Are tow Dolly's a Hassle?

[supercub]

I've always tow'd 4 down. I've been looking for a new car............I like SUV's and the choices that can be towed 4 down are very limited.
So, I was just thinking, maybe buy a SUV that I like, just buy a tow dolly. Having never used one..........I'm looking for input...............the pros and cons. Thanks
Brian

[ct78barnes]

I bowered one from a friend and had to hook up in the rain and a long story short got covered in mud as wife spun the tires trying to get up on the dolly. We have towed for the last 6 years and 35,000 miles and like it better. That said it does cost some big bucks to get set up but no Hassle.

[Blaster_Man]

To answer the OP's question, mentioned in the title....YES!

[BillMFl]

I have a MasterTow dolly that is easy to load or unload. Do it by myself no problem. I have two front wheel drive cars and also a van in addition to my Class A. I use the dolly with both cars and both tow vehicles. Simple to use, easy to connect and cost way less than buying all the gear for 4 vehicles to tow 4 down. And at age 72 I have no problem handling it all. If I only owned one vehicle that could be towed 4 down I would go that way. But none of my cars can be towed 4 down and I want the wider choice of tow vehicles that having a dolly allows. I can understand why folks with physical limitations would prefer 4 down. Otherwise its just whatever you might prefer. And a tow dolly can still be useful even if you sell your MH. Doubt if anybody will change their minds about this issue anyhow.

Oh ya, I don't have to unlock the steering wheel either. Maybe other makes of dolly do, but mine doesn't. And the dolly follows every turn perfectly, even in those tight Pilot stations that don't have gas RV pumps like Flying J does.

[Smitty77]

Never had a dolly. But I'd say 'yes' is the answer. More moving pieces, two more set of tires, and watching some setup 'can' be a PITA (but for sure not for all).

That being said, if specific car you want to tow requires a dolly. Then the answer to you is 'no'. And that's all right, as we can all do what works for us:)!

Best to all, be safe, have fun,
Smitty

[Wingn]

I towed with a dolly for years, now 4 down, but I don't see much difference, takes about the same time and never had problem with storage.

[WILDEBILL308]

"Are tow Dolly's a Hassle?"
Like others have said It depends on your health and condition. I towed with a dolly because I had a 2012 Civic that couldn't be towed 4 down. Now I have a 2014 CR-V that can be towed 4 down. I don't plan on going back.
The biggest thing when using a dolly is to follow the manufactures directions EXACTLEY. Some lock the steering some don't failure to do it right will cause damage to your car. I saw a camper pull into a campground with a new Pries on a dolly that he didn't lock the steering (as required with his make) and he had damaged both sides of the car by the fenders of the dolly. He still had the sticker in the window.
Little trick when loading leave about an inch gap between the tier and the front rail. Now you can get the straps tight the first time.
Bill

[tommy_g]

Effy wrote:
I have a dolly mainly because I am forced to based on the vehicles we own.

Pros: You can tow multiple vehicles with the same dolly (provided they can be) without modification - I've used ours to take a car to the shop, help a friend who broke down etc. They are versatile and usually cheaper than base plates bars and aux brake systems. That's about it for the plus side.

Cons - they take up more space for storage, They are heavy and add to your tow weight,they are a PITA to load sometimes, straps are a little scary, it's another set of wheels and axle to maintain, another set of tires to maintain and risk blowout. Did I mention they are a pain to load sometimes?

Given a preference I would tow 4 down, actually looking at getting another vehicle simply for that reason. I tore the front lower fairing off DW's civic last year when it slipped off the ramp and caught the plastic. $1000 later it was fixed. It takes me about 15 minutes to load the car on a good day and no fun in the rain I assure you. Not to mention you get soaked, the tires slip on the ramps etc and it's just such a pain. Then you worry about the straps etc.

But like I said, it's an option if you have no other and it's more versatile. But I hate using ours. I won't have it much longer.

AMEN!!!

[stugpanzer]

My answer is "It depends". We are not full timers and the dolly has served us well. Since I have never towed four down I suppose my perception is its no big deal. The one comment I agree with is the weight of the dolly is sometimes hard to move around. I do have a lighter weight dolly so its not too bad over all.

Now the reason for my 'It depends" answer is the initial cost of four down can be quite expensive and unless you are full timing it just may not be worth the cost. To setup my 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Touring for four down towing it would have cost me $3800 as I would have needed the tow bars, brake system and an oil pump installed. Buying my American Car Dolly cost me about $1200 when I purchased it. If I were full-time I would not have gone the dolly route but rather would have setup for four down towing.

[dmcgiffin]

We use the Dolly for our 2014 Malibu. We bought our motor home after buying the car...stumbled onto a great deal for MH. Not wanting to trade the Malibu for a four down towable I located a Dolly from a private party for $800. I find it easy to load and tows great. I replaced the tie down ratchets and straps from Amazon. I use a foam knee pad when pulling the pin on tongue to load and unload....sure easy on the knees. Putting on the straps for the wheels is no problem. All in all....beats buying a four down towable.

