Toad or No Toad ?- Grand Canyon road trip in a 23' class A

[hertfordnc]

I fell in to this completely restored 74 GMC. We are planning a trip from NC to California via Grand Canyon and other major sites. Wife and I and two boys- 10 & 13.

I'm just looking for opinions on whether or not i'll regret not having a TOAD.

At 23 feet the GMC gets around pretty well but will it work to to explore the big parks, also planning to do Yellowstone in the way back.

Also, my wife and i are older (like 110 between us)



thanks

[Sastma]

We just rent a car locally if needed. We did this at Yellowstone and it worked great. We did have to drive separately to get to the campsite but once settled it was well worth it.
And we didn’t have to worry about towing cross country.

[Sandia_Man]

With the size of your RV you simply don't need a toad, our rig at roughly 40' we don't leave home without one. Your choice overall anyway, lots of good advise thus far, plenty of pros and cons to either choice. Have fun out here in the West, hope all goes as planned, would be fun to read about your adventures here on the forum.

[Lancslad]

Grand canyon, no need for a toad. Use the bus to get around. we stayed in Williams but used a toad to get to the canyon. the train is OK but expensive and you don't get enough time to explore.
Yellowstone you need a toad. July is peak time. It is crammed!! There is very little parking at the attractions, sometimes waiting 15-20 mins for a car space. No space for Class C's or above. Plus 1 bison on the road holds up traffic for MILES!! We did Alaska !6K on the Class A 6K on the Toad. Best trip ever.

[Snowman9000]

We did it with no toad, and no reservations besides. Here's the thread. I wouldn't change a thing.

Grand Canyon and Utah NPs trip

[Shadyladywinnie]

One year on a trip from Seattle towards the North Rim, Grand Canyon, we had a break down in our Winnebago...Limped to a fantastic Chevy-Winnebago dealer in St George.
We had to wait 5 days for a new clutch fan and radiator shroud..They guided us to Sand Hollow state Park to wait...
The rangers helped us find spots for the wait, more great folks...
Without having our Samurai following us wherever we wander it wouldn't have as much fun as we had exploring the areas around Hurricane.
Our rig is a 27' Superchief, swell to get around, but the Samurai is better!
Bring a Toad.......

[Gjac]

I think what a lot of people are missing is the MH is 23 ft, not 33 ft which I have and pull a toad. Some other things to think about, if you are basically travelers staying in NP's, NFS, SP's without hookups and not camping for several days to a week, much less need for a toad. When I went to Alaska many nights I did not even disconnect just explored the area on my bike once we stopped for the night. Once I got to when we were going, driving a small car vs a 33ft A was much better. A 23ft camper would allow you to always have all you stuff with you such as food, bathing suits etc. which some times I would forget to pack in a my toad. In a older GMC I think you would be limited to a small car and 4 people in a small sedan would be cramped, kids would be more comfortable laying on the bed playing video games when there are no bears or buffalo's to see. What is the tow rating for that MH? Look at your GVWR and weigh your MH before you go to see how much stuff you can take with you. Also note the weight from front to rear and try to redistribute weight to stay under your axle weights. Make sure your front end and suspension is good. I know you said it was completely restored not sure what that really means but I would make several long trips first to see what is actually needed before you make the trip out west. I have a friend that is a mechanic, owned a CG and restored a GMC. He is retired now but drives his GMC from Florida up to Ct without a toad he said it drove better than his big dully truck he had to tow 5th wheels. Let us know how it goes.

[ItsyRV]

My RV is just under 22 feet. Overall I have not had the need to drag a toad with me. But, let me first say that my travel plans are designed around not having a toad. So it's not that one isn't necessary based solely on the RV size, it's that one is not necessary based on how I plan my activities based on not having a toad with me due to the RV size.

One important item is that length isn't the only consideration; remember the height and width could be issues at times. I may not be able to fit reasonably in a parking lot close to an attraction, or park along a street with low trees. There may be an attraction where travel could be hindered by low clearance or too narrow a winding path. So, planning to avoid problems is just part of things when going without a toad.

I think the biggest issue are the hookups when staying for days at an RV park and using the RV for day trips. Many get tired of the hook ups each time they leave and come back. This can easily be solved with repetition and easy connectors that lessen the hassle factor. Of course if you're sightseeing during travels between spots, it's no big deal.

