To toad or not to toad

[namvet]

Greetings everyone!
I have been a member of this forum for many years. After spending a couple of years out of the community, I find a strong desire to return to RVing. I have mostly owned Class A’s but am now considering a used Winnebago View 24J. There may have been a thread on this earlier, but I would like to ask for thoughts on traveling in this sized Class C without a toad. In the past I have always used a toad, although the units were much larger. In this case, I would prefer not to use a toad if that’s practical.
Also, I am 81 years old but in good health. Is this idea realistic or should I age out gracefully?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Isaac-1]

We have a 28 ft class A that we bought in 2016, and traveled without a TOAD for about 20,000 miles / 4 years, we then started towing a car about 3.5 years / 12,000 miles ago. Our main reason for getting a TOAD is that we found we were sitting around campgrounds vs seeing the sights around our destination due to the hassle of breaking camp, the difficulty of dealing with parking for the RV, route planning, etc. Since setting up a TOAD in 2020/2021 I have taken a single solo trip last October without bringing a TOAD along, this was a circa 1,000 mile week long trip, which worked out ok without a TOAD as I was mostly going to one location, though I did take the coach to a 3 or 4 tourist side stops along the way, only one of which did I have issue finding parking.

So my advice is, try things without a TOAD first, see if it works for you, and if not, then consider getting one. We are currently towing a small Toyota Yaris hatchback, which weighs in at only 2,300 pounds and is so small and light I barely know it is back there when we are towing.

 

[Professor David]

I really like having a toad but can see how it would be more and more difficult to set up as one gets older. I had my set up bind up quite badly (my mistake) this summer and really had a time getting unhitched. Some travel full time and are content with not having a toad with a smaller class C. For shorter trips like a weekend this could really work for me. For long trips that require going into town for stuff, this could be a hassle regarding finding parking and such...but doable with considerable patients that I have sometimes but not always.

 

[Sunnyfalls]

One or two people? Get a small trailer and a small tow vehicle and have good MPG. Way less hassle and needless expense. Once you go small, you won’t miss large at all...

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

We do what you’re wanting to do - travel without a toad. We rent cars at our long-stay destinations. We have a class C as well. We have rented cars in Pensacola, FL, Beaufort, SC, Abbeville, LA without any problems. We’re in the process of winter trip planning and have found rental cars available in Murrells Inlet, SC, Savannah, GA, near Saint Marys, GA. So far… We just stop at the rental place with the RV and one of us drives the RV, the other drives the car. Have to admit the Dodge Charger was fun to drive!

 

[Isaac-1]

Before getting a TOAD we also tried the car rental route, with mixed results, in one case loosing over a half a day going through the car rental process, maybe close to an full day counting the rental return. In another we found the price of rental cars to be unreasonable, this was Page, AZ where even a basic rental car was $240 per day in 2019.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

Before getting a TOAD we also tried the car rental route, with mixed results, in one case loosing over a half a day going through the car rental process, maybe close to an full day counting the rental return. In another we found the price of rental cars to be unreasonable, this was Page, AZ where even a basic rental car was $240 per day in 2019.

We didn’t experience that. We found a family owned business in Pensacola, Abbeville and used Enterprise the other places. It helps to reserve online then you basically walk in and pick up the keys. Reserving online allows you to shop around and to plan the route you will take. Enterprise does a full inspection but it didn’t take long. The family owned places we used were between $45 and $50. Do not rent at the airport. These will be your highest prices. Enterprise was the same sort of price. They can nail you with insurance, use your own auto insurance.

 

[JudyJB]

As many on this forum know, I have full-timed in a large Class C for 12 years without a toad. When I want to go shopping or sightseeing, I just unplug my electric and maybe water, and head out. I do leave stuff sitting around and even a tablecloth on the picnic table, but I also have a sign that says I will be right back. No "breaking camp" at all! And, I have never had anything stolen while I was gone, other than one time I caught an overactive camp host clearing my stuff away as trash. And parking for shopping is pretty easy in big box stores, although for small towns sometimes I have to park down a side street. Nearly all scenic stops, museums, and such have parking somewhere for big vehicles.

You can always add a toad later on if you feel it is necessary.

And I also am 81 and planning on at least a few more years on the road!!

