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Old 03-05-2005, 03:53 PM   #1
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i will have to buy a towable car or convert mine to tow 4 wheels down. a dolly is not a option. why not rent one. one company will deliver and pick up a rental for 19.00 a day nationwide. i will save gas in motorhome not having to tow. if i go for a week long trip i might only need a care for 1-3 days. i dont have to buy a blue ox or brake system for toad. what do you guys and gals think, pros and con please.
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Old 03-05-2005, 03:53 PM   #2
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i will have to buy a towable car or convert mine to tow 4 wheels down. a dolly is not a option. why not rent one. one company will deliver and pick up a rental for 19.00 a day nationwide. i will save gas in motorhome not having to tow. if i go for a week long trip i might only need a care for 1-3 days. i dont have to buy a blue ox or brake system for toad. what do you guys and gals think, pros and con please.
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Old 03-05-2005, 04:12 PM   #3
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We've had ours for about 9 months and we don't have a toad. We have been renting and it is much more economical at this time. Wife drives a Yukon XL Denali (all wheel drive) and I have a G35 Coupe w/ a 6 speed manual. Neither are toable for us.

We do rent when we can. Much more difficult if we choose to dry camp in one of the national parks. The convenience factor is why most people tow. If money was not an option, we would have a toad.
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Old 03-05-2005, 04:27 PM   #4
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I'm sure you'll get some varied opinions on this. Here's my $.02

I tow strictly for the convenience. I'm not sure it can be justified financially. But, if we stop for lunch at a rest stop and decide to run into the local burg for supplies, the car is there and ready to go. If we decide to go out to a movie or whatever at 7pm, the car is there and ready to go.

If the rental you are speaking of is Enterprise, the drill (at least in my limited experience) is they pick you up at the campground, drive you to the office to do paperwork, then you drive the rental back to the campground. When you're done with it, you drive it to the office (don't forget to stop and refuel), do paperwork, and then they drive you back to the campground. If the office is busy and 50 miles away, that's not my idea of convenient.

We owned class "C"s for 20-25 years and never used a toad, but now that I've experienced the convenience, I wouldn't be without my trusty toad.
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Old 03-06-2005, 03:32 AM   #5
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Another factor is the ability to go for help if you have any difficulty. I would find it difficult to justify the $19 per day to have a car sitting for the trips to the postoffice and grocery store when on extended stay.
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Old 03-06-2005, 04:17 AM   #6
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A toad vehicle is important to us a readily available shuttle and in the case of any difficulties a life boat.
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Old 03-06-2005, 05:03 AM   #7
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WE used to rent when we first started out. This is OK if going direct to detination and not planning to stop and tour on the way. We take our time and stop when and as long as we want. Nice to have the toad handy to use when you want. Makes a nice life boat as Driver said. Beside toad is our only other vehicle we own.
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Old 03-06-2005, 06:17 AM   #8
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Your G35 with manual transmission is towable, though. You would need to run the engine for a few minutes every 500 miles, but that is hardly a big deal. Do you rent often enough to justify the cost of a tow bar and base plates on the car? A nice set-up like Blue Ox Sterling or Roadmaster Falcon 2 would probaly run you $1200-$1400, but you can get a less elegant tow bar for a lot less, then maybe upgrade later. There is always somebody in the market for a used tow bar - just like you might be now!.
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Old 03-06-2005, 06:53 AM   #9
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we never camp in the boon docks. im sure its great for those that do but its not us. as far as paying 19.00 a day and not use it wouldnt be a problem because we plan for the day or days we would use the car and when we go we like to stay in campground at least 2 dats to relax. as far as life boat we have a cell and a winnebago which never breaks down,right. just a little humor there. im not trying to argue im just trying to justify all that money. please keep the pros and con coming. thanks
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Old 03-06-2005, 09:02 AM   #10
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We have tried both methods, but settled on a toad. While National will come and pick you up, I did not find it all that convenient. A lot of their offices are not open 24/7 and the advertised $19 turns out to be more like $ 35 – 40/day. If you feel the need insurance is additional. The toad offer much more flexibility and you do not having one car setting at home while you are on the road. The difference in mileage towing versus not, is negligible in our case.
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Old 03-06-2005, 10:40 AM   #11
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Only been RVing for 2yrs. Our goal was rent a car when we could and learn to live without or use bicycles. What a pain in the a#@&. We now have a tow car and won't leave home without it.

