Towing small cars (often called toad or towed) behind motor homes has become popular as a way of providing transportation after the motor home is parked at a camp site. Towing a car differs from towing travel trailers or fifth-wheel trailers. Very little hitch weight is involved when the car is towed on all four wheels and only minimal hitch weight is involved when the car is towed on a dolly.
If you wish to tow a vehicle behind your motor home, you need to consider whether or not your motor home can handle the extra weight under all conditions (i.e., climbing steep hills or mountains). Your vehicle must have sufficient power to climb grades without holding up traffic and its braking power must be sufficient to stop the combined weight of the motor home plus the car and/or tow dolly effectively.
Motor home chassis manufacturers provide limits on gross combined weight (motor home plus car).
If you are towing a car, be sure the hitch attachment on the motor home is secure. Hitch weight ratings are usually stamped on the hitch assemblies. The tow bar attachment is also a concern because of the integrated frame construction used in most small cars. If you use a tow bar, safety chains are required, but a breakaway switch is not.
Fully operational tail, brake, and turn signal lights are required on the towed car.
It’s easy to forget you are towing a car when driving a large motor home because you can’t see it. So remember to allow extra space when entering a freeway or passing another vehicle so you won’t cut off the other driver. Your vehicle combination cannot exceed 65 feet. However, cities and counties may prohibit vehicle combination lengths over 60 feet, when posted.
One other thing to consider… in most states, you may only tow a single vehicle without a special endorsement or driver license. You may not tow two vehicles or trailers with a typical drivers license. (Example: You cannot tow a boat trailer/boat and car behind your motor home or pickup/camper.)
