Old Lady & tow dolly. Can this relationship work?

[Getup_ngo]

Yikes! Think I've made a big mistake.

Last week I got all, "I've got to do my part to save the planet!" and traded in my flat-tow Honda CRV for a Toyota Prius -- for which I will need a tow dolly. I was just watching some YouTube how-to videos on tow dollies, with the explanations being provided by hunky, strong men. My question is whether I will be strong enough to do all that. In theory it seems simple. But there is a lot of ground-crawling and cranking. Do any of you use tow dollies? Or will I need to buy a second vehicle to flat-tow?

I'm a healthy, 5-foot-tall, 66-year-old woman. I've been motorhoming (is THAT a verb?) it solo for a dozen years, always flat-towing a CRV. But now I am in (impulsive) unknown territory.

Any suggestions (or reassurance??) from those two-wheel tow-ers?

[mkirsch]

If you think you can't, you're right. In other words, you're shooting yourself in the foot before you even try by doubting your capabilities.

Loading a small car on a tow dolly doesn't seem like anything that any average person should be incapable of doing. Drive the car up on, throw the straps over the wheels, ratchet them down.

[IB853347201]

tropical_ron wrote:
I'm surprised no one has chimed in with the proven solution for flat towing later model used crv. We tow a 2010 crv. After several instances of dead bettery we bought a remote fuse switch that solved the problem. Note newest year Honda's cannot be flat towed because of different transmission now being used. Do a search for honda towing and you will find many posts.

This sounds like the way to go if the CRV is your vehicle of choice.

[tropical_ron]

I'm surprised no one has chimed in with the proven solution for flat towing later model used crv. We tow a 2010 crv. After several instances of dead bettery we bought a remote fuse switch that solved the problem. Note newest year Honda's cannot be flat towed because of different transmission now being used. Do a search for honda towing and you will find many posts.

[Nutinelse2do]

Chevy Sonic 1.8L is a killer, super comfy little car. As someone mentioned, the C- Max is eco friendly, and cute.

I’m a female, 5’2” ,and there is no way I would consider anything other than a 4 down toad.

Older would be Suzuki Grand Vitara, Geo/ Chevy Tracker, Suzuki Samurai.

A battery charger connected to your motorhome will take care of any battery issues.
Too bad the adorable Buick Encore, and Chevy Trax are not towable. They are the cutest newer, small SUV’s.

[Grit_dog]

Getupngo, you're awesome! Funny quip about your new car too!

Honestly, I don't think you'll have an issue with it, once you get used to it.
The heaviest "work" is probably wheeling it into place and hooking it up, IMO. After a couple times, it'll be old hat. You drove onto it, throw the tire straps over it and ratchet them down.
Don't be intimidated by it unless you can't physically maneuver the dolly onto or off of the hitch.

[Big_Katuna]

You can also tow a Honda Element. I have towed two; and am towing an 011 now.
It has a CRV drivetrain.

It’s the Navi that runs the battery down and a charging wire will prevent that from happening.

The trailer was a bad idea.

An early to mid 2000 Jeep might be fun.

[freddmc]

Here is my comparison as I have used both.

As for the tow dolly being easier/better, etc. I already own a tow dolly that I have been using and here is the difference.

1.Flat towing.

Attach tow bar to brackets on Mini.
Drive Mini up behind motorhome and attach tow bar to motorhome.
Hook up safety chain.
Plug in Aux. wiring.
Total Time Approx. 3 minutes.

At Campsite
Unhook tow bar and disconnect it from Mini
Store tow bar

2.Tow Dolly
Get tow dolly out from storage area (may require 2 people to move it)
Attach tow dolly to motorhome.
Connect Electrical connection.
Get out dolly ramps to drive Mini onto tow dolly.
Strap down wheels of Mini on tow dolly
crawl under tow dolly to attach safety chain around suspension of Mini
Store ramps

Total time. 15-20 minutes

At Campsite
Get out ramps
Crawl in dirt to unhook safety chain
Unload Mini from tow dolly.
Store ramps
Find a spot to store the tow dolly(may require 2 people to move it)

[Farmboy666]

I am puzzled by people who think a tow dolly is so hard. I bought one last year, drove 3200 miles with no problems, Drive on, strap down and go. I don’t get the problem.

[Germania]

I have been towing Chevy Malibus since 2004.Just over 3000 lbs. Hook up, pop 1 fuse and your on your way. Probably doesn't have the ground clearance your old CRV had.

[Getup_ngo]

IB853347201 wrote:

TheLuvShack wrote:
I admire you for wanting to do your part to "save the planet" and having the "spunk" to RV as a single woman but I think you made a big mistake. In my opinion, nothing is simpler than flat towing 4 down. I'd run back to the dealer and buy back that CRV.

I gotta agree with Daryl!

Ha! I agree with you both. I really bit it this time.

My traded-in CRV is not a temptation for me. All the electronics would drain the battery after five or six hours on the road. That never happened with my 2001 model. So for now I'm opting for something a bit more analog.

I took a look at an older CRV today and it was a bit hashed for my taste. But I won't be traveling again until spring, so I have plenty of time to look for the jewel amidst the dog turds. I already have the tow bar and braking unit. I'd just need to put a base plate & wiring kid on the toad when I get it.

I have always towed CRVs. Any good suggestions on other older model cars to tow?

[Getup_ngo]

donn0128 wrote:
Instead of a dolly how about a trailer and load the car completely off the ground? Sure would be easier IMHO.

No place to keep the trailer ... 😉

[carringb]

For flat towing a hybrid, take a look at a Ford C-Max. It's one of the easier vehicles to make ready for towing, and earlier models (2013-14 ish) are relatively affordable. Sometimes the "Energi" models, which is the plug-in version, go for even less than the regular models.

I had a relatively lightweight dolly for a while, and it was still very cumbersome, and hard to move on anything but flat pavement. Plus putting the safety chains on the lower control arms was not very pleasant in the rain, since it pretty much required laying on the ground for my car.

[IB853347201]

TheLuvShack wrote:
I admire you for wanting to do your part to "save the planet" and having the "spunk" to RV as a single woman but I think you made a big mistake. In my opinion, nothing is simpler than flat towing 4 down. I'd run back to the dealer and buy back that CRV.

I gotta agree with Daryl!

[TheLuvShack]

I admire you for wanting to do your part to "save the planet" and having the "spunk" to RV as a single woman but I think you made a big mistake. In my opinion, nothing is simpler than flat towing 4 down. I'd run back to the dealer and buy back that CRV.

[freddmc]

Just read the post about using a trailer and I totally DISSAGREE with that. Part of the problem with a tow dolly is what to do with it when not hooked up to MH-either at home or campsite. A tow dolly CAN be maneuvered by one person.A trailer capable of hauling a car would be almost impossible. OTH with flat towing you can put the tow bar in the trunk.