Pro/Con on towing

[Snyderwheels]

Well 16allegro, you've found one of the hot button discussions on the iRV2 forums!
I use an Acme dolly because I didn't want to spend the money for my preferred 4down vehicle (Jeep Wrangler). The dolly works fine. It is easy to load, easy to tow and requires little space to store. It can be stored upright so when I'm home I simply roll it into my garage and stand it up against the wall - secured with a chain of course.

My recommendation? If you can buy your preferred 4down vehicle now then do it. If you'd prefer not to spend the money on a new vehicle now a toe dolly will work just fine for you.
Good Luck!

[nothermark]

Not only will a tow dolly work it is also easier to find a decent used one at a significantly lower cost than a new towbar setup and brake device.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by wildtoad

Huh? Why would this be?

Having the rear driveshaft turning and the front stationary will blow the transfer case. Either both turning the same speed or not turning at all.

[Mr_D]

I've towed the same vehicle ('05 Odyssey) both four down (Sterling towbar and BrakeMaster brake unit) and on a dolly (KK-460) behind two different MH's so far. I like the fact that I can tow almost any front wheel drive vehicle on the dolly without needing much modification since the dolly has surge brakes
I like four down since I don't have to move/store the dolly but it does require expensive modification to each vehicle to tow them, plus they have to be towable four down to begin with.

[tom076]

Originally Posted by Tizbad

I'm surprised there have been no comments regarding car trailers. I've been debating over a dolly or a trailer due to owning a FWD car. Any thoughts?

I pulled a trailer, had a chev trail blazer that would not trailer, the trailer was a featherlite aluminum tandem axle, nice trailer, but some campgrounds would not allow me to keep it at my site, now pull a Jeep Wrangler four down, cost less than trailer to rig it up, happier than with trailer.

[zmotorsports]

Originally Posted by tom076

I pulled a trailer, had a chev trail blazer that would not trailer, the trailer was a featherlite aluminum tandem axle, nice trailer, but some campgrounds would not allow me to keep it at my site, now pull a Jeep Wrangler four down, cost less than trailer to rig it up, happier than with trailer.

This is where I am at. I have towed 4-down for the past 20+ years AND used an enclosed trailer. Namely because I already had the trailer for racing. The last several years now that we have gotten out of racing, we have used the trailer for when we want to bring the Harley along. The HD sits up front and I back the Wrangler Unlimited into the trailer and strap them down. Takes a little longer to be ready to tow but not unrealistic.

I have really been contemplating lately about selling the enclosed trailer because we rarely use it to bring the Harley along. My wife and I thoroughly enjoy taking the Jeep off-road and it seem the bike stays home for other riding times vs. coming along on trips. Many campgrounds won't let us keep the trailer at our site and I don't like dropping it elsewhere in the campground so I am seriously thinking about selling the trailer.

I hate to because I really like having my rolling "shop" along with us but it is becoming less and less practical and more and more troublesome.

Mike.

[Kiawah]

In my opinion just like which motorhome, there is no 'right' answer.....and it depends upon your intended MH and toad usage.

Personally, I have/use a dolly which has surge brakes. The dolly is a pivot dolly w/surge disc brakes. I can easily load a car in 10 minutes, same as tow bar. I do tow different vehicles, and dolly setup requires no modifications to the toad. I don't have to worry about installing baseplates, a braking system, steering wheel unlock, power to the toad, or starting the toad engine periodically to lubricate the transmission. 4 down towing is harder on the tow vehicle (transmission, steering parts, tire wear), than using a dolly. I don't have to worry about messing the brakes up either when using the dolly, if an adjustment is off......the dolly surge brakes simplicity 'just works'.

If you are primarily destination traveling, then either work fine. I think if I were to fulltime travel with daily hooking/unhooking, I would shift to a single toad vehicle optimized for that purpose....and 4down tow. For my normal usage scenarios, the tow dolly is actually better. I also have plenty of garage space, and storage has not been a problem on the road either.

Not all cars can be towed 4 down, and likewise not all cars can be towed with 2 wheels on a dolly either.

I'd focus first on how you use your MH, and what tow vehicles you currently have. That should help determine which is the best solution for you.

[skypilot_1]

Always start out rv'in by dolly towing. Then when you switch to flat towin, you'll know the pros & cons for yourself. Like banging your head against a wall, feels good when you stop...Why is this on the Tiffin forum..? jus sayn