Smart Cabrio in a Damon RV coach

[kannonvaggon]

As an option to towing, I myself am carrying a nice new Blue Cabrio in our Damon Outlaw RV. This model RV is on the WH chassis with a 10.5 foot garage in the back under the bedroom loft. We have been hauling a motorcycle sidecar rig this past year but recently got the Cabrio.

There is enough room and capacity for the Smart Fortwo to be easily loaded and secured. There is space to go back and check the tie-downs and get to cabinets and such without having to drop the rear ramp door, which is a GOOD thing I'm thinkin. I'm using E-tracks on both sides and wheel straps from Mac's Custom shop. Takes about 2 minutes to load up and drive the coach away.

So, for those trips where we really need a car rather than a hack rig the Smart works perfectly. It's very good to have choices!

Not ALL Toy Hauler RV's would have the space or more likely the carrying capacity or ramp strength for this " load " but the Damon on the WH chassis worked out fine for us. There are several " show hauler " type coaches and also a couple other class-A coach models where the Smart would work out very nicely. The mid-engined TravelSupreme would work extremely well for those that want to haul in a diesel pusher, and Concept Showhauler makes a nice hauler coach with a floor-level bedroom also.

I have a couple pics of the car loaded in the coach, but of course I'm new on this board so won't post any links until I'm a big boy...


latertaters

[Susie 1382]

Oooooh, can't wait for pictures....

......................................... ........................retirement

[kannonvaggon]

OK, here's a link to a couple pics of the trial loading using a demo car at Lincolnwood in Chicago.

http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/n...ading%20trial/

I haven't taken any pics of our own Cabrio in the coach yet. It IS WAY nicer lookin though.... :-))

Some folks have said there ain't no way to get a car into a " toy hauler " but I'm here to tell ya it ain't so ....

latertaters

[kannonvaggon]

Well, our Cabrio has worked out just peachy riding in the back of the motor coach and being crapped out the back end like a load of used burritos...

We've been out on the road for most of the last month, from northern Illinois out to the east coast and up the tidal basin of the Chesapeake and through Pennsylvania, etc... The car has worked perfectly and rides nice. No problems with loading or anything. I've been loading the car up the ramp in reverse to get that little extra bit of weight as far forward as possible, but to tell the truth ya can't tell much if any difference in the manners of the coach.

The heavy tie-downs have worked well, from Mac's custom shop. Very nice quality items. The car doesn't move at all back there.

It's been so hot and rainy on most evenings out east that I'm glad we had the Cabrio with us on this trip instead of our usual sidecar motorcycle rig. Air conditioning GOOD. Wet clothes BAD ....

The car now has 2000 miles on it without any operational problems.

[Derekb]

That is a sweet setup. I wonder if the garage coaches with the electric liftgate have enough capacity for the smart???

Derek

[kannonvaggon]

I know the "show hauler" type custom coaches using mostly Freightliner chassis often have a heavy duty lift gate that can handle a Smart with no problems. I don't think most " toy hauler " type Super Cs would have the capacity and weight limits to deal with a Smart, and I know most of the lift gates are chain drive electric units which have a limit of about 1600 lbs usually. This is not nearly heavy duty enough.

One can always get a heavier class lift gate I'm thinkin. I don't like the lift gate system for loading a sidecar rig or a Smart myself. I'm stickin with a ramp. When I visualize backing the Smart onto a lift gate I get a touch of the vapors. The deal with getting it on and off the gate and getting into and out of the Smart and operating the lift alone gives me the creeps. It would work real nice for a motorcycle or such, but I prefer a ramp for the Smart.

I've loaded several times from wet grass and a couple times where the coach was at a height that gave the ramp some extra angle... but never had any real problem getting up the ramp. If ya doddle around getting up into the coach the Smart will indeed give a bit of wheel spin when it gets on the metal of the hinge area. If you think a Smart can't spin it's wheels ya would be mistaken. As long as ya go up the ramp and don't stop and restart again there isn't any slippage even with a wet ramp and tires.
The Damon happens to have a recessed style of ramp where the garage floor is sloped down the last couple feet which allows the ramp angle to be a bit less even though the garage floor is quite tall off the ground. Backing in up the ramp is a bit "blind" but can be done. I suggest a "stop chock " be used in front so the driver can know exactly where to stop when loading without a helper. Getting the car centered on the ramp and clearing the mirrors and stuff is not as difficult as it might seem, but some care must be taken. There is plenty of room for the car, but there is pretty much one sweet spot to park the car in the garage so the driver door has room to open easily AND there is room to get to the opposite side tiedown stuff without crawling around on the floor and gettin all sweaty and dirty from the tires...

Hey , this stuff ain't fer SISSIES. We are professionals, don't try this at home kiddies...
he said, as he slid down the side of the ramp.....

:-))

[Kazz330]

that is the biggest Rv i have ever seen.

[schtdygirl]

I receive Travel Trailer magazine and they actually had a picture of a toy hauler that loaded a smart from the side of the unit.

[kannonvaggon]

I don't think one can actually have a TT that can haul a Smart sideways due to the maximum width allowed to be legal. I think with normal wall thickness you could only get a maximum of 98 inches? That ain't enough for the model 451 Smart...

There are some coaches that are WAY bigger than ours. Check out the Concept Showhaulers made in Shorewood, Illinois. They have a full bedroom at floor level IN FRONT of the full garage and THEN they have the Freightliner front end sticking out front. Our coach comes in right at 40 feet, and some of the huge haulers are right at 50 feet long. That is just too much coach for me to try to get into most parks... but I can still lust after them....

I like the Travelsupreme ME model that is a 47' diesel coach with a removable end cap and hydrolic lowering floor that is made just for hauling a Smart under the bedroom floor. Fortunately for my wallet the company recently went the way of all flesh in this era of high fuel prices...

We like the Damon just fine. It does the job and isn't all THAT expensive. It serves us quite well to haul our stuff and just the two of us and a fat beagle...
Ya just can't look at the dollars spinning around at the gas pumps. Just stare straight ahead. Do NOT watch the pump spinning or you'll get a touch of the vapors....

[dcrooks]

I want one!