Trailer toads are very popular with class c motorhomes. I have used one for 15 years. Been flawless while keeping the tow vehicle safer to drive keeping weight on front steer wheels. Highly recommend Trailer Toad to remove tongue weight from your vehicle.
would be interesting if the toad was designed for the wheels to be beside the tongue and fixed so that way a longer extension can mount to the car to allow turning. Any alteration of the standard center mounting point like what you have would leverage your car upward and reduce weight traction. Interesting concept though. I guess a simple longer extension to the vehicle would be more effective.
All you keyboard engineers please pay attention. A class 8 truck weighs 17k pounds but tow rating is 33k to 80k max in usa. This guy is correct. The tow rating is completely changed when you use a toad. That is the entire point. Toads like this have been around since the 50s, it is not a new concept. The difference between this toad and one used on semi trailers, this one has friction pivots where semis dont. So the comments of this will push you around is not accurate. This put a small downforce on the back wheels, it has brakes connect to trailer brakes so it basically is a towable wagon at that point. Again for people confussed by the concept of these toads, they have been around forever and many are out there.
I too had similar concerns with your GCVWR. I'm new to camping this year and every trip I weigh the total package (truck, TT, family, luggage and gear) before hitting the road and my gross combined vehicle weight be d#mn near the capacity of 14,000#s (before groceries and tanks empty). Some states require TT to stop at weight stations. Have you considered this? (just one family man to another).
Freaking Awesome! I have a 2018 f150 and its payload is 1400lbs. Soon as i math out the trailer and my payload, it's dam near at, or within lbs of max. I see no need to operate at, or near the trucks max capacities. Thats premature wear and stress. Im getting one of these! Great go around for the manufacture best payload white lies. Agreed tho, staying under GCWR and making sure you can stop is safely is paramount.
Well, the gadget seems to overcome 'tongue weight' issues, BUT you're still over the tow weight capacity (3500#) when the trailer is at max capacity when it weighs 3900#, then add your camping clutter, passengers, etc inside the car, I'm betting you're at least 10% over towing & cargo total capacity. So, be aware of that in traffic, your stopping distances will increase substantially.
Silas Longshot you think I’m blissfully throwing safety into the wind apparently. I’ve been researching every single factor that goes into tow ratings. I’ve researched all the vehicles that have my same engine and drivetrain. I’ve compared the size of my vehicles rotors and pads vs other trucks that tow more. Here’s what I found out, Minivans suspension is designed for comfort so it’s extremely soft. By taking the tongue weight off the Minivan, my minivan brakes without issue. I’ve tested 60 to 0, 45 to 0, 30 to 0 and each time the van performed amazing. If there was 1 unsafe thing that I could find, I promise you I would have found it by now. Braking is spot on! Engine power is spot on! Pull strength is better than expected! Transmission temps stay below 205 degrees in stop and go traffic and 190-195 on the freeway. So please tell me what piece I’m missing from my months of research because I’m all ears. By the way, the 2020 Kia Carnaval in the EU which is made on the same assembly line at the same South Korean factory in Ulsan Korea and it can tow 2,000kg or 4,409 pounds. It’s literally the same exact vehicle just in a different country under a different name.
Necessary for big trailor and small car , necessary with a camper van with long overhang : more stability.... But .... I'm in France, the administration in France says " hitch on weels is a trailor, now you have 2 trailors : forbiden with light vehicule! ... Dolly only for semi truck 19tonnes" ..... I.m looking for changing this administration in my country.
People do not use this setup to tow! It is unsafe! You can clearly see the warning sticker on the Trailer Toad at 2:33 which states: "Do not exceed the maximum weight capacities of the tow vehicle or weight distribution hitch". This means the total weight of the tow vehicle, passenger, cargo, trailer, and any cargo on the trailer, and in this case also the weight of the Trailer Toad, cannot exceed the GVWR of the tow vehicle. Not any one item, but all of them added together. The total weight of the trailer (and Trailer Toad) also cannot exceed the rating of the receiver! The whole system must be thought of as a chain, and your capacity is set by the weakest link. The weakest link can be the hitch, receiver, frame, suspension, engine, transmission, tow vehicle weight, and especially brakes. The brakes must be sufficient to stop the whole train without failing in the case the trailer brakes fail! (Stopping distance will be horrible, but at least you will stop, eventually. If the brakes are undersized they will overheat and also fail.) Trailer Toads and weight distribution hitches do not affect GVWR! All they do is load balance, or in the case of the Trailer Toad provide a solution for the case where your tongue weight is too heavy but you are still within GVWR. You cannot convert a minivan into a 12,000 lb towing machine with a Trailer Toad! Don't try it! If you want a tow vehicle, buy a tow vehicle! Your family is at risk! You cannot convert a minivan into a tow vehicle with any sort of hitch accessory.
