Backing up with toad

[chessie4905]

Have you tried to attach a bungee cord around steering wheel and connect ends to left and right bottom of driver's seat? It will resist the wheel trying to turn and help keep it centered.

[Lin]

We have done it with my wife in the toad trying to keep it going back in the straight line on completely level ground.  I was wondering if changing the dynamic from the toad being pushed backwards to it pulling would make a difference and allow some more maneuverability.  I suppose now that I have my new plate and tow bar, I could give it a try someday.

[sixtyseven]

OK, I didn't want to post anything for fear you guys will think I'm nuts, but I guess we are all nuts, that's why we are here.    Lin,   Yes you can if you have a steering lock (or your wife) and a stronger tow bar.   Before I had my Tahoe I pulled my pickup.    It's a full size 4x4 extended cab long box Chevy.     Total length of coach & toad  64 1/2'.     I backed it up many times, once after making a wrong turn on a dead end, for about a 1/4 mile.    I always worried that the steering lock would break.    Never had a problem.

[bevans6]

I tow on a dolly so I can and have backed up 20 - 30 feet, but the thing will still jack-knife it it gets half a chance.  The problem with backing a toad is that the hitch locks the front of the car in place relative to the bus hitch, and as soon as the wheels turn to try to steer they try to move the front of the car left or right.  So very straight is the only way it will work even with a driver.

Brian

[sledhead]

after 2 separate front end alignments and 1 pretzel tow bar I now use a light weight all aluminum 17 ' car trailer ( 1250 lbs empty ) oh and the fact G M will void my warranty for flat towing my colorado . I now have zero problems backing up any time I want to + I now have real brakes on the toad ( trailer )
is it a better way yes  it tows way better then flat towing  and no you need to find a place to put it when you get there

dave   

[Geoff]

G M will void my warranty for flat towing my colorado.

dave   

I have a Colorado and it is made for towing 4 down.  That is because it is 4wd.  You just push the high 2wd and 4wd buttons at the same time and the drive train goes into neutral and disconnects the speedometer.  It also unlocks the steering and you can take the key out.  Very nice, and no fuses to pull.  I had a older Sonoma 2wd and had to install a driveline disconnect and leave the key in the steering so it would not lock.

--Geoff

[dtcerrato]

We have the same setup in our 4wd Sierra. It's really convenient. Did the driveshaft disconnect on our 91 4wd Explorer. It was ok too "after" the expense of drive line disconnect... We love the Sierra except for it being an anchor - we pull it anyway, the trade off makes it worth while...

[Tony LEE]

MC8 with a Suzuki grand vitara behind, piece of orange plastic pipe across the roof racks sticking out about 6" wider than the bus each side to use as a more precise guide than the backup camera, and wife in the toad holding the steering wheel.
You have to regard the toad as one of those pig trailers some dump trucks tow with no turntable on the front so some gentle slewing of the toad is required to get it out of line a bit. Once the curve is established just follow it around with the bus steering using the conduit end to keep it constant. Changing the curve puts strain on the towbar, but constant curve does not.. Can gently increase or decrease curve by slewing again but can use the conduit ends as guides to keep the curve under control.

I've done a 23-point turn in a forest clearing that way to reverse direction (in pouring rain which is why I chose not to do it the easy way by unhooking the toad).

If you want to go straight back then still have to follow the same procedure but of course no slewing required. Try it without holding or locking the steering wheel and guaranteed you will break something

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I find the easiest way to back up with a toad is to put the bus in neutral and release the air brakes and go back to the Toad and pull the bus back with the Toad.  But it helps to have someone steering the bus.   Actually I haven't tried this myself but if someone would try this and post a video, we could all learn from it.  Cliff? 

[dtcerrato]

Even if  I had a smart phone app to back up with a toad, I'd probably just disconnect because I am still alive & able to do it and not that lazy - yet!

[Lin]

Gary, That is exactly what I was asking about in the original post-- pulling the bus back with the toad rather than the bus pushing the toad.  The only variation I added was that the bus driver could help a little keeping the bus moving to make the pull easier on the toad.  My question was whether that could work.  I think that it theoretically could but I have had other theories before.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Gary, That is exactly what I was asking about in the original post-- pulling the bus back with the toad rather than the bus pushing the toad.  The only variation I added was that the bus driver could help a little keeping the bus moving to make the pull easier on the toad.  My question was whether that could work.  I think that it theoretically could but I have had other theories before.

Lin, theoretically this should work fine.  You just need a competent driver in the bus drivers seat (preferably a bus driver) to know when the bus is rolling out of control and can steer it in the correct direction and to be aware of the buses surroundings so they don't take out a gas pump or something in the process.

[Geoff]

Scott not good if it is more than 3 inches off level. If you stop hard on the road it could do a wheel stand. They make compensator raised hitches for the bus. Amazon has them "Raise/Lower 2" hitch"

As I recall, ideally the bus receiver should be a few inches higher than toad (towed) connections.  If Scott's bus pulls the toad front wheels​ up backing up it is set up wrong (too low).  With my Sonoma 2wd I had to use a 6" drop, with my Canyon 4wd I use no drop.

--Geoff