As my short time on the road is showing me, I think I am going to have to have a tow vehicle. I love my MH, and have no desire to go with a caravan, so a tow car is the way to go. My question is what is best and some experiences please. A frame, or trailer? I guess there are fors and against for both, and I guess the most appropriate type of car. I had thought of a scooter on the back but it would still involve towing, so figure might as well go with a car.
Thanks in advance.
Yuglamron said
11:52 AM Mar 21, 2014
Hi Shekon,
I have seen everything from a Smart car to a 200 series Landcruiser Flat Towed behind a motorhome.
We tow a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 2 litre manual.
I would do a search and see what others recommend. I do know I would use a different tow system to the one I have from Yepoon. I would go for the Sterling or a Readybrute.
The main reason being the self locking arms. The arms have a system where you do not have to be directly in line with the MH and when you drive off will lock automatically in the correct position.
Be aware you cannot reverse with these flat tow sytems ,you have to unhook if you get caught down a dead end and have to do a three point turn.
The Hyundi Getz seems to be a popular choice, small economical and doesn't cost the earth.
The following are links to some "A" Frame suppliers.
The Janer site has some videos which give some good info. I do know they are on The Great Ocean Road in Vic. The Northcoach lot are in Qld on the Gold Coast.
Lots depends on price you want to pay and the weight of your Motorhome. It can add dollars to the cost if you need an extra braking addition to the system. I have just the override brakes because of the weight of my Motorhome.
I did look at Gypsy trailers but not for me. An extra rego and insurance on top of the car.
A lot to look at and I am sure you will get input from other users who flat tow. We all have different ideas so good luck in your search for something to suit you.
oldbobsbus said
01:22 PM Mar 21, 2014
We have just traveled 15000k around the eastern states and SA flat towing a 2000 Nissan Pulsar it cost $800 to buy plus about $900 to register, we covered long flat roads to steep mountains and never once did we have a problem.
Yes we had to be careful where we went so we could get out in one go but apart from that we had no problems..
It takes us about 3 mins to unhook and about 5 to hook up again as we set up about 30cm away from the towball and then Jenny drives it onto the towball as I hold it.
The self locking one mentioned above would be better if you didn't have an offsider..
In the past we carried a Ford Festiva on a trailer but the "A" frame is much much better and like has been said one less rego and insurance..
-- Edited by milo on Friday 21st of March 2014 02:02:24 PM
dragonfly1 said
02:18 PM Mar 21, 2014
Hi Shekon
WE tow a 2010 Suzuki swift on an A frame behind a fiat ducato sunliner motorhome
no problems at all very easy to hook up and take off
you need a rear camera so you can keep an eye on it our Suzuki is a manual
Reguards Dragonfly1
milo said
02:28 PM Mar 21, 2014
with those a frame tows , is there anything sticking out the front of your car ??
dont know if I'd like that
oldbobsbus said
04:31 PM Mar 21, 2014
milo wrote:
with those a frame tows , is there anything sticking out the front of your car ?? dont know if I'd like that
Our pick up points are under the car attached to the original tow points which are identical on each side of the car.
wendyv said
05:43 PM Mar 21, 2014
Shekon, we did one short shakedown trip with the Coaster (after having van and 4WD for years). Only took us a few days to realize that we absolutuely had to have a run about as well. Our travel style has tended to be to prop in one place for a few days, or even a month or more. In the van days, obviously used the 4WD to explore around, do shopping runs, go to bowls etc. It was just too much hassle to pack up the Coaster in order to use it in that way.
So - I did a lot of research. The first decision was to flat tow (A frame), rather than use a trailer of any sort. Having towed a van for so long, we just didn't want the worry of a trailer type of tow again. It seemed potentially fiddly to have to drive the little car up onto a trailer or a dolly set up. We could see possible problems in having to park, on a site in a caravan park, a Coaster, a vehicle and a trailer.
