Got my EZE Tow today

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by tim myers

OK, we have arrived and are all set up at Fort Boonesborough State Park in Kentucky...

...I checked everything. The car looks like it slid about 3 or 4" to the right on the tow dolly. It was definitely no longer centered. It was also pretty loose with about 2" of gap between the left tire and the angle stop. The right side had about an inch of gap. I tightened both straps with no real issue and the car pulled back tight against the angle stop. I meant to but didn't check the safety chains to see if they still had adequate slack...

...Do the straps keep stretching or is this because they are new?
I am sure the rain didn't help much, but just wondering if the straps will need to be adjusted as often as I did tonight on future trips?

Curious to hear comments from those with more experience.

Congrats on the successful run.
Yes, new straps will stretch more than old straps.

Our EZE-Tow straps are over 4 year old and they do not stretch much now after the initial set-up. We still stop after making at least one left and one right turn to ensure the straps are tight and the car's tires have not shifted on the dolly...just to be safe.

If one tire on the car is tight to the frame stops but the other tire is not, that means that the car/dolly and RV are still is a slight turn...nothing to worry about (if the straps are tight).

The car shifting on the dolly toward the curb happened to us on on a very rainy day on a very bumpy highway. We did not reload because there was only 2 hours left to the destination, but just wanted to share that it has happened to others.
We found no problems with the car being off-center, but I would guess that you would not want to run loaded off-center for too long to prevent curbside dolly tire wear, which is the tire that wears more anyway from roadway seams and such on the curbside.

Best luck

[tim myers]

Originally Posted by vettenuts

My last trip was with new straps as well. They seemed to loosen more at the beginning of the trip than later. Just make sure you are against the stop when initially installing. When we left Traverse City, MI for home, I checked them several times and never had to tighten again after the initial start of trip checking. That was 1,200 miles. I think you will find that the straps will stretch a bit then stop.

Also, make sure the wheel net that goes over the top of the tire all point to the center of the wheel, i.e., each individual strap piece that comes off of the two straps with the hooks must be 90 degrees to the strap with the hooks or they will loosen up every time you tow. Hope that makes sense.

Yes that makes sense. I think Richard posted a similar comment a couple weeks ago to another newbie.

[hdzcar]

Looking at the video that Kightab posted, I don't see why the straps loosened up unless they were not tight enough to start with. I'm also glad I got my Tow Dolly before they changed the tail lights to be vertical and close to the inside of the trailer so you can't see them very well. That does not seem like an improvement to me.

[quad80]

Originally Posted by quad80

Update: I ordered the Acme EZE Tow today. I went by my handicap mobility shop today and they told I could have it delivered there. They have a forklift and guys there to get it off truck. I got a guy there that will assemble tow dolly. He even offered to make mods on vehicle or dolly to make easier for wife to hookup chains. I am not sure on how to make that any easier? Maybe down the road look at 4 down. I will update on how the modified handicap van fits on dolly..

I picked up my EZE Tow this week without a hitch. I've been reading over instructions for Loading/Unloading vehicle and had a question. Unless I am missing something, but do you put vehicle in (park) once on dolly? It states to put brake on then place wheel straps. Should the vehicle be in Drive, Park, Neutral along with parking brake when installing wheel straps? Once vehicle is strapped and chained where does transmission need to be. Newbie questions, but it's not clear to me by reading instructions.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by quad80

I picked up my EZE Tow this week without a hitch. I've been reading over instructions for Loading/Unloading vehicle and had a question. Unless I am missing something, but do you put vehicle in (park) once on dolly? It states to put brake on then place wheel straps. Should the vehicle be in Drive, Park, Neutral along with parking brake when installing wheel straps? Once vehicle is strapped and chained where does transmission need to be. Newbie questions, but it's not clear to me by reading instructions.

Congrats on the new dolly
The gear for the car's transmission is personal preference..we basically park on the dolly (parking brake set, transmission in park, then set tire straps).

The most important points are to remember to unlock the steering and release the parking brake before driving off. This is very important, because the typical RV can drive off dragging the car's rear tires locked with the parking brake set - and flex in the straps and the rubber tires will allow the dolly to make shallow turns.

But, making turns with the steering locked and driving without releasing the parking brake will badly damage the car

Best luck

[twinboat]

I do and would put the car in park. If it ever got loose from the dolly, at least it would skid to a stop.

[jondrew55]

I put a piece of white electrical tape at 12 o'clock on the steering wheel and occasionally check it out on my rear view camera to make sure the steering wheel is unlocked. Keeps my OCD happy.

[DonDee]

Originally Posted by jondrew

....... Keeps my OCD happy.

If you really had OCD, you'd type it as; CDO.

My S.O. is very CDO and we get a chuckle from this.

[tim myers]

Update, Trip home

Time required to load up this time was considerably less. Finding a good access point for the safety chains helped a lot. More about them later.

I tightened the straps much more this time and made the obligatory couple turns left and right by the time I arrived at the dump station. The straps had loosened enough for me to get another good 4 or 5 click on the winch.

My next stop at a rest area about an hour later and the straps were still banjo tight.

Arrived home a few hours later and the straps were still very tight.

My safety chains had however bounced out of the banjo holes and were dragging on the ground, so I will have to figure out how to fasten them for the next trip.

Here's an interesting fact. I really noticed the extra 3000# on the way south Thursday but hardly noticed it on the way home yesterday. Also checked the gas mileage with the car in tow at around 8.5 MPG compared to 7.8 MPG on the Norfolk Trip with no car in tow.

[twinboat]

I hold my safety chain hooks from bouncing out, with cheap bungy cords.

Sounds like you got the strap thing worked out.

[tim myers]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I hold my safety chain hooks from bouncing out, with cheap bungy cords.

Sounds like you got the strap thing worked out.

Actually a friend at work suggested something from what he uses with motorcycle trailers which was to loop the chain under the angle and into the hole from the front rather than the rear. This way the weight of the chain keeps them from bouncing out. I may have to get a longer chain but that isn't a big deal.

[vettenuts]

I use the small wire bundle clamp (orange color) to clip the last link around the dolly frame and to the safety chain. Easy on, easy off and just simple makes sure the chain stays in the banjo and won't drag.

[EZE Tow]

I am not aware of any issues with the safety chains working loose if they are properly installed. Please send a picture when you can. I may be able to assist you with that. The chains should go from the banjo back to the cars wishbone suspension behind the wheels. If they go forward of the dolly to the front of the car they will not stay in place and they will not restrain the car from coming off the dolly should it ever attempt to.
Our video demonstrates this application in detail if you have any questions.

[tim myers]

On I-75 over the weekend and the roads are in horrible shape. Both sides were laying nicely in the banjo but looks like they simply bounced out of the banjo hole.

No pictures to show.