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Old 01-29-2017, 12:03 AM   #1
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I have several questions related to towing a car behind my RV

Hello All,
Newbie here with several questions about getting our 1995 Coachmen Santara Class A RV ready to tow a vehicle, and also questions about the things required to tow that vehicle behind the RV.
Any suggestions you can offer is greatly appreciated.
My husband and I are both disabled, and need to keep things as easy and maintenance free as possible. Being new to all of this we haven’t got a clue of exactly where to start, but here is what we are planning to do. Please let me know if I am understanding the things I’ve read here, and other places correctly, and if anything, lol or possibly everything is incorrect, and needs to be corrected, or changed.
OUR PLAN
Our plan is to purchase, on Tues 1/31/17, a 2002 Ford Taurus FWD to use as our tow vehicle.
If I read it correctly, according to the owner’s manual it will require a tow dolly to tow it, and can’t be towed flat. The other vehicles we own actually require a trailer, and are way too big and heavy to tow anyway, so we decide to get a lighter weight car to use as tow vehicle.

We plan to purchase a new tow dolly with electric brakes, and have a brake controller installed in the RV. We are going with the dolly with the electric brakes, instead of the surge brakes because from what I’ve read on here, the surge brakes require more maintenance, and don’t do as well in the mountains as the electric brakes do. We will be doing some of our traveling in the mountains, so we thought the electric brake dolly might be better for us.

OUR QUESTIONS:
1) Is a Ford Taurus FWD an alright vehicle to tow? Are there any specific reasons why this would, or would not be a good vehicle for us?

2) Is there anything we need to do to the actual vehicle before towing it i.e.-do we need to put some kind of braking device on the car even though there is a braking device on the dolly, etc.?

3) We bought magnetic lights to add to the tow car, are those fine to use or is there something easier to use? What is the best way to keep them in place?

4) Since the tow car we are planning to buy does have a steering wheel that locks, and it will have to be in accessory mode to tow it, is there some way to help prevent from draining the battery i.e.-remove a fuse, or disconnect the battery cable, or? Can the steering wheel lock mechanism be disabled, or removed somehow to keep from having to put it in accessory mode at all?

5) Is there a specific (perhaps larger and longer) size hitch/ball that is used when towing a dolly/vehicle vs the standard size used for towing things like a fishing boat? Our RV has the place for the Reese hitch to go in, but there’s no Reese hitch/ball on it. We have Reese hitches for our other vehicles, but I’m not sure they are strong enough or long enough to tow a dolly with a vehicle on it. If there is a difference can you tell me what size/length is needed?

6) I only have 1 hook up for the lights on my RV, will I need (2), 1 for the dolly lights, and 1 for the tow lights, or is there a way to combine the 1 hookup for both light sets without causing any problems?

7) Are there specific lights on the RV itself that you’re required to run when towing a vehicle?

8) Are there any other things that any of you can think of for the RV, Tow Dolly, or the Tow Vehicle that needs to be done, bought, modified, etc. that I didn’t think to ask about?
Thank you all so much for your help. It is so very appreciated.
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Old 01-29-2017, 02:46 AM   #2
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You mentioned you are both disabled and that presents a problem with a tow dolly. There are times when you need to disconnect that dolly and roll it around the campground area.

I'd suggest going to the place you plan on buying the dolly and rolling one around before you buy a car.
Roll it on a dirt surface as you will encounter unpaved RV parks occasionally and also imagine doing it while it is raining.

Also loading and tying down a car on the dolly requires some dexterity.

I'd strongly suggest buying a car you can tow 4 down so you don't have to use a dolly.
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Old 01-29-2017, 03:05 AM   #3
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x2 on the concern of using a tow dolly while you are disabled. Many campgrounds don't have long enough pull thrus for your car, dolly and MH or you may be in a backin site where you will have to remove the dolly and manhandle it into a storage spot. Regarding your delineated questions:

1. Tauras FWD is fine to tow on a dolly but, as stated above, a dolly purchase is something you should definitely question. I used a dolly for 10 years and then smartened up and bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee that you can flat tow. If you're looking for ease, flat towing a Jeep is as simple as it gets. Just make sure the Jeep has a transfer case with neutral (NOT a Compass or Liberty).

2. For tow dolly, no. For flat tow, you'll need a Brake Buddy or similar braking device.

3. Magnetic lights are great but they do tend to scratch your paint as you drive along. Make sure you clean the spot on the car before you attach.

4. I think you're mixing things up. A tow dolly REQUIRES a locking steering wheel while flat towing needs the steering UNLOCKED. If you have a unlocked steering column on a tow dolly, your car will tend to walk to one side of the platform. Remember I made mistakes with a tow dolly for 10 years...