You know the reason for said sticker? to cover their asses from the liability, in case someone where to severely overload it. I have a vehicle for you to look/compare look up a 19 Expedition max , they can tow like 8500 lbs, but then take a F150 and they can tow like 13k (with worse gearing to boot), even though the drive train and such are the exact same. Brakes are give or take the same (same pads and rotor diameter). The biggest limiting factor? The rear axle weight rating..... so if you control the load on the rear axle, it will easily tow more on the expedition, probably even up to the f150's 13k.... but yes legally per the door jamb sticker you are still limited to the GCVW, but there are ways to get it changed though
@@mr.gearhead9468 Not many F150's can tow 13,000 lbs, the one I had certainly couldn't, and it had a 4.6L V-8. But some of the 2 wheel drive 5.0L's can. Expeditions will never have the same towing capacity because the vehicle is already much heavier with the extra body and seats, so payload is reduced. Also the Expedition has "rear independent multilink suspension", which isn't the same as the F150's solid axle. Expedition suspension is also tuned for a smooth ride, not extra payload. So differences abound. But in the end of the day towing capacity depends on a number of factors, the brakes, engine, and transmission being as important as the suspension and frame. Even the tires factor in. You just can't tow much with a front wheel drive minivan, no matter how many wheels you add. The reason is it doesn't have the gearing to pull all that, probably not the horsepower and torque either, and it doesn't have the vehicle weight or the brakes to stop it safely. You'll smoke the transmission going up hills, and you'll end up relying too much on the trailer brakes which can cause it to fishtail, or you'll warp your rotors, and your stopping distance will be too great. And I haven't even gotten into the flimsy unibody construction of the minivan. Both the F150 and the Expedition have frames. Minivans do not. If you need to add wheels, you've got the wrong tow vehicle.
Interesting setup to say the least. There are 5 weights that should NOT be exceeded, GCVWR, GVWR, GAWR'S and HRR (Hitch receiver rating). I would like to see 4 scale tickets for this setup for a average trip. TV only, TV & Toad, TV Toad & TT with out WDH hooked up and lastly all with the WDH hooked up.
Why would I pay you anything? I’ve traveled cross country and just finished our trip to Michigan. We had no unsafe moments at all. It’s amazing how much people overreact to things they can’t understand.
This is all wrong and dangerous!! GVWR is based on the weakest link of: axle capacity, !BRAKES!, Engine HP, !Transmission clutches ratings!, and torque at the rear wheels.. If the electric brakes go out on that trailer on the hwy at speed that van will not stop it in a reasonable time. Also if you are carrying more than gvwr=van+trailer+cargo D.O.T. can and most likely will pull you over, give you a huge fine, and impound your trailer, and suspend your drivers lic. If you get in any kind of accident YOU are 100% at fault no mater what happened. You may also be prosecuted for criminal negligence, and if there is kids in the car child endangerment. These are for busses and trucks not for mini vans. Do some research before you hurt someone.
You are confusing tongue weight with gross vehicle weight. Yes that gadget has resolved your tongue weight issue but has added to your gross weight problem. That trailer toad weighs 400 pounds by itself, that added to the 5000 pounds or so on your fully loaded camper and you are way over the rated gross weight for that mini van. Hopefully you don't hurt anybody WHEN the inevitable happens.
Trailer toads are very popular with class c motorhomes.
I have used one for 15 years. Been flawless while keeping the tow vehicle safer to drive keeping weight on front steer wheels.
Highly recommend Trailer Toad to remove tongue weight from your vehicle.
Cool videos of the toad! I'll never tow heavy with my motorhome again without the toad. They are truly a game changer.
That's impressive to see the mini van tow that trailer. I'd have never thought it would do very well. Thanks for sharing
It did better than expected!
Essentially this converts a trailer to a wagon
Love this concept.
would be interesting if the toad was designed for the wheels to be beside the tongue and fixed so that way a longer extension can mount to the car to allow turning. Any alteration of the standard center mounting point like what you have would leverage your car upward and reduce weight traction. Interesting concept though. I guess a simple longer extension to the vehicle would be more effective.