Then it was - what sort of A frame? Despite my preference for buying Australian made, where possible, we eventually went for a Ready Brute. Although the importer is in Qld, we had everything needed fitted at a place in Melbourne, not far from where we live. This place was recommended by the Qld importer. We were extremely happy with his work and the service.
We chose the Ready Brute because (1) the little vehicle does not have to be exactly in a straight line with the hitch, to hitch it up. Nor does it have to be on exactly level ground. (2) I can do it all by myself, if need be - and I have. The hitch is not too heavy for me to lift and move around if need be. (3) when we are away, the hitch folds up at the back of the bus - does not have to taken off the bus, and is out of the way. (4) it is fast. By myself, can have the car unhitched in about 3 minutes, max. Hooking up does not take much longer. (5) The Ready Brute comes with a braking system - works on deceleration/inertia somehow. When the bus brakes, a cable that runs from the bus to the car, activates the car brakes too.
The Ready Brute was more expensive than some of the other options, but worth every bit of the money. The engineering is excellent, according to the resident expert.
The vehicle: I found it very hard to fully understand the rules that exist about the weight ratio of the car to the towed vehicle. And whether they exist in all states. I was told by the maker of one of the local hitches that the rule was a 3.5 ratio - i.e. the car could not be heavier than the bus weight divided by 3.5. (I think??) But that was dependent on whether there was a braking system controlled by the driver and what soert of braking system it was. So I played it safe and went for a vehicle that was lightweight.
We wanted a vehicle that had some capacity to go on dirt roads and not too low to the ground and with some 4WD capacity. It had to be manual for flat towing. (there seem to be a couple of exceptions to this rule, though)
The Daihatsu Terios met all our criteria. Unfortunately they have not been available new in Aust since 2005, so it required a bit of effort to source one with low kms. We ffound one that had belonged to a little old lady - done less than 40,000kms. One of us had to fly to SA and drive it home, but that was ok. They are out there. Ours is a great local runabout for me when we are home. They are a compact vehicle, but much more comfortable to ride in than I had expected.
We flat towed it to Qld last year - no problems. Mostly didn't even notice it behind the bus. We do have a reversing camera so can "see" it. Was so worth having it along. We try not to load it up very much, but it did provide some handy extra storage.
With the bus towing the Terios, we get about the same fuel consumption as we did with the Landrover and caravan - approx 7kms to the litre. Without the Terios, we got about 7.5, so the flat tow hasn't affected fuel use much. We tend to sit on about 95kmh - him driving - 90kmh - me driving. But the rig will do 100+ if we wish. The Terios is petrol and I get around 14kms to the litre, so it is more economic to use that for sightseeing than it would have been to use the bus.
Happy to answer any questions.
-- Edited by wendyv on Friday 21st of March 2014 05:49:48 PM
Sheba said
08:48 PM Mar 21, 2014
milo wrote:
with those a frame tows , is there anything sticking out the front of your car ?? dont know if I'd like that
My sister tows a Getz behind her Sunliner Motorhome Milo. Says the A Frame is very easy to use.
The A Frame does come off when you're using the car on it's own.
We tow a Suzuki 3 door with a falcon 2 A frame.
all easily removes from the car and folds up against the rear of the motor home.
All too easy and you can hardly tell its riding behind you.
milo said
09:29 AM Mar 22, 2014
thanks Sheba, only reason I'm of gypsy trailer is my car is an auto ,have been told a frames not the best with autos
but could be wrong about that. do you need that thing on the hood?? dont know if I'd like that..
mickm said
02:37 PM Mar 22, 2014
Agree with Wendyv in all cases and will add 1 further point. We tow a 5 door Grand Vitara with a Hobie Tandem Island on top. When you add fuel, tent, mattresses, gas bottle, light and other items that we keep in the GV for when we go "exploring" you really are exceeding the weight limit of some of the locally made devices. If you want to pull something tiny so that you can go to the shops they are ok, but if you want to leave the Motorhome near good roads and go off-road even for a night you may be applying false economy to the purchase.
