Best method for towing a car

rv2go wrote:
...you might find a tow dolly with brakes a lot cheaper than you can fit a toad with brackets, brakes, lights and and tow bar. You can even back up with most.

IMO, towing 4 down is a lot easier but does have it limits. Almost no backing up being the main one.

Actually, backing up is not recommended and very risky for either (dolly or 4 down with a tow bar).

However, if you're cautious and know what you are doing, in many cases you can back up with either (dolly or 4 down). I've done it with both, and the risks, challenges (reasons for not doing it!) are there for both. You can only go STRAIGHT back, no angle whatsoever, and have to go very slooowly.

Big difference with 4 down towing, as already said, is that when you do get into a situation where you must back up, unhitching to allow such is much, much easier with a 4 down setup.

What year CR-V? Really doesn't matter, CR-Vs either front wheel drive or AWD are towable 4 down. I understand you can tow a 2WD on a dolly, but I much prefer to tow 4 down. We have a 2013 AWD CR-V set up to tow 4 down. Regards, Dick

Moved from Forum Technical Support

I would make sure that your CRV is in fact a front wheel drive and not an "all wheel drive" If it is in fact an All wheel drive you can indeed tow it 4 wheels down, but not on a tow dolly. the safest way is to look in your CRV owners manual index under "towing behind a Motor home" and go to that page and read the directions and procedure for preparation for towing. Good luck

IMHO you need to do two things: 1. Check your manual to be sure that your EXACT make/model/transmission is towable.
2. Check with REMCO to verify that. The reason I say this is that I planned on purchasing a Toyota for 4 wheel down towing after being assured by the salesman, manager, mechanic and service manager that my model was towable. Manual was silent. I put a deposit on a new one, went to Camp World to find out about the towbar, etc. for this vehicle. They checked their computer and told me Remco said it could NOT be towed 4 down. Went back to Toyota dealer and went through the above mentioned people, before the service manager called Toyota and received assurances it could be towed. Not satisfied, I had the service manager call Remco. About 10 minutes later, he came out and said the vehicle was indeed NOT Towable 4 down. Cudos to camp world who wouldn't sell me the towbar and related equipment.
I did find a towable pickup,and purchased all of the necessary equipment, including a braking system for the toad. I would not tow without a braking system because of the extra assistance it gives my MH to stop with. In my case, I use the airbrake for the toad, tied into my MH's braking system (air)
I also had the truck wired for towing and don't regret it. Yes, portable lights may be cheaper, but more problem than wiring the vehicle.
I used to tow on a dolly (Honda Civic) and while it was OK, now that I use a towbar, I don't want to go back.

Many opinions about towing.
Economically, you might fine a tow dolly with brakes a lot cheaper than you can fit a toad with brackets, brakes, lights and and tow bar. You can even back up with most.

IMO, towing 4 down is a lot easier but does have it limits. Almost no backing up being the main one.

The CRV is a perfect toad....and there are lots of them behind MHs.
Check your owners manual to make sure that you can in fact tow that particular model.

4-down is the better way to go, unless your vehicle can't be towed that way. It is easier to hook up and un-hook. It will cost a bit more than some of the less expensive dollies.
Dollies and trailers will give you the option of towing different vehicles...while you would have to get a different tow-bar for each 4-down vehicle you wanted to tow. I you only plan to use the CRV, you should be fine.

You can't back up a 4-down or a dolly, though it's easy enough to disconnect the 4-down if you need to back-up.....another plus for the 4-down.

A tow-bar (4-down) will take up very little room when you get to the CG. A dolly or trailer will be a problem at some CGs.

Congrats on the new RV:)

well this question probably should have been asked before you bought your toad, but I think you did well in spite of that. My preference was to tow 4 down, no trailer or dolly for me. I recommend a tow bar that stays on the rear of the RV and has levers to release it, not slip rings.
bumpy