All you keyboard engineers please pay attention. A class 8 truck weighs 17k pounds but tow rating is 33k to 80k max in usa. This guy is correct. The tow rating is completely changed when you use a toad. That is the entire point. Toads like this have been around since the 50s, it is not a new concept. The difference between this toad and one used on semi trailers, this one has friction pivots where semis dont. So the comments of this will push you around is not accurate. This put a small downforce on the back wheels, it has brakes connect to trailer brakes so it basically is a towable wagon at that point. Again for people confussed by the concept of these toads, they have been around forever and many are out there.
This is a great idea!!!!!!
GNogueira83 it works great!
I too had similar concerns with your GCVWR. I'm new to camping this year and every trip I weigh the total package (truck, TT, family, luggage and gear) before hitting the road and my gross combined vehicle weight be d#mn near the capacity of 14,000#s (before groceries and tanks empty). Some states require TT to stop at weight stations. Have you considered this? (just one family man to another).
at what point do you just buy a truck
Hi I was wondering if you can tell me how this system is still working thanks
Freaking Awesome! I have a 2018 f150 and its payload is 1400lbs. Soon as i math out the trailer and my payload, it's dam near at, or within lbs of max. I see no need to operate at, or near the trucks max capacities. Thats premature wear and stress. Im getting one of these! Great go around for the manufacture best payload white lies. Agreed tho, staying under GCWR and making sure you can stop is safely is paramount.
I like the setup] stop in the weigh station in the truck stop see what the total weight the vehicle and trailer then do the math
Well, the gadget seems to overcome 'tongue weight' issues, BUT you're still over the tow weight capacity (3500#) when the trailer is at max capacity when it weighs 3900#, then add your camping clutter, passengers, etc inside the car, I'm betting you're at least 10% over towing & cargo total capacity. So, be aware of that in traffic, your stopping distances will increase substantially.
Silas Longshot you think I’m blissfully throwing safety into the wind apparently. I’ve been researching every single factor that goes into tow ratings. I’ve researched all the vehicles that have my same engine and drivetrain. I’ve compared the size of my vehicles rotors and pads vs other trucks that tow more. Here’s what I found out, Minivans suspension is designed for comfort so it’s extremely soft. By taking the tongue weight off the Minivan, my minivan brakes without issue. I’ve tested 60 to 0, 45 to 0, 30 to 0 and each time the van performed amazing. If there was 1 unsafe thing that I could find, I promise you I would have found it by now. Braking is spot on! Engine power is spot on! Pull strength is better than expected! Transmission temps stay below 205 degrees in stop and go traffic and 190-195 on the freeway. So please tell me what piece I’m missing from my months of research because I’m all ears.
By the way, the 2020 Kia Carnaval in the EU which is made on the same assembly line at the same South Korean factory in Ulsan Korea and it can tow 2,000kg or 4,409 pounds. It’s literally the same exact vehicle just in a different country under a different name.
@@CarReviewer-nc5bz well said .
Don't take shit from zombies
Min 3:00
Wait a minute... Shouldn't the ball-receiver be right OVER the axel?
Should all that tongue weight be right ON the Toad axel?
Awesomeness
Necessary for big trailor and small car , necessary with a camper van with long overhang : more stability.... But .... I'm in France, the administration in France says " hitch on weels is a trailor, now you have 2 trailors : forbiden with light vehicule! ... Dolly only for semi truck 19tonnes" ..... I.m looking for changing this administration in my country.
Minivan
Curb weight, 4,443 lbs.
Gross weight, 6,085 lbs.
Towing weight, 3,500 lbs.
Travel Trailer
Dry Weight, 3375 lbs.
Cargo Capacity, 1104 lbs.
People do not use this setup to tow! It is unsafe! You can clearly see the warning sticker on the Trailer Toad at 2:33 which states: "Do not exceed the maximum weight capacities of the tow vehicle or weight distribution hitch". This means the total weight of the tow vehicle, passenger, cargo, trailer, and any cargo on the trailer, and in this case also the weight of the Trailer Toad, cannot exceed the GVWR of the tow vehicle. Not any one item, but all of them added together.
The total weight of the trailer (and Trailer Toad) also cannot exceed the rating of the receiver! The whole system must be thought of as a chain, and your capacity is set by the weakest link. The weakest link can be the hitch, receiver, frame, suspension, engine, transmission, tow vehicle weight, and especially brakes. The brakes must be sufficient to stop the whole train without failing in the case the trailer brakes fail! (Stopping distance will be horrible, but at least you will stop, eventually. If the brakes are undersized they will overheat and also fail.)
Trailer Toads and weight distribution hitches do not affect GVWR! All they do is load balance, or in the case of the Trailer Toad provide a solution for the case where your tongue weight is too heavy but you are still within GVWR. You cannot convert a minivan into a 12,000 lb towing machine with a Trailer Toad! Don't try it!
