Review of the ACME EZE-TOW Tow Dolly

[54bob]

Mrs. Bob here. Are we the only people who are not happy with the EZ Tow? We bought ours about 4-5 months ago and have used it about 4-5 times. The first issue was that brake fluid was leaking from the reservoir upon delivery (it is shipped standing upright), so the brand new dolly was delivered with brake fluid wrecking the factory paint. First thing we had to do was fix that issue; Acme compensated us by sending us two extra straps. (And we are concerned that if we store it upright, it may leak again ... we haven't tried that yet.) The ramps are heavy and difficult to use in soft dirt or gravel (most of the campgrounds we've been to have been dirt or gravel roads & sites). Most distressing, there is no wheel well or chock-type thing to prevent the car wheels from shifting backwards off the dolly. Because the car pivots instead of the dolly, we are always finding one wheel or the other shifted back on the bar, and frequently stop and adjust the straps as we travel. The only things preventing the car from dropping off the back of the dolly are the straps and chains. Also, when we arrive at our destination, if one of the wheels has shifted back on the bar it is impossible to attach the ramp and remove the strap unless we move the car forward slightly (but one wheel is snug up against the stop bar while the other has shifted back onto the rear bar). It is a chore to put the car up on this dolly, we worry about the car, have to stop, check and tighten frequently, and Bob is always thinking of ways to modify it in an attempt to make it more secure. Does anyone else have these issues? Or are we doing something wrong here?

[Polyian]

Originally Posted by EZE Tow

If you are having clearance issues at the front of your dolly then your tongue height is way to high. Simply purchase a lower drop bar and lower the ball height. Every inch you lower the ball height will add 1.5 inches of clearance at the front lip of the dolly. We have loaded at least 15 of these cars here at the factory, never a clearance issue. I am not aware of any single car that has clearance issue loading or unloading on our dolly when the instructions are followed.
Of course when you encounter something of this nature you always have the option of contacting us directly for a solution.

Richard Brown

Correct...I bought my EEZ-Tow this years and on my first trip I was catching the black plastic under the front of my Prius when backing off the dolly...sometimes. I noticed this depended on how high the hitch was depending on level terrain. I dropped the hitch ball two more inches ad it's fine now. I am sitting around 13-14 inches depending where I park.
Overall the dolly has worked out great. Acme send me the Cordura sleeves for the straps which help protect them from abrasion..good addition.
I always use the safety chains and I carry a thin mat to lie on to make it easier to get the chains around the front suspension arms. A couple of inches of slack as the instructions say and the have never popped out of the banjo's.
Usually I stop after a few miles and re-tighten the straps, then check them each stop...they never have required adjustment after the initial re-check.
I can load and unload the Prius single handed though it is easier with the DW guiding me onto the dolly. The most difficult part is centering the car on the dolly and with her guidance I can get it right first attempt. Loading takes me about 5 minutes more than flat tow connecting did. Having come from flat towing I can say I prefer the ease of flat tow hook up, but...we like our Prius so much that we want it down south for the winter and this is an acceptable trade-off to bring it along for the trip.

I like the Acme dolly's ability to be stored upright in my garage taking up only 2 feet of space from the wall. I like it's ability to slip under the rear of the motorhome at RV parks only sticking out about 2 feet from the rear. And I like the lightweight maneuverability of the dolly. I added a swivel jack to make it easier to roll around the campground single handed. I also have a hitch on the Prius to bring the dolly to the motorhome parking area from my garage...works great. May be useful at some RV parks to be able to move the dolly somewhere using the toad. It can also be used as a small trailer if I need to pick up a large bulky item.

As far as towing, the hydraulic disc surge brakes work much better than the Brake Buddy did when I was flat towing, truly proportional braking.
Overall this has been a great dolly. Only a couple of thousand miles so far, our upcoming snowbird trip will be a longer test. I expect no problems.

