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The Trailer-Toad is a very unique piece of equipment
that is engineered to be a load-bearing equalizer hitch assembly.
The Trailer-Toad is an extension of the existing receiver
hitch you are currently using. It hooks directly into the
receiver and is designed to carry the tongue weight of the
trailer, take the weight off the hitch and return the balance
the motor home was designed to have.
The removal of the extreme tongue weight will save rear frames
from damage, the sidewalls and floors will not be damaged
by flex and stress. The Trailer-Toad is designed to carry
the tongue weight by utilizing a Tor-flex axle and a super
duty steel frame. The tongue weight is absorbed and carried
by the axle and tire combination of the Trailer-Toad.
The Trailer-Toad is easy to get hooked up to the tow vehicle
and hooks to the trailer just like any equalizer hitch would.
One of the unique features of the Trailer-Toad is you can
use it behind different tow vehicles and with different trailers.
I use it behind my Class C Ford-powered motor home to tow
my 32’ Optima Trailer and two dragsters. When the motor
home isn’t hooked up we can haul the trailer with our
F-150 or even my Isuzu Trooper. (I know, the Trooper would
be a stretch if the dragsters were in there, but the Trooper
can now move it around and before I had the Trailer-Toad the
trailer crushed the Trooper.)
One question I had when I first considered buying a Trailer-Toad
was “how does it back up?” That question was answered
simply, “Hook the reverse lock-bar to the axle and it
is just like backing up a trailer with a regular hitch.”
Well, they were exactly right. Drop the reverse lock out bar
from it’s holder on the frame, slide it over the stud
on the axle and the frame and axle are locked. Backs up like
it wasn’t there.
Now that we know it is built strong, well engineered and
can be backed into the driveway easily let’s deal with
how it works.
I hooked the Trailer-Toad up behind my motor home and left
for the Million Dollar Race in Memphis. We checked the lug
nuts at 25 miles and 100 miles. We torqued them to 90 ft.
lbs at each stop and some had loosened a little so DO NOT
OVERLOOK this step. This is a good maintenance idea for any
new wheels or even wheels that have been removed to service
the wheels or hubs.
The first thing we noticed was how SMOOTH the ride was going
down the highway. Hitting the bridge entrances and going through
rough sections of roads was VERY SMOOTH NOW. Before you could
feel the road shock and even watch the TV we let ride on the
bed in back bounce in the air. With the Trailer-Toad the TV
hardly bounced, there were no “hard hits” going
through the structure of the coach, and there was more stability.
The Trailer-Toad lets the tow vehicle set at factory ride
height and the tow vehicle retains its factory balance. This
means much more effective braking and less skidding from unbalanced
weight loads caused by overloaded hitches.
SAFETY is one of the main benefits, as your braking, handling
and control will all be enhanced. The Trailer-Toad carries
a pretty stout price but it is a heavy-duty piece of equipment.
It is an investment that I decided to make to protect my motor
home from damage. Since it can be unhooked I know it will
last me a long time and will see a lot of use. They retail
for about $2500. Is that too much for a racer or anyone who
wants to improve their towing experience? I don’t think
so, not when you figure a good enclosed trailer is worth about
$10,000 to $20,000, motor homes range from $10,000 to over
$100,000 for diesels and most enclosed trailers will have
about $30,000 to $100,000 worth of race cars inside them.
If you are towing with your equalizer hitch and lift bars
cranked up to the max, front tires skidding when you have
to stop quickly, windy days make you want to stay home, your
knuckles get white when an 18-wheeler passes you and you are
tired of the “teeth-rattling” ride you are getting
due to overloaded springs and chassis? Then my suggestion
is do some research on the Trailer-Toad, it could be what
you are looking for to make your towing to the races A LITTLE
EASIER ON YOU AND YOUR TOW VEHICLE.
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