4 down vs dolly

[Alan_Hepburn]

Originally Posted by roblaura

As others have said, each new tow vehicle requires a new set-up that usually costs us around $2.5K.

If you're already towing 4 down, when you buy a new toad you only need to buy a new base plate and wiring - if you're paying $2.5K for that you're shopping in the wrong places. A base plate will set you back around $400 and wiring kