace towing and it dropped to 5 or less MPG.Buy a Jeep then if the bus breaks down you can push the bus with a Jeep BTDT    

[Tom Y]

I tow a Wrangler also. I do see a drop in mpg, maybe .5. The Wrangle is the worst for mpg on its own so it makes sense. I have a TJ with bigger tires. We go off road out west so I like the TJ.       

[Lin]

We have used a 4x4 1999 Jeep Cherokee for the at least the past 8 years.  As with the wrangler, they can be towed 4 down without restrictions and can be used to access any road.  It is not the best car for long road trips though due to the stiff leaf springs.  We also have a 2002 Grand Cherokee which has coil springs and is a much smoother ride, but I am not interested in towing that one right now.

I do think that weight makes a difference.  Our 8v71 climbs much better without the toad, especially when you get over a couple of thousand feet up, which is often in California.

[Geoff]

I liked towing my '96 GMC Sonoma.  It was light with the 4 cly. engine and two wheel drive, plus it had a six foot bed to carry stuff.  I figured out it cost me between 1/2 and one mile per gallon to tow off my usual 8mpg with the bus.  Now I have the 4wd Canyon crew cab and it it drops me down 1 to 1 1/2 mpg.

[windtrader]

Thanks so much for all the valuable input as always.

Although the heaviest of my options, I'm leaning toward trying the Landcruiser first as a towed/toad/dinghy since putting a base plate on it is stupidly simple. I looked at where a base plate goes and it's a 30 minute job. Looking under the BMW, I could not even see any metal framing to connect to; it can be done but obviously more involved.

A stout 4X4 is also the far more practical choice when we get down to the end of Baja.

edit - Jon - you are right about concern over MPG loss. The cost of diesel has a lot more impact these days. Diesel out here is running $3.50 and up.

[Jon]

Don,

I was still running around during the $5 per gallon days and thinking about the people who had just spent almost $2,000,000 on a new coach who said they would cut back on their travel because of the cost of fuel.

To put this in perspective you can do the math to determine the cost of fuel per mile based on how ever many miles per year you want to figure, but keep in mind the mentality that drives people to express such a concern when their depreciation on their new bus is $1000 per day (not a typo) and their insurance was running them $20,000 per year.

Obviously as coaches get older the math changes, but when we are honest with ourselves and look at what it really costs to own a bus the 1 MPG it might cost to pull a toad is chump change. Buy the toad you really want and the hell with worrying about fuel economy.

[Beluga Bus]

Was over to $5.50 here back then, but even with the massive power of my 4-71 I find that head winds and outside temps make more of a difference in mpg and mph pulling a grade than having a toad hooked up.

Matt

[Geoff]

Was over to $5.50 here back then, but even with the massive power of my 4-71 I find that head winds and outside temps make more of a difference in mpg and mph pulling a grade than having a toad hooked up.

Matt

You actually tow a vehicle with a PG 2904?  On the freeway?

[windtrader]

It seems there aren't any ready made Blue Ox base plates specific to the LC 80. May need to get a simple custom one welded up using the offered.
FYI - For anyone else considering using a Blue Ox to tow a LC 80, here is a very detailed experience of this working fine.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/how-to-flat-tow-your-80-series-safely.482260/


@Scott - What kind of towing bar/base plate did you have on the 100 LC? Did you keep that stuff? I got a Blue Ox tow bar but looking for a  base plate.

@Jon - yeah, I've resolved the MPG issue; Still wonder about how much slower it will be getting out of CA? But as RJ, Dave, and others keep saying, overall, time getting over the grade barely registers over a longer trek.

[Scott & Heather]

Don, I had an ARB armored bumper installed and the universal plates were attached right to it. Slightly different than your setup


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[Dave5Cs]

Don Roadmaster has them. you didn't say what year but I put in 2002 Landcruiser and it has, Baseplate Kit 1151-1, Then you buy the adapter ends that replace your ends on your Blue Ox and you use the Blue Ox tow bar.

[Beluga Bus]

Geoff, lol yea all the time.

[Astro]

Hey Beluga, I recognize that view... Nice.  What year Flx?

[Beluga Bus]

Astro, it's a 1946. It's also a GM. That angle of the rear seems to fool everyone!