"TO tow or not to tow, that is the question"

[Pete Masterson]

Galley size is a big issue. Yes, 'birds tend to have OK sized galleys -- but if you have a 'from scratch' cook (as I do) it can be a little restrictive for a lot of vegetable chopping and other more elaborate food preparation tasks. My wife also likes to cook 2 or 3 meals ahead (to reheat in the microwave) -- and the small oven/cooktop make that more of a challenge for her.

Showers (and bath rooms generally) are usually OK in the WB 'birds and the walk through type work pretty well. But, over time, the lack of size tends to "get to you." It's the simple things -- dropped the soap, once, hit my head on the shower door handle while picking it up and ended up with a big bloody hole in my scalp. (No stitches required, but it was clearly something I've never experienced at home.)

It's true -- with a toad, you generally can't back up -- or not more than 4 or 5 feet, mostly. The toad's front wheels are stable in the forward direction due to the "caster" in the steering geometry. This natural stability works against you when going in reverse. The front wheels can turn the "wrong" way in reverse and potentially, the forces can bend and ruin the tow bar. Putting a spouse in the car to steer is a poor idea, as the forces unleashed can cause the steering wheel to turn very rapidly and without warning. It is unlikely that most people could overpower the forces. It is a potential injury.

One soon learns, when toad is attached, it's a one-way drive. In the past 3 years, we've had to do 'emergency unhooks' about 3 or 4 times. My wife helps, and we've gotten an unhook down to about 2 to 3 minutes, or less. (A rubber hammer can help, if the pins are a trifle uncooperative.) As I've gained experience, emergency unhooks have become rare -- in the past 18 months, we never had to do one...

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

Photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Bluebirdzoom/PeteMasterson#

On May 19, 2009, at 6:03 AM, Fred Bellows wrote:

Rich, one thing to look at specifically, that Pete mentioned, if you're going to be full-timing, or even semi-full-timing, is the size of the bath and kitchen, and how they can annoy you after awhile. I totally agree, and can easily see where that would become the biggest issue, even within just a few weeks. Now, even the older `birds tend to have ok sized galleys, but the bathrooms are smaller, especially the sinks, and, boy, are their showers small!

<snip>

From what I understand, the biggest hassle with toads, is not all these hardware issues and expenses that have been detailed on this thread, but the fact that you can't (hardly) back up.<snip>