5. Usually a 2" ball is required. If flat towing, the A-frame connector (like a Blue Ox) slides right into the hitch receiver so no ball is needed.

6. I have found that your dolly lights will fail about 2 miles down the road due to road debris. I would only plug in the magnetic lights and not even bother with the dolly lights.

7. Nothing required but I tend to drive with my lights on at all times for safety.

8. Do you have a backup camera? It's great to watch your tow while your driving. I've had dolly tires blow, flat tow car tire blow, straps come off, etc. Also you should also invest in a TPMS (tire pressure monitor) for the coach and whatever you're towing. It is wireless and gives you a warning if pressure is lost on any tire.

Like Arch and I said, you should really think hard about the tow dolly because of your disabilities. A tow dolly is NOT fun when you have to pull it uphill to hook it up to your coach.

Safe travels!
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Old 01-29-2017, 04:18 AM   #4
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I will soon take delivery of a 40' MH and will have to buy the necessary equipment to tow my vehicle. After a little bit of research I easily determined it was far easier to get a vehicle that is flat towable and ditch the idea of a tow dolly.
Since you haven't purchased the towed yet, you might want to consider a vehicle that is flat towable without modification.

More info is here: Dinghy Towing | MotorHome Magazine

Cars that are towable are here: Downloadable Dinghy Guides | MotorHome Magazine

You haven't mentioned why you want to go the tow dolly route. Perhaps you have a good reason.
This is an important decision you want to do right.
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Old 01-29-2017, 05:16 AM   #5
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1) Fine car. Any FWD car will do on a dolly.

2) No modifications to the car. The dolly has the brakes. Surge brake dollys have breakaway brake devices.
Electric brakes would need battery power from a seperate battery or the cars battery.

3) We only use the dolly lights. 30,000 miles, still working fine. Now days, they come with LED lights.
If we did any night driving, we may add extra lights. They make a splitter to plug them in. We stop by 4PM and don't travel in heavy rain. We are never on a schedule.

4) A turntable dolly doesn't need steering unlocked. Master Tow, Stiel Tow, American Tow Dolly, and a few others offer that. No battery drain, no key left in the car. The only dolly, that I know of, that NEEDS the steering unlocked is the Acme. If your reading their comparasion charts, I have noticed, there is some outdated infomation about other dollys.

5) The ball adaptor will need to be bought after you figure the proper height of the dolly coupler. I needed a 2" rise on mine. Many need a 2 to 4 inch drop. We worked with the instruction book and the selling dealer to figure it out. It was quite simple and we loaded the car, right in their parking lot, to head to FL.

As noted, we have over 30,000 miles on our Stehl Tow dolly. One modification I did was add a caster wheel under the tongue, near the coupler. We unload the car, drop the dolly off the MH and each push on a fender to move it around like a big tricycle.

We have also traveled thru many mountains, from Maine to Georgia, including the Blue Ridge Highway with surge brakes. Not sure what you read about them, but our disk, surge brakes have been trouble free. I will be inspecting the pads this summer, on my return to NY from FL.
U Haul has surge brakes on every trailer they rent.

You don't mention the handicap but I am handicapped, with 3 artificial lower joints.
I have simplfied the dolly loading and unloading, as much as I can and it works for us. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to load and everything is done without kneeling.
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Old 01-29-2017, 03:06 PM   #6
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Thank you Arch, and everyone else too for your replies, they are very helpful. I had not even considered the dolly as possibly adding to our problems.

Yes, RVThere you are correct about my confusion on the steering wheel needing to be locked when on a dolly. We do in fact have a backup camera, and the suggestion of a TPMS is an awesome suggestion, and sounds like a very beneficial investment. We will have one installed for sure, regardless of how we decide to tow the vehicle.

timejet- I absolutely agree, we do want to do it right from the start. The only reason we are considering that route is because of cost. We located a 2002 Ford Taurus that has a new engine in it with only 35,000 miles on it for $2500.00, and thought just starting out that may be a good, reasonably priced, starter car for us to tow, but that's the only reason. We can afford to pay more for a vehicle, but I'm not sure with our limited income that a price of a jeep (especially a new jeep) is in the cards. But I will certainly keep looking for one that we can afford.

twinboat-The dollies we are considering are in fact the Master Tow brand, (we can get either the electric or the surge brakes for the same price. I was considering the electric brakes just because of reading on here, and other places that the surge brakes tend to get hot, and lock up or not function properly in the mountains, but if that really isn't an issue then the surge brake dolly might be a better option, and save us from having to have the brake controller installed in the RV, etc.? IF we do decide to go the dolly route a caster wheel on the tongue will certainly be installed on it.

twinboat-As far as our disabilities- My husband has 3 fusions in his neck, 2 in his back with 1/2 bone removed, head to toe arthritis, and is also going blind because of his diabetes. I had all the large muscles in my back and ribs torn, have permanent nerve damage in my back, my neck, severe carpal tunnel in both hands that are effecting both arms, fibromyalgia, RA, and have had a total of 38 surgeries to various parts of my body. Currently I have 2 abdominal hernias in need of repair, severe blockages in both my carotid arteries, a 70% blockage in my coronary artery, and issues with both of my legs. I will in the future have to break down and have surgeries done to correct all these issues too, but I'm putting them off as long as possible.

