Tow Dolly Question

[Sequim Guy]

Originally Posted by Heating man

I am not a" really wanted to flat tow" user. I thought the dolly would be a good thing for me I could use it with multiple vehicles. I agree the disc brakes are nice and the price for the thing was reasonable. I found the dolly to be hard to use and poorly engineered. I was expressing my opinion about this as I would not have purchased it if I had known its disadvantages. If you like it I am glad I just don't share your opinion.

I am curious as to what was hard to use and poorly engineered??
And please list the disadvantages that you found, after all, with such broad
statements it's hard to understand what you mean without more details.


.

[Heating man]

Originally Posted by Sequim Guy

I am curious as to what was hard to use and poorly engineered??
And please list the disadvantages that you found, after all, with such broad
statements it's hard to understand what you mean without more details.


.

1) The ramps do not attach to the tow dolly and when my wife went to put the car on the dolly at a campground our car which is a front drive ford escape, shot the thing out from under the car and the car dropped down. It was on gravel and wife was giving the extra gas needed to get up and onto the tow dolly. After that happened we always used ratchet straps to keep the ramps together with the tow dolly . They should have design an attachment for the ramps.
2) The straps over the wheels are hard to keep tight. There is only one ratchet on each side to tighten them and they constantly work loose. I have had the hooks come loose because the spring retainers have gone bad seems like poor quality. I have only used this dolly 3 time and it is stored in my garage and looks like the day I got it so the straps are not worn out from use.
3) The chains they supply have no way to connect them together so they will not come off while travelng. I wrapped them around and used a chain link connector but the car moved on the dolly enough that I could not get it back off and I had to cut it off.
4) The tow dolly has no dedicated place for tires to sit, the whole dolly is the same all the way across so there is nothing to keep the car from moving side to side while traveling or the car being loaded off center. I put lines on the dolly and the ramps so I would know where to set them up for my car so it would be centered on the dolly.
5) there is lots of crawling under the dolly to hook up the chains and the over tire straps.
6) When I bought the dolly the guy told I should buy a spare tire from him (which I did) because the size is hard to find. 205/65-10"
7) Instructions for use were poor they tell you to go on line and look at their video.

[RoadHogg]

Originally Posted by Heating man

1) The ramps do not attach to the tow dolly and when my wife went to put the car on the dolly at a campground our car which is a front drive ford escape, shot the thing out from under the car and the car dropped down. It was on gravel and wife was giving the extra gas needed to get up and onto the tow dolly. After that happened we always used ratchet straps to keep the ramps together with the tow dolly . They should have design an attachment for the ramps.
2) The straps over the wheels are hard to keep tight. There is only one ratchet on each side to tighten them and they constantly work loose. I have had the hooks come loose because the spring retainers have gone bad seems like poor quality. I have only used this dolly 3 time and it is stored in my garage and looks like the day I got it so the straps are not worn out from use.
3) The chains they supply have no way to connect them together so they will not come off while travelng. I wrapped them around and used a chain link connector but the car moved on the dolly enough that I could not get it back off and I had to cut it off.
4) The tow dolly has no dedicated place for tires to sit, the whole dolly is the same all the way across so there is nothing to keep the car from moving side to side while traveling or the car being loaded off center. I put lines on the dolly and the ramps so I would know where to set them up for my car so it would be centered on the dolly.
5) there is lots of crawling under the dolly to hook up the chains and the over tire straps.
6) When I bought the dolly the guy told I should buy a spare tire from him (which I did) because the size is hard to find. 205/65-10"
7) Instructions for use were poor they tell you to go on line and look at their video.

Having used dollies in the past, these sound like valid complaints about this particular design, at least to me.

[Tom-NC]

Gee I wonder what the load rating is on a 10" tire.

I have never had any problem loading or unloading my 2011 Ford Escape on my Roadmaster dolly. The car stays where I put it and doen't move from side to side. The straps are easy to work with even in the rain and stay were I tighten them, however as a precaution I do check them when I stop.

The real answer to this thread is personal preference. If you want disc brakes then go for the one with disc brakes and if you want surge brakes than go for that however remember surge brakes only work on as someone stated "inertia" which means the car must try to push the car and you have no control of it. If you are going down a steep hill and just have RV in a lower gear the car will not try to catch up. You also can't manually put a drag on dolly to help RV slow down.

If I had it to do over I would pick a dolly that has steerable wheels, a pocket for the front tires, ramps that are attached to the pan, tires that will hold the weight of the car, ease of using straps and electric brakes. Roadmaster is one Tow Dolly that meets that requirement.

Good luck on your endeavor.

[wardy]

and if you want surge brakes than go for that however remember surge brakes only work on as someone stated "inertia" which means the car must try to push the car and you have no control of it. If you are going down a steep hill and just have RV in a lower gear the car will not try to catch up. You also can't manually put a drag on dolly to help RV slow down.

Good luck on your endeavor.
[/QUOTE]

Tom Tommy Thomas come on, electric brakes work on the same principle. You set the desired braking based on deceleration. You have an accelerometer in all modern electric controllers. If you didn't have them then how would the controller know how hard to brake? Just having the brake light's engage does not indicate any pressure.....

