I know this topic must be worn out by now....

[chazwood]

but can someone lead me to a thread that discusses all the pros and cons of available methods for tow behinds?

[NJT5047]

Do a search on "toads,"  Check out Roadmaster and Blue Ox websites. 
There's a good bit of info to be had right here too.  Post what you have in mind and you'll get plenty of ideas...
You want to tow 4 down on a tow bar?  That's the most popular method.  Also the easiest to work with.
Dollys work, but wait till you load the toad in the rain! 
The only other method is tow on a trailer...works, but cumbersome.  Often you'd have to unload the car off the trailer, hook the trailer up and tow it to an approved storage area, drop it, then take the toad to the campsite. 
A towbar is by far the quickest and easiest to work with.  All sorts of vehicles can be towed 4 down.   Saturn sedans, almost any manual transfer case 4 wheel drive vehicle.  This would include full size Tahoes and such. There are plenty vehicles to choose from. 
FMCA has a tow guide that just came out.  Join the FMCA and you'll get one for free.   It deals with '08 model year towables. 
Blue Ox and Roadmaster have tow guides on their websites too.  Good place to begin.
You'll find that towbars and brackets are sorta expensive...for a deal, check out "Hitchtrader Online"  for used components.   They have an extensive towable site.  Links to all major tow bar manufacturers. 
As I said, post a specific idea or question and you'll get answers!
Cheers and welcome to the board! 
JR

[ktmossman]

Not to hijack this thread completely, but I have had a question about this in the back of my head for a while. (Also, noting that I am not even a novice in this hobby yet...)

Given the cost of prepping a vehicle to be a toad, the voiding of whatever warranty is on the toad vehicle by the aforementioned prep, the almost guaranteed debris blast to the toad in transit, etc., wouldn't it be more simple (and probably not much more expensive) just to buy the smallest enclosed vehicle trailer available? (plus you gain a little more cargo space)

Pros/cons?

Kevin

[belfert]

A trailer adds tongue weight plus you have to pay for a trailer and then find a place to store the trailer at each campground.  Many buses cannot handle much tongue weight unless the trailer hitch is specially engineered and does not depend on the engine cradle for support.  A vehicle flat towed adds basically no tongue weight.

There are a number of cars that can be flat towed with no modifications.  The manufacturers specifically allow flat towing so warranty should not be an issue.

[Stan]

I have tried all the towing methods. If you have a $150,000.00 car, the enclosed trailer is the only answer. If you want to go that route, buy a trailer with air brakes and put a trailer protection package on your bus. If you have an $80,000.00 car, a flat deck trailer with front wind guard is best. If you want some basic transportation when you park the bus, four wheels down is the most practical.

Many vehicles are approved for towing by the manufacturer and the only lost cost is the base plate which is specific to each vehicle model. The tow bar can be used on the replacement vehicle. Various type of covers and rock guards can be bought or made to protect the car. Hooking up and un-hooking is a simple one person job that takes about five minutes.  If you are just overnighting at a campground, they will tell you to park your trailer out by the street. If you are staying for a month, you have to put the trailer into a storage lot (which may be part of the campground) but is very crowded to back a bus and trailer into.

[luvrbus]

I have tried the trailer to much trouble 4 down is the easiest buy yourself a Jeep they need no pumps or disconnects just hook up and go plus they are fun   fwiw

[TomC]

I tow my '84 Mercedes Turbodiesel 4 wheels down.  Since it has an automatic it has a driveline disconnect by Remco that disconnects the driveline at the differential.  Then you put it in park so the driveline doesn't turn, and off you go.  I do not have auxiliary brakes on the car yet, but even with the car weight, I'm still under the rated gvw of the bus.

Many of us that have V drive buses have engine cradles-frames that the engine and transmission are mounted to that are independent structures from the bus.  This means you are limited to how big a trailer you can pull since all the stress of both pulling and downward force on the hitch are being transmitted through the engine cradle.  Usually, this is limited to about 6,000lb and 1,000lb hitch weight.  With me, it's no hitch weight and pulling a car that weighs 3,750lbs.  This is the main reason I'm in the design stage of creating a 32ft box for my old Kenworth cabover that will be reinforced in the back to take a 10,000lb hitch so I can pull a trailerable cabin cruiser  (like a 28ft Bayline, Searay, etc) with the car in the garage at the back of the RV.  Good Luck, TomC

[chazwood]

Now I know why I see so many bicycles strapped to the back of RV's 


I have a 2005 Chevy 3500 12 pass. van, ( come to think of it, almost as big as the bus itself.) and a small Chevy s-10.

Four on the ground with the s-10?