We also chose a ReadyBrute for all the previous reasons and a 3 tonne specification.
shekon said
04:02 PM Mar 22, 2014
Well thank you everyone for all your insights and experiences. I now know where to start my exploration, and this seems to have been done for me to some degree. So now starts the adventure of sourcing a car, A frame and tow bar and then the really exciting bit, actually towing it. Never having towed before this will be my next learning curve.
Once again thank you everyone.
Sheba said
08:11 PM Mar 22, 2014
milo wrote:
do you need that thing on the hood??
That is not on when you're driving around in the Vehicle Milo. She just hadn't taken it off, as she didn't drive it while she was at my place. It was easier just to leave it like that, so it would be quicker to hook up again behind the Motorhome when she left.
I posted that Pic. so you could see how the "A" Frame attatched to the Vehicle being towed.
As my short time on the road is showing me, I think I am going to have to have a tow vehicle. I love my MH, and have no desire to go with a caravan, so a tow car is the way to go. My question is what is best and some experiences please. A frame, or trailer? I guess there are fors and against for both, and I guess the most appropriate type of car. I had thought of a scooter on the back but it would still involve towing, so figure might as well go with a car.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Shekon,
I have seen everything from a Smart car to a 200 series Landcruiser Flat Towed behind a motorhome.
We tow a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 2 litre manual.
I would do a search and see what others recommend. I do know I would use a different tow system to the one I have from Yepoon. I would go for the Sterling or a Readybrute.
The main reason being the self locking arms. The arms have a system where you do not have to be directly in line with the MH and when you drive off will lock automatically in the correct position.
Be aware you cannot reverse with these flat tow sytems ,you have to unhook if you get caught down a dead end and have to do a three point turn.
The Hyundi Getz seems to be a popular choice, small economical and doesn't cost the earth.
The following are links to some "A" Frame suppliers.
http://www.northcoach.com.au/products/Ready-Brute-Elite-RV-Tow-Bar.html
http://www.janer.com.au/
The Janer site has some videos which give some good info. I do know they are on The Great Ocean Road in Vic. The Northcoach lot are in Qld on the Gold Coast.
Lots depends on price you want to pay and the weight of your Motorhome. It can add dollars to the cost if you need an extra braking addition to the system. I have just the override brakes because of the weight of my Motorhome.
I did look at Gypsy trailers but not for me. An extra rego and insurance on top of the car.
http://www.majesticmotorhomes.com/gipsy_custom/
This is the Gypsy trailer link.
A lot to look at and I am sure you will get input from other users who flat tow. We all have different ideas so good luck in your search for something to suit you.
We have just traveled 15000k around the eastern states and SA flat towing a 2000 Nissan Pulsar it cost $800 to buy plus about $900 to register, we covered long flat roads to steep mountains and never once did we have a problem.
Yes we had to be careful where we went so we could get out in one go but apart from that we had no problems..
It takes us about 3 mins to unhook and about 5 to hook up again as we set up about 30cm away from the towball and then Jenny drives it onto the towball as I hold it.
The self locking one mentioned above would be better if you didn't have an offsider.
.
In the past we carried a Ford Festiva on a trailer but the "A" frame is much much better and like has been said one less rego and insurance..
has any one used a tilta trailer ?
http://www.tiltatrailer.com.au/
interesting idea with the gypsy trailer..
-- Edited by milo on Friday 21st of March 2014 02:02:24 PM
Hi Shekon
WE tow a 2010 Suzuki swift on an A frame behind a fiat ducato sunliner motorhome
no problems at all very easy to hook up and take off
you need a rear camera so you can keep an eye on it our Suzuki is a manual
Reguards Dragonfly1
dont know if I'd like that
Our pick up points are under the car attached to the original tow points which are identical on each side of the car.