[Heating man]

It was probably my fault for buying this tow dolly it was much cheaper than others and as they say you get what you pay for. I just want others to know what the're getting for this cheap price. I wish I had seen a review of this dolly and a comparison to other brands. Even though this dolly was cheaper I would have chosen a dolly that was easy to use and paid the extra. Live and learn.

[GAGypsy]

Originally Posted by Heating man

1) The ramps do not attach to the tow dolly and when my wife went to put the car on the dolly at a campground our car which is a front drive ford escape, shot the thing out from under the car and the car dropped down. It was on gravel and wife was giving the extra gas needed to get up and onto the tow dolly. After that happened we always used ratchet straps to keep the ramps together with the tow dolly . They should have design an attachment for the ramps.
2) The straps over the wheels are hard to keep tight. There is only one ratchet on each side to tighten them and they constantly work loose. I have had the hooks come loose because the spring retainers have gone bad seems like poor quality. I have only used this dolly 3 time and it is stored in my garage and looks like the day I got it so the straps are not worn out from use.
3) The chains they supply have no way to connect them together so they will not come off while travelng. I wrapped them around and used a chain link connector but the car moved on the dolly enough that I could not get it back off and I had to cut it off.
4) The tow dolly has no dedicated place for tires to sit, the whole dolly is the same all the way across so there is nothing to keep the car from moving side to side while traveling or the car being loaded off center. I put lines on the dolly and the ramps so I would know where to set them up for my car so it would be centered on the dolly.
5) there is lots of crawling under the dolly to hook up the chains and the over tire straps.
6) When I bought the dolly the guy told I should buy a spare tire from him (which I did) because the size is hard to find. 205/65-10"
7) Instructions for use were poor they tell you to go on line and look at their video.

Your mishap was caused by the fact that you did not follow the instructions given by Acme as well as all the other manufacturers. You loaded your car on gravel, that is a NO No! Second , your wife was NOT in control of the car! Perhaps you should have been behind the wheel. I have used several different brands of straps and tow Dolly's over the years. They all losen up to a degree, that's why they tell you to check them every 50-100 miles. There is no "wheel well" in order to accommodate different size wheel bases, cut cost, and facilitate wheel movement as ther is no swivel plate. As a result the EZTow has one if the widest base in the business. If your straps were properly tightened and both tires pulled hard against the front stop, your ratchet adjusted to the center of each tire, your car would not move. At least I can tell you mine does not. I do not have to "crawl" under the dolly to secure the straps! I have little plastic folding step I got from Camping World! I sit in front of the tire and in rear to put on my straps, no problem. You have to make sure you spread the rear strap with hooks only enough to have them straight up and down, otherwise they will loosen. You are right there is no place for the spare. I have been planning to get a marine front jack with wheels and a spare tire bracket, not sure where I will be able to put the latter. Who ever sold you the EZ Tow ripped you because they are shipped from the factory with a spare and rim mounted.

When I bought my EZ Tow in JUL 2012, it arrived with several different instruction books for each of the major components, and the spare tire. The one thing they forgot is detailed instructions on applying the straps to the car and the tow dolly. but having done it many times, I didn't have any trouble. Did have a couple of questions, I emailed them and they were great. Shortly after that, the owner , Richard got sick and their Customer Svc fell through the cracks while he was out.

[Mochisme]

Originally Posted by Heating man

It was probably my fault for buying this tow dolly it was much cheaper than others and as they say you get what you pay for. I just want others to know what the're getting for this cheap price. I wish I had seen a review of this dolly and a comparison to other brands. Even though this dolly was cheaper I would have chosen a dolly that was easy to use and paid the extra. Live and learn.

Well I have had my share of problems with the Acme EZE Tow Dolly, some even similar to yours, I still find it easy to use and recommend it.

I have had the ramps shoot out twice in over 130 days of travel with about 80 loads and unloads. First time was on very smooth slick concrete and the 2nd was in gravel. I also blame myself for the 2nd time as I drove up on the ramps too slow and then had to hit the gas to get over the lip at the end of the ramp and onto the dolly, but I got on the dolly both times.

I find the straps very easy to put on after studying them a little and I have to bend over, but not get under the car to make them up. Note I do not like the straps that came with the Dolly and I am thinking of having my own design made up which would be even easier to use. I have never had the straps loosen except a tiny tiny bit, but then I tighen the heck out of them.

I load and unload by myself but pulling the car up to the ramps and then getting out and checking my ramp placement and tire location and adjust as need and load her up. I also have never had the car move side to side, it has always stayed right where I strap it down.

Now the safety chain, that is another issue and I do have to get on my knees to install it. But it has hooks on each end and is not a problem to hook into a secure loop around my axle and the Dolly Frame. I do have the problem of forgetting to remove it now and again and had to move the car forward to get slack to remove it after I started backing of the dolly with it still in place, but never cutting to remove.

I think you just need a more open mind and a little more pratice, but I think you so unhappy at this point that will not happen, so throw it up on Craigs List and unload it.

Oh yes, one more thing, the 10 inch tires are not all that hard to find, but I am not going to go into how I know that.

