Tow dolly

[outboardfever]

Other than storage, pros and cons of a dolly to towing flat. Seems like less cost.

[dubdub07]

johnwalkerpa1 wrote:
If money is no object and you already have (or want to buy) a vehicle that can be towed 4-down, its the way to go.

But, one thing I have found is that it somewhat depends on how you travel. If you tend to stay a week or two at one place, then the extra effort needed for the dolly is no big deal...i.e., load and unload once every week or two or three....

If you move every day or every few days and want to unhook your toad each time, then its much more of a pain to use the dolly.

I am a younger (51), big guy. Wrestling with the tow dolly is something all should consider NOT doing. Folding up the tow bar is a task even my kids can do. I would....

1) Find a car that can be towed 4 down.
2) Tow it 4 down.

If this is not practical and you have a FWD that needs a dolly, then that would be my last resort.

WW

[johnwalkerpa1]

If money is no object and you already have (or want to buy) a vehicle that can be towed 4-down, its the way to go.

But, one thing I have found is that it somewhat depends on how you travel. If you tend to stay a week or two at one place, then the extra effort needed for the dolly is no big deal...i.e., load and unload once every week or two or three....

If you move every day or every few days and want to unhook your toad each time, then its much more of a pain to use the dolly.

[dubdub07]

wbwood wrote:
Let's see.... I was quoted over $4300 (by two different RV dealers) to set up our 2016 Ford Focus for flat towing. That included tow bar, base plate, braking system, wiring, labor, shipping and etc. I did get my local CW to do it for the labor costs (roughly $800) if I purchased the items on my own tried to save money. Was still gonna spend over $2000 for those same exact parts, but was going to save over $1000. Still was gonna cost around $3000 or so.

We can get a ACME tow dolly with surge brakes for $1800. One with electric even cheaper. Other dollies similarly priced. The ACME is the lightest on the market and can be stored upright. We had one before but sold it when we no longer had a toad. We never had an issue with storing it on site. Matter of fact, we could easily roll it to the end of the site and back up the RV over most of it. Only really needed a site that was a few feet longer than the RV. Hooking up or disconnecting never took more than 10 minutes or so once you got used to dealing with it. Would flat towing go any quicker? Maybe. I don't know, I've never done it. But it's not a race for me. Saving a couple thousand dollars will go a lot longer than saving 5 minutes every time I hook up or disconnect. But we are not full timers and are not doing it every day.

Oh, wow. That is a lot for 4 down. I am sure that it can be doen cheaper. Find someone to help you and do it yourself......I did mine and the baseplate, wiring, and towbar are only around $1000. Braking system for $700-1000. All for around $2k. And to tow 4 down is so nice.

I had a KarKaddy SS and it was nice but made for a pretty small car. My JK would NEVER fit on it. Way too wide. I tow 4 vehicles all 4 down. Cost is cheaper as I set them all up and only have on brake and towbar.

WW

[wbwood]

Let's see.... I was quoted over $4300 (by two different RV dealers) to set up our 2016 Ford Focus for flat towing. That included tow bar, base plate, braking system, wiring, labor, shipping and etc. I did get my local CW to do it for the labor costs (roughly $800) if I purchased the items on my own tried to save money. Was still gonna spend over $2000 for those same exact parts, but was going to save over $1000. Still was gonna cost around $3000 or so.

We can get a ACME tow dolly with surge brakes for $1800. One with electric even cheaper. Other dollies similarly priced. The ACME is the lightest on the market and can be stored upright. We had one before but sold it when we no longer had a toad. We never had an issue with storing it on site. Matter of fact, we could easily roll it to the end of the site and back up the RV over most of it. Only really needed a site that was a few feet longer than the RV. Hooking up or disconnecting never took more than 10 minutes or so once you got used to dealing with it. Would flat towing go any quicker? Maybe. I don't know, I've never done it. But it's not a race for me. Saving a couple thousand dollars will go a lot longer than saving 5 minutes every time I hook up or disconnect. But we are not full timers and are not doing it every day.

[mowermech]

Thank you.

[Bobbo]

mowermech wrote:
There is no excuse for struggling with moving a car dolly:
http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/MaxxTow/MT70225.html?feed=npn&gclid=Cj0KEQjwr5G5BRD_n-T0pf...
Harbor Freight has a similar one for less than $60.
Or, for those (like me) who are VERY out of shape, there is this one:
http://www.saferwholesale.com/5000lb-Capacity-Heavy-Duty-Powered-Trailer-Dolly-p/gsi-trailerdolly-50...