We have nothing against camp grounds but if you've seen one.........
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Old 03-08-2005, 04:50 AM   #12
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We like to "see as we go". In other words, travel and sightsee during the day and then enjoy a state park for a couple of nights. Generally never need a car. I do rent when staying near an attraction place for more than two days such as Branson or Gatlinburg. Do have a couple of fine bikes and love to ride.
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Old 03-08-2005, 03:24 PM   #13
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We do both, rent when we plan our trip and tow when we visit family. All the extra for tolls and gas while towing is not worth it. If you plan well enough, as my sife does it's no big deal. Less to worry about also with out the toad that is. My 32 footer fits nicly into two parking spots in any parking lot.No need to unhich the toad if it's not there.
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Old 03-08-2005, 04:46 PM   #14
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We used our motorhome for many long weekend trips and several vacations for about 9 months before we finally bought a used Saturn to tow. Yes, it was expensive when you consider the tow bar, the Brake Buddy, insurance, etc. but what it did for our trips was well worth it. We are now able to go somewhere and rather than be stuck in or around the campground, we go sightseeing, golfing, shopping or take day trips. Having a tow car has totally expanded our experience and opened new experiences to us. After all, it is much easier to park a car in a busy parking lot, than a 36 foot motorhome!
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Old 03-08-2005, 04:55 PM   #15
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Beside the MH we only have one "car". That is our Jeep Wrangler. It is our second freedom machine when we get to the mountains. We don't leave home without it.

For years we rented Jeeps when we got to the Ouray, CO area, but when it got to be $100-$120 per day, it was just too expensive.

Additionally, we have a bike rack on the Jeep and sometimes take the bikes with us. The next addition will be a rack on the roof for the canoe. Lastly, we are going to add a motorcycle lift to the back of the new MH (on order) and bring the cycle.

That ought to do it- all the toys in the same place at the same time.
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Old 03-09-2005, 01:18 AM   #16
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I don't think its really about justifying the cost of renting vs. towing; it really just boils down to what's more important and convenient in your personal situation. To me, being able to tow my own vehicle when I want to, and not having to coordinate and take time to deal with rentals is well worth the cost. Also, rentals are oftentimes not available where one needs them.
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Old 03-09-2005, 02:44 PM   #17
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We have been RVing since 1972 and we've had a toad since 1977. I wouldn't know how to act without that thing behind us. The convenience of having a toad by far offsets the expense of setting it up. We have a FWD S10 and go offroad quite a bit. You can't do that with a rental. There is also the thing that Tomsm mentioned about the distances that can be involved in getting to and from the rental agency.

It's all about convenience for us.
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Old 03-11-2005, 03:31 PM   #18
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i think its like some say, its what we like to do that is important. we have been renting for about 2 years and havnt had any problems yet. so for now i think we will rent. for those guys who are paying 100.00 - 200.00 a day for a car, i think i would shop around. they are taking you to the cleaners. thanks for the help guys.
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Old 03-18-2005, 09:39 AM   #19
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Not sure if this helps, but we do both! On various trips, we take a look at where we are going, what we think our needs our and what our budget is.

On our current coach, I know that I lose 1-2 MPG while towing. Sometimes, we don't need a vehicle - so we go without (and bring bikes). When we need a vehicle, we consider tolls and distance - and availability of rental cars.

I suspect we'll continue to do both - and I don't find it to be unwieldy... yet. That said, when I move into the DP in a few months, I may change my tune - especially if/when I can afford a toad I can pull four down.

Not sure if this helped or not - but basically we do both and have no problems either way.
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Old 03-18-2005, 02:17 PM   #20
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Before we bought our first MH (34 ft gasser) DW was of the view that anyone who towed a car just did not know how to plan properly.

Well, our first major trip was to the east coast. There we were on Cavendish Beach in PEI at the Marco Polo Camp Ground with MH and bikes. Hmmmm. Kind of restricted over the 4 days.

Then, on the Cabot Trail at a great campground in the National Park - wow, very hilly and have to be more than a casual cyclist.

Then, down to The Ovens (owned by Harry Chapin's brother) - great place. But for 3 days we were confined to the campground.

Then to Fundy Park - parked up on the hill - again no fun.

DW humbly had to agree that a toad was a must. When we switched to a DP we also traded my Bonneville SSEi for the Colorado.

This past fall we did the east coast again - no comparision with the toad. Did major tours of PEI. Did The Ovens again - had some great days touring the area we missed last year.

Towing has turned out to be easier than I expected - just have to remember that the train is 60 ft long and be careful in tight locations - which we find it is best to avoid. We had a few interesting experiences when fueling up, but we learned quickly and make sure we use truck stops and always try to plan well enough ahead.
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