If you want a tow vehicle, buy a tow vehicle! Your family is at risk! You cannot convert a minivan into a tow vehicle with any sort of hitch accessory.
You know the reason for said sticker? to cover their asses from the liability, in case someone where to severely overload it.
I have a vehicle for you to look/compare look up a 19 Expedition max , they can tow like 8500 lbs, but then take a F150 and they can tow like 13k (with worse gearing to boot), even though the drive train and such are the exact same. Brakes are give or take the same (same pads and rotor diameter). The biggest limiting factor? The rear axle weight rating..... so if you control the load on the rear axle, it will easily tow more on the expedition, probably even up to the f150's 13k.... but yes legally per the door jamb sticker you are still limited to the GCVW, but there are ways to get it changed though
@@mr.gearhead9468 Not many F150's can tow 13,000 lbs, the one I had certainly couldn't, and it had a 4.6L V-8. But some of the 2 wheel drive 5.0L's can. Expeditions will never have the same towing capacity because the vehicle is already much heavier with the extra body and seats, so payload is reduced. Also the Expedition has "rear independent multilink suspension", which isn't the same as the F150's solid axle. Expedition suspension is also tuned for a smooth ride, not extra payload. So differences abound. But in the end of the day towing capacity depends on a number of factors, the brakes, engine, and transmission being as important as the suspension and frame. Even the tires factor in. You just can't tow much with a front wheel drive minivan, no matter how many wheels you add. The reason is it doesn't have the gearing to pull all that, probably not the horsepower and torque either, and it doesn't have the vehicle weight or the brakes to stop it safely. You'll smoke the transmission going up hills, and you'll end up relying too much on the trailer brakes which can cause it to fishtail, or you'll warp your rotors, and your stopping distance will be too great. And I haven't even gotten into the flimsy unibody construction of the minivan. Both the F150 and the Expedition have frames. Minivans do not.
If you need to add wheels, you've got the wrong tow vehicle.
How is it to back up? Is the toad motorized to assist with backing up like a motorized trailer dolly?
th-cam.com/video/h53UpaThUMQ/w-d-xo.html
Hello, I'm writing from France. Thoose hitchs are not homologated in Europe. ....
What's scary is towing with a minivan
Does the Trailer Toad tilt when the tow vehicle and the Trailer Toad are on different planes, unequal flat surfaces?
Trailer Toad tilts, axle swivels when turning and the axle is a torsion axle. So each wheel can adjust to plane too.
RIP transmission
Interesting setup to say the least. There are 5 weights that should NOT be exceeded, GCVWR, GVWR, GAWR'S and HRR (Hitch receiver rating). I would like to see 4 scale tickets for this setup for a average trip. TV only, TV & Toad, TV Toad & TT with out WDH hooked up and lastly all with the WDH hooked up.
If I get one , does it work on a Pruis? 😂
In this guys logic as long as you remove the tongue weight a Prius could pull a freight train.
What does it do
Not sure if this is allowed here but I have a used one for sale. Got a new TV and don't need it anymore.
Which model? Asking $$$? Text to 2032329495
Is the e pro and geo pro the same?
James Polucha they are both the same! Same factory, different cosmetics.
Hopefully you have goog insurance to pay me or my family.
Why would I pay you anything? I’ve traveled cross country and just finished our trip to Michigan. We had no unsafe moments at all. It’s amazing how much people overreact to things they can’t understand.
Where can I get one?
Just buy something that can haul it
A better solution would be to get a heavier duty tow vehicle.
This is all wrong and dangerous!! GVWR is based on the weakest link of: axle capacity, !BRAKES!, Engine HP, !Transmission clutches ratings!, and torque at the rear wheels.. If the electric brakes go out on that trailer on the hwy at speed that van will not stop it in a reasonable time. Also if you are carrying more than gvwr=van+trailer+cargo D.O.T. can and most likely will pull you over, give you a huge fine, and impound your trailer, and suspend your drivers lic. If you get in any kind of accident YOU are 100% at fault no mater what happened. You may also be prosecuted for criminal negligence, and if there is kids in the car child endangerment. These are for busses and trucks not for mini vans. Do some research before you hurt someone.
Bro why you so out of breath
This would be illegal in many places
Why is that?
You are confusing tongue weight with gross vehicle weight. Yes that gadget has resolved your tongue weight issue but has added to your gross weight problem. That trailer toad weighs 400 pounds by itself, that added to the 5000 pounds or so on your fully loaded camper and you are way over the rated gross weight for that mini van. Hopefully you don't hurt anybody WHEN the inevitable happens.