Another handy way is to use the RV as transport. I may travel from the RV park to a sightseeing destination but park in a convenient (and safe) spot where I can bike to the finial attraction. Nothing says you have to have the RV right outside the door. I have gone places, parked a couple miles away, used the bike (electric) and been at the attraction while others in their cars are stuck in traffic, circling parking lots looking for spot and end up still parking way back with a decent walk.

This doesn't mean there hasn't been times where a toad would have come in handy. I have had to rent a car once or twice to be able to go somewhere That an RV or a bike (electric or peddle) isn't practical. But for those few occasions, I have to decide to get alternative transportation or forgo the attraction; it's just planning. I found that there usually isn't that may places I can't get to due to my RV size. And, if I can't get right to it, I can at least get close enough that a short bike ride is worth not having to bring a toad with me all the time.

[howdy35]

I personally would take a towed, but my thought is, "What would you pull with an older motorhome that would be light enough to pull in the western mountains?" You would certainly have to be selective to get something light enough to pull and be able to stop it. Also the suggestion about unhooking and driving the toad up long passes is a good idea with that unit. .

Best of luck on the choice you make and I hope you will have a great trip. It would be interesting if you posted what you did and how it went.

Happy travels
Arnold

[hertfordnc]

winnietrey wrote:
did 15 years in a 24ft C with no toad.

Couple of thoughts

At 24ft much easier to find a campsite, than with the MH plus a toad
Easier to stop in some small town, or small roadside attraction
As for the big parks ( and have been to 90% of them in the west) the parking is always going to be a problem, no matter if you are in a car or not. so best advise, get up early, hit the park as soon as it opens, you will have no problem parking a 24 ft

Yeah i think the decision is made. I just took it for a drive down the tiniest streets in my town- 23' 5", front wheel drive, it's really just a big car. With the rear overhang i can sneak it into a regular parking space.

[winnietrey]

did 15 years in a 24ft C with no toad.

Couple of thoughts

At 24ft much easier to find a campsite, than with the MH plus a toad
Easier to stop in some small town, or small roadside attraction
As for the big parks ( and have been to 90% of them in the west) the parking is always going to be a problem, no matter if you are in a car or not. so best advise, get up early, hit the park as soon as it opens, you will have no problem parking a 24 ft

[hertfordnc]

wapiticountry wrote:
You have another thread where you seem to be concerned about the ability of the GMC to climb and descend the mountain grades. If that is the case, definitely take the towed, and disconnect it and have your wife drive it on those big grades. You can use it to reduce the weight in the rig (your wife, the kids, some of the gear in the towed on the grades) and it will be a life saver should the old girl (the RV, not the wife) have a problem. As a general observation, I have always found a towed to be a near necessity. It allows you to tour, run errands and go places the rig can't go all without the time and effort of breaking camp.

That is a separate question just to add to the decision tree- the plans are all fluid at this point so knowing which passes are the most challenging may drive decisions about which sites and which relatives we see and in which order.

[wapiticountry]

You have another thread where you seem to be concerned about the ability of the GMC to climb and descend the mountain grades. If that is the case, definitely take the towed, and disconnect it and have your wife drive it on those big grades. You can use it to reduce the weight in the rig (your wife, the kids, some of the gear in the towed on the grades) and it will be a life saver should the old girl (the RV, not the wife) have a problem. As a general observation, I have always found a towed to be a near necessity. It allows you to tour, run errands and go places the rig can't go all without the time and effort of breaking camp.

[hertfordnc]

ArchHoagland wrote:
June 24 to July 18...It will be over a 100 degrees out here so make sure your air conditioner works and your engine radiator is clean.

One advantage of a toad is if your RV dies out in the middle of the desert you can use the car to get to a town.

Have you ever traveled out west anywhere?

I figure if the coach air and the generator are both working i will have redundancy for that sort of breakdown.

I've lived in the East Bay and the PNW, traveled up and down the west coast a few times but I am much older and wiser now so i'm approaching this as a total noob.

[ArchHoagland]

June 24 to July 18...It will be over a 100 degrees out here so make sure your air conditioner works and your engine radiator is clean.

One advantage of a toad is if your RV dies out in the middle of the desert you can use the car to get to a town.

Have you ever traveled out west anywhere?