Towing issues / updates

63corvette · 08-14-2013, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Fahey

What are the smallest but effective motor homes to buy or rent and safely tow a car?

What maintenance habits should be addressed to keep them safe?

Dan

This is only my opinion and should be taken only as that "MY OPINION'.
I have owned a 23 ft and 33 ft gas motor home and a 40 ft diesel pusher over the years.
All were good units but all were lacking in braking ability with only the load on the motor home itself. Then when you added the trailer it made it worse. The heaviest trailer I ever pulled with any of the units was a 26 ft Pace. You just had to be careful and leave plenty of stopping distance and driving in traffic was always white knuckle driving. Mountain pass driving was a real challenge on the downhill portion even with the diesel pusher and a pack brake and a very light Gold Rush trailer.
Last year I bought a Volvo chassis Motor Coach which has a muffled jake brake which I now pull a stacker trailer with. There is no comparison between the pulling and stopping power of the Motor Coach. The diesel pusher was a 350 HP Cummins on a bus Spartan chassis but did not come close to the stopping power of the Volvo chassis Motor Coach. Daylight and Dark difference.
The ride and comfort of the diesel pusher was much better but I am much more comfortable with the stopping of the Motor Coach on a truck chassis.
Better braking is needed on all motor homes of any size and the Volvo I have now is just like driving a pickup as far as braking is concerned. It will stop and the mountain driving of it is just like a pickup downhill without ever using the brakes and just allow the jake to take you downhill. My eyes were opened to this after owning it for a year now. The jake with the muffler just makes the engine hum, no real noise at all. I should have made this move years ago.
As far as maintenance is concerned it is just like anything else. The list of maintenance items is not any longer than any other vehicle or home. The vehicle is just bigger and the home is smaller but contains the same things and both take maintenance.
Just My 2 Cents
Rick Cates

Dan Fahey · 08-14-2013, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 63corvette

This is only my opinion and should be taken only as that "MY OPINION'.
I have owned a 23 ft and 33 ft gas motor home and a 40 ft diesel pusher over the years.
All were good units but all were lacking in braking ability with only the load on the motor home itself. Then when you added the trailer it made it worse. The heaviest trailer I ever pulled with any of the units was a 26 ft Pace. You just had to be careful and leave plenty of stopping distance and driving in traffic was always white knuckle driving. Mountain pass driving was a real challenge on the downhill portion even with the diesel pusher and a pack brake and a very light Gold Rush trailer.
Last year I bought a Volvo chassis Motor Coach which has a muffled jake brake which I now pull a stacker trailer with. There is no comparison between the pulling and stopping power of the Motor Coach. The diesel pusher was a 350 HP Cummins on a bus Spartan chassis but did not come close to the stopping power of the Volvo chassis Motor Coach. Daylight and Dark difference.
The ride and comfort of the diesel pusher was much better but I am much more comfortable with the stopping of the Motor Coach on a truck chassis.
Better braking is needed on all motor homes of any size and the Volvo I have now is just like driving a pickup as far as braking is concerned. It will stop and the mountain driving of it is just like a pickup downhill without ever using the brakes and just allow the jake to take you downhill. My eyes were opened to this after owning it for a year now. The jake with the muffler just makes the engine hum, no real noise at all. I should have made this move years ago.
As far as maintenance is concerned it is just like anything else. The list of maintenance items is not any longer than any other vehicle or home. The vehicle is just bigger and the home is smaller but contains the same things and both take maintenance.
Just My 2 Cents
Rick Cates

Thanks for this information.
Just came back from vacation in Boone, NC.
Got to see Grandfather Mountain.
Wow did I get a dose of mountain switch backs and steep inclines and downhill.

Figured brakes and braking were the key issue.
However it appears like the Volvo also had a great suspension on twisty roads.
D