Tow vehicle and systems research

[Sandy Creek]

Hello everyone, I recently joined and in my "introduction" post, I said I would be needing some expert advice from those who own the Jayco Greyhawk.. We'll here's my first question.

I have the Greyhawk 29MV and have an appt on Saturday to test drive a tow vehicle. Since I am a solo owner/operator, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the research I've done and trying to figure in all the factors of this daunting task before jumping off the cliff!!!

Based on 1) Good Sam's and eTrailor.com list of towable vehicles and 2) make, size, location of vehicle and price preference, I'm considering a 2018 Toyota Corolla IS.

For this specific vehicle, ETrailor recommends set up with a Baseplate, Nighthawk All Terrain tow bar and Stay-in-Play Duo supplemental braking system.

I appreciate any/all pro/con thoughts on this. This is my first time with a new to me motorhome and buying a tow vehicle! I need to feel safe on the road, have something that is easy to operate, etc and not make a huge costly mistake!!

[2naEagle]

Here is a little more reading for your research.
https://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/

[norty1]

Originally Posted by 2naEagle

Here is a little more reading for your research.
https://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/

Man that list gets shorter every year!

[Stavman]

Lots of great tow vehicles and set ups

Be sure u have a breakaway system installed and you'll be fine

[watchout]

I have a similar setup to tow with my 29MV. I'm towing a 2018 Hyundai Elantra (which is close to the same weight as the Corolla, under 3,000 lbs) and it has the Blue Ox baseplates installed. I don't know anything about the Corolla, but if it is recommended for flat towing and there are base plates made for it, then it should do fine. You will also need to connect the tail/brake lights to the 29MV. I used the "diode" approach, but whoever installs the Stay-in-Play will need to handle this.

I can highly recommend the Stay-in-Play. It is super simple to activate/de-activate, does what it is supposed to and includes the break away feature.

The Roadmaster Nighthawk is a great tow bar, rated for 8,000 lbs. I use their Falcon All Terrain bar which is rated for 6,000 lbs and no complaints. Might save you a few hundred $.

One thing I will mention is that our cars are pretty low to the ground, so you will need an adapter to drop your receiver height by 2-4". This just means that your receiver/tow bar will be a little closer to the ground and might scrape when pulling into sloped driveways. Just one other thing to keep in mind when deciding which gas stations / stores to pull into.

Lots of combinations of equipment out there, depending on your specific needs, but I think you've got a good starting point.

[PartsUnknown]

I looked extensively into what would be the best automatic transmission vehicle that was also light but could be flat towed. I am a Toyota car guy but there wasn’t any that could be safely towed without potential tranny damage. I also knew that I’d have to give up my beloved Avalon so whatever it was it had to be a reasonably decent every day drive. I found the 2020 Ford Escape hybrid with FWD was the answer. I got the Titanium model with all the bells and whistles and so far I’m quite impressed. Now mind you, in my case, this was the best option for a 2021 Melbourne for several reasons: 1) this particular year, make, model and especially drive train comes equipped to be flat towed because it has a “neutral tow” option built in. If you buy one (eg: AWD, non-hybrid, etc) that doesn’t specifically allow you to put it in “neutral tow” mode then you’re making a mistake. Otherwise, for what my Melbourne 24L is able to tow weight wise, this has been the perfect car for us.
2) Weight was a big issue for our 2021 Jayco Melbourne 24L
3) I had to drive it every day.
3) my wife doesn’t drive a standard tranny so it had to be an AT.

I’d check that Toyota out more closely before I flat towed it because Toyota hasn’t made a true toad in recent years, it’s all about the transmission.