DnSFinallyRetir
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Re: How to Dolly Tow Unlockable Sterring Wheel Car
UPDATE 2: OK, I had the car's (2008 FWD Impala) rear alignment checked this week. It was set perfect to factory specs. I did previously have front alignment problems, but that's a moot point since the front tires are on the dolly. The car's tires are almost brand new - about 3K miles. Yes, by all logic, the car should track straight on the dolly when going straight, but it didn't. all your alignment suggestions made a lot of sense so that's why I had it checked this week. I have not yet retried to dolly up the car and tow since rear alignment was checked. Was hoping to do this weekend but a friend passed this week so my wife and I are headed south for the weekend to attend memorial service and funeral, so will be next week before I can try it again. I can see the entire dolly with or w/o car from the rear camera minus about 18" of the tongue. With or without the car, dolly tracks perfectly straight when Im going straight. I could see the car's rear skew to the right from the camera. This model Kar Kaddy has the "steering wheels" that turn in the direction the RV turns a curve or corner. When I do try another run, Im going to try some of the steering wheel strapping techniques many of you had mentioned to see if this will hold the car straight. More to follow next week. Finally, I saw a couple comments about auxiliary brakes. This dolly is actually equipped with it's own braking system (disk brakes). The brake is part of the tongue and uses momentum pressure as the RV slows down. It seems to work OK. Thank all of you for your suggestions. More to follow.......629Views0likes0CommentsRe: How to Dolly Tow Unlockable Sterring Wheel Car
All - many thanks for tips and suggestions. I noticed a few questions too, so I'll address them here quickly. 1) Yes, the dolly itself tracks my RV perfectly. The car's front wheels are perfectly centered and straight on the dolly. The car's rear end veers to the right - almost as if following the slight grade on most US roads. The car does NOT wag. 2) The car was loaded and reloaded a number of times exactly in accordance with the Demco Owner's Manual. 3) The Kar Kaddy dolly steering pin WAS pulled to allow the trailer to steer, which it seems to do with no problems - with or without a car. Never dawned on me that the rear suspension may need aligned, so I will have that checked. At first thought however, I occasionally follow my wife when she drives that car and it always seems to track perfectly straight. I always immediately notice cars in which the rear end seems to veer to one side or the other - usually indicating that it was not properly aligned after a wreck or constantly goes over rough roads. Knock on wood, this car has never been wrecked. I will try some of the strap and rope techniques some of you offered. My only concern is cinching the strap to the brake pedal too tightly causing the steering wheel to deform. Give me a couple days and I'll report the good or bad....... Thank you all......279Views0likes0CommentsHow to Dolly Tow Unlockable Sterring Wheel Car
Hello all: First post ever here. I'll start by saying I've never dolly towed a vehicle long distances before. I have a 2008 Chevy Impala. It is front wheel drive. To dolly tow it, I have a 2012 Demco Kar Kaddy SS. The car physically fits the dolly fine. The dolly hooks up to the car and my Class C RV fine. On my maiden voyage with this rig, I pulled over at 10 miles to see how the car was still doing on the dolly. The tires remained securely hooked, and straight - on the dolly. The car's tail however, started to veer WAY off to the right. With no immediate fix apparently available to this novice tower, we took the car home and did without a car at our camping destination. I took the car to a local Chevy dealer to get the steering wheel lock fixed, as the steering wheel was of the "unlockable" variety. Found out it wasn't broken (and Id never noticed that in the last 5 years I owned the car) and that the car was not equipped with a steering wheel lock. It only prevented startup and placing the gear selector in gear. Next I went to a local Camping World. They couldn't help. They suggested I buy a dolly or dinghy towable vehicle. Not an option. Finally, I went to a huge local trailer dealer in my town. They suggested some kind of steering wheel strap from the same company that makes the dolly. It does not look like it would secure a steering wheel enough to prevent the towed car from swaying like it did previously. I've seen steering wheel to brake pedal security bars, but they aren't adjustable for tight snug fit since they all have fixed detents by which to secure the brake pedal to the steering wheel. There's enough play for the steering wheel to turn slightly - enough for the rear of the car to sway. Does anyone here have any ideas on how I can safely dolly tow this vehicle? Remember, the car's front wheels stay straight and secure on the dolly, but the tail end of the car sways off to the side. I'm truly stumped at this point. Thanks in advance.10KViews0likes25Comments
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