Flat tow TOAD and motorcycle question

[sealab2021]

Inter some intense research I have came to the conclusion that I need a Toyota Yaris or a Corolla for flat towing behind the potential sprinter class c purchase. They both fit my budget. I currently have an older Prius that I will soon retire as it cannot be used as a toad and has a ton of miles on it. I considered a truck but it proved too expensive. Is there some way to carry a 500 pound motorcycle on the back of the RV? The weight of the bike exceeds the tongue weight. I know there may be a way to get around this with something custom fitted to the frame I imagine. Or I could consider getting something smaller like a tw200, right now I have a dr650. I could decide to forego a motorcycle altogether, but if there’s a possibility I would rather bring it with me. It’s a blast to drive off-road and it’s an important hobby of mine that I’m quite fond of.

I considered most of the common flat towed vehicle options, but most proved to be too expensive and get terrible fuel mileage. Ones I checked out that I disregarded, Tacoma, jeep, frontier, ranger, mini etc, 2 wheel drive models of course.

Originally I planned on putting it in the back of a pickup truck but I’m having a hard time finding a model that can be flat towed. Ideally I could find a nice low mile 2010 or so older ranger with the manual but there aren’t many for sale. Any of you tote motorcycles and tow a TOAD? If so, how do you do it and what kind of bikes do you have? I have seen some quite elaborate ways people carry bikes, ie hydraulic lift etc.

thanks

 

[MapNerd]

Hydralift or Tandem Tow

 

[sealab2021]

Hydra lift was the one that I was thinking of. Quite pricey, I may go back to the Nissan Frontier option. I’m sure the bike will ride fine and be in the bed. the Cheapest reasonable mileage frontier 2x4 runs at least $17,000.

 

[MapNerd]

Cheapest option is probably a flatbed trailer long enough to accommodate the bike loaded sideways and the car. Lots of folks do enclosed trailers.

Flat towed truck with the bike in the bed is by far the most trouble free in my opinion.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Think you will find a 2x4 will need standard trans to flat tow.

Price all the equipment required to flat tow, and compare to a car trailer before you buy.

 

[sealab2021]

Yes, that’s correct. There are very few newer standard transmission vehicles. The trailer is out, I want something that I can be able to take to any campground, planning on flat towing only. I may have to leave the bike, it’s not too big of a deal. Definitely don’t want to have a car trailer or tow dolly to deal with.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Yes, that’s correct. There are very few newer standard transmission vehicles. The trailer is out, I want something that I can be able to take to any campground, planning on flat towing only. I may have to leave the bike, it’s not too big of a deal. Definitely don’t want to have a car trailer or tow dolly to deal with.

Then, the first thing you need to do is some research on what vehicles are actually flat-towable. The vast majority are not, including the ones you mentioned in your original post. Now, technically, any vehicle can be made to be flat-towable if you throw enough money at the problem, but in most cases adding all the necessary equipment to do that just doesn’t make economic sense.

If you are looking for an older vehicle, a 2012-2014 Honda CR-V makes an excellent toad. It won’t haul your motorcycle, however. After 2014, the CR-V is no longer flat-towable due to a change in transmission. For a smaller pickup, the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon for the past few years is also flat towable and might be able to haul a motorcycle.

As I said, do your homework before making any decisions. Good luck.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

Flat Towable Dinghy Guides: 1990-2020

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[skychs]

Versahaul makes a hitch that will carry the DR650. I carried my DR650 on mine.

Wheel-Free Carriers | Motorcycle | ATV | Scooter | Wheelchairs and Power Chairs | Accessories | Versahaul

Versahaul Modular Carrier System. Manufacturer and Distributor of ATV, Motorcycle and Scooter Carriers, VersaHaul Motorcycle, ATV, Scooter hitch mounted and Truck Bed carrying systems.

versahaul.com

 

[sealab2021]

Yes I have done lots of research. I believe the vehicles I listed including the Nissan Frontier standard transmission 2wd is flat towable. My car choice would be a standard transmission Corolla or a standard Yaris. I like the idea of having the hitch mounted motorcycle rack but then I need the suspension on the vehicle to support it. I like the idea of a small car that gets excellent fuel mileage and is easy to park and maneuver in the urban areas.