Acme was a great company to deal with...I highly recommend them and their dolly.

[Polyian]

Originally Posted by 54bob

Mrs. Bob here. Are we the only people who are not happy with the EZ Tow? We bought ours about 4-5 months ago and have used it about 4-5 times. The first issue was that brake fluid was leaking from the reservoir upon delivery (it is shipped standing upright), so the brand new dolly was delivered with brake fluid wrecking the factory paint. First thing we had to do was fix that issue; Acme compensated us by sending us two extra straps. (And we are concerned that if we store it upright, it may leak again ... we haven't tried that yet.) The ramps are heavy and difficult to use in soft dirt or gravel (most of the campgrounds we've been to have been dirt or gravel roads & sites). Most distressing, there is no wheel well or chock-type thing to prevent the car wheels from shifting backwards off the dolly. Because the car pivots instead of the dolly, we are always finding one wheel or the other shifted back on the bar, and frequently stop and adjust the straps as we travel. The only things preventing the car from dropping off the back of the dolly are the straps and chains. Also, when we arrive at our destination, if one of the wheels has shifted back on the bar it is impossible to attach the ramp and remove the strap unless we move the car forward slightly (but one wheel is snug up against the stop bar while the other has shifted back onto the rear bar). It is a chore to put the car up on this dolly, we worry about the car, have to stop, check and tighten frequently, and Bob is always thinking of ways to modify it in an attempt to make it more secure. Does anyone else have these issues? Or are we doing something wrong here?

I had the brake fluid leak problem on delivery, Acme send me new caps for the reservoir and a set of straps as compensation. I bled the brakes and have had no further problems in that regard...I store it upright in my garage.
I have not had problems with loading and unloading but normally I select solid flat area to do this...flat towing was easier connect on flat ground as well so I was already accustomed to 'choosing' a loading/unloading area as I entered a park.
The most I have noticed the car move back on one side is about an inch. This happens more if I don't have the car centered on the dolly, or if I am forced to make tight turns. I also try to keep the strap hook away from the rear of the tires where the ramps hooks go...move them more to the outside of the tire.
I check the straps every time we stop but don't have any real issues after the first stop...maybe the odd click on a ratchet.
You strap positions look fine so I really don't have any suggestions other than try to load and unload on flat terrain and be sure to center the car on the dolly. Try to avoid tight turns more than 90 degrees. Perhaps Acme will step in here with some ideas.

[fcbbob15]

54Bob In looking at your photo I think your straps could be a little tighter. I have found that the car needs to be loaded as straight as you can. This includes having the dolly straight with the motorhome. My car moved some the fist time I used the dolly. After watching the video again I started tightening the straps another click or two and every thing has been fine. Some movement is ok. If it worries you, some on this forum have added another ratcheting strap thru the wheels. The only issue I have had with my Acme dolly is the zip ties holding the wiring have broken. This is due to the dolly being stored outside in the Nevada sun. I keep my tires covered as plastic and rubber don't play well with our sunshine.

[Polyian]

54Bob...the other thing I just noticed examining your pictures, you could move the strap on one side of each wheel to the inner choice on all three cross straps. This is what Acme advised me to do on my 205/16 tires. It will move the entire hook up further out on the circumference of the tire. I think it will retain the tire better that way. They also told me to position the straps at 12, 1 and 3 o'clock which you seem to have correct. Also contact Acme and they will ship you the Cordura strap covers free, helps prevent strap abrasion.