Our disabilities are the reason we got the RV to start with because neither of us travel well at all, and we couldn't see stopping and paying for a hotel for an entire night as often as we have to stop, so the RV will allow us to stop when needed, lay down for as long as we need to, and then be on our way again. I really wanted the hubby to be able to enjoy and see some different sites before he completely loses his vision, and is unable to see anything at all. Plus our babies are military and live about 15 hours away from us, and we are sure missing our sweet grandbabies.
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Old 01-29-2017, 03:30 PM   #7
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There is some hard pulling needed when tightning and loosening the wheel straps.

Knowing that, and what you just explained, I would suggest you seek out a used car that has been towed 4 down. That will save the cost of the conversion. Then find a used or rebuilt tow bar and brake system.
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Old 01-29-2017, 05:22 PM   #8
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Thank you twinboat- I'm search now to try to find something that we can afford that doesn't have a gazillion miles on it that can be towed 4 down. Hopefully something will come along.
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Old 01-29-2017, 05:41 PM   #9
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OK guys, I have a few more questions. Would it be better to look for a 4wd vs a 2wd to flat tow? or does it have to be a 4WD? Also with the shape that my and his hands are in we would have to get an automatic verses a manual, is that a problem? I suspect having to have an automatic will certainly limit my options on which vehicles I need to be looking at. Can anyone suggest some good lightweight automatic vehicles that can be towed 4 down for me? Thank You!!
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Old 01-29-2017, 07:38 PM   #10
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We have been using our 2007 Jeep liberty, automatic and 4wd flat towed for several years and think it is ideal. Short, light weight and not to expensive. Please note that you will have to buy a tow bar and frame work required for the tow vehicle. This could be in the $2000 range in addition to the vehicle.
In my opinion flat tow is the very best option. However, you must know that you can not backup at all when flat towing.
Good luck, with your choice.
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Old 01-29-2017, 10:12 PM   #11
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Thank you rmbarr.
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Old 01-29-2017, 11:04 PM   #12
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The Remco site will tell you what cars are towable or can be modified to tow.

I don't believe you are a candidate for a dolly...4 down will be much easier.
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Old 01-29-2017, 11:28 PM   #13
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I read your thread about your disabilities and have nothing but admiration for you and what you are doing. Awesome!

We went through the same process as you are and after all the research sold our beloved 2003 Toyota 4 Runner because it was not flat towable without two driveline disconnects. Too much hassle and too much to go wrong. It was a V8 AWD. REMCO Industries online and by phone is an excellent resource as to what is "flat towable" and what is not. In the end we decided to not go the dolley route and bought a used 2010 Ford Edge automatic AWD. It is flat towable from the factory as are other brands. Also very easy to get in and out of. The process is to select N, ACC, headlights AUTO, brake released, and depart. No battery switch or whatever on that vintage. Of course we had to install the tow brackets etc along with the purchasing the tow bar and brake system. In our case it is all Roadmaster from Camping World. I'm not promoting or selling anything here.

Our experience flat towing over the last 3 1/2 years has been great. The car tracks behind us like it is on rails and follows in our tracks. Not long ago Jeep was one of the few options, but that has changed. So depending upon your needs I would again recommend REMCO as a great resource when considering vehicles. As you can tell I'm a fan of flat towing as well.
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Old 01-30-2017, 04:53 AM   #14
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I am also disabled and my wife not, but she is in late 60's so is not interested in towing a dolly. Imagine hooking it up on a bad wx day in the gravel. We have a 2014 Ford Focus automatic as a toad. They have gotten a lot of bad press about the tranny being jerky. That is now fixed by Ford. We went thru that and now love the car.

If you want things simple like we do, I would suggest getting the car lites properly and permanently wired. Having wires hanging around and lites to stick in place is more inconvenient. We had ours wired, and it is now a one plug operation. The supplemental brake is also simple, flip two switches. Setting the tranny up for towing is also simple, about three easy steps in the owners manual and the display tells you when the tranny is ready.

BTW, I do not know how far back the Focus model is towable, however they can be had for a song, because of the jerky tranny that is now fixed and Ford has even extended the warranty on all affected models new and old. After we had the clutch pack and shift sensors replaced completely at Ford expense, we love the car and it is now our only car period.

Check what year models may interest you. From personal experience I can say keep it simple
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