Since living in an RV full-time is a lifestyle, not an endless vacation, a full-timer needs an everyday vehicle get around locally. There are a lot of options.

Travel trailer users already have a vehicle, but the larger the unit, the larger the tow vehicle. Fifth wheels have a truck. The good news is that you can detach the truck and use it as a daily vehicle. The bad news, for some, is that your daily vehicle is a truck.

Motorhomes are built on a truck or bus chassis, and they can easily pull a trailer or vehicle. Such a vehicle is affectionately known as a toad. What to pull and how to pull it are related questions. Here are some options:

• a rack or deck fastened to the bumper hitch assembly without wheels
• attaching a special towing assembly directly to the vehicle so it runs flat on its own tires
• pulling a tow dolly with the vehicle's front wheels secured on the dolly
• pulling a cargo trailer where the vehicle is riding totally on it
• and, of course, having your spouse drive behind

Racks and decks are useful for bicycles, electric bikes, small motorbikes, etc. A small ATV can fit, but it needs to be street legal to be useful as an everyday unit. I have seen a small three-wheeled motorbike that would work and is road-ready.

Towing options

But the majority of RVers tow, either with a directly connected tow bar (known as flat towing) or with a tow dolly. The tow vehicle can be a car, SUV or small truck. Either way, it's a toad. There are pros and cons to each method.

Note: Different states and provinces have slightly different rules for towing, but as long as you comply with the regulations where you are registered, other jurisdictions will accept that.

A toad needs to be modified to be towed flat by an RV. Linkage arms need to be securely attached to the front frame of the toad. Cost will depend on the vehicle, from $200 to $1,000.

Towing flat requires a special tow bar, such as a Blue Ox. It's mounted on the back bumper of the RV and folds up flat to the bumper when not in use. You can only tow that car, or another one similarly modified. If you sell the car, you have to spend again to ready a new one.

The car must be a standard transmission or one of the few models of automatics that can be towed flat. The Family Motor Coach Association website has lists of towables for members, and MotorHome Magazine also features a useful list by make and model.

A tow dolly is a two-wheeled trailer. They have a longish tongue to keep the car away from the RV while turning. There is a tray sitting on the axle, along with ramps that drop down to load the toad and snap back up when the toad is on the tray. The car is secured by straps (called bonnets) that slip over the front wheels, and are ratcheted down securely.

In either case, if the vehicle being towed weighs more than 2,500 pounds, then an auxiliary braking system is required. Many tow dollies include an electric braking system. In-car alternates such as a brake buddy and similar devices can be found at RV dealers or trailer equipment stores.

This is another reason why many folks use smaller cars as toads. In my case, I tow a small Hyundai Accent and have never had issues like that. But, of course, driving a large RV with a toad demands your complete attention and awareness of road and traffic conditions.

Some vehicles have connections for the brake lights. Otherwise, you will need a set of auxiliary lights mounted on the rear of the toad and connected to the RV braking system. Some have strong magnets and some fit into the trunk lid edge. All large RVs have connector wiring for this. There is more than one style of connector, so check your RV for the right one.

Pros and cons

Note: Whether flat or dolly, "reverse" is no longer in your vocabulary. We drive by a simple rule. Don't enter a lot, gas station, restaurant, etc., without being sure of room to turn around or exit.

Towing flat is, I think, slightly easier on the tow RV. Connecting the tow arms is straightforward, but the brake system can be a hassle. On the road, the toad tracks behind easily, but sudden bumps can be a problem. The tow arm can act as a lever and bounce the toad more than the RV.

This is also true when pulling into a gas station with a shallow ditch at the entrance. Toad hub caps and rims can be damaged. A taller auto such as a Jeep, SUV or small pickup is less susceptible to this. The front end is more likely to suffer stone chips and other road hazards so a car bra or towing shield is a good option.

On the plus side, when arriving at a camp, you don't need a pull-through site, just room to disconnect.

Tow dollies present different challenges, especially with smaller, fuel-efficient cars. In many cases, the front bumper of the toad is low to the ground, and scrapes the dolly axle when loading. Use a 2x10 or 2x12 plank that is a foot longer than the ramp and place it on the ramp. This raises the car and changes the angle of the ramp. Once the toad is loaded you can pull out the ramps and store them in the trunk.

We use a variation of this. I constructed a ramp using 5/8-inch plywood, reinforced by 2x2's. This reduces the weight. If you choose, you can fasten this ramp to the tow dolly. If you do this, be sure to fasten it securely. The ride is bumpy, and having it come loose while on the highway is not fun. Do not ask why I know this.

When camping along the way, your Passport America guide can pinpoint parks with pull-through sites so you don't have to unhook for one or two nights.

Tie-down bonnets are a series of heavy-duty cargo straps sewn together to sit over the top of the tire. The rear of each bonnet has one or two hooks that attach to the dolly under the back edge of the front wheel. The front end has a longer tongue. Typically, this is fed into a ratchet handle that is connected to the dolly and ratcheted down.

With smaller toads, this can create another problem. This type of ratchet needs to be opened like butterfly wings to discharge the strap, and there may not be room under the toad fender to do this easily. My solution was to weld a small winch to the front. The winch is rated for 10,000 pounds and is quick and easy to set up and release.

A good option for a tow dolly or small trailer is a trailer jack. The jack is bolted to the tongue of the dolly. When the dolly is parked, the jack swivels down and can be used to raise or lower the tongue off the towing knob. The better ones have a dolly wheel on the bottom to make attaching the dolly to the hitch a one-person job.

Cargo trailers are another option. Trailers need to have a separate trailer license. They need their own brake lights attached and may need to meet other requirements. With a trailer, the vehicle sits right off the ground and is better protected. With them, you can also back up on occasion, just be careful.

Motorbikes, ATV and small cars (think Smart Car) can be loaded on a medium-sized, one-axle trailer. There are a number of ways to secure the vehicle using cargo straps and ratchets or winches.

Larger toads need a full, two-axle cargo trailer. In some cases, such as motorbikes or ATVs, and enclosed trailer is a good choice. Pulling one is more work for the tow vehicle, so make sure your unit can handle the load.

My wife and I use the tow dolly when traveling north and south. Once down south, we move every two or three weeks and seldom more than 100 miles at a time. We park the dolly at a central camp, and she follows me in the car from camp to camp until it's time to go north again.

After one season of no daily vehicle, we are of the view that the hassle of towing is worth the cost.