Tow Dollies

[Vtxbiker]

I am looking for tow dolly ratings. I live on the east coast and will be towing a Toyota Avalon. The best tow dolly is?

[rdownward]

The (supposed) top rated tow dollys are Demco and Roadmaster. They are most certainly the most expensive. The top of the line Demco folds down so it is easier to stow and has surge hydraulic brakes. There are probably dozens of other brands out there at various price ranges. Some are equipped with the hydraulic brake setup and some have electric brakes and many don't have any brakes at all. I have personally owned and towed with a Master Tow and a Stehl. The Master Tow had the hydrulic brake setup and the Stehl had no brakes. My neighbor has a Demco that I used once and I didn't really notice any difference in the Demco over the Master Tow. Since they all basically do the same job (and from my experience - equally well), for me it boils down to which is most affordable. I purchased the Stehl in Texas as I needed to tow my wife's car back home and couldn't rent a U-Haul dolly for the job because U-Haul said it wasn't wide enough for our car (2011 Ford Edge). I found the dolly on eBay at a dealer not far from where my wife's car was and it was pretty inexpensive. I towed my wife's car back to Utah and then sold the tow dolly here locally for what I paid for it. Anyway, other than not having brakes, I found the Stehl dolly to be easy to use and reliable and for about 1/4th the cost of a Roadmaster or Demco dolly. I by far prefer towing a toad 4 down but if you can't tow your vehicle that way or you don't expect to keep your vehicle for long enough to make it pay to equip it with the tow bar plate and auxiliary braking system, then a tow dolly is the next best thing IMHO. Deciding which tow dolly is the best is just a matter of individual choice I believe.

[mvpmich]

Originally Posted by Vtxbiker

I am looking for tow dolly ratings. I live on the east coast and will be towing a Toyota Avalon. The best tow dolly is?

I'm selling my dolly having just converted to four-down and would recommend you find one that has brakes, electric or surge, a swivel platform, safety chains for the toad, and a break-away connection/switch. Other than the bakes, the other items are a minimal cost. Mine was a Master Tow 80 THDSB (the widest platform and had the most capacity). It only weighs about 500 lbs so it doesn't effect the maximum towing capacity of the coach. It also has plastic bumpers (no rust) and LED lights (bright and easy to see). Both nice to haves.

Expect to pay between $1200 & $1500 for a fairly new (1-2 years old) dolly that meets the above criteria.

[Beagle RC Air]

Originally Posted by Vtxbiker

I am looking for tow dolly ratings. I live on the east coast and will be towing a Toyota Avalon. The best tow dolly is?

We had the folding Demco. Good quality unit and it held up well for the 2 1/2 years we used it. But it was a royal PIA to use. Much wider track than a 4 down vehicle so had to be careful not to scrub it over curbs, really careful not to get into park at night and not have a place to put it. Additionally, having to put wheel straps on and safety chains to the car never was a job I cared for. First time in the rain I knew it was all a mistake to buy it. I can hook up the 4 down car in the rain and be five miles or more further down the road, in the time it takes to secure a car correctly to a tow dolly.

beagle

[kraig]

I had a tow dolly and would never have one again for the same reasons as a above. I don't know if you have talked to Remco to see if they have pump you could use on your Avalon so you could tow with 4 on the ground. In my opinion that could be a better way to go.

[Scarab0088]

Congrats on making the smart decision to dolly tow and save the wear and tear on the driveline of your Avalon, plus saving the high cost of mount plates, tow bar, lighting system, and brakes to get just 1 car ready to tow.

The Eze-tow is rated at towing a car of 4,985 curb weight and with the widest track - 80".
Car Tow Dolly -The Lightest and Toughest Tow Dolly For All Car Towing Needs - Acme Car Tow Dolly Company

You will have to check each mfgt for the weight rating of each of thier dolly's.
But, don't believe anyone who says you need a swivel pan or steering axle...with the steering unlocked on the toad, the front wheels will pivot to make any turn, then re-center - Eze-Cheezie.

I have over 10,000 miles on my Eze-tow dolly and I bought it second hand...so simple and Eze to use.

The other brands are all heavier and cost more, but the dolly doesn't have to be heavy or expensive to work well.

Best of luck

[Vtxbiker]

Well I have been looking at all the mentioned dollies. I guess its just a matter of choice from the input. I was looking at the EZ tow since its made in North Carolina and I could go and pick it up. I was glad to see a favorable reccommendation on it. Now just making my mind up?

Thanks Again