What is typically easier to tow and set up: MH with toad or TV with Travel Trailer

[gfmucci]

Here's the options:

32' foot gas class A with a small flat towed TOAD (~45' total length)
versus
28' light (7,000 lbs loaded) travel trailer towed by a capable pickup (~46' total length)

Generally speaking, which setup is easier to drive, get around, set up, tear down and generally more convenient?
What accessory equipment makes the job easier for each setup?

There would be a roughly >10 to 1 ratio of camping time versus driving time. Primarily eastern US.

Thanks.

 

[Martian]

I cannot give experience on a class A with a toad but there are pretty much the same things to do with either. Water, electric and sewer are common to both. Both also involve hooking and unhooking something towed and what is involved there is not very different, just done at different times.
You could ask around the campground and the more experienced in both cases will say it wasn't easy at first and after a few trips it became an easy routine. Some take longer than others to feel comfortable but the key to any skill is practice. With that comes confidence.

 

[Laura & Charles]

I’ve had nothing but experience driving a class A pulling a toad. I think hooking up or dropping the toad is a piece of cake. I also believe a class A will give you a LOT more storage and weight capacity than most any TT.

A lot of a correct answer to your question depends on what your intended use is. Weekends and couple of week vacations? Months long sojourns? Mostly boondocking or mostly at RV parks? RV living full time?

Generally, the most common argument against a motorized coach and a toad is two engines/drive trains to maintain (not something that troubles us… ymmv).

Better define what you want from your RV and you’ll get much better-targeted responses.

 

[TheBar]

To me the pivot point and turning radius is the biggest issue. I've pulled a short toad behind my 30' MH and also pulled many trailers with a truck. You don't know the toad is there and don't make any allowances for it - except backing up. But pulling a 28' trailer turning a right hand corner on a 2 lane street will have the trailer in the ditch halfway through the turn. Consider what the roads will be like around scenic areas.

 

[Isaac-1]

I agree with TheBar, also you need to ask yourself do you want to drive a big pickup truck around everywhere while doing tourist stuff?

p.s. in general I would say connecting a TOAD car is a little easier than connecting a trailer to a pickup truck. Modern tow bars give you about a 12x12 inch alignment area you have to be in to couple up, ball hitches have to be within about 1-2 inches, with a TOAD there is no tongue jack to deal with and no weight distribution / anti sway hitch to set up.

 

[Mountain high]

A capable pickup to tow a 7,000 pound TT requires some really big, big parking spaces even when it's not towing. A small flat toad doesn't. Our 3/4 ton pickups won't even clear 7 foot tall garage door entrances.

 

[Isaac-1]

I can attest to what Western Slope is describing, in addition to you 12 ft 6 inch long Toyota Yaris TOAD, I also own a 20 ft 6 inch long Crew Cab F250, which at just under 7 ft in height will not fit into many parking garages, and even the ones it will fit into, it often does not really fit, as it is too long for many of the parking spaces, and has trouble with the switchback corners, even turning into open parking spaces can be an issue with lane width, also spiral ramps right out. Not to mention everything is more expensive on the F250, brand name tires for the F250 start at $220, for the Yaris they start at about $80, the same applies to Brakes, Shocks, ..., the Yaris also gets about double the fuel economy of the F250.

 

[gfmucci]

A lot of a correct answer to your question depends on what your intended use is. Weekends and couple of week vacations? Months long sojourns? Mostly boondocking or mostly at RV parks? RV living full time?

Better define what you want from your RV and you’ll get much better-targeted responses.

As mentioned in OP, static camping time would be at least 10 times travel time. Full timing and wanting to minimize costs, I would plan for longer duration stays (10 to 30+ days) and short jaunts (100 - 300 miles) between camp grounds. Touring and touristy trips would be minimal to non-existent.

As for storage, the TT TV would help overcome TT storage shortage.

 

[8Muddypaws]

We've had them all. Small trailers, big trailers, class C motorhome, fifth wheel, and a class A.

Towing a small(ish) car behind a motorhome is expensive to set up but easy. Setting up the motorhome is almost always easy. The exception is if the spot is way off level and the jacks don't have enough travel to level it. On the other hand the maintenance on the motorhome is a big deal.

What's more important to you?

 

[jackiemac]

Not to mention everything is more expensive on the F250, brand name tires for the F250 start at $220, for the Yaris they start at about $80, the same applies to Brakes, Shocks, ..., the Yaris also gets about double the fuel economy of the F250.

What about the Class A costs vs the TT? Need to compare all vehicles to get a true comparison I think.

 

[silversport]

For us, my wife can use the bathroom any time she needs to. Other wise we would be stopping ever 90 minutes for a potty break verses 4 to 5 hrs. Second is the ease of backing a single unit into a back in RV site.