[Dan Paymar]

Originally Posted by 54bob

Mrs. Bob here. Are we the only people who are not happy with the EZ Tow? We bought ours about 4-5 months ago and have used it about 4-5 times. The first issue was that brake fluid was leaking from the reservoir upon delivery (it is shipped standing upright), so the brand new dolly was delivered with brake fluid wrecking the factory paint. First thing we had to do was fix that issue; Acme compensated us by sending us two extra straps. (And we are concerned that if we store it upright, it may leak again ... we haven't tried that yet.) The ramps are heavy and difficult to use in soft dirt or gravel (most of the campgrounds we've been to have been dirt or gravel roads & sites). Most distressing, there is no wheel well or chock-type thing to prevent the car wheels from shifting backwards off the dolly. Because the car pivots instead of the dolly, we are always finding one wheel or the other shifted back on the bar, and frequently stop and adjust the straps as we travel. The only things preventing the car from dropping off the back of the dolly are the straps and chains. Also, when we arrive at our destination, if one of the wheels has shifted back on the bar it is impossible to attach the ramp and remove the strap unless we move the car forward slightly (but one wheel is snug up against the stop bar while the other has shifted back onto the rear bar). It is a chore to put the car up on this dolly, we worry about the car, have to stop, check and tighten frequently, and Bob is always thinking of ways to modify it in an attempt to make it more secure. Does anyone else have these issues? Or are we doing something wrong here?

We have had the same problems as you except for the brake fluid leak, plus even with the hitch at 13" off the ground the front bumper cover of our 2015 Hyundai Accent Sport would not clear the front lip of the dolly. I had to put 2x10 boards on the dolly and on the ramps to raise the car enough to clear the lip.

Also, Brown's statement that lowering the hitch 1" will give 1.5" more clearance is ridiculous. A little math shows that lowering the hitch 1" lowers the lip less than half an inch.

[Masterbrewer]

Mrs Bob, you are right that the tire is only held in place by the straps and chains. I found that the tire can shift as you described if you try to unhook it right after making a sharp turn. Drive straight for about 100 feet and then unhook. If my straps are not really tight this can happen. The tire is not coming off the dolly, just shifting back a couple of inches. When I experience this when unhooking, I just tighten the strap on the tire that has shifted back. I do this with the car in neutral and the parking brake off. If you make sure your straps are really tight this shouldn’t be an issue.
Also in your picture I assume it is of the right front tire. It might be helpful if we could see the front and back of the tire to see where the straps are attached.

[ZACRUX]

I have found that the ratchets that lock the strap tension do not fully engage when the straps are tightly tensioned. The pawls don't fully seat into the groove. I tap them home with a hammer so they are fully seated in the groove. This will prevent the strap from pulling back a ratchet or two and ever since I started this practice I have no shifting of the front tires back on the dolly. My first trip was a nightmare I loaded and unloaded my car 4 times because one tire would shift 2 inches back.... but no more... maybe your issue as well.

[twinboat]

The tires need to move !

Have someone sit in your car, with foot on the brake, and turn the steering wheel.

As they turn, one moves forward and the other back.

If you measure it, you will see that one turns more then the other. That is designed that way because the inner tire, in a turn, has a shorter distance to travel.

The more you limit the tire movement, the more stress and dragging you will be doing on the dolly tires.

You can test that on a clean open parking lot. Make some sharp turns with the straps TIGHT and then properly set. Look at the skid marks left behind.

[ZACRUX]

Am I making my straps too tight?
I usually tighten them until I see a very slight dimple in the tire where it hits the front of the dolly.

[Polyian]

Originally Posted by ZACRUX

Am I making my straps too tight?
I usually tighten them until I see a very slight dimple in the tire where it hits the front of the dolly.

I crank my ratchets very tight, both tires indented by the front lip of the dolly. The straps are meant to be tight, watch the video at Acme's web sight on tightening straps.
The wheels move slightly but the actual turning is done by inverting the steering so the steering wheel turns as the rear of the car moves from side to side while the front wheels continue to face forward. If you watch the video you will see significant turning of the steering wheel with very little front wheel movement on the dolly. The forces do tend to move the front wheels a bit but not nearly the amount indicated by the steering wheel movement in the video. Acme clearly states in the video the front wheels do not move. https://cartowdolly.com/

[JumboJet]

Originally Posted by 54bob

Mrs. Bob here.

