Towing 4 down or Tow Dolly

[Ultra Classi]

We will be going fulltime in a couple of months and see MH using tow dollies and some with 4 down. Is the any particular way that is considered better then the other? We haven't yet decided , so I figured to talk to the experts first. We spent last week at Tiffin and talked to different people and some say either amd others prefer 4 down over tow dollies. We have a 2005 Allegro Bus 40ft and love it. Just had it checked out with all the recalls and all OK. Appreciate any response.


Ray & carol

[RVThere]

Oh boy will you get opinions on this question!

We used a tow dolly for 10 years and now tow a Jeep 4 down and could not be happier.

Although you can tow a number of different cars on a dolly, you have to get them on and off and store the dolly when not in use.

With the right car, you can tow 4 down with much less hassle. Jeeps with the correct transfer case have been proven to be reliable toads. You can also tow manual transmissions 4 down but I don't have experience with that.

[Wayne Pryor]

We tow 4 down. I can be hooked up and 20 miles down the road by the time people with tow dollies get hooked up and on the road. I like the "KISS" method of doing things. Don't forget about your supplemental braking system whether towing with a dolly or 4 down.

[Pigman1]

We've done it both ways but our choice is 4 down. No dolly to store and move around, and a total of 3 minutes to hook up and go. You only have to try to hook up or drop off a tow with a dolly one time on dirt when it's been raining for 3 days to realize the advantages to a 4 down hookup. We've got over 120,000 miles pulling 4 down and would not go any other way.

Pigman

[MickBrennan]

Agreed! We have done both also. A tow dolly has one advantage; it can be used with multiple vehicles. True, it can be a PITA to hook up. Sometimes we want the convertible, other times the van is our choice and depending on where we are the SUV is behind us. Only one of those vehicles is able to be towed 4 down. So for us, it's a no brainer. We have a dolly, with electric brakes.

[ralphie]

I've used both and prefer 4-down. Easier and quicker than a dolly when hooking/unhooking. But, you didn't say what vehicle you want to tow. Search here for 4-down and you'll find a lot of advice on which vehicles are towable. Some don't need any mods, some need transmission pumps, and some a driveshaft disconnect. If your vehicle cannot be towed 4-down, then the tow dolly or a car trailer will be the only way to go.

[Wayne Pryor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultra Classi We will be going fulltime in a couple of months and see MH using tow dollies and some with 4 down. Is the any particular way that is considered better then the other? We haven't yet decided , so I figured to talk to the experts first. We spent last week at Tiffin and talked to different people and some say either amd others prefer 4 down over tow dollies. We have a 2005 Allegro Bus 40ft and love it. Just had it checked out with all the recalls and all OK. Appreciate any response. Ray & carol

You can go to www.remcotowing.com to check on vehicles that you can flat tow with no mods and see the ones that need mods. for 4 down towing.

[Ultra Classi]

As I can see 4 down is preferred. I have an 08 Ford Taurus front wheel drive and the manual states that I can put it in neutral and have the key in accessory position and it should be okay. Thank for all your comments.


Ray

[Sequim Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne Pryor We tow 4 down. I can be hooked up and 20 miles down the road by the time people with tow dollies get hooked up and on the road.

I have watched many people hook up their 4 down rigs, and I will be a few minutes behind you at the most.
20 miles down the road.......... Absolutely no way.
I will be glad to make a cash wager on that, anytime.

Towing 4-down is preferred by those that use that method, just as a tow dolly is preferred by those that use a dolly.

The only best way is the one that is best for you, and don't let anyone else decide for you.
There is good and bad on both sides, so here is an opinion.

4-down - Good.
May save you 5 minutes hooking it up.
Don't need a place to keep dolly.

Bad.
Equipment is a lot more money....A LOT.
Can only use the one car set up for towing, and do it again at trade-in time.
Ugly tow bar things on front of the car.

Tow dolly - Good
Less expensive equipment, only buy it once.
Can tow almost any vehicle on dolly.

Bad.
Need a place to keep dolly. (I stand mine up against the garage wall.)
May take an extra 5 minutes to hook up.
Some people get excited about all the bells and whistles you can get on a dolly, pivot deck, steering tires, folding tongue, ect. Don't fall for that, these things just become extra weight and things that can cause extra problems. As one person said, use the KISS method.

YOU decide what works best for you. And good luck.


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[Elkhartjim]

I've towed both ways and I've got a sack off hundred dollar bills that I'll gladly let a third party hold and deliver to the first rig out of the parking lot - hooked up legally.
I'll use a Demco KarKaddy SS and you can use the tow system of your choice. The rules will be all safety cables, lighting, breakaway system and brake system installed and working correctly.

I'm pretty agile, of average intelligence and if there was a pot of gold waiting down the road; there is no way I could get hooked up four down in 2 or 3 minutes. Now if your talking about hooking the tow bar to the base plate and driving off thats another story.

Good luck and I would suggest asking a buddy that tows four down to let you practice hooking up his set up and do the same with a dolly.

[frankdamp]

We've been debating the same issues for the last few months. We don't plan to full-time, but will be making some longer trips than just around Washington.

Our daily driver is an 03 Kia Sedona, and unfortunately its curb weight is over 4800 pounds. With a 5000 pound hitch capacity, wnd the scarcity of dollies than can handle a car that heavy, dolly towing isn't feasible.

To convert it to 4-down is very costly. Because of the weight, the baseplates and towing frame are expensive (over $1000 together), the supplementary brake system is another $900 or more, and the transmission lube system is almost another $1000. Add in a vacuum pump to give the toad brakes the necessary application force, the cost of conversion soon approaches the value of the old girl.

We're looking through the "Toads for sale" listings on the Escapees web site, but haven't spotted anything suitable (cheap enough) yet.

Having owned a Mazda B2200 extended cab truck and an S-10 previously, we're giving some thought to an early '90s 2-wd RWD truck, as a 4-down. The installation of a drive-shaft disconnect is quite a bit cheaper than a lube-pump set-up. With the dog, we'd need an extended cab, and it would have to be an automatic transmission, due to physical limitations that make a stick-shift unworkable.

An older RWD Volvo 760 or 960 wagon with a/t is also a possibility.

Still looking and thinking!

[Sequim Guy]

Check this one out...............

Acme Trailers EZ-Tow- Car Tow Dollies - Home

It is rated for 4985 lbs. and has an 80" wide deck. It should haul your Sedona.
Although it weighs only 405 lbs., it would put you about 200 lbs. over your hitch limit. It would probably work fine, if you figure in the Fudge Factor.


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[Mr JP]

We have towed both ways and 4 down is much easier and allot faster. Good Luck JP

[DGShaffer]

I knew this topic would get beat up like a red headed step child.

I'm not a full timer and only drag the toad on long trips as we always have the MC with us. For this reason I chose a Demco Car Kaddy SS which folds up to allow storage at our site and is also one of the best made dollies out there guaranteeing a high resale if I choose to sell it.

I developed a way to move it around as well as a system for loading and securing my Jetta that might take a total of 8 minutes. I also tow my wife's car at times and loan it out to friends to move vehicles.

Having said that, I do think that if I were full timing I would only own one car and would buy it based on criteria for towing 4 down as that seems to be the logical choice when you are always on the move