Stehl dolly (also brakes)

[beaubeau]

We have decided that a dolly is the way for us to go. The car we will tow _could_ be towed as a dinghy, but it's an art car and installing the base plates would damage the art -- so we are gonna just get a dolly.

Now ... seems like most of the used ones I can find locally have no brakes.

Is that okay? It's a big RV (35 foot, front engine diesel class A).
And it's a small car - a Volkswagen New Beetle.

Thanks

[j-d]

Original owners of our Class C towed a Hyundai Crossover Something (Santa Fe?) on a StehlTow with no brakes, all over the country. When we bought the coach, the dolly came with it and I sold it cheap.

IF the axle is flanged (a little square plate just inboard of the wheel spindle on each side, four holes in the plate), shouldn't be hard to buy a brake kit and bolt it on. Hydraulic surge kit requires an Actuator in place of the simple Coupler that attaches to the hitch ball. If Coupler is welded on, then it becomes professional work to change it. Bolted, it's easy. You could also add Electric Brakes by adding a Brake Controller to your Coach and a Breakaway Battery to your Dolly. All easy and relatively inexpensive. A good Welder/Fabricator can add the Flanges to the Axle, too...

[mowermech]

I made the mistake of selling my Demco Kar Kaddy dolly because it had no brakes. This, after I towed the PT Cruiser from here to Georgia and back on it, with no trouble.
I do wish I had not done that.
It turns out that finding a steerable dolly with brakes, at a price I want to pay, is extremely difficult.
I may wind up with a brakeless dolly again.
Good luck in your search.

[beaubeau]

gbopp wrote:
JMO but, you've spent money on the RV, the VW and now are going to buy a tow dolly.
Why not spend a little more and get something with brakes? There is no harm in being a little safer.

Good luck with whatever you chose.

Thanks, and good point!
The only real reason would be just to be able to get something quickly, but, no harm in taking it slow and waiting on the right one 🙂

[gbopp]

JMO but, you've spent money on the RV, the VW and now are going to buy a tow dolly.
Why not spend a little more and get something with brakes? There is no harm in being a little safer.

Good luck with whatever you chose.