Tow Dolly

[Islandduffer]

Hi we have a 2003 Kia Magentis that we want to tow behind our RV with a tow dolly. Our question is: What would be the best tow dolly to purchase???

Thanks

[Mr_D]

I have a Demco KarKaddy 460, galvanized, folds to store, surge brakes, even chrome wheels. Works great but NOT cheap. I paid about $2,200 for it new in 2005. Spent a few hours in a snow storm assembling it in front of my employers front door.
I haul a 2005 Honda Odyssey on it but that's about as big as will fit, the 2010 and newer Ody's are wider and won't fit.

Since I have a tow bar and the Ody has the brackets installed I'm going to start towing it four down. Honda says it's not approved but there are lots of them out there being towed with no problems.

[lllkrob]

If your looking for a heavy duty, heavy wide load capable dolly check out a Master Tow Dolly with surge brakes.

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Islandduffer Hi we have a 2003 Kia Magentis that we want to tow behind our RV with a tow dolly. Our question is: What would be the best tow dolly to purchase??? Thanks

we use a stehl dolly.
it had a severe miss-alignment problem when we bought it new for about $1300. we didn't use the dolly for 1.5 years so we didn't know about the problem until it wore out the first pair of tires in 600 miles. after an ''alignment'' in reno, it wore out another pair of tires in 900-1000 miles. we finally got a good alignment job done in san jose, ca. the 3rd set of tires is wearing well.
the san jose alignment shop says that this is a common problem, usually toe out from hitting potholes and curbs. some of the dollies that they align are sent to them by the dealer before they are sold. mine initially had 3/4'' of toe in.
the point of this tale of woe is to advise you or anyone else buying a new or used dolly to check the toe in or out before you buy it with a long tape measure.
let the dealer or po deal with getting it aligned before you purchase it.
the master tow dolly that was mentioned is similar to the stehl. both have a ''turntable'' that allows the dolly to follow the moho without straining the front suspension of the toad and or dolly.
the demco has tie rods that actually steer the dolly wheels. it would be simple to adjust the tie rods to set the alignment. my stehl had to be set up on a frame straightening jig and the frame crossmember heated and bent to get the alignment right. the demco weighs a lot more than my stehl dolly (600#).
if you are serious about dolly towing, my suggestion is that you rent a dolly from uhaul and see how you like it. uhaul dollies have tie rods and surge brakes.
my dolly has electric brakes and i recommend them over surge brakes as you have control inside the moho of how well the brakes work vs. the push-pull of surge brakes. when going downhill, surge brakes will be applied somewhat.
i bought a folding landing gear wheel jack from harbor freight for the tongue of the dolly to aid in moving it around when it is empty. it moves easily and most of it fits under the rear of my moho in campgrounds.
i carry a spare tire too.

STEHL TOW TRAILERS

http://www.easternmarine.com/em_stor...rakes_ele.html

[Steve N Sal]

We have the Demco Kar Kaddy SS. It is all galvanized has surge brakes, LED lights, safety brake breakaway feature and when not being used can be folded to half it's size for storage. That feature really works out great at campgrounds where there is limited space at your site or at home in our case as it takes up much less room in the garage. They're not cheap but a well thought out and well built unit. I give it a big .

[RELHUB]

I purchased a brand new tow dolly in JUNE 2010, it works great. I just looked up our invoice and I paid $1,320.00 + 180 to ship to my house in NJ. tThis INCLUDES a 5 year warranty , the best I have seen offered. The company I purchased from is ACME TANK & TRAILER LLC --- 1031 EAST MAIN STREET - KERNERSVILLE - NC - 27289 ---- 336-996-4396. It has disc brakes and built very sturdy @ 400 lbs is very easy to move around. Great product and works well with our Winnebago Outlook 31c

The only issue would be the fact that this unit does not have built in ramps. They give you portable ramps that you line up in front of the car and drive up on the tow dolly. Also the first trip out I need extra time, to learn how to set up the tire straps to secure the car. The directions they supplied were not the best but everything else has been great.