 

[namvet]

As many on this forum know, I have full-timed in a large Class C for 12 years without a toad. When I want to go shopping or sightseeing, I just unplug my electric and maybe water, and head out. I do leave stuff sitting around and even a tablecloth on the picnic table, but I also have a sign that says I will be right back. No "breaking camp" at all! And, I have never had anything stolen while I was gone, other than one time I caught an overactive camp host clearing my stuff away as trash. And parking for shopping is pretty easy in big box stores, although for small towns sometimes I have to park down a side street. Nearly all scenic stops, museums, and such have parking somewhere for big vehicles.

You can always add a toad later on if you feel it is necessary.

And I also am 81 and planning on at least a few more years on the road!!

Perfect! Thanks….now to find the right rig! My wife says we’re too old to get back into RVing so it’s comforting to know there are others who feel as I do. I have missed the RV life greatly!

 

[namvet]

We do what you’re wanting to do - travel without a toad. We rent cars at our long-stay destinations. We have a class C as well. We have rented cars in Pensacola, FL, Beaufort, SC, Abbeville, LA without any problems. We’re in the process of winter trip planning and have found rental cars available in Murrells Inlet, SC, Savannah, GA, near Saint Marys, GA. So far… We just stop at the rental place with the RV and one of us drives the RV, the other drives the car. Have to admit the Dodge Charger was fun to drive!

Thanks! Looks like we have visited the same places. We’re going to try renting…Now to find the right rig!

 

[John Canfield]

.....snip.....
Also, I am 81 years old but in good health. Is this idea realistic or should I age out gracefully?
Thanks in advance!

Welcome home brother. I was stationed at Tan Son Nhut AFB 1971-72, Air Force SSGT.

After 117,000 miles on our Itasca Horizon and me reaching the 7th decade of life, it was time to hang up the keys for the big rig. In retrospect that was the correct decision for our particular situation. We anticipated health issues becoming more and more of an imposition and sure enough that's exactly what happened. I don't want to be on the road and have to find a doctor or wind up in a hospital for myself or dear wife (happened to some friends.)

Another factor is less tolerance for dealing with new, different, maybe annoying situations. It's the "Get Off My Lawn" thing . And of course reaction times have suffered thanks to an aging brain. So obviously you are the only one that can make a decision to hit the road. Good luck wherever your path leads.

== moved to General Discussion from the Winnebago board ==

 

[Domo]

At the least, you should consider bringing an e-bike. These can be for (very) local sightseeing, getting around the larger campgrounds (pool, laundry, visiting others) and especially for getting assistance if you happen to break down somewhere and need to get a part/help/etc.

Plus, they're fun and make you move your muscles if you use their motor as an "assist" rather than total power.

 

[Larry N.]

Once you go small, you won’t miss large at all...

That isn't true of us -- when we dropped from a 45 ft coach to a 38' coach we missed many things about the extra space of the bigger rig. Still, it worked out pretty well for the most part, but the reduced storage space inside (almost the same in the basement) was awkward.

However the different layout and certain features were a little better in the smaller unit, but that wasn't size related. Better mileage and smaller turning radius were helps though.

And it didn't take us long with our first coach with no toad to discover that, for us, a toad was needed. Where we went rental cars were scarce and we rarely planned far enough ahead for the few places we went that had rental cars "easy" to get.

Those with rigs around 25-30 feet long likely find it easier to get around with no toad, however, but it still can be awkward at times, at the least, and depending on your travel style, too. JudyJB is a good example of that.

 

[PancakeBill]

One or two people? Get a small trailer and a small tow vehicle and have good MPG. Way less hassle and needless expense. Once you go small, you won’t miss large at all...

With a Winnie View, a trailer with a car would be way over your towing capability, and using a 4 down towing system is easier to set up and take down than strapping a car to a trailer and doing something with the trailer.

Small car like the Yaris would be good. Howe ver, the View is just a wider van, not too much issue with parking or navigating. It is hook up and unhjook at the campsite that gets to be a bother unless planned well.

 

[PancakeBill]

I started out towing a trailer with a motorcycle, but soon changed to a dolly towing a car, then dropped the dolly and went to 4 down towing for many years. I now tow with dolly again even with my truck camper, because it is more fun to drive around in a small car than a truck camper.

