4 down towing vs trailer

If you decide to use a trailer, remember to add the weight of the trainer into the weight of the vehicle when you calculate what you are towing. Lightweight trailers are more expensive but it may be what you need to purchase to stay within your weight limits.

We tow our vehicles with both a trailer and 4-down as well. To deal with the trailer, it is nice to only trailer a vehicle that can also move the trailer. That makes putting the trailer in a storage area, or negotiating smaller rv parks much easier. I prefer the trailer over towing 4-down, because there is less wear and tear on the vehicle, I can back up, and there is room for other stuff. It is easier and simpler to tow 4-down, but some of our vehicles are not 4-down capable.

I say both have a advantage, I can tow 4 down as well as trailer my Jeep when I want to bring my boat, the plus on a trailer is the toad tires are not wore down or the toad brakes and other things, can backup with a trailer and so far I have had no problems parking the trailer, the down side of a trailer is unhooking it when RV spot is back in only, 4 down towing is easy and fast.

But like I said above I can do both and either works fine.

jorbill2or wrote:
Ok here's the pros .. you can back it up. It protects the car, the trailer tires are cheaper to replace but need more often replacement. Storage of addl items and I have room for a workbench and "rolling" tool chest in the front locked down of course. My DW still contract works and needs conference supplies which I store in overhead shelves in the front and rear of the trailer. I can pull it in and strap down in 10 minutes. Traveling the past 9 months from oregon to Indianapolis to Detroit then Tampa and Orlando then back to Dallas Colorado ( Durango) up and down the califonia coast , Reno Vegas , Q and now Anahiem i have always found a place to stay and have had to unhook 2x. Not every park works but somebody always has room and a big pull through where we want to be and yes it may cost a bit more.
Now , I would love to tow 4down ..but current car can't be towed ( Buick Verano ) and DW need the extra supplies and storage.one other point is I would miss my Garage as we call it.
One thing is I have a 03Beaver marquis tag axle and use a 10,000lb enclosed trailer which I am comfortable with as I pulled triple trailers for my prior employer.

Like you, my box tailer is my garage, storage, work bench. and all.
And I've never found a camp ground that wouldn't take us.
biggest draw back, is learning to back it up :)

I think to some extent it can be a financial choice as well as a practical choice. We tow 4-down and like it, BUT... If I had a rig that I could tow a 15-20k enclosed trailer with a lift I could see a Off-roader, a Car, a golf cart, a work bench, a safe, my reloading bench... a smaller bank account...

One would need to essentially go only to true big rig parks as a 40-45 ft RV and a 30-40 foot trailer is a long rig. You need to park the trailer where you can get your vehicle of choice out of it and park your rig, your trailer and your car. Not heading to any $25 a night CGs with that rig!

A small open trailer still will weigh around 3k, plus the car so you need a 10k hitch and you need the HP to tow it. Storage is still an issue.

Many vehicles require no mechanical alteration to tow, you will need lights, a tow bar and base plate. We don't have a dedicated Toad, we use it as a daily driver when home.

In the reality I live in, I stop at a shopping center, unhook the car and we then go home. I back the rig in, no room to turn around in the driveway and backing out to turnaround to hook up would be quite a chore and traffic is also an issue.

So what is right? What is right for you is what is right regardless of what others may say. Just make sure you do your research as some choices are expensive and you'll feel you are stuck. Many vehicles require no mechanical alteration to tow, you will need lights, a tow bar and base plate. We don't have a dedicated Toad, we use it as a daily driver when home.

I dolly towed and four down. Dolly takes quite a bit of time to connect and then crawl under to hookup safety chains. I tow a 2009 Smart Car and a 2016 Smart Car. I love both. They are light weight and easy to hookup. I do understand the advantage to trailering of handling and zero impact on the car but I don't want the trailer. If I wanted to haul some more things however I could understand a trailer that would haul the Smart and other things. I love driving the Smart Car. Boy is the new one special.

If your trip involves heavy duty off-roading in the towed car, an advantage of trailering is you don’t have to fix trail damage until you get home (you just have to get your damaged vehicle back to the trailer).

Ok here's the pros .. you can back it up. It protects the car, the trailer tires are cheaper to replace but need more often replacement. Storage of addl items and I have room for a workbench and "rolling" tool chest in the front locked down of course. My DW still contract works and needs conference supplies which I store in overhead shelves in the front and rear of the trailer. I can pull it in and strap down in 10 minutes. Traveling the past 9 months from oregon to Indianapolis to Detroit then Tampa and Orlando then back to Dallas Colorado ( Durango) up and down the califonia coast , Reno Vegas , Q and now Anahiem i have always found a place to stay and have had to unhook 2x. Not every park works but somebody always has room and a big pull through where we want to be and yes it may cost a bit more.
Now , I would love to tow 4down ..but current car can't be towed ( Buick Verano ) and DW need the extra supplies and storage.one other point is I would miss my Garage as we call it.
One thing is I have a 03Beaver marquis tag axle and use a 10,000lb enclosed trailer which I am comfortable with as I pulled triple trailers for my prior employer.

We have done it all three ways and prefer a little trailer and a little car. No wear and tear on the car, easier maneuvering, you can literally parallel park it, back it into a truck spot etc.

To each his own but the trailer thing works for us.

Never used a trailer, but having gone 4 down after years with a tow dolly, I can seriously say that I would never do anything but flat tow ever again, the ease of hook up and unhooking is incredible!