PrescillaM Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I am a single woman, mid-50’s, and am planning on buying a 30’ Class A motorhome. For me, is it best to use a trailer to tow a vehicle or to go with the four tires on the road to tow the vehicle? I have chosen to go with a Ford Edge suv, which is towable on the tires. I’m curious about wear and tear on the vehicle towing it on the ground versus towing it on a trailer. Thoughts? If choosing to go four on the road, what is the best tow bar setup for a single person to hook and unhook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjstough Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 My opinion would be that if you have a vehicle that can be towed four down, that is what you should do. A trailer is much more work, and weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Towing 4-down is much less trouble than using a trailer. The main issue is what to do with the trailer in an RV park, very few back-in sites have room for the RV, car, and a trailer. Using a trailer, you have 4 more tires and wheel bearings, to maintain. The drawback to towing 4-down is you cannot back up while attached. Yes, towing a car places more stress on it, but some folks have been towing the same car for many years. Drawbars/towing frames; all of them have a solid reputation, Roadmaster, Blue Ox,Sterling, Demco, seem to be the most popular, but don't rule out any of them. One even has a built-in braking system for the towed/car. I would advise you to buy a strong, trouble-free towed braking system; once again, there are many brands which have made the user happy. Air Force One and G &M Engineering are out of sight under the hood, there are a couple others that are also under the hood instead of occupying the floorboard and push on the brake pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 We've pulled the same car for over 10 years. Only difference is that she needs new tires/batteries more frequently than her 'mileage' would seem to indicate - - but not when you add in the miles pulled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark and Dale Bruss Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Single or as a couple, four-down is way easier to deal with. period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-n-Dennis Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 As long as you feel comfortable and able to do the hookups, towing 4 down is the way to go. Making that decision, be particular on your towing setup to ensure you can easily manage the tow bar and connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rif Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 This is not even a close decision. Four down is the way to go if at all possible. It is preferable to either a trailer or a tow dolly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark and Dale Bruss Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Putting a car on a dolly is for harder for a single person. If you can't handle a four-down hook-up, you probably should not taking a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandsys Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Four down is absolutely the best! Any tow bar is good as long as it says something like All-Terrain. You don't want one where you have to be straight and level to hitch or unhitch. If your RV has an air system then I recommend the Air Force One braking system--easy peasy to plug/unplug. Linda Sand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 I'll reinterate: Get an All Terrain tow bar, and if necessary, a drop hitch so that your car runs level when hitched. We have Road Masters, other will have Blue Ox, both are good and sometimes it which one you get is determined by who makes a base plate for your car. BTW - we know several women who fulltime as solos in Class A and Class Cs. Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 With proper equipment, it is far easier to tow on a tow-bar than on a trailer, it will cost less for equipment and will be much more convenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lb311 Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 I'm a solo full-timer, also in my 50's. While a trailer certainly gives you more toad options, especially when it comes to cars with automatic transmissions, if you can limit yourself to a car that can be towed 4-wheel flat, you'll have a much easier time. Here's a post I did a few years ago with step-by-step photos of how I hitch up my Chevy Tracker SUV. http://winnieviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/girls-guide-to-rving-with-toad.html I guarantee it takes twice as long to read that post as it actually does to hitch up and go! Since my RV is only 24', I rarely find myself in places where I can't turn around and must unhook the car momentarily, but it can happen, such as when Google Maps navigation sends you off a nice paved road and onto a narrow gravel road. In those situations, I'd much rather be unhooking just a car, then have to unhitch and re-hitch BOTH a car and a trailer! The other benefit is being able to stay at more campsites due to not having an added trailer to stow-- you'd almost have to think of your rig now being 40' long rather than just 30'-- in other words, it just about negates all the benefits of choosing a smaller RV over a larger one. Lynne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrescillaM Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Thank you for all the wonderful input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohamer Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 We tow a 2006 Jeep Liberty 4x4 with a tow bar. Love the little Jeep, easy to hook up. Lynne B, I really liked your write-up in your blog. John in Joplin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfrank Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 I would guess that a Trailer plus a Ford Edge would exceed your 30FT class A's towing rating, which can add to legal issues if you are involved in an accident! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Happy Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 If your considering towing 4 on the ground, which is the best way to go. Now if you need a braking system consider a Ready Brake system. No wires, no electronics to deal with, just mechanical. I have one and love it. you can even get one built into a tow bar. Captain Happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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