One of the biggest convenience upgrades a motorhome owner can make is bringing a toad — a vehicle towed behind the RV for local transportation once you're parked. Without a toad, you're driving your Class A into town for groceries, negotiating parking that doesn't exist for a 40-foot bus, and unable to do day trips to places RVs can't go. With a toad, you unhook, drop the toad, and drive a normal car. Here's how towing works and what you need to know to set it up.
Three Methods of Towing a Vehicle Behind an RV
1. Flat towing (four wheels down): The vehicle rolls on all four wheels behind the motorhome. No trailer, no lift — the car is just connected via a tow bar to the motorhome's hitch. This is the lightest, most convenient method and what most serious RVers with motorhomes use. The car must be towable four-down (more on this below). The setup involves a base plate installed on the toad, a tow bar, safety cables, and a supplemental braking system (required by law in most states).
2. Tow dolly: The front wheels of the vehicle ride on a two-wheel trailer; the rear wheels roll on the ground. Used for vehicles that can't be flat-towed but can have front wheels lifted (most front-wheel-drive cars with automatic transmissions). More setup work than flat towing — you must load and unload the car from the dolly each time. Dollies typically weigh 800–1,200 pounds and add significantly to the tongue weight.
3. Car hauler (full trailer): The vehicle is fully on a trailer — all four wheels off the ground. Works with any vehicle regardless of drivetrain but is the heaviest and most cumbersome option. Car haulers typically weigh 3,000–5,000 pounds empty. Requires more tow capacity and significantly increases overall length.
Flat Towing: The Popular Choice
Flat towing is the preferred method for most Class A motorhome owners because it's convenient (quick hookup and release) and doesn't require a trailer. But not every vehicle can be flat-towed.
What makes a vehicle flat-towable: The drivetrain must be able to rotate freely without engine running and without the transmission pumping its own lubrication (which it can't do without the engine running). Vehicles with a neutral position in the transfer case (4WD trucks and SUVs), or manual transmissions, or specific automatic transmissions that have been tested and approved by the manufacturer, are flat-towable. Vehicles with automatic transmissions that require the engine running to maintain transmission lubrication are NOT flat-towable without a transmission lube pump (a separate device that keeps fluid circulating).
Commonly flat-towed vehicles: Jeep Wrangler (the all-time #1 toad), Jeep Gladiator, Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon (manual trans), Ford Bronco, Chevy Spark, Fiat 500, many Buicks (check model-year specific approval). Every manufacturer publishes a flat-towing approved list in the owner's manual — verify your specific model/year/transmission before towing.
The Jeep Wrangler as a toad: The Wrangler's status as the default RV toad is deserved. It flat-tows easily (transfer case in neutral, manual-style), is compact enough to park anywhere, is capable off-road for dirt roads near campgrounds, and holds its value well. If you don't have a preference, start here.
Equipment Required for Flat Towing
- Base plate: Vehicle-specific frame attachment point, professionally installed on the toad. Brand: Blue Ox and Roadmaster are the market leaders. Cost: $400–$700 installed, varies by vehicle.
- Tow bar: The rigid or telescoping bar connecting the base plate to the motorhome's hitch. Adjustable length to fit different toad positions. Cost: $600–$1,500. Roadmaster Sterling and Blue Ox Aventa LX are popular mid-range options.
- Safety cables: Two cables connecting toad to motorhome independently of the tow bar — required by law in most states. Should be rated for the toad's weight.
- Electrical connection: 6-pin or 7-pin connector to power the toad's brake lights and turn signals from the motorhome. Required for safe and legal towing.
- Supplemental braking system: Required by law in most states when towing over a certain weight (typically 1,500–3,000 lbs). Several types: surge brakes (sense deceleration), proportional systems (detect the motorhome's actual braking force), and brake controllers. The Roadmaster InvisiBrake and Blue Ox Patriot III are popular proportional systems. Cost: $300–$700.
Motorhome Hitch and Weight Capacity
Your motorhome's rear receiver hitch has a specific tongue weight capacity and a gross towing capacity. These are different numbers:
- Tongue weight capacity: The maximum downward force on the hitch. For flat towing, the tongue weight is relatively low — typically just the tow bar weight (50–100 lbs) since the toad's weight is spread across its own four wheels.
- Gross towing capacity: The maximum total weight of what you're towing. For flat towing, this is your toad's curb weight. Jeep Wrangler 2-door: ~4,000 lbs. 4-door: ~4,400 lbs. Make sure your motorhome's towing capacity exceeds your toad's weight.
Class A diesel pushers typically have 10,000–15,000 lb tow ratings. Class A gassers are typically 5,000–7,500 lbs. Class C motorhomes vary widely — check your chassis specification. Fifth wheel and travel trailer towers use a completely different calculation (pin weight / hitch weight) that's not covered here.
The Dinghy Towing Process: Step by Step
Standard flat towing hookup procedure:
- Position toad directly behind motorhome, aligned with hitch.
- Connect base plate to tow bar arms and lock latches.
- Attach safety cables in a criss-cross pattern beneath the tow bar.
- Connect 6-pin or 7-pin electrical connector.
- Put toad's transfer case in neutral (refer to your toad's flat-tow instructions — many require specific transmission position as well).
- Turn toad's ignition to Accessory position (required for most toads to unlock the steering wheel and enable brake lights).
- Release toad's parking brake.
- Do a walk-around: check that tow bar is latched, cables are secure, lights are working (have a partner check signals).
- Drive slowly to check toad is following correctly before pulling onto the road.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Towing a non-approved vehicle: Doing this once can destroy the transmission. Always verify the manufacturer's approved flat-tow list for your exact year/model/transmission.
- Forgetting to put the transfer case in neutral: Driving with the toad in park will destroy the drivetrain in miles. Create a checklist you run every single time.
- Skipping the supplemental braking system: Illegal in many states, unsafe at highway speed, and a serious liability issue if you're in a rear-end accident without it.
- Wrong tow bar length: A tow bar set to the wrong length will bind in turns. Measure the A-frame distance from hitch to base plate and adjust the tow bar to match.
Related: Class A vs B vs C: choosing the right RV · RV maintenance checklist
Ready to Plan Your Trip?
Put this knowledge to work. Let our AI build a personalized RV itinerary for your next adventure — or browse community trips for inspiration.