Can a MH reverse with toad in an "emergency"?

[ok-rver]

We spent time in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone area the first week of June. Drove the MH in the south entrance, around the east side of the figure 8 and out the west entrance. after passing several great turnouts on the opposite side while we were driving, I picked one to spend lunch at. Zero traffic either way. Swung far right and started a "U" turn into the turnout. It got tight very quickly. The exit we had passed had lots of room. I had about a foot of clearance to trees at my front but uncomfortably close. Will not try that type of turn anytime soon.  The question I have is could the wife have gotten into our Honda CR-V with blue ox tow bar, started the engine and put it in reverse, turn the wheel so that the car followed the rear of the MH as I backed up a couple of feet. It might have helped to release the locks on the tow bars to allow them too float. Could also have pulled the pins in the tow bars, lifted to stowed position and left cable attached. With minimal traffic in this instance, I would have taken 2 minutes to pull pins and cables if I had been stuck. Just wondering if anyone has successfully backed up a small amount.

I am prepared for being told this was not the right thing to do.

[Ivan K]

Haha, certainly not the right thing to do but I have also done it twice for a foot or two straigh back and got lucky, better than getting hit by a train no matter what. You can find pictures of ripped bumpers and bent bars on the net. 

[Guest Ray Davis]

It is considered a no no, however as Ivan said many of us have done it very carefully, but you really need to be straight, and then for a very short distance..

In a tight turn the way you were, no way,  you would surely bend or break something.  You would probably have to disconnect the toad.

I have heard that the steering wheel will suddenly and violently spin all the way to one side.  Anyone trying to control the steering could be injured.

[96 EVO]

I've backed 10' or so when the toad was dead straight behind me, (expected a parked car in front of me to be gone by morning..... it wasn't), but if the toad was at any angle to the coach... forget it!

[Tom Cherry]

Couple of experiences.  
 

First.  1998 Ford Explorer behind my 35 ft WH 22.5K Winnebago.  Dirt road in CG in Florida.  Dry.  Crashed and burned as Maverick would say.  Wheels on Explorer turned quickly and snowplowed. Tires were the standard size.  Only 10 ft or so and in straight line.

Second and Third.  Camelot. 2008 Hummer H3.  Factory larger option tires.  18” and fairly wide.  Backed up in a straight line twice.  Asphalt surface.  Very short or less than 10 ft.  Had DW out as spotter.  No problems.  But only did in an emergency as I overshot the fuel pump thinking the second pump had diesel like the first….and it did not.  The Hummer’s footprint seemed to have excessive “drag” and there was a difference in fuel economy between it and my Yukon, even though the Yukon is about 10% heavier.  Hummer H3 was actually the stock chassis of whatever GM used on their smaller or midsized pick up truck.  Just had a different body.  ONLY DID IN AN EMERGENCY air TIGHT “SPOT”..  Towed the Hummer around 45K.

Fourth, I think,  Towed the full size Yukon, not the XL which is basically a “Suburban”.  Switched in 2016.  Probably have towed 20 - 25 K. Maybe once or twice.  Same scenario as the Hummer.  Had spotter.  Tires are larger, 20”, but all weather or season.  NOT the more aggressive M&S series that was on the Hummer.  Do get maybe a few tenths better fuel economy.  Tires or Boxy “Design” of Hummer or both probably made the Hummer less fuel efficient to tow.

Bottom Line,  Only STRAIGHT or almost straight backup.. NEVER when wheels turned more than 10 - 15 deg.  SLOW.  Spotter outside. NEVER, EVER put a person in the Toad and try to “compensate.  I have a little experience, not much, with steerable farm wagons.  Narrow tires.  Not for the faint of heart. Owned 2 boats, 3 pop ups and a utility trailer of my driving career…some 61 years.  So backing was a way of life…. BUT, backing with a 40+ ft monster and a steerable “chassis” is an art…and one needs to only go there when absolutely necessary.  I think have also “popped” the toad at least 5 times when I misjudged a turn at a fuel stop or something preventing me from going forward.