Hope this helps.

[Hikerdogs]

We have a Roadmaster 2000-1. Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories

We used it to tow our 1997 Buick and will use it whenever we tow our 2008 Buick. This particular one comes with steerable wheels, self locking ramps, lockable storage compartments, tie downs, safety chains (for both the towed car and to te towing vehicle), and lights. It hcan be assembled in 2 widths for towing different size cars. The nice thing about a dolly with steerable wheels is that the wheels follow directly in the path of the rear wheels of the motorhome. It cuts down on the amount of room needed to make a sharp turn.

[45acp]

We also have a Road Master 2000-1 and have used it to tow many thousands of miles. I even had a tire blow out on the dolly go 65-70 MPH going over Raton Pass and was able to pull over with only damage to the dolly fender. I pull a Prius normally but have also pulled a 1980 full sized Blazer with it. I really like the electric brakes and ease of loading. Bill

[gregd]

We purchased a used Demco Kar Kaddy SS off of Craigslist about three years ago. It is very heavy duty and is quite convenient to fold it up when not in use. We have towed our Chrysler T&C minivan coast to coast 2x with out any major issues.

Without suspension on the dolly wheels, the fenders take quite a bit of vibration so the only issue I have had was a loose wire to the left brake light. I consider that part of normal wear and tear/maintenance though.

Greg

[randco]

Before you jump out there and purchase a tow dolly, have you considered where you are going to park it at home? Where do you intend to store it while you are camping?

You might want to rethink you towing possibilities.

[akadeadeye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lllkrob If your looking for a heavy duty, heavy wide load capable dolly check out a Master Tow Dolly with surge brakes.

Ditto that. Ours is great.

Don

[RVNeophytes2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs We have a Roadmaster 2000-1. Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories

We've been using a friend's borrowed brakeless Stehl since January as a test to see if dolly-towing would be our preference.

Well, we like using a dolly. Absolutely no inconvenience at ten or so sites we're visited. IMHO, it's a matter of physical capabilities: those who can squat and snug down a rachet strap are better served by a dolly. It is simply a better value, a more versatile towing method.

Setup time is nearly the same, dolly towing costs half; and, you can tow a variety of cars, eg select the vehicle for the mission.

Once convinced we were indeed on the dolly tract, I too ordered a Roadmaster 2000-1. A friend is a dealer, so the price was ideal. One small position light lens was broken, and Roadmaster sent the parts immediately. This was on the same day the Indiana Better Business Bureau revealed that Good Sam had also stonewalled them, just as they did me.

I have mine nearly assembled, and found the directions thorough. When I get back home, I'm going to slide the wheel trays to the full outboard position and then torque all of the trailer's many bolts.

Then, it'll be time to load the car and try her out! Stay tuned...

[speed racer]

The Demco Kar Kaddy SS is by far the best tow dolley on the market but it is also the most expensive so shop around. Like MR_D I bought mine in 2005 for $2200. I Have put a lot of trouble free miles on it so I had to replace the tires last year. It has surge brakes and the brakes have to be adjusted depending on the miles and conditions you drive in. The new ones may have disc brakes but I realy don't know about this.

[JDT]

I have no experience using a tow dolly but that is about to change. We always tow the wife's vehicle which we change every 3 to 4 years, depending on the mileage. After setting up 4 of her vehicles for 4 down towing thru the years she asked me not to cut on her new one she got in June. Not sure about your Kia but I could find only a few dollies wide enough to accomdate the 78" tread width on her suv but not the weight. I am having one built by Landgrebe Mfg in Valparaiso, Ind that is not only wide enough (80" ramp width, 85" width between the fenders) but has enough capacity to handle her 4900 lb suv. Plus, their design has the wheels turning but not the fenders. Can't recommend them yet as I will not get it till later this month but my choice was very limited. The price is a little more than some, around $2200, not including shipping, for one with electric brakes, LED lights and a spare.