Question New TOAD research

[Joe Hogan]

Currently we use a VW Passat and a dolly. We've got the routine down fairly well. BUT it does take two to get it done. The hitch up has been refined so that no one needs to get on the ground. Considering getting a 2020 Jeep Cherokee to tow flat. Wrangler would be lighter but do not think it is large enough.

Any thoughts on this vehicle?

 

[sheridany]

i have a cherokee trailhawk and it is a great tow vehicle and fun to drive even off road. The only negative perhaps is the backseat is small. @MapNerd also had a trailhawk and he ended up going to a bigger vehicle because he needs to transport his family around. Do check to make sure you dont need the wobble kit which i had to put in mine. I think they stopped the need for the kit in the 2019 i believe. Setting up to tow is straightforward and easy. You dont even notice it going down the road behind the RV.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Thanks for the comments. I believe you are correct that the Kit is only needed for 2018 and prior. I also am considering the TrailHawk. The pricing is a bit wacky. With current incentives I can purchase a new TrailHawk cheaper than a used one??

Which brake system do you prefer?

 

[sheridany]

I have the RVI3 brake system but if I had to do it all over again, I would go with the AF1 or the DUO because the RVI system requires power to the tablet and the command module...All of the sudden my dash started to get crowded with dash cam, gps, tablet and tpms system.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Thank you. I have heard good things about AF1.

 

[Rich-MLsRV]

We have a Jeep Cherokee. Happy with the vehicle in general. I like the options that you can get on the Cherokee (auto cruise control, auto high beans, auto wipers, car play, large LCD display, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, etc. ) that I don't think comes w/ the Wrangler. I do like the Cherokee ride. Relatively quiet with mud/snow tires. Biggest negative is size of gas tank - 15.6gal @ 24mpg ~ 350 cruising range. Cherokee is heavier than the Wrangler. For the Cherokee you need the Trailhawk version which has the transfer case option to disengage.

Good thing about all Jeeps is that they are designed to attach tow bars. We went with a Roadmaster Nighthawk. Folds up nicely when not using.

We went with RVibrake. I think the RVibrake is easier to install than AF1 but the AF1 is a better braking system. I did not have access to the RV when installing the braking system which is another reason I chose RVibrake. I have issues w/ the RVibrake command tablet loosing connection. RVibrake still works when tablet is not connected. This has been frustrating from a usability point of view. I have not had time to debug.

 

[MapNerd]

@sheridany is correct. I am no longer a member of the Jeep club. It was a great tow vehicle but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone that was going to regular use of the back seat for grown or quickly growing people.

we had it set up with an AFO brake system and roadmaster nighthawk towbar. I’d recommend them both, especially the nighthawk as I’ve read recently about multiple blue ox failures. Never heard of a roadmaster failure so they’re doing something right. Cherokee towed flawlessly for 7500 miles. Never knew it was there, never gave me a single issue. Nice ride, great features.

Then I decided that I would no longer stow my knees on the dashboard when a kiddo was behind me and traded for an F150 SuperCrew. They have their space, I have mine, and there’s plenty of room in between for a dog and whatever else we want to throw in the back, before we even talk about the bed.

Compared to towing the Cherokee though, that F-150 makes its presence known when towing uphill. If I had started with it like I did the Cherokee, I would probably not know the difference.

 

[MapNerd]

The pricing is a bit wacky. With current incentives I can purchase a new TrailHawk cheaper than a used one??

Yep. Market is bonkers for used cars right now. I’d planned to buy the F-150 used but then in my due diligence, found the platform hadn’t really changed materially since 2016 and for just $5k more, I could get a new one at 0%.

 

[osuallen]

Thank you. I have heard good things about AF1.

Joe - The AF1 is for coaches with air brakes. We use the Duo with our canyon star and tow a GMC canyon

 

[Joe Hogan]

Thank you. After some research on the AF1, I found this as well. We'll look into the Duo. Thanks again.

 

["EZ"]

We have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk that we flat tow. It does not require any kind of wobble kit. We have a Blue Ox tow bar as well as the Air Force One auxillary brake system installed. It works great!!

On a recent trip we blew a tire on the Jeep. I guess we ran over something. Of course the tire was 60' behind us so I didn't hear a thing. When looking in my back up camera the Jeep was towing as straight as an arrow. Even after the tire came off!! Luckily someone came up beside me and told me my tire was gone. This let me know the Blue Ox tow bar and Air Force One brake system was a very good system. There's no telling how long I pulled that Jeep missing a tire. I put 22" wheels on the Trailhawk so I was very glad to see that Jeep put a FULL SIZE 18" spare tire and wheel in the back. One of those little doughnut spares would not have worked very well.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

And, that's why a good TPMS with sensors on the toad tires as well is a great investment!

TJ

 

["EZ"]

And, that's why a good TPMS with sensors on the toad tires as well is a great investment!

TJ

What brand do you have TJ?? You like it? Do you have to use a repeater?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

What brand do you have TJ?? You like it? Do you have to use a repeater?

We use the EezTire TPMS unit with the standard monitor and non-flow-through sensors. We do use a repeater with it; mounted amidships in the 1/2-bath electrical cabinet. It picks up the toad very well. This unit has been flawless for us for the past three years. And, it is pretty easy to program. Ours is just mounted to the dash with Velcro rather than using the provided mount.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BFR4U4/?tag=rvf01-20

TJ

 

["EZ"]

We use the EezTire TPMS unit with the standard monitor and non-flow-through sensors. We do use a repeater with it; mounted amidships in the 1/2-bath electrical cabinet. It picks up the toad very well. This unit has been flawless for us for the past three years. And, it is pretty easy to program. Ours is just mounted to the dash with Velcro rather than using the provided mount.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BFR4U4/?tag=rvf01-20

TJ

Thanks TJ!! I'll check them out. Do you think the repeater is necessary for a 40' coach? They offer the same kit with or without it.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Thanks TJ!! I'll check them out. Do you think the repeater is necessary for a 40' coach? They offer the same kit with or without it.

We have a 40' coach and the toad sensors were spotty without it. YMMV

TJ

 

[sheridany]

I have the same as @TJ&LadyDi from his recommend and you won’t go wrong.

A word of wisdom I learned. Set your temp alarms high as the coach exhaust will signal the a high temp on right front. Thanks to those on this forum who educated me about this. X2 on the repeater. The 1/2 bath is a great place to have it and easy to set up there.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Set your temp alarms high as the coach exhaust will signal the a high temp on right front.

Good point, @sheridany, I have found, however, that rotating the exhaust downturn tip outward about 30 degrees helps reduce toad tire heating on the right front. Doing this dropped the temperature on the right-front tire on our 2014 Honda CR-V toad by 15-20 degrees. Before rotating the tip, it ran about 20 degrees hotter than the left front; after rotating, it was only a couple of degrees higher.

TJ

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

One additional recommendation is to replace the flexible rubber valvestems on the toad with solid metal ones. The rubber stems can flex and vibrate due to the weight of the sensor. I had mine replaced on the 2014 Honda CR-V at a local tire shop; cost was about $30 IIRC.

TJ

 

[Gizmo]

We just repaced our TST with Tire Minder and loving how easy it is to see all the tires in one glance instead of having to watch the TST cycle between all the tires. The toad isn't hooked up when I took the picture. There are two sizes of screens and I have the larger of the two. If you want to check temps you just press the center button and will display all the temps.