That versa haul is a nice quality looking rack. However I’m still limited by tongue weight. As you are aware the dr is around 500#. Can you tow the toad with that rack in place? I see it has a receiver. What do you do about the limited tongue weight? I may have to consider a smaller lighter bike like a tw200 or something similar, maybe even a Honda scooter.

 

[sealab2021]

I stand corrected, I don’t see the frontier on that list. however the Corolla IM, Corolla and yaris are there. the rest of those vehicles are crap or way out of my price range. Looking at maybe spending 12k-17k on a corolla or yaris. I can get a nice low mile one that’s about 3 years old in this range. We’re not all made of money and money doesn’t solve all problems. Just like the sailing community I notice RV owners have that disconnect with the money is no object category. I’m in my working years and I try to be debt free as much a as possible, I am not retired and I have no fixed income coming in every month. No disrespect intended by anything in this comment.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I stand corrected, I don’t see the frontier on that list. however the Corolla IM, Corolla and yaris are there. the rest of those vehicles are crap or way out of my price range. Looking at maybe spending 12k-17k on a corolla or yaris. I can get a nice low mile one that’s about 3 years old in this range. We’re not all made of money and money doesn’t solve all problems. Just like the sailing community I notice RV owners have that disconnect with the money is no object category. I’m in my working years and I try to be debt free as much a as possible, I am not retired and I have no fixed income coming in every month. No disrespect intended by anything in this comment.

I do understand your point about having limited financial resources. That said, there is going to be a cost to doing things right. Many of us on this forum have witnessed the result of trying to cut corners or trying to make-do with something that really isn’t suitable for the intended purpose. Hopefully, by providing straight up information, we can help another RVers avoid those pitfalls.

No offense taken to your post. It is always good to be on the same page during a discussion.

TJ

 

[sealab2021]

Well, I am going about this in this order. Replace my current car, add the tow bars to the new one. Hopefully pay off the car within a year then start looking at class c rvs. I have the opportunity to travel the country for my job and pay off the RV in the process. Currently my life is complicated with a mortgage. I may have issues trying to keep/rent out the house. I may have some trouble getting an RV loan while having a mortgage because of my debt to income ratio. I’m roughly looking at a 10 year loan at 4.5% on a 75k class c Mercedes sprinter. the rough estimate is $777 per month not including insurance and whatever maintenance and lot rent. I may be forced to make some financial decisions in the next year or two.

 

[sealab2021]

Ok, after much consideration and research today. I realized I need to get a 30 foot or so toy hauler with an f250 to pull it. Between the toad and the class c I’m in almost 100k. Plus I would need to get the auto braking system and the brake wiring and tow bars for the said car (That’s a lot of gas money). Plus it would be easier buying the pulling truck and trailer piece meal as it’s not as much debt all at once. I will be in about less than half the price of the sprinter and whole other car plus I get to put my bike in the toy hauler. lets see if this makes sense. That puts me on a decent timeline and I can pay off the truck in about a year then just get a small loan on the camper.

2014 Ford F-250 with 45,000 miles, 2wd, 6.2 gas engine, 12000# tow capacity. $23,000 locally
2021 forest river boost 27qb from couches RV in Columbus Ohio. I think this is the camper my parents ended up with, I will have to ask them tomorrow. They got an amazing deal on the last two campers they bought. I should be in about 50,000 or so. That may work better keeping the mortgaged house as well. I will post in the toy hauler thread from now on. Thank you.

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[FL-JOE]

Looks like everyone ignored the Tandem Tow idea after someone mentioned it earlier. That is probably because there are few of them around and most RVers don't even know what they are or what they do.

A Tandem Tow is an extended tow dolly that allows you to carry anything from a single motorcycle to a golf cart plus dolly a front wheel drive car. This set up would solve all the OPs issues. He could still RV in the small C class type he is set on because you adjust the tongue weight on a tandem tow according to what you are putting on the dolly portion.

Tandem tows come in 4'x8' platform configurations, 6'x8', and 8'x8'. I recently sold my 8'x8'. We hauled a Harley Trike and a KIA Sportage and had the tongue weight set right at 400 pounds. If you can find a good used Tandem Tow it might be a lot cheaper than setting up a vehicle for flat towing. I sold mine for under $4,000.00.