tow dolly or trailer????

[campmansd]

I have a class C 32 foot with ford E - 450 Sunseeker by Forest River. I am looking to tow a car behind that can not be towed 4 down. My wife is thinking that there might be a Subaru in her future which means towing 4 up. I could still tow my other car on a dolly. I want to know if any one has used a dolly or a trailer to tow. What do I need to look out for with a trailer?????? or with the dolly???? and how do each pull?????

Thanks Dave

[tenbear]

Dakzuki wrote:

campmansd wrote:
I have a class C 32 foot with ford E - 450 Sunseeker by Forest River. I am looking to tow a car behind that can not be towed 4 down. My wife is thinking that there might be a Subaru in her future which means towing 4 up. I could still tow my other car on a dolly. I want to know if any one has used a dolly or a trailer to tow. What do I need to look out for with a trailer?????? or with the dolly???? and how do each pull?????

Thanks Dave

You need to do your research. Many people flat tow Subarus.

Manual transmission Subarus are towable 4 down with no restrictions. I have towed one for years.

[Dakzuki]

campmansd wrote:
I have a class C 32 foot with ford E - 450 Sunseeker by Forest River. I am looking to tow a car behind that can not be towed 4 down. My wife is thinking that there might be a Subaru in her future which means towing 4 up. I could still tow my other car on a dolly. I want to know if any one has used a dolly or a trailer to tow. What do I need to look out for with a trailer?????? or with the dolly???? and how do each pull?????

Thanks Dave

You need to do your research. Many people flat tow Subarus.

[wbwood]

crasster wrote:
Don't forget about a standard Toyota Yaris. Cheap, reliable, fun to drive, and light. They are small, but not too small, and have been extensively tested for safety. A standard Yaris is 4 down towing. 42 mpg real world. Also many people have testified 350-400k miles before any problems.

I have an 07 Toyota yaris as my daily commuter. 175,000 miles on it with no problems. Gets only 37 mpg though. I'm reluctant to set it up for 4 down towing though. Main reason is the cost. Then I don't know how long I will still have it and don't want to put hundreds of dollars into it for the base plate and turn around need to get a different vehicle. Also, the base plate install includes cutting of the front fascia. If we were full timers, the. I may be thinking differently. But to go on an extended trip (over 3-4 hrs away) only once or twice a year, it's really not worth it. Most of our trips are within that amount of time and not that often. Most trips are within a couple hrs away. And only once or twice a month on a weekend. We either won't take a car or wife can drive a car behind. Or we can simply rent one when we get where we are going. However I might consider a tow dolly. Having to take an extra 5-10 minutes is null to me.

[crasster]

Don't forget about a standard Toyota Yaris. Cheap, reliable, fun to drive, and light. They are small, but not too small, and have been extensively tested for safety. A standard Yaris is 4 down towing. 42 mpg real world. Also many people have testified 350-400k miles before any problems.

[Coach-man]

I have a 2012 Coachmen Prisim, 25' class C with a V6 engine, and I tow a Ford C-Max hybrid on a dolly, with no problems. As pointed out you can not back up with the dolly attached, so you do not get into that situation. At the campsite you usually only get to park two vehicles, the RV and the toad. If you have a trailer, you get to pay for another site, or pay to store it somewhere other than where you are camping. With the dolly, most of it fits under the rear of the RV with no problems. I have towed 4 down so I know what I am talking about. Between the hitch and brake set up you are between $2,000 to $3,000 to get set up, and you must buy a vehicle that you can tow 4 down! It gets expensive. With the dolly, which you can buy new for between $900 and $1,500, you can tow almost any front wheel drive vehicle, nothing special or extra to buy. The people who say it is a PIA usually have not towed with a dolly, and are repeating what someone else said, or just assume it is a problem. To me who has done both, the setup or take down is about the same for either 4 down or dolly towing. It takes about the same time and effort, I will say with the dolly you may have to go down on one knee to pull a pin, some can not or with difficulty do that. That is the good the bad and the ugly as I see it. Good luck.

[Jim_Shoe]

I pull a Jeep Wrangler 4 down. 4 cylinder, 4 speed manual tranny. Once its hooked up to the MH, key to the first click to unlock the steering, gear shift in first(any gear actually), transfer case in neutral, brake off. Ready to roll. Bonus - It's fun to drive.

[tenbear]

Before you take badboy's advice, check your allowable towing weight. I doubt your Class C can manage it.

[John___Angela]

badboy368 wrote:
Nothing but a trailer for me...:B That way you can change vehicles at any time and still use the trailer. plus its safer with brakes on both axles. plus no wear and tear on your towed vehicle. i could keep going but i wont

I have to agree. We have towed extensively both ways. The pros of the trailer outweigh the cons, at least for us. Being able to back up is also nice.

[badboy368]

Nothing but a trailer for me...:B That way you can change vehicles at any time and still use the trailer. plus its safer with brakes on both axles. plus no wear and tear on your towed vehicle. i could keep going but i wont

[tenbear]

Most manual transmission Subarus are towable 4 wheels down with no limits. The automatic must be towed on a trailer.

FWIW, a friend of mine has a car that was not towable 4 wheels down, so they bought a dolly. After the first year he told me he wished he had bought a car towable 4 wheels down instead of buying a dolly.

[Horizon170]

Assuming that you don't have a towing problem with the weight, I offer this:
The GOOD. With a trailer you can back up.
With a trailer you will probably have better brakes if it is a tandem axle.
The BAD: Greater weight means less MPG. Harder to park on site.

The GOOD. With a Tow Dolly, less weight and easier to move around a camp site by hand. better MPG.
The BAD: Can't back up but a few feet before things get out of whack.

The UGLY: Price and Tag for a trailer vs. same for Dolly
Both methods are a PITA.

Solution: Save the cost of trailer and/or dolly and trade vehicles for one you can tow 4 wheels down is what I would do. You can lock the steering wheel and back it like a trailer with very little extra wear to the front tires. You can leave the tow bar on the TOAD or the Prime Mover.

[Nomadac]

I recommend you do a Search on this subject since it has been discussed excessively.

A primary issue for towing a car trailer and vehicle is the total towing capacity of your Class C. I would be surprised if it is more than 5,000 lbs. An open trailer would weigh 1600#+ and an enclosed would be over 2200# to consider, plus the vehicle on the trailer.