1) Are we the only people who are not happy with the EZ Tow? We bought ours about 4-5 months ago and have used it about 4-5 times.

2) The ramps are heavy and difficult to use in soft dirt or gravel (most of the campgrounds we've been to have been dirt or gravel roads & sites).

3) Most distressing, there is no wheel well or chock-type thing to prevent the car wheels from shifting backwards off the dolly. Also, when we arrive at our destination, if one of the wheels has shifted back on the bar it is impossible to attach the ramp and remove the strap unless we move the car forward slightly (but one wheel is snug up against the stop bar while the other has shifted back onto the rear bar).

4) Bob is always thinking of ways to modify it in an attempt to make it more secure. Does anyone else have these issues? Or are we doing something wrong here?

My response to your question and comments as an owner:

1 - Not unhappy, but not totally happy. I have towed my Honda Accord several thousand miles and there always seems to be something not quite right when I arrive.

2 - The ramps will jump off the tow dolly on soft ground or rocky ground. I carry a couple small boards to place under the ground end of the ramps to prevent that from happening.

3 - Happens all the time. I check and tighten the straps at every stop. We typically stop every 2-3 hours while traveling.

4 - I actually used wheel chocks behind the tires and ratchet straps to hold them in place the last trip I took. Worked like I anticipated. The driver's side tire was extra tight against it compared to the passenger side. It seems that the driver's side tire is always the one that wants to slip back the most. I am considering some options to retain the wheels better. I have an extensive shop and a DIY attitude.

[kerryvan]

I’m sorry, but can’t resist, any time I see acme I think of my early days watching roadrunner cartoons, acme products never worked.

Using an enclosed trailer, I run the tie down straps through the rims and pull them tight as possible. Never had an issue with any movement. I never liked the basket approach over the tires.

[EZE Tow]

This may be the single most common question we hear. Assuming the dolly was properly loaded and the straps were properly attached there are a few things to consider here.

First, new straps will stretch. They will need to be retightened occasionally. Sometimes it may be necessary to start the car and pull it up that inch or two. Wet straps will stretch, and when transitioning from warm to cold temperatures the air pressure in the tires will condense and result in "loose" straps.

Now if what you are seeing is one side or the other "yawing" away from the front of the dolly, this is probably what is happening.

There is a visual reference to the following on our instructional video on our website home page at the 8:25 to 8:38 mark in the video.

In the video you will see that in a turn the outside wheel will "yaw" away from the front of the dolly a few inches. ( watch the safety chain go from slack to tight and back to slack ) As the RV, dolly, and towed car return to true straight the outside wheel will return to the front of the dolly. If you are getting out of your Coach and looking at the outside tire and it is "back" an inch or more, then it is because the Coach, Dolly and towed car are still in an arch or radius. The tire has not yet returned to its resting position. If you pull forward until all three are true straight and aligned and one or both tires are still not drawn up tight to the front of the dolly, then you need to pull the car up and retighten the straps.

It is ok if one or both tires are about an inch from the front of the dolly as long as that does not worsen. It is important to use the safety chains when towing.

If you still have any questions or concerns please contact us by phone. If you want to discuss the issue it helps a lot if you send us pictures of what you are seeing. Some close ups, and some overall perspective shots.

The ramps work flawlessly when used as instructed. Just as with any product, you can find ways to use it incorrectly resulting in the product not working correctly. Then you get angry and declare the product and design to be defective. Good grief.. Just use the dolly as instructed for crying out loud.

We are here for you and want you to assist you with the safe use of your Acme EZE-TOW Tow Dolly,

Also, the Acme products in the cartoon were never defective...... how can a safe or an anvil being droped from a canyon wall and missing its target be considered defective? It was the scheme that was always defective. There are over 5000 companies that incorporate the name Acme. Use Google to look up the definition and you may understand why. It is not a made up name. It actually has a real meaningful definition.

Thank you.