Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

Hi,

I have a 24RB and don't want to tow a car. I would like to find a way of visiting attractions without taking the coach. I thought a small scooter or cycle would be a good option, but I know nothing about them. I want it to be road legal, and light enough to put onto a 2" hitch mounted carrier or platform. Does anyone have any ideas? I would appreciate any input you might have.

Thank you, Judy

Judy: Unless you are young and healthy and your bones heal quickly, beware of motorcycles,motorbikes and similar invisible conveyances.
I rode a motorcycle for several years, but that was many years ago, but some of the lessons learned then are still valid now.: 1) The average motorist who is in a rush to get where he is going is looking for a big visible automobile at an intersection and not on a kid on a bicycle. You are , for all purposes invisible and therefore vulnerable. 2) The weather is not always sunny and warm, and the clothing requirements can be cumbersome. 3) A motorcycle is no match for a wild animal, and there is none of the protection of surrounding steel. Wild animals include cats, dogs raccoons.possums,as well as bears, deer and moose. If you chose to carry an auxiliary vehicle with you be sure to have a well written will with good instructions for your next of kin. We once carried a motorbike from our home in South Carolina to Arizona and on to California and home without taking it off the rack, which was a good rack and is for sale for less than half price, if you are still interested.

I've camped at state parks that do not allow motorcycles. I don't think it is fair (I ride locally a small motorcycle myself) but you could be limited as to where you can ride

Judy, have you considered bicycles?

Roger

Judy, I carry a Yamaha model TW 200 on the back of my BF 24rb. I purchased a Joe Hauler rack with a carry rating of 600lbs, however the bike only weights 265lbs. I added a Roadmaster anti-sway bar to help with the steering control due to the added combined weight of appx. 400lbs. I have been riding motorcycles for over 50 years and do not recommend learning to ride unless one is in there 20s' or early 30s'.

Bill Frank has learned over the years that a different set of rules apply to defensive driving with a motor cycle.

Good advice folks (i love this site). What do people have against towing a car? There are many small, very economical tow vehicles available and you do not have to buy new. The new tow bars and braking systems are relatively affordable and work great and towing is a very simple and safe proposition. We won't leave home without our "toad".

The biggest problem with a Toad is that with some types of tow-bar it takes two people to hitch and un-hitch. We tow a Chevy Tracker 4WD Convertible that we take along everywhere. It has the Born Free spare tire in the hatch space which doesn't leave much room for anything else, but the 4WD has gotten us out of trouble a couple of times. The penalty is about 1 or 2 mpg, and anyone who has towed a fifth wheel will have no problem with the length.

Bill,

Purchasing the appropriate tow bar will eliminate requiring two people to hitch and unhitch so that is not a valid reason to avoid towing.

We considered other Trackers but went with the 4 door for the reason that you mentioned, not enuff storage room in the convertible or 2 door models.

I agree with the 1 or 2 mpg penalty (our experience is 10 mpg towing vs 12 mpg not towing) but we believe this is somewhat mitigated by the extra miles that we avoid driving the motor home by having the use of a smaller, more efficient vehicle to buzz around in (taking long day trips, etc). What comes to mind is all of the driving around in Yellowstone and in the Rockies that we did that I can't even imagine doing in the BF. We minimize miles on the BF by using the "base camp' concept.

The Tracker has been great. We also have a newer AWD Saturn Vue which we tow less frequently but also tows well (but more of a "city car"). However, our next tow vehicle will be lighter and more fuel-efficient than either of these.

Regards,

Bob

Robert D. Grant wrote: However, our next tow vehicle will be lighter and more fuel-efficient than either of these.

Honda Fit or Smart ForTwo? Both are towable with automatic transmission and get excellent gas mileage.

Bill

My current toad is a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS and earlier towed a 1998 Malibu. All Malibu's since 1997 can be towed 4 wheels down without automatic transmission modification because the transmission used is rated for this purpose.

I keep rather extensive gas consumption record on my V10 gas BF coach and my experience is that on average I get 8.6 MPG with the toad and 9.1 MPG without the toad - only a 0.5 MPG difference vs the 1 to 2 MPG difference reported by others.

I have pulled a jeep wrangler with the Foretravel over 185,000 miles in the last 6 years. I do not tow it with the 24 foot Bornfree. It is not a problem to hitch at all. I can hitch break camp in less than ten mins. I do not tow and have not had an issue going anywhere in the Bornfree. That includes cities like washington DC and even NYC. They are very manuverable adn most places you want to go have to be served by a truck or be able to get a firetruck in there. Many people find the BF a large vehicle but it is really not that big in relation to others out there and I will say that not towing means I can back up and I can park in a car spot. To put it another way, long bed crew cab Dually pickup is one foot shorter than my BF so I take it anywhere but parking garages and places where they do not allow propane.

John,

Bet you haven't taken it over the "Going to the Sun Road" in Glacier National Park. And if I had been driving my Born Free in Yellowstone that one day I would have been hit head on by the pick up truck (with a little girl in the box!) that came flying around a mountain curve in the middle of a narrow road. Either that or we would have gone off the side of the cliff. As it was, the RH tires of my Tracker were on the edge of the cliff and he missed my LH mirror by millimeters.

Bob

I usually either tow my 4x4 Tracker convertible (i.e. "Poor Man's Jeep") or my 12x6' Pace trailer, with my motorcycle inside. It's like having a small garage behind you, and holds my gear, outdoor stuff, etc. My bike is about 400 lbs., and easy to roll on or off. I've been riding for 20 years, and annually take the experienced rider course as a refresher. I always wear protective gear and assume that I am not seen. That said, I am now using a helmet video cam for twisty roads, and will relive the experience from my nursing home bed.

GOing to the sun road is a Jeep run but you can rent a car for that particular one. As to Yellowstone and hitting a pickup or car that is not really an issue.If I was driving a pick up instead of a jeep sure we could have hit but you do what you have to do in order to avoid the accident. If it is going to happen it will happen whether you are in a Motorhome or a tracker or a motorcycle. I have a bike and a motorhome and take the one that fits the bill and hope that no one runs into me.

Robert D. Grant wrote:John,

Bet you haven't taken it over the "Going to the Sun Road" in Glacier National Park. And if I had been driving my Born Free in Yellowstone that one day I would have been hit head on by the pick up truck (with a little girl in the box!) that came flying around a mountain curve in the middle of a narrow road. Either that or we would have gone off the side of the cliff. As it was, the RH tires of my Tracker were on the edge of the cliff and he missed my LH mirror by millimeters.

Bob