Tow or toad

[doug22797]

I am trying to decide if I should purchase a toad and equipment, or a tow dolly and a vehicle, or a car trailer and haul one of my current vehicles. I am open to suggestions and reasoning as I am new to all of this.

[Cooperhawk]

Well, if your resources are unlimited I"d go with a toad four down, but having done a dolly for years and now four down I can tell you that dollys work OK if that's what you can afford.

One problem you will encounter is where do you park the dolly or car trailer at the campground. Demco makes a dolly that folds up so it doesn't take much space.

You didn't say what you're using for a tow vehicle and how much power you have.

[EdInArk]

Originally Posted by doug22797

I am trying to decide if I should purchase a toad and equipment, or a tow dolly and a vehicle, or a car trailer and haul one of my current vehicles. I am open to suggestions and reasoning as I am new to all of this.

If you search "tow dolly" you'll find people like myself who find it a reasonable way to tow the car he already owns without having to trade.

We own a 2013 RAV-4 and tow it with a dolly. It's not as convenient as towing 4-down; no surprises there. But we only tow a few times a year, and the dolly is not so bad that it was worth buying another car and having the expense of equipping it to tow.

We can load the car in a few minutes and get it strapped down securely. We check the straps after pulling it a few miles and usually get another couple of clicks on the ratchets. Then I check them at each fuel or rest stop but seldom need to tighten them again.

Dealing with the dolly at camp grounds is the biggest problem, but we just look for pull through sites and it's no problem. Storing it at home can be an issue for some folks as well.

[Cooperhawk]

Here you go for a dolly. A little spendy but well made.

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...addyss_94-6008

[Rockwood27]

If you plan on towing with the Bounder in your profile, you should consider the following. Towing 4 down will add about 150 pounds to the tow weight. A dolly will add about 500 pounds. A trailer around 1,500 to 2,000 lbs. What does your motorhome weigh when you're fully loaded and ready to travel? What is your gross combined weight rating (GCWR)? Subtract the two and that's how much you can tow, but don't exceed the hitch rating.

[EdInArk]

Recent thread on tow dollies

Found it. Here's a recent thread on tow dollies that may be informative.

My wife and I do fine with a dolly, but it's obviously more than some people want to deal with. You have to decide.

[doug22797]

We are going to replace our current unit. What I decide on towing will help determine what we purchase.

[EdInArk]

Originally Posted by doug22797

We are going to replace our current unit. What I decide on towing will help determine what we purchase.

In that case, I'd go for a car that's towable and spend a couple of thousand extra on towing four down.

[SuperGewl]

Originally Posted by doug22797

I am trying to decide if I should purchase a toad and equipment, or a tow dolly and a vehicle, or a car trailer and haul one of my current vehicles. I am open to suggestions and reasoning as I am new to all of this.

Well, you've several things to consider. First we need to know exactly what you plan on towing with, so please fill out your signature with that information.
OK, I say this because what you are towing with will help determine what you can tow.
Here is a simple rule of thumb, If it is a gasser, then 5klbs is the max you can tow.
If it is a DP it will depend on the model of transmission you have.
Now understand that is is a basic rule of thumb, there are always outliers.
Your base\entry level DP will only be able to tow up to 5Klbs because of their transmission (2000 series Allison) Even if it has a 10k hitch yo must check the GCVR which will most likely be 33Klbs or less, just like the Gasser's.

All of this if very important in deciding which way to go, dolly, 4 down, trailer or whatever. Also if you go Dolly or trailer you have to have someplace to put it while at the RV park. This can be a big deal when the space is not that long. Also think about when yo get home and where you park the RV.
The all have their good and bad side but you must decide along with being educated to the issue of weight and how much you can safely tow.

[tmw188]

Originally Posted by doug22797

We are going to replace our current unit. What I decide on towing will help determine what we purchase.

I left you a PM.

[Polyian]

Tow Dolly, trailer and flat tow all work and have their pluses and minuses. I ditched the dolly this year, bought a flat towable car and went back to flat towing. I found dolly towing to be a pain is the a$$, loading, unloading, safety chain attachment, Parking/Storing, maneuvering, extra license and insurance. I'm a happy Traveler again, my experience with a tow dolly was a complete fail.

[mlh2013]

Flat towing for me is the easiest way to tow. JMO

[blueridge-fl]

We are currently using a tow dolly and I can give you my thought process. First of all, we have a daily driver with 60k mi that is paid for. It is in good shape and we could easily get another 60k miles out of it. While flat towing is very appealing, we would likely get back into a car loan and need to spend 2k-3k setting up the new vehicle to tow. Buying a used tow dolly in good shape would cost 1k to 1.5k and $50 for some magnetic lights. So economics says the tow dolly was the right answer for us at this time. When the time comes to replace the car, we will look for something that can be towed 4 down and sell the dolly. Until then, the dolly is a bit of a pain but worth the effort for the cost.

[mikeh2obury]

Done both, prefer flat tow, no dolly taking up space.