Flat towing with a 2017 24V Winnabago View

49erfan · 06-29-2021, 08:45 AM

Has anyone had issues Flat Towing with a 24V Winnabago View? What do I need to add on for breaking issues, lights etc....
Any suggestions for type of vehicle...I would like to try towing a ford bronco sport, or Jeep wangler, or a midsize or smaller truck (ford ranger)....

Please send me positive or negativity feedback I really need to know

DavidM · 06-29-2021, 10:37 AM

Your suggested Toads are pretty heavy for towing with that chassis, most are probably 5,000 lbs. I would look for something closer to 3,000 lbs.

There are all sorts of tow bars and many light and brake systems. Spend some time on etrailer.com looking at them. If your toad is below 3,000 lbs you may be ok with no brakes.

David

49erfan · 06-29-2021, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidM

Your suggested Toads are pretty heavy for towing with that chassis, most are probably 5,000 lbs. I would look for something closer to 3,000 lbs.

There are all sorts of tow bars and many light and brake systems. Spend some time on etrailer.com looking at them. If your toad is below 3,000 lbs you may be ok with no brakes.

David

Thanks for the information I will start looking forward a smaller truck or car.

Oldchinahand · 07-08-2021, 08:23 PM

DavidM has a great track record of good advice on this forum. I have unabashedly taken on board a number of his suggestions. I am going to slightly diverge from him on one point.

Brakes on toads - flat or dolly - vary by state. Requirements vary from a flat "No" through a list of exceptions to a flat "Yes". We flat tow our Ranger, dollytow our Camry. Where the state allows "No", we still use them (normally) for insurance purposes. They've been good to us so far, hate to have them take the position that our accident was caused by loss of control because of an unbraked toad.

No offense, Dave

Fair Winds and Following Seas

DavidM · 07-09-2021, 05:57 AM

None taken.

When I made that comment I was thinking about my buddy who tows a 2,700 lb, unbraked Mini with his 20,000 lb MH. In that case, the Toad's weight is small relative to the MH that the braking distance isn't compromised significantly.

For an 11,000 lb View the weight of a 3,000 lb Toad is a higher percentage of the MH's weight and the braking distance is compromised significantly.

But most states allow it, even with cars. See https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/

David

49erfan · 07-09-2021, 07:15 AM

Thank you both for the information will need to research more about breaks systems for each state. I ran into a fellow RV ‘er flat towing a 2002 Jeep Liberty , he gave me a ton of information and said he had no issues with this size car. His MH was a Forrest River Solera 24 with Mercedes Menz chassis similar to what I have. So I will looking for a Jeep Liberty in the future, Any other issues or suggestions will be appreciated.

BobC · 07-09-2021, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidM

Your suggested Toads are pretty heavy for towing with that chassis, most are probably 5,000 lbs. I would look for something closer to 3,000 lbs.

There are all sorts of tow bars and many light and brake systems. Spend some time on etrailer.com looking at them. If your toad is below 3,000 lbs you may be ok with no brakes.

David

Legally, maybe, but a braking system is still a very good idea. The NSA ReadyBrake systems are well-regarded and relatively inexpensive:

https://www.readybrake.com/

**creativepart** · 07-09-2021, 07:50 AM

I see you’ve decided on a Jeep, but I wanted to mention from your OP that the Ford Bronco Sport is NOT flat-towable. Bronco yes, Bronco Sport no.

notbusdrvr · 07-11-2021, 04:09 PM

We have been towing a jeep cherokee trailhawk with our view for several years now. No difficulty, and under the towing weight limit. We use a blue ox tow bar and have a braking system installed. The cherokee is lighter than the renegade.

DrMack · 07-11-2021, 04:36 PM

We tow a Wrangler with our View 24J with no problems, even in the mountains. It's under the 5,000 lb limit for the Sprinter but you have to be sure not to overload it. We use the Ready Brute Elite II from NSA. I'm an electrical engineer so a purely mechanical system is very attractive to me. We installed a Rock Hard aluminum bumper that allows for direct connection of the tow bar to the frame of the Jeep.

Lmonger · 07-11-2021, 04:48 PM

I have a 2018 Winne View 24J w/split hitch. I bought BlueOx(6500) tow bar w/base plate for my 2009 VW Beetle M/T. The kit has harness, diodes etc.. The harness is fed through engine compartment and along door threshold run. It’s worked good for 2-1/2 years.

49erfan · 07-11-2021, 04:57 PM

Thanks for all your comments it gives me a lot to think about but now I can use this information to get my View ready to tow a vehicle, thanks again….

