What are the diff between tow bar, dolly, trailer?

[Fastfwd75]

I see that most people tow cars with a bar and 4 wheels down. Some use a trailer or enclosed trailer and a few use a dolly for the front wheels.

Seems like the trailer is the best choice to save on wear on the car but then you have to buy the trailer and it probably impacts MPG.

Is the dolly only used for cars that won't allow 4 wheel down towing?

Basically what are the pros and cons of each?

[lanerd]

Simple:

Tow bar: used to tow vehicles that can either be towed with all four wheels on the ground or those modified with either a lube pump for the transmission or a drive shaft disconnect.

Tow Dolly: used to tow FWD vehicles that can't be towed four down. I have see some RWD vehicles that is mounted on the dolly backwards.

Trailer: used to tow ANY vehicle with all four wheels off the ground.

Hope this helps

Ron

[DougE]

If you tow 4 down then you have to modify the toad for a tow bar, lighting and really should include a braking system. If you use a dolly then all you can use it for is to tow a vehicle. You cannot back up 4 down or dolly. The best is really a trailer with wheel sensors. Just put a hitch on the toad so you can use it to spot the trailer when it's unloaded. The additional weight only counts when climbing hills.

[Popsie]

tenbear wrote:
4 wheels down is the easiest but many cars are not towable 4 wheels down. If you want to use your car that is not towable you can usually use a dolly, which further limits the cars you can tow since the dolly adds weight, and of course $$$.

Not sure why you would want a trailer other than to protect the car or to tow a car you can't tow 4 down or dolly.

I've seen trailers with a car and a golf cart, with a car and two motorcycles, a car with a workshop, and a car plus a lot of craft stuff to be sold at shows. I'm sure there are many other things carried in trailers in addition to cars that I haven't seen. 😄

[TX_AG]

Sorry, double post

[TX_AG]

There are pros and cons to each.
Trailer:
Pro:
Any car is capable of being hauled without modification.
Con:
Cost of purchasing trailer.
Cost of upkeep, ie tires, bearing maintenance, license fees
Weight of trailer reduces the size (weight) of the car you can car. If the max towing capacity of your motorhome is 5,000 lbs, and the trailer itself weighs 2,000 then you are limited to a car of 3,000 or less.
Takes most amount of time/effort to load and tie down car onto trailer.
Need to deal with storage of trailer, both at home and at campsites.

Dolly:
Pro: Most, if not all, front wheel drive cars can be hauled without modification.

Cons:
Essentially same list as above, but to a lesser extent.

Tow Bar:
Pro:
Easiest to hook up.
Least maintenance
No storage issues.

Cons:
Not all cars are 4 down towable.
Some may be made towable by installing extra equipment, such as driveshaft disconnects or transmission lube pumps.

A base plate must be installed on the towed car, providing the brackets to attach the tow bar.

Cost of adding base plates and lube pumps. These items are specific to the car on which they are installed and usually are not transferable to other cars.

These are items that come to mind. I am sure that others may have others to add.

There is no right or wrong answer. I comes down to your personal needs and preferences. I currently tow 4 down.

[dbates]

I've pulled my Vibe (can't be towed 4 down) on a Demco KarKaddy dolly for almost 10 years and 50,000 miles. Yes, it is a little more work than 4 down but only adds about 4 minutes to loading & unloading. I've only had two CG that I had to park the dolly other than with my MH. I try to get pull through but if not available I put the dolly at the rear of the site with the dolly tongue underneath the MH rear. You can get a good dolly for about the same as it costs for all of the equipment you must get to tow 4 down. If you trade cars very often you may have to get all new 4 down equipment each time. You can't back up very far with either 4 down or a dolly but you can with a trailer. As I get older I have a little more problem getting down on knees so if I keep RVing I may have to get a towed that I can pull 4 down.

Dave

[Grey_Mountain]

Some automobiles can be towed four-down, some can't. Some can be towed with a dolly, come can't. There are various sites that will tell you about each car.
There are two types of tow bars: 1) mounts on the car. 2) mounts to the motorhome.
If you use a tow bar, you will also have to have a base plate which bolts to the frame of your car. Again, there are sites that tell you which one fits a particular car. Tow bars range from used at about $250 up to almost $1000. Base plates generally run around $250/$300. Installation can run up to hundreds of dollars.
Never used a tow dolly, so I have little information on them. However, prices vary from $500 to over $3000 according to Google.
I have a 16-foot flatbed trailer that I have used to haul vehicles over half the US, but never used it behind the motorhome. A flatbed ranges from about $600 up.
Then there are toy haulers. These are RVs that allow you to drive your vehicle inside them and haul them that way.
Hitch Trader is a good site for used items.

GM
My main problem with a tow dolly or a trailer would be finding a place to put them after setting up in an RV park.

[tenbear]

4 wheels down is the easiest but many cars are not towable 4 wheels down. If you want to use your car that is not towable you can usually use a dolly, which further limits the cars you can tow since the dolly adds weight, and of course $$$.

Not sure why you would want a trailer other than to protect the car or to tow a car you can't tow 4 down or dolly.

[Jim_Shoe]

Sorry. Double post.

[Jim_Shoe]

I'm a solo RVer. I drive a 'C' and tow a Jeep Wrangler 4 down. I choose pull thru sites, but if one isn't available (happened once), I unhooked the Jeep, drove it out of the way, backed the RV into place and parked the Jeep in front. I wouldn't be able to do that conveniently if I also had to deal with a trailer.

[Mandalay_Parr]

I tow 4 down. Don't have to worry about where to put a trailer or tow dolly at the RV park.
You will get wear on anything you tow. My wear and tear is minimal.