Shekon,
we did one short shakedown trip with the Coaster (after having van and 4WD for years). Only took us a few days to realize that we absolutuely had to have a run about as well. Our travel style has tended to be to prop in one place for a few days, or even a month or more. In the van days, obviously used the 4WD to explore around, do shopping runs, go to bowls etc. It was just too much hassle to pack up the Coaster in order to use it in that way.
So - I did a lot of research. The first decision was to flat tow (A frame), rather than use a trailer of any sort. Having towed a van for so long, we just didn't want the worry of a trailer type of tow again. It seemed potentially fiddly to have to drive the little car up onto a trailer or a dolly set up. We could see possible problems in having to park, on a site in a caravan park, a Coaster, a vehicle and a trailer.
Then it was - what sort of A frame? Despite my preference for buying Australian made, where possible, we eventually went for a Ready Brute. Although the importer is in Qld, we had everything needed fitted at a place in Melbourne, not far from where we live. This place was recommended by the Qld importer. We were extremely happy with his work and the service.
We chose the Ready Brute because (1) the little vehicle does not have to be exactly in a straight line with the hitch, to hitch it up. Nor does it have to be on exactly level ground. (2) I can do it all by myself, if need be - and I have. The hitch is not too heavy for me to lift and move around if need be. (3) when we are away, the hitch folds up at the back of the bus - does not have to taken off the bus, and is out of the way. (4) it is fast. By myself, can have the car unhitched in about 3 minutes, max. Hooking up does not take much longer. (5) The Ready Brute comes with a braking system - works on deceleration/inertia somehow. When the bus brakes, a cable that runs from the bus to the car, activates the car brakes too.
The Ready Brute was more expensive than some of the other options, but worth every bit of the money. The engineering is excellent, according to the resident expert.
The vehicle: I found it very hard to fully understand the rules that exist about the weight ratio of the car to the towed vehicle. And whether they exist in all states. I was told by the maker of one of the local hitches that the rule was a 3.5 ratio - i.e. the car could not be heavier than the bus weight divided by 3.5. (I think??) But that was dependent on whether there was a braking system controlled by the driver and what soert of braking system it was.
So I played it safe and went for a vehicle that was lightweight.
We wanted a vehicle that had some capacity to go on dirt roads and not too low to the ground and with some 4WD capacity. It had to be manual for flat towing. (there seem to be a couple of exceptions to this rule, though)
The Daihatsu Terios met all our criteria. Unfortunately they have not been available new in Aust since 2005, so it required a bit of effort to source one with low kms. We ffound one that had belonged to a little old lady - done less than 40,000kms. One of us had to fly to SA and drive it home, but that was ok. They are out there. Ours is a great local runabout for me when we are home. They are a compact vehicle, but much more comfortable to ride in than I had expected.
We flat towed it to Qld last year - no problems. Mostly didn't even notice it behind the bus. We do have a reversing camera so can "see" it. Was so worth having it along. We try not to load it up very much, but it did provide some handy extra storage.
With the bus towing the Terios, we get about the same fuel consumption as we did with the Landrover and caravan - approx 7kms to the litre. Without the Terios, we got about 7.5, so the flat tow hasn't affected fuel use much. We tend to sit on about 95kmh - him driving - 90kmh - me driving. But the rig will do 100+ if we wish. The Terios is petrol and I get around 14kms to the litre, so it is more economic to use that for sightseeing than it would have been to use the bus.
Happy to answer any questions.
-- Edited by wendyv on Friday 21st of March 2014 05:49:48 PM
The A Frame does come off when you're using the car on it's own.
Cheers,
Sheba.
all easily removes from the car and folds up against the rear of the motor home.
All too easy and you can hardly tell its riding behind you.
but could be wrong about that. do you need that thing on the hood?? dont know if I'd like that..
We also chose a ReadyBrute for all the previous reasons and a 3 tonne specification.
Once again thank you everyone.