PJTroyer · 07-11-2021, 09:16 PM

I tow a Fiat 500 2600#. BUT A MANUAL transmission in the Fiat.

Fiat stopped selling the 500 in the US

I towed with a View Mercedes diesel. but now tow with a 2021 Winne Vista 29V. 30ft with the V8 gas.

Calif requires a brake system in the Fiat. Some insurance carriers want a brake system

The 2600 # Fiat does not tax either RV engine and mountain ups and downs are not an issue

I found my Fiat Abarth 500C used online RV Trader so it was completely set up for my Blue OX. Costly install. and make very sure the installer has a long installation history on the exact toad model.

49erfan · 07-11-2021, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJTroyer

I tow a Fiat 500 2600#. BUT A MANUAL transmission in the Fiat.

Fiat stopped selling the 500 in the US

I towed with a View Mercedes diesel. but now tow with a 2021 Winne Vista 29V. 30ft with the V8 gas.

Calif requires a brake system in the Fiat. Some insurance carriers want a brake system

The 2600 # Fiat does not tax either RV engine and mountain ups and downs are not an issue

I found my Fiat Abarth 500C used online RV Trader so it was completely set up for my Blue OX. Costly install. and make very sure the installer has a long installation history on the exact toad model.

Thanks I’ll have to find a place in Las Vegas to help me with this installation

Hatrock · 07-12-2021, 08:36 AM

I tow my Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk flat behind my 2016 View. I have a Demco Stay-N-Play auxiliary brake system on the toad. The only issue I have had is I blew the fuse on the brake system once, but it is pretty obvious when they aren't working and that is the first thing I would look for if it ever happened again. That little Mercedes diesel works pretty hard on some grades so occasionally we will unhook the toad and drive it over really steep mountains. New Jeeps with the electronic drive train disconnect (that's not exactly what it is called) are some of the few flat towable vehicles made today. The two door Wrangler would be a little lighter than my Trailhawk but, well, two doors and not much cargo area. Biggest caution is not to be tempted to overload the toad. My two cents worth.

49erfan · 07-12-2021, 06:10 PM

Thanks for the information I’m going to look for a toad that will not overwhelm the view and still be able to preform over steep inclines. Thanks again for the advice .

Sparky19053 · 07-21-2021, 05:39 PM

Great questions and answers here, very helpful. We have a 2021 Winnie 24V and a Ford Ranger with dry weight under 4000 lbs. I've decided on the Blue Ox package for the rigging but wanted to ask if there is a recommended supplier that supports this board or at least a supplier you would recommend? After all the rigging with the braking package will be around a $3K purchase so I rather not learn the hard way.
And for the record I would prefer a lighter vehicle but the Ranger has been garage keep and in good shape with a reliable drive trans. I plan on detaching and having the wife drive the Ranger in the mountains to lighten the load on the RV.

Morich · 07-21-2021, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrueth

Great questions and answers here, very helpful. We have a 2021 Winnie 24V and a Ford Ranger with dry weight under 4000 lbs. I've decided on the Blue Ox package for the rigging but wanted to ask if there is a recommended supplier that supports this board or at least a supplier you would recommend? After all the rigging with the braking package will be around a $3K purchase so I rather not learn the hard way.
And for the record I would prefer a lighter vehicle but the Ranger has been garage keep and in good shape with a reliable drive trans. I plan on detaching and having the wife drive the Ranger in the mountains to lighten the load on the RV.

I would like to contact you by Private message as we are selling a group of the equipment you want. Perhaps you can watch for a PM?
I'm sure it will involved money discussions and those are often better done in private????

Sparky19053 · 07-22-2021, 10:12 AM

Message received and responded to, TY Morich.

Still looking to hear if there is there is a preferred vendor for Blue Ox equipment purchases.

Elkman · 07-23-2021, 11:36 AM

For the sake of your safety you want a braking system to keep stopping distances as short as possible and avoid jackknifing. The trailer brake controllers vary greatly in terms of how well they work and I would spend some time researching this.

When I was considering a toad my list of vehicles was the Wrangler, Liberty, Corolla, Ford Fusion, and the Fiat 500. The Wrangler and Liberty are the heaviest vehicle to tow and weigh 1400 lbs more than a Corolla.

For the cost of modifying the RV and the toad I bought instead two e-bikes and a heavy duty bike rack. Now issues with where I can pull over on the roads and no issues with needing double the distance to merge with traffic and no issues with where I can park a 50 foot long rig.