[jorbill2or]

I have a roadmaster dolly that I use because I have several cars that I tow that I don't want to outfit each, the dolly (used) cost half of what outfitting one of the cars would've been.
I load the dolly myself it's quite easy after you've practiced And know what the view is as you load it
The straps are easy to put on but if not tightend will work loose it's not a real problem as the car probably would never come off of there unless you really hit a big bump! But I check them ea stop . mine has a tilting bed , so I drive up on it , put in the pin to lock the bed tilt add the straps on car easy once you get the hang of it leave it in park with the steering wheels locked (the bed actually rotates with my model) and away I drive. 10 minutes tops if the dolly is already on the mh
I have a hitch on the back of my car ( bike rack) and if I need to move the dolly any place I can always use the car to do that.
4 down would be easier if I just had one car or a car that was capable of being towed 4 down , I don't, so this works well for me is it a hassle more than 4 down .. Sure a little but not a real big deal.

[mowermech]

"Are tow Dolly's a Hassle?"

they are if YOU think they are. If YOU don't think it is all that inconvenient, then it isn't.
I have a dolly for the PT Cruiser. I drug that thing from Montana to Tennessee and back, no problem at all.
For moving it, I went to Harbor Freight and bought the "trailer dolly" gadget. This old 70+ COPD afflicted guy can move that dolly no trouble with it (it works great for my ATV trailer, too!)! I have it put together so that I can easily take it apart and carry it in the basement of the coach.
A dolly is just like the fixed arm towbar I used to have. "They" say such towbars are just terribly inconvenient, and impossible to hook up by oneself. I never found it all that inconvenient, and I hooked it up by myself many times.
Towbar or dolly, it is all purely personal opinion! Some swear by them, some swear at them!
I do however, agree with the statement that SUVs usually can not be towed on a dolly, whether 4X4 or AWD or RWD. I have never seen a 4X4 or AWD that can be dolly towed.

[Hikerdogs]

I agree with dbates that there's not much difference between using a dolly and towing 4 down. The most important thing is to get a dolly based on features you want and need. If you consider price alone you're probably going to be disappointed.

We towed our Buick LeSabre on a dolly for 6 years without any problems or hassle. We had a Roadmaster 2000-1 dolly with self loading/storing ramps, electric brakes, built in storage compartments, steerable wheels, and several other features. It isn't the cheapest dolly on the market, but it's easy for 1 person to load and unload. Because of the steerable wheels it follows directly in the path of the rear wheels of the motorhome.

We now tow a Jeep TJ 4 down and there isn't much difference in the time it takes to hook it up and unhook it. The major difference is you need additional storage space at home and at the campground for the dolly.

When we bought the Jeep the original idea was to continue using the dolly to tow it. After reading the owners manual I realized it couldn't be done without risking damage so we purchased a towbar, baseplates, and a braking system to tow it 4 down. The cost of the equipment needed to tow it 4 down was almost exactly the same as the cost of the dolly.

If we purchase another vehicle that couldn't be towed 4 down I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to purchase another quality dolly.

[dbates]

Yes, 4 down is easier but a dolly is not as bad as those above say.
I’ve used my Demco Karkaddy SS for 9.5 years and 51,000 miles.

1. Loading and unloading time takes about 5 minutes longer than 4 down.
2. After a little practice you can do it by yourself without much problem.
3. At 75 it is getting a little harder to move it around but still doable and with a trailer dolly even easier.
4. 99% of the time it can be stored with the tongue down under the rear of the MH.
5. As my knees get older it’s getting a little harder to get down & up to fasten the straps and chains but I use a piece of plastic to kneel on and it is still doable.
6. After I figured out how to strap the toad down (not the way the Mfg. recommends) I’ve NEVER had a problem with a loose strap.

If you’re in good health & patient during the learning curve you’ll get along fine with a dolly.

Dave

PS I too recommend the Demco Karkaddy SS dolly. It may cost a little more but it is so well built, will never rust and can be folded to home store in half its traveling length.

[jonbushsr]

We have multiple vehicles, none of which can be flat towed. However, either of them can be towed with our (Demco SS 450)tow dolly.

Having features like foldable ramps and tongue eliminates the storage issue and a tilt bed and multiple tie down options allow easier loading. A steerable axle and surge brakes also allows easy transport.

Although I'm older (75), I still can use the tow dolly without help.

Jon

supercub wrote:
I've always tow'd 4 down. I've been looking for a new car............I like SUV's and the choices that can be towed 4 down are very limited.
So, I was just thinking, maybe buy a SUV that I like, just buy a tow dolly. Having never used one..........I'm looking for input...............the pros and cons. Thanks
Brian

[Effy]

Effy wrote:
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