 

[Sunnyfalls]

With a Winnie View, a trailer with a car would be way over your towing capability, and using a 4 down towing system is easier to set up and take down than strapping a car to a trailer and doing something with the trailer.

Small car like the Yaris would be good. Howe ver, the View is just a wider van, not too much issue with parking or navigating. It is hook up and unhjook at the campsite that gets to be a bother unless planned well.

We ruled out ALL class MHs largely for the reasons raised by this thread and doing some critical thinking... A big MH is inconvenient when going to the store for a few supplies and you always have to break camp if you want to go sightseeing unless you have a toad. A small MH eliminates the need for a toad but you still always have to break camp every time you want to go sightseeing. A trailer and tow vehicle avoids this dilemma entirely. The only remaining issue is then how big a trailer.

A small trailer works perfectly for us as we are very organized and we enjoy closeness. Our Casita trailer couldn't be more comfortable. In many ways, it is also way more comfortable than any class MH...and when dry camping in remote, beautiful places that large MHs and large trailers can't go too.

But our perspective comes from backpacking and sailing the world. If younger, we would still be doing that and certainly not RVing. So when we see a large MH towing a toad or a large tow vehicle towing a large trailer, it seems completely ridiculous to us and all we can do is scratch our heads and laugh. Everyone has their own perspectives.

 

[PancakeBill]

For every butt there is a seat. Fulltime on the road is not that convenient in a Casita, but you trained yourself in a sailboat, (I did too, just not the world, just vacations in northeast), My wife and I over 52 years, have camped and sailed in tent trailer to a TT, 22,25,26' sailboats, and truck campers to a 40' motorhome and now back to a TC. Need the right size hammer for the nail.

 

[JudyJB]

When I want to go sightseeing or for groceries, all I do is toss counter stuff in the dishpan or sink, pick up hall rug and toss it in shower, put slides in, and unplug electric. (I usually fill my tanks with water instead of leaving the hose hooked up to city water, and on the rare occasions I have full hookups, I just unhook the RV end of the sewer hose and put a cap on it.)

I don't leave anything valuable outside anyway, so just have to make sure my chairs and stuff are not in front of my rig and I have my "Be Right Back" sign showing, then off I go. I don't consider that breaking camp.

Also, I am selling my e-bike because I just don't feel stable riding it anymore, but I am replacing it with an electric trike and a different rack on the back. Other than that, I manage everything myself with some minor adaptations based on my age.

Luckily, I am in pretty good physical condition. I will go to urgent care for the occasional illness or infected mosquito bites, as I did in April, but for me a BIG advantage of living on the road at my age was being able to choose a specialist for my chronic lymphatic leukemia anywhere in the country i wanted. Since this is a relatively rare form of cancer and slow growing, there are very few real experts in this disease. (Could not find one at U of Michigan or Cleveland Clinic.) I had a couple of years to make a decision and chose one of the best in the country in Eugene, OR, and got treatment there. Last targeted treatment pill almost five years ago and blood numbers are perfect!

 

[JudyJB]

One last thing: I don't think you are ever too old, but illness can affect you. One suggestion to have one-page medical summary for each of you--dr names, contacts, prescription meds taken, surgery and major illness brief summary, blood type, and allergies for medical personnel, etc. Keep a copy with you and posted somewhere in your RV, preferably on the refrigerator door. I also keep a copy of most recent blood work and EKGs so a hospital will not have to repeat all those tests!!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It should be obvious from the replies that you certainly can travel in a smaller coach and without a toad. Whether that is a viable lifestyle for you depends heavily on your attitudes, where you go, and what you like to do. Only you can determine what works for you, and chances are you won't really know until you try it.

Some contrasting examples that can greatly affect your desire for and frequency of local transportation:

• I've found that rental cars (and Uber/Lyft too) are readily available in some places but non-existent or exorbitantly priced in others.
• Some folks enjoy hanging around the campsite & relaxing, while others are anxious to see local sights, dine out, shop local stores, etc.
• Some folks are planners who are comfortable with a weekly shopping trip for necessities, while others are more spur-of-the-moment, inclined to purchase at whim.
• Attitudes vary widely - what is a hassle for some doesn't cause even an eye blink in others. And advancing age may have change those attitudes, even if you remain healthy and able.
• There are campgrounds where your gear is safe and others where things disappear even if you are onsite. And the degree to which you worry about this is also a factor.