Tow dolly question

[Jon p]

Will be picking up new 34-a this Friday and I am thinking about a tow dolly. Do I need to be looking at one with brakes? Will be towing either a Grand Caravan or a Ford Focus.

[Jon p]

Will be picking up new 34-a this Friday and I am thinking about a tow dolly. Do I need to be looking at one with brakes? Will be towing either a Grand Caravan or a Ford Focus.

[skipsor]

Call Remco and ask if they can assist with making your vehicles towable with one of their products,i.e. a transmission pump. I think you will prefer towing 4 down rather than using a tow dolly.

I tow 4 down and have since the 70's and wouldn't do it any other way. There are many posts from folks who have used a dolly and have since gone to a towbar.

On the other hand you will find a lot of folks who wouldn't part with their dolly for any price. As I said, I wouldn't want one.

Do some research, here is a good place to start, and then make your decision.

[AFChap]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Do I need to be looking at one with brakes? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

YES, if you go with a tow dolly, you need a tow dolly with brakes.

You don't say what you will be towing with ...be sure you know the weight of the vehicle and the weight of the dolly (in addition to the loaded weight of your rig, the rated towing weight of your rig & hitch, and the rig GCWR). The Caravan is likely over 4,000 lb. Add the dolly, and you may be pushing your max towing weight if your rig & hitch are rated at 5,000 lb.

[Kazoo Tom]

I agree that you would be better to have one with brakes. When towing a heavy load, regardless of tow vehicle, there is a noticable difference in the ability to stop.

I have been debating with myself about whether I want a dolly or flat tow a vehicle. Flat towing would require modifying one of my cars, or spending the money to buy a car that can be towed without modification. A dolly would handle anything front wheel drive easily. The biggest problem with the dolly is storage when not in use. I am beginning to lean toward flat towing, but still not sure.

[NeilV]

Jon,

You should get one with brakes and a breakaway feature regardless of whether you go dolly or tow bar. It just make plain old common sense to have the extra stopping power to balance off the extra tonnage and you'll want your toad to stop if it comes unhitched.

I am facing the same quandry as some of the others on tow bar or tow dolly. I can't afford to modify for flat towing all three vehicles that I might take so that cost is leaning me towards a dolly. Also even if I could turn off the odometer on all the vehicles I would still be racking up miles on the trannies. I keep my vehicles between ten to twenty years so I tend to baby them to keep the repairs down.

Next time I see a used dolly for around $200 I just might snag it up.

[smlranger]

Jon:

Agree with the others....if you get a dolly, get one with brakes. We did the 'dolly' thing but quickly switched to 4-down. We towed a 2002 Focus (it had manual tranny) and it was a snap to tow.

[Art D]

I have a tow dolly with electric brakes. I looked at my personal situation and chose it over towing 4 down for a number of reasons, mostly $$$. Don't reget the decision a bit. Hooking up isn't a big deal. And besides, I'm only spinning the back tires and bearings on my front wheel drive, not differential or tranny parts.

[Jon p]

Thanks for the input guy's. I not going to be in a big hurry for one, I think for our first couple of trips we will just rent a car if need be.

[John Hilley]

I went with the tow dolly so that I could tow two different vehicles, each of which would have cost more to adapt then the tow dolly cost. Add in the toad brake controller and you are twice the cost of a tow dolly for just one vehicle. I don't find it to be a problem even in small sites, roll it in by hand and back over the tongue. I like to be able to see the tow dolly fender lights in my rear view mirrors. If you have a hitch on the toad you can use that to move the dolly around.

[David K]

I pull a tow dolly with electric brakes -- consider the brakes a necessity. I pull a 2006 Ford Freestyle and the dolly is the only way I could pull it. I do have a hitch on both of the toads I pull (the second one is a Ford Taurus) so I can pull the dolly if need be. When I have to get my coach worked on, I can pull the toad to the location and then pull the tow dolly back home with the toad. Something to think about.

[DLBatz]

You might consider a KarKaddy dolly with surge & break-a-way brakes. They do not need a brake controller hook up in the MH. They also have a collapsible tongue that reduces the storage space needed at home or CG. I have used mine for the past 20 months & 17,000 miles (in a lot of mountains) with no problems.

Here is their web site.

[Tom-NC]

I agree with Dave K as I have a tow dolly with brakes and really like it for a number of reasons.
1 - CAn use multiple vehicles on it.
2 - Ease of operation and hookup
I put a 3rd wheel on it and if need bew can roll it into campsite behind RV. Most of the time I back in with dolly connected to RV as it has a pin to stop the steering capabaility therfore it acts like a trsiler.
Note you can't back it up with vehicle on it.
The wheels on the tow dolly follow in the tracks of the coach and do not scuff like if 4 down.
My Tow dolly is a roadmaster and I installed a brake controller on the RV. Brakes are a must for quick stops and the mountains out west.
You must consider your tow capacity. The hitch is good for 5000 lbs and I can't exceed 26000 lbs on my rig. If not sure check with Winnebago.
Lastly as far as Campgrounds go, they all usually have pull thru sites and then you cabn leave dolly connectedd as well as car on dolly.
Enjoy and good luck

[the silverback]

The last time I checked Master Tow charged $200 more for electric brakes. cheap insurance.