Toad - Trailer or Flat?

[Murphcrud]

Hello RV Toaders,

Please convince me why I should go "4 Down" or load my own vehicle on a trailer.

At this point, I would have to purchase a toad, blue ox and have them wired.

I have available to purchase  a $5,000 trailer with ramp, prewired. 

I realize that I will have to store the trailer at home and on the ride.  Toad, same thing.

Who has done each?

Thank you ???

 

[Back2PA]

I realize that I will have to store the trailer at home and on the ride.  Toad, same thing.

On the road with a trailer, you have to store the trailer and the toad

Flat, not even close. You can quickly run your own poll just by watching the RVs go by on the interstate. Count the flat vs. trailers, I'd guess it'll be 100 to 1 or more in favor of flat.

The singular advantage of a trailer in my opinion - you can back up without limitation.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    Iy is a matter of choice, and to a lesser extent weight.  There are advantages to each, and similarly disadvantages.  Thr trailer will allow you to back up without unhitching, whereas 4 down won't, however depending on your RV's overhang, it may prove difficult to back the trailer without it swinging wildly..  I have never towed using a trailer, but for the most part I have found trailers have a higher center of gravity so are nowhere near as stable as 4 down.  The braking system 4 down is significantly better, and you have identified the problem of parking the trailer once you are home or at the campground.  And as I said, trailers add to the weight, so limit what you can use as a toad.
    As a result, most people prefer 4 down.

Ed

 

[HueyPilotVN]

if you have an enclosed trailer there are a few other advantages.

Your Car is inside and out of the weather.

You are not putting any miles on the tires, axles, bearings, and non engine drivetrain parts of the vehicle.

Your vehicle is less likely to be broken into by opportunity thieves.

You may also have the ability to carry other things along with your vehicle, (sometimes way too many other things).

 

[Back2PA]

(sometimes way too many other things).

In Bill?s Case, waaaaaaaaay too many other things 

 

[grashley]

I ran an unscientific study a year ago, as Scott suggested.  Of 25 RV with towed vehicles, 20 (80%) were towed 4 down, 4 (16%)  were dolly towed, and 1 (4%) were trailer, or 4 up towed.

 

[Oscar Mike]

I do both nowadays. I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler that I use to attempt difficult obstacles and the chances of me breaking are high. So I trailer the TJ. I also have a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that I flat tow to destinations. Flat towing is easy, as is towing a trailer. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method.

 

[Alfa38User]

The method may also be dictated by the vehicle you desire, some cannot be towed 4 down, some can be towed on a dolly, and some cannot, all can be towed on a trailer.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

AND,, trailers always require more wheels and tires to be maintained.>>>Dan ( AND, another  licence and insurance item)

 

[Oscar Mike]

AND,, trailers always require more wheels and tires to be maintained.>>>Dan ( AND, another  licence and insurance item)

The tires on my TJ and JKU cost approximately $375.00 each, trailer tires less than half that. One of my considerations in beginning to tow the TJ were the tire cost. I figure I've lost about half my tread wear to tire scrub and being towed.

 

[garyb1st]

Towed our new 2016 Wrangler JKU maybe 10,000 miles and drove it another 20,000 in the first two years and had to replace the front tires.  The tread was well within the safe area but they were badly cupped.  Not sure if it's a function of the tow bar set up or Rubicon tires.  But since we're not big off roaders the replacement tires which we'll put on this summer will be more for highway driving.  Hopefully a bit better mileage, less noise and better ride. 

Don't have the pulling power with the gasser, but if I had a diesel, I'd look at an enclosed trailer. 

 

[Broke Boater]

Great thread for us that are planning for the future for a toad. It seems to me, what we do with the toad also comes into play here. Retired and traveling with longer trips never leaving a paved surface or a gravel parking lot. Or traveling to more remote areas and having a toad to explore trails, hunt, fish and things that older retired folks may no longer wanting to do.  I have been looking for a small manual 4x4 for this. My plans are for a trailer that I already own. We have a few acers and horses, the trailer is always being used hauling something. So the trailer is going to serve double duty as a car hauler and farm trailer. As already stated, AT tires are way more then trailer tires, I can buy almost pay for 4 trailer tires for one of my truck ( 34" Cooper S-T Maxx tire ) on my Ram Dually. Also I have seen small 4x4's for sale that where used as a toad and have higher miles on them from towing. The general public shopping for auto's does not really differentiate tow miles from driven miles and when its time to sell you'll get less for a vehicle even though its with low driven miles when the odometer shows much higher miles from towing. Plus for us, having the Harley along with a toad fits our life style, so the trailering is what the plans are,,,gregg

 

[Ghostman]

I do both nowadays. I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler that I use to attempt difficult obstacles and the chances of me breaking are high. So I trailer the TJ. I also have a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that I flat tow to destinations. Flat towing is easy, as is towing a trailer. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method.

.
I still tow mine 4 down and do the same as you. We go mountain climbing quite a bit. I always figured if I broke to bad I would either rent a u haul trailer or buy one and sell it when I get home . So far I haven't had to. Heading out to Colorado for some trails within next couple weeks. Hopefully my luck will hold out. I just don't want to mess with a trailer. So far I have never had to unhook to back up pulling 4 down

 

[kdbgoat]

FWIW- a lot of vehicles don't show towed miles on the odometer.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

Further to KD above, any vehicle with a digital odometer will not show towed milage, and almost all vehicles have been digital for many years.

Ed

 

[Broke Boater]

I have been looking for something for awhile and there are many being advertised as low actual miles lower then the odometer shows because of belonging to someone with a RV. Maybe newer models are different, I'm looking at used rigs with manuals,,,gregg

 

[grashley]

Ed had it right.  There may be rare exceptions, but if it has a mechanical odometer, the miles will count.  If it has an electronic / digital odometer, if the motor is not running, the miles are not counted.  You are right, some older models may still be mechanical odometers.

 

[Murphcrud]

Thanks guys for all your input.  I have decided to go 4 down.

 

[ArdraF]

I think you'll be happier going four down!

ArdraF

 

[Oscar Mike]

.
I still tow mine 4 down and do the same as you. We go mountain climbing quite a bit. I always figured if I broke to bad I would either rent a u haul trailer or buy one and sell it when I get home . So far I haven't had to. Heading out to Colorado for some trails within next couple weeks. Hopefully my luck will hold out. I just don't want to mess with a trailer. So far I have never had to unhook to back up pulling 4 down

I just did start towing the TJ on a trailer, in fact my first trip with the trailer is this week to the Rubicon Trail. I decided to use my trailer because I'll have the TJ packed to the gills for 2 nights 3 days so towing on a trailer just made better sense. I have three destinations that I may or may not use the trailer this year, I have made reservations based on towing a trailer so I won't have to unhook.

Another benefit to trailering is that I can up my average speed to about 53 mph, up from 48 mph flat towing. Remember the Jeep Wrangler has a 65 mph limit for Recreational Towing. I can easily drive 65 mph trailering, whereas flat towing I keep my speed to 62 mph. In one instance this fall I have to move from South Dakota to Las Vegas and back to Moab in a 5 day period. Traveling an average of 53-55 mph will be a great help in those five days.

Up till now my limitation was the 5,000# towing capacity of my previous coaches. I now have a 20,000# towing capacity. I will still be flat towing a lot, with my JKU.