When we graduated from our travel trailer to a Thor ACE 30.1 Class A, going with a TOAD was part of the deal. We bought a 2015 Mini Cooper S with an automatic (knees are much too old for a stick). For a tow dolly we were considering ACME and American Car Dolly and went with the American Car Dolly. Main drivers were price (ACME with shipping was about $1000 more than the American) and the fact that American is local to us (we are in SE Denver metro area and American is just down the road in Ft Morgan) and delivery to my door was included in the price.
After a season of towing the dolly, including a 2500 mile R/T to northern California we've learned a few things
- The Mini has no problem getting up and down the ramps - a real concern with a very low clearance vehicle. I do have a couple of 2x6 blocks about a foot long that I use at the end of the ramps occasionally if the terrain isn't completely flat when loading/unloading.
- I do have to strap down the Mini steering wheel because it doesn't lock. However, I'm not sure of the value as the strap tends to work it way loose with no apparent effect. Despite all the talk about front wheels turning and not turning, I'm not convinced that there is any real reason to tie down the steering wheel. I think that if I don't all that will happen is that things will balance - if the cradle turns, the wheels don't turn (or turn only a little). Seems to me that the turning cradle was a response to the days when almost all vehicles had locking steering wheels and you had to have the turning base. If you have non-locking steering, I don't seen a reason to have to lock down the steering even if you have a turning cradle. (and the American cradle bolt looks like something you'd see on a high pressure vessel, so I have no concerns about it ever failing.)
- I've had problems with the American Car Dolly brake controller being too sensitive. I've had issues with brakes locking up on gravel and grabbing in slow speed traffic even when the gain is turned way down. No sure why but the Mini might be too light. This season I'm going to use my old Tekonsha P3 controller and see if that works better. At least I'll have gain control at the drivers seat and be able to turn if off if I need too.
- We use magnetic stop/turn lights on the roof of the Mini - I didn't want to get into digging into the real light wiring. I found a 4 pole plug wye cable to tap the signals off the motorhome. When I pull the American brake controller, I'll have to find a way to tap into the wiring a different way as I will need to plug the 7 pin into the motorhome 7 pin connector. With the American brake controller, all you use is a 4 pin. I'm searching for a adaptor that would have 7 pin pass through with a 4 pin tap, but it looks like no such thing exists.
- The Mini has nowhere to tie down safety chains. Last season I make sure I checked the wheel straps every hour of so and found that they often needed adjustment. This season, I've gotten some Blue Ox cables to run through the wheel spokes and will tie them to the dolly. Method to be determined when the weather clears enough to be able to bring the ACE home and try things out. Might be March/April.
- I think part of the need to make frequent strap adjustments is the small wheels on the Mini sliding on the cradle. Its a couple of inches wider than the tires so I'm going to look at adding blocks to the cradle so the tires won't slide back and forth (back while accelerating, forward while braking).
- I also have bought a couple extra sets of premium straps from American. The original set seemed to stretch more than I'd expected and with the small Mini tires (and above mentioned sliding) I was starting to pull the tire top straps to almost down to the ratchet. Plus while crossing Nevada it occurred to me that if I had a failed strap, I'd be in trouble, so we will now be traveling with an extra set