 

[LarsMac]

The RV with Toad requires a bit more planning when you stopping for Gas or a diner and such, just because you can't back it up very much with Toad attached.
Other than that, it's basically a wash. We always get pull-through sites, so that's not a big deal either way.
I can drop the toad and have it ready to drive in about a minute or two. Probably not too much different for the TV. And Camp set-up isn't much different, either way, either.

 

[Isaac-1]

What about the Class A costs vs the TT? Need to compare all vehicles to get a true comparison I think.

I agree this is a valid concern, but in my experience a motorhome will see about a third to a quarter as many miles per year of wear as a daily driver vehicle.

 

[PancakeBill]

I have had A's from 35 to 40 and towed a car with a doly and 4 down, Have also towed a TT with a pickup, a station wagon and an SUV. Hands down easiest with the A and a 4down toad.

 

[gfmucci]

To equalize the playing field between these two options, addressing the awkwardness of a 3/4 ton TV as a detached errands vehicle as well as addressing concerns about backing up to target within an inch of a trailer ball receiver, the following criteria would need to be added to a TT/TV setup:

1. TV maneuverability: Use a 1/2 ton instead of a 3/4 ton TV. A 1/2 ton is more maneuverable and gas mileage would be a tad better. Make sure the travel trailer is within the weight limits (payload, especially) of a 1/2 ton TV. This would typically limit a trailer to a gross weight of <7,000 lbs and a gross tongue weight less than 750 lbs. 650 or less would be better.

2. Hitching: Since money would be saved with a 1/2 ton vs. a 3/4 ton TV, upgrade to a newer 1/2 ton TV with the trailer hitching backup system. I understand these work well at targeting the receiver with the ball. Mahomes would be proud.

Yes, a slightly smaller trailer would be required, but for solo or even close quarters-compatible couples, this would overcome several of the above concerns compared to an A/TOAD combo.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Towing forward the RV and Toad will be easier. Unless it is a flat tow reversing is pretty much a non-option. As other's have said you will likely forget a small TOAD is back there.

Backing up the TT is doable in case you get snookered at a gas stop or something. The biggest difficulty as others have noted is right hand turns due to the articulation point of the trailer. Of course you also have to be careful on left turns not to clip anyone in the perpendicular road's left lane.

Don't know why everyone is assuming a 2500 class truck. My 1500 RAM has an 8600# capacity and it is my daily driver. I have not been stymied parking it anywhere in the last almost 3 years.

This thread is polarizing among the TT and Coach crowds. The decision between TT and coach is not a single element. It is a bunch of criteria.

Even though the question was drivability, JackeiMac is right - it's about layout, personal needs, drivability, purchase and on-going costs among other things.

 

[Mountain high]

Don't know why everyone is assuming a 2500 class truck. My 1500 RAM has an 8600# capacity and it is my daily driver.

We have a 1500, too. In Florida a 1500 towing 7,000 is fine. We don't live at low altitude and on flatlands. Give me a 2500 over the Eisenhower Tunnel (Ike Gauntlet) on I-70 for 7,000 pound towing.

 

[gwinger]

I agree with TheBar, also you need to ask yourself do you want to drive a big pickup truck around everywhere while doing tourist stuff?

p.s. in general I would say connecting a TOAD car is a little easier than connecting a trailer to a pickup truck. Modern tow bars give you about a 12x12 inch alignment area you have to be in to couple up, ball hitches have to be within about 1-2 inches, with a TOAD there is no tongue jack to deal with and no weight distribution / anti sway hitch to set up.

I can hook up my trailer is less than 5 minutes (Equalizer Hitch). I use the backup camera on the truck to align the ball and coupler.
As far as backing up, the closer the towed vehicle's wheels are to the tow vehicle, the harder it is to back up. You just need more room with the longer tow.

 

[SargeW]

I have had 4 towables and 4 motor homes, and they all have different trade offs. The motor home set up tends to be more expensive to buy, maintain, and insure. The towable takes more steps to set up and break down, but generally requires a lot less maintenance.

I am different than many as I LOVE driving the big truck, weather hooked to a trailer or not. Pulling the TT with the 3/4 ton Ram is effortless. Once the trailer is set up the differences between the them is nominal. Gas mileage in with the towable is a bit better than the MH pulling the toad. The MH was diesel, and the truck is a gasser so per gallon price is better. Fueling the MH takes more planning especially if diesel. The truck fuels anyplace easily. The MH will not need to be fueled as often due to a larger tank (usually). One definite is that storage in a MH is usually WAY more than in a towable.

That can be good or bad, depending on your point of view. When cleaning out the last MH I was astounded at the amount of needless "stuff" I was carrying around. These are just some of the issues that come to mind, and may or may not be important to the OP. Just food for thought.

 

[Bobtop46]

I will add to the conversation leveling. I have never had a TT, but had a C and now and A. The C didn't have levelers built in and was a pain to set up driving up on wood or plastic blocks. My A has levelers and the choice to auto level or manual, which makes things so much easier. If you get a class A or C make sure it has a leveling system that works.