Changing our Toad. Need an opinion

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Sailorkane

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Posts
290
Location
Tampa, Florida
We've owned a motorhome for about a year.  Made several trips.  Just finished a 4000 mile 2-month trip.  Been towing a Saturn on a tow dolly.  We have become convinced that the tow dolly has to go, in favor of flat  towing.  We have a Saturn and can flat tow without transmission issues.  The issue we have is a small one.  Two fuses have to be pulled to flat tow the car.  Not 100% sure why, but perhaps to put the key in the ignition, so the transmission can go into neutra,l without draining the battery.  We are trying to make this process as easy and painless and foolproof as possible.
Three (at least) methods:
1.  Just pull the fuses.
2.  Put a switch on the panel inside the Saturn that will take the fuses out of the circuit.  Some "fuse bypass switches" are purchasable from etrailer or amazon.
3.  It would not be too hard to make it automatic.  That is, whenever the power cord from motorhome to Saturn (for the lights and brakes) is connected, the fuses are automatically out of the circuit.  As soon as the cord is disconnected from the car, the fuses are back in the circuit and the car is ready to drive.

Any thoughts?  I want to avoid any potential problems, like trying to tow with the fuses still in the circuit, or trying to drive with the fuses not in the circuit.  Also trying to avoid problems in case something fails. 
Not a fan of pulling the fuses.  Have to open the hood each time we connect the car.
Bouncing from a switch on the dash, labeled "tow" or "drive", or the making it automatic method.
Either method is easy to wire up. 

Any opinions from people who do this all the time?
 
Sounds like you have done your homework.  What do YOU like best?

I recall one thread where the fuses pulled deactivated the remote entry system.  He wired his car using method  2  and put the switch in the grill of the car.  Once hooked up and locked, he plugged in the wiring harness and flipped the switch.  At the camp site, he unplugged the harness, flipped the switch and unlocked the car.  This removes any chance of the "automatic" system malfunctioning.
 
I needed to pull one and followed easy instruction found on this forum to make my own fuse switch.  Some bypass pulling fuses by running a charge line to the toads battery from the MH.  Dick nvrver
 
I have a similar situation towing my Jeep Wrangler. Here is the link to the switch I made with instructions on hooking it up.  http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,30330.msg288096.html#msg288096
 
Add a switch to this maybe.
Marvin
https://www.google.com/search?q=fuse+extension+lead&biw=1184&bih=509&tbm=isch&imgil=9srHhlpDbR0HEM%253A%253BOqtenKWHyjcKhM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.autonerdz.com%25252Fbreakout.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=9srHhlpDbR0HEM%253A%252COqtenKWHyjcKhM%252C_&usg=__hDKq38q8jWwhaEWpF0lqvEmU8Jc%3D&dpr=1.15&ved=0ahUKEwjuhsCd47zOAhUI2SYKHcqlCQoQyjcIUA&ei=azmuV66lPIiymwHKy6ZQ#imgrc=9srHhlpDbR0HEM%3A
 
My older Jeep requires that and the current one may. I've nevrr done anything except running the Jeep to recharge a little  bit ar the end of each day. My second choice would be to run a charge wire if I were to run into a problem.

Ernie
 
Some mixed news
If you are going to flat tow, You really should consider adding an aux brake system to the Saturn.  This way when you stop the motor home, the Saturn stops itself and does not add to the load on the motor home brakes or to your skid distance in a panic stop.. It is amazing what a fairly small amount or "Trailer" can do to stopping distances.

Now, I do not know about every brake system out there but one I do know is the US GEAR Unified Braked Decelerator

This system actually uses battery power to apply the brakes on your Towed.. So to make sure you have full battery power they provide a tie line between the Motor home battery,,,, and the Towed.. Circuit breakers (Self resetting) protect the line at both ends.

Other systems may do that. There is also a device called "Towed Charge" or "Toad Charge" that provides this with the added benefit of isolation in case you leave the lights on the MH on over night.
 
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