Made them clicky

[mowermech]

There is no excuse for struggling with moving a car dolly:
http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/MaxxTow/MT70225.html?feed=npn&gclid=Cj0KEQjwr5G5BRD_n-T0pf7x4ucBEiQAlxHOP3whFsZAHECLuABcCdTbhS87uFBwia4QYk5WMYJlVisaAkn68P8HAQ
Harbor Freight has a similar one for less than $60.
Or, for those (like me) who are VERY out of shape, there is this one:
http://www.saferwholesale.com/5000lb-Capacity-Heavy-Duty-Powered-Trailer-Dolly-p/gsi-trailerdolly-5000lbs.htm?vfsku=GSI.TrailerDolly.5000lbs&Click=35179&vfsku=GSI.TrailerDolly.5000lbs&gpla=pla&gclid=Cj0KEQjwr5G5BRD_n-T0pf7x4ucBEiQAlxHOP33i2CWBD3-xs7O77XHisyRn73V_agk1tODF2WVyZ-QaAh0_8P8

[mvpmich]

outboardfever wrote:
Other than storage, pros and cons of a dolly to towing flat. Seems like less cost.

Did both. Besides less cost, you can tow almost any vehicle that fits size and weight limits of dolly. 4-down will cost you about $2.5 to $3k more after you add tow bar, base plate, auxiliary braking system and associated labor and cables this assume the car you own is able to be towed 4-down.

I save +/-15 minutes with 4-down plus the aggravation of connecting breakaway chains and tire harnesses which was especially fun in a rainstorm on a dirt site! Plus moving the dolly around on a small site and in my storage yard wasn't much fun either.

[Richmcm]

We have a Demco Kar Kaddy. It is a great product. We use it to tow different front wheel drive cars. That is the beauty of the tow dolly. The Kar Kaddy makes using a tow dolly as easy as possible. If I had only one vehicle, to tow, then I would consider towing four down but for now it is great to have the flexibility.

[dubdub07]

If you can tow 4 down, it seems ridiculous to use a dolly. I have done the dolly, a trailer, and 4 down. For ease of use, 4 down is da bomb.

WW

[Jayco-noslide]

I tow flat and my son uses a dolly. I definitely prefer flat and I think my son would go flat if doing it again. Besides the other drawbacks, he's had problems with the straps for the wheels, coming loose, etc. Also, he says you can't back up with either. No problems with the tow bar except that you can't back up.

[ddndoug]

Depending on your tow vehicle, you may have a hard time with some tow dollies. Our tow dolly worked great on a Sonata that we had, but our Altima wouldn't make it up without tearing up the front end due to the lower front valance height. To correct this we had to use boards to drive the car onto the tow dolly ramps, thus giving us a less steep approach angle.

Yes, cost of four down towing is more expensive... but so is a divorce. The first time you start yelling at your wife because she's not able to position the vehicle on the tow dolly correctly while you're in the ice cold pouring rain giving her directions and hooking up tire straps, you might reconsider the money that you saved. (Don't ask me how I know. And no, it didn't turn into a divorce just a long silent ride home.) Just sayin'.

With flat towing the Jeep, you just have to get close to being where you should be and the adjustable tow-bar will allow you to hook up. Once hooked up the tow-bar self adjusts itself with a few slight turns of the MH steering wheel upon start-up and off you go.

Doug

[mowermech]

At one time or another over the past 15 years, I have done every kind of towing possible: Four down (flat) towing; on a dolly; and on a trailer.
For a front wheel drive vehicle, dolly towing is perfect. to move the dolly around, go to Harbor Freight and get one of the two wheeled trailer dolly gadgets. It works great.
The American Car Dolly can be purchased for less than $1500, with brakes, delivered to your door ready to use. See it at: http://www.americancardolly.com/
Usually, dolly towing is forbidden by the manufacturer of All Wheel Drive or 4X4 vehicles, unless the rear driveshaft is disconnected. there may be exceptions, but I don't know of any.
Some (but not all) rear wheel drive vehicles can be towed on a dolly. Again, if the driveshaft is removed or disconnected, no problem.
It is imperative that you stop after a few miles and check the tie down straps, safety chains, etc. But then, you should do that when towing four down or on a trailer, also.
It is not recommended that a dolly be backed up. It is also not recommended that a four down tow be backed up ( I tried that once. Never again!). A trailer, however, can be backed anytime anywhere, even around corners, depending only on the skill level of the driver.
I may get a dolly again, so I can tow our PT Cruiser. If/when I do, it will either be a good used DEMCO Kar Kaddy II with brakes or a new American Car Dolly.
I will never have a dolly that is not built to steer!

[jpmihalk]

Less cost yes (in general) but more time spent with a dolly hooking up and disconnecting, plus storing the dolly both at the campground and at home/storage.

Some vehicles can be flat towed and some can't, some can be dolly towed (front wheel drive) and some have to be trailered (4 up.) So it depends on what you want to tow and then you have choices on how to tow it.

As far as costs go for flat towing, much depends on what you want to tow. A Jeep Wrangler is easy to tow and is comparatively cheap to set up (tow bar, base plate, braking system) as most kits are ready made for Jeeps. Other vehicles like the Honda CR-V used to be able to be flat towed but are no longer.

I would start out by deciding what you want to tow and then work from there.