It would be nice to have the big van, but doubt I could pull it four down.

[Len Silva]

I have tried all the towing methods. If you have a $150,000.00 car, the enclosed trailer is the only answer. .......

If you have a $150,000 car, just have the chauffeur bring it around to your campsite.

Len

[JohnEd]

I have told this story a number of times and the only "real" argument I gotten that makes any sense at all was from a long time board member that said "it just isn't for me".  So here is:

Start your motor in the Toad.  Put the gear shift in neutral.  Release the parking brake.  Tow away for as long as you like.

I have towed lots of automatics that way without ever a misshap.  This puts full oil pressure to all transmission lube points.  Does that at idle speed.

Worrier?  Install a "low oil pressure sensor" or use the one it comes with and have that drive a relay.  The relay can drive a signal line that runs to the cockpit OR energizes an air horn.  Do the same with the "over temperature" sensor.  So that covers stopped engine and overtemp, so what else could go wrong?  Get those nifty tire pressure sensors the RV Safetyman sells to alert you to that failure and the only thing left is a really long lightning rod.

While you are at it you can devise a system that applies brakes using the Toads stock brakes.  At this point they would be full power and you won't need that spendy air powered cylinder or that beefy electric coil solenoid affair. 

If you protect the trans without this method you will have to A) install a trans oil pressure pump driven with DC from the Bus.  B)  Disconnect the drive shaft with a coupler or do it manually.  C)  Dolly  E) Trailer. 

Canada requires that your Toad have active brakes while being towed, I think.

Efficient?  He** yes!  I got over two thousand miles to a tank and that was an Olds Toranado.  A friend with a Datsun got nearly twice that milage.  Durn imports.

This method "just isn't for some people".  They are probably ok with running the genny to make air conditioning while underway and actually, so am I.

HTH

John

[DrivingMissLazy]

Not to hijack this thread completely, but I have had a question about this in the back of my head for a while. (Also, noting that I am not even a novice in this hobby yet...)

Given the cost of prepping a vehicle to be a toad, the voiding of whatever warranty is on the toad vehicle by the aforementioned prep, the almost guaranteed debris blast to the toad in transit, etc., wouldn't it be more simple (and probably not much more expensive) just to buy the smallest enclosed vehicle trailer available? (plus you gain a little more cargo space)

Pros/cons?

Kevin

[DrivingMissLazy]

Now I know why I see so many bicycles strapped to the back of RV's 


I have a 2005 Chevy 3500 12 pass. van, ( come to think of it, almost as big as the bus itself.) and a small Chevy s-10.

Four on the ground with the s-10?


It would be nice to have the big van, but doubt I could pull it four down.

99 Tahoe can be towed without any modification. Probably other Chev vehicles can be also. Might have to have a driveshaft disconnect for the big van.

Richard

[NJT5047]

Now I know why I see so many bicycles strapped to the back of RV's 
I have a 2005 Chevy 3500 12 pass. van, ( come to think of it, almost as big as the bus itself.) and a small Chevy s-10.
Four on the ground with the s-10?
It would be nice to have the big van, but doubt I could pull it four down.

Depends on the S10.  If it's 4X4, with a shiftable transfer case, it can be towed as-is four down.
Most AWD, found in Fords, some Jeeps, and Chevys cannot be towed..even with a driveshaft disconnect.   However, most '98 and later GM electric shift transfer cases can be towed. 
FWIW, some electric shift Fords require a neutral shift modification.  I believe Chevys 4X4 are ready to go from the factory.
Your two wheel drive S10 could still be towed 4 down if you install a driveshaft disconnect (Remco).  The same applies to the big van.  Install a driveshaft disconnect and it could be towed.  It's pretty heavy, but tow bars come in 10K lbs sizes. 
OR, if you want to go radical, take the big van to Quigley and have them 4X4 the thing.  Then you'll have a unique conversation piece at the campground...and a great snow van.
I converted an AWD Astro Van into a 4X4 by swapping the transfer case.  It's towable....I haven't towed it.  Got a Jeep Cherokee XJ that I tow 4 down.  But now we tow a golf cart so the Jeep stays home...??   Thinking about finding an S-10 4X4, install a flat bed on it and towing the golf car on the S-10?  Reckon that would work?  Hard to get everything just right! 
JR

[kd5kfl]

I am considering a variation on this:

http://www.upnorthadventure.com/DaBus/AAExpress/index.htm

I'm thinking a Mini and a BMW 900, enclosed.

[Melbo]

JohnEd

Watch out for the Datsun behind a bus

People will think it's pushing the bus

Gotta love those datsuns

I pull a pathfinder four down ( a distant cousin of the Datsun )

Melbo