Four Down or Car Dolly

[gb76087]

35' Fleetwood, F53, V10. I've been towing a 2007 Chevy Colorado(4000 lbs) four down. I'm in the process of updating to a 2015 GMC Canyon(4500 lbs). My dilemma is whether or not to buy a car dolly and put the Canyon on the dolly or install a base plate on the Canyon and tow four down. Both trucks are 4x4. I am thinking that there is not a significance difference in cost. I also am concerned that there could be more rock chips four down rather than the car dolly. But the dolly adds more weight.
What would you do?

[ThomBoles]

That was a dilemma that we toiled over when we bought our RV. The final decision really came down to my wife saying "You know, whatever the weather; cold, hot, rain, shine getting the car onto a tow-dolly is at best a 15-20 minute process. Do you really want to do that ever time we need to pack and move"
We can pull the car up behind the RV, hook up the tow equipment and be gone in less than 5 minutes 4-down.

[Gjac]

I see you have a gas MH, what is the tow rating? Most are only around 5000 lbs. If your truck weight 4500 lbs unloaded and the dolly weights 500 lbs you are already at your max without your stuff in the bed of the pickup. Also start with the 2019 towing guides and see if your truck can be towed 4 down, then check with the owners manual to verify. The Remco site will tell you what modifications they sell if any for your truck to allow it to be flat towed.

[klutchdust]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Less wear and tear on the truck with a dolly.

How so, I 'm curious.

[mowermech]

I towed our PT Cruiser on a dolly from Montana to Georgia and back. No problems. None of the horror stories often stated on these forums occurred. NONE! I bought a cover for the front of the PT to protect it. The cover worked quite well. It wasn't perfect, but it did the job for which it was designed. Such covers are available for nearly any vehicle. Google it.
Dolly towing is perfect for front wheel drive vehicles. Every 4X4 or AWD vehicle I have ever owned (Jeep, Ford, Chevy, AMC Eagle, Subaru) absolutely forbids towing on a dolly unless the rear driveshaft is disconnected or removed.
In fact, some vehicles are not towable at all without some form of modification. I used to tow a Datsun diesel two wheel drive pickup; I had to get under it and disconnect the driveshaft to avoid transmission damage. It took about 5 minutes.
What does the Colorado Owners Manual say about towing?

[IB853347201]

Heisenberg wrote:
I tow a Colorado. I cannot imagine having it on a dolly.

X2!

[Heisenberg]

I tow a Colorado. I cannot imagine having it on a dolly.

[DouglasC]

Been towing 4 down for 25 years now! Started out in 1993 with a tow dolly - - hated it! The extra work of setting it up (attaching the car) and the problem of where to store it at a campground was a real pain. When the tow dolly got stolen from my back yard I had a base plate installed on my car. (my RVing friends accused me of paying someone to steal it - - they knew I hated it!)

Have installed base plates on 8 cars in 25 years & on my 3rd tow bar - - still worth it IMHO. Would NEVER go back to a dolly.

[Big_Katuna]

gbopp wrote:
I know it's a 4x4 but, make sure it can be dolly towed before buying a dolly.

I agree. Many 4WD/AWD vehicles can’t be towed two down.

[gbopp]

I know it's a 4x4 but, make sure it can be dolly towed before buying a dolly.

[wildtoad]

How much damage has there been for your current truck that can be attributed to being towed versus normal road travel? I’d never go to a dolly unless the towed vehicle required it.

[BarneyS]

Moved to Dinghy Towing forum from Towing.

[theoldwizard1]

Less wear and tear on the truck with a dolly.

[enblethen]

Much easier to tow four down!
Rock chips can be prevented with the proper installation of a clear across mud flap. Make sure it is off the ground as if it drags it will kick up rocks.