[jacwjames]

I only do it in an emergency where I don't have a choice and only for short distance.

Things can go south quickly.  I was trying to back up a short distance with my Jeep GC.  The wheels turned quickly and it stopped the coach.  Continued on our trip all the way home and when I was removing the tow bar I took a good look at the extender hitch that I was also using.  It was actually bent a little.  Lesson learned, don't get cocky!!  Just because you get lucky once doesn't mean it won't bit you in the future.

[Scotty Hutto]

Just one solitary data point, but I don’t do it… anymore. 

No pictures, but… circa 2013, 2002 Holiday Rambler Vacationer 34’ with a 2005 Honda Pilot toad. I was a newbie and got in a bind trying to make a u-turn… only needed to back up about a foot.  Bent my tow bar. Fortunately, Roadmaster was able to rebuild it with new arms and I used it 4 more years, but it was a $400 lesson. 🤦🏻‍♂️ After that, I unhook no matter what. (And I’m sure I’ll have another unavoidable situation at some point, but I try really hard not to put myself in a position to ever need to back up with the toad attached, as I’m sure we all do.)

[jimc99999]

The farthest I have gone is coasting about 10 feet straight backward on a slight grade. The wheels on the Jeep Cherokee were just starting to turn but once the caster causes them to start to turn just a couple feet will have them hitting the steering stops and binding. I had my wife watching the front wheels of the toad to tell me when to stop. 

If you have someone in the drivers seat to hold the steering wheel straight, you can (theoretically) back up further in a straight line. The problem is the caster that keeps the wheels straight while you're moving forward will turn the wheels around when you're reversing, like the front wheels on a shopping cart. 

Personally, I would not try backing up at all if you're not already straight, like the OP who had started a turn. From the front of the 30-50K lb vehicle, you will never feel the tow bar and car binding and you bend the tow bar faster than you think.

Also, it's worth having a tow bar that can be released while bound. The original Roadmaster Falcon tow bar had to be pretty straight and couldn't be released under tension, so if you had to unhook where you already started turning you might be in for a struggle. The Roadmaster Falcon 2 All-Terrain bar can be released under tension and is so much nicer to deal with in less than optimal conditions.

When we got rear-ended on the highway I heard the impact and saw the other car in my mirror but barely felt the bump while driving the coach. The toad was hit hard enough to bend the tow bar like a pretzel and bump the coach hard enough to bend the little bumper inside the fiberglass.

 

[Guest Ray Davis]

Don't tell anyone but I have backed up.  As Jim above said you must be straight and go slow and careful.   I've read of people getting hurt trying to hold the steering wheel so I would have them just watch & alert the driver.

Several yrs ago I was talking to the owner of M&G brake ( Mr Melton I think )  anyway he was about 90 then so he may not be around now.  So back to the story,  he told me that he had invented a tow bar that you could back up.   He also said he sold it to Roadmaster where it was never heard of again.   Was it a tall Tx tale?  Who knows but I found him and the story to be quite interesting.

[jimc99999]

15 minutes ago, Ray Davis said:

Several yrs ago I was talking to the owner of M&G brake ( Mr Melton I think )  anyway he was about 90 then so he may not be around now.  So back to the story,  he told me that he had invented a tow bar that you could back up.   He also said he sold it to Roadmaster where it was never heard of again.   Was it a tall Tx tale?  Who knows but I found him and the story to be quite interesting.

The issue with backing up is the caster on the toad's front suspension. No tow bar will be able to prevent that caster from turning the front wheels when you're backing up.

It's in the realm of theoretically possible on something like a Wrangler with lower than typical caster and relatively exposed steering knuckles. But even if it's theoretically possible in that limited case, it's still not very practical considering that those "oops" moments where you have to disconnect so you can back up don't happen very often.