: whistling:

[G.T.]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum but I hope my own experience would be of some value to potential buyers of the tow dolly.
Just as meantioned before, I also shop around and narrow down to Demco Kar Kaddy SS or ACME.
Finally I chose Demco - reason being that at the time ACME did not come with straps, but instead they were trying to tie down car's tires by using chains! Imagine that, chains on exposed suspension and brake systems!
After a short phone exhange of my opinion with the sales manager of ACME on the subject I realized that this is a VERY BAD IDEA!

To load the car ONLY on a hard surface is often as possible as making NO SHARP TURNS with tow dolly. It's simply impractical.

Prior to my dolly I flat towed my car, but that was just a nightmare, and after many incidents burning front tires and front brake rotors and even paint off of my car's front wheels due to false braking activation trigerred by vibration and uneven roads. And yes, I tried to fix the problem and I spent two days at a manufacturer of the braking system to correct the problem. I give up and bought my Demco which I couldn't be happier with. As everyone knows, there is no perfect solution to towing cars. I just expressed my own opinion and nothing more.
P.S.
My tow dolly came whit SELF ADJUSTING surge drum braking system.

[Mochisme]

Welcome to the Forum G.T.

My self I liked the Chain Tie down, but alas it did not work out in the long run, but I used it for over 10,000 miles. Yes I had a couple small problems, but I worked them out, but that was with my Town & Country Van, no problems at all with my PT Curiser for a 3,000 mile plus trip and chains.

But it is each to their own and what they are comfortable with.

[Sequim Guy]

Originally Posted by Heating man

1) The ramps do not attach to the tow dolly and when my wife went to put the car on the dolly at a campground our car which is a front drive ford escape, shot the thing out from under the car and the car dropped down. It was on gravel and wife was giving the extra gas needed to get up and onto the tow dolly. After that happened we always used ratchet straps to keep the ramps together with the tow dolly . They should have design an attachment for the ramps.
2) The straps over the wheels are hard to keep tight. There is only one ratchet on each side to tighten them and they constantly work loose. I have had the hooks come loose because the spring retainers have gone bad seems like poor quality. I have only used this dolly 3 time and it is stored in my garage and looks like the day I got it so the straps are not worn out from use.
3) The chains they supply have no way to connect them together so they will not come off while travelng. I wrapped them around and used a chain link connector but the car moved on the dolly enough that I could not get it back off and I had to cut it off.
4) The tow dolly has no dedicated place for tires to sit, the whole dolly is the same all the way across so there is nothing to keep the car from moving side to side while traveling or the car being loaded off center. I put lines on the dolly and the ramps so I would know where to set them up for my car so it would be centered on the dolly.
5) there is lots of crawling under the dolly to hook up the chains and the over tire straps.
6) When I bought the dolly the guy told I should buy a spare tire from him (which I did) because the size is hard to find. 205/65-10"
7) Instructions for use were poor they tell you to go on line and look at their video.

I had written several paragraphs explaining why you were having so many
problems operating your ACME, but I deleted it all and I will only say
that I agree with Mochisme, just sell it and move on....


.

[Tom-NC]

HI Wardy,

I would like to reply to your reply on my post.

1st My name as written is Tom and not Tommy, however I repond to Thomas sometimes. Some of my friends used Tommy when I was a kid but since I'm 73 years old they use Tom and I would appreciate you do the same. Thanks

2nd Electric brakes do not operate by deceleration. They do operate by electric voltage being applied to a magnet in the brakes that move the pads against drum thereby stopping the dolly. The adjustment on the controller is a potiometer that controls the amount of voltage.

3rd So Wardy please check your information before you say something.

Lastly surge brakes operate on deceleration and that the car is trying to catch up. As previously stated they work on "inertia."

PS
To the post about the dolly not having wheel wells for different width cars, the Roadmaster tow dolly has adjustments that can adjust the width of the wheel wells.

[Tom-NC]

Hi Wardy again,

I did some checking on electric brakes and suggest you go to the following website to learn about electric brakes:

www.ehow.com/how_7546465_maintain-electric-brakes.html

It will verify my previous post on how brakes operate.

[bmacrc46]

Originally Posted by Mochisme

I have had the ramps shoot out twice in over 130 days of travel with about 80 loads and unloads. First time was on very smooth slick concrete and the 2nd was in gravel. I also blame myself for the 2nd time as I drove up on the ramps too slow and then had to hit the gas to get over the lip at the end of the ramp and onto the dolly, but I got on the dolly both times.
: whistling:

I think you are being a little hard on yourself. What ACME did was take an existing product, Rhino Ramps, and use them instead of designing ramps specifically for their product. The fact is that Rhino ramps have a lip on the end to PREVENT you from driving too far. If this ramp was properly engineered to be compatible with their dolly there would not be a lip.

No doubt that Rhino ramps are cheaper than other options may have been but they are a comprimise and it does not lend credence to their marketing slogan of having the most advanced dolly on the market.

I understand some folks really like this dolly but several folks have legitimate reasons for choosing another option. I much prefer electric brakes and immediately excluding ACME due to them not providing the option. The fact that the ramps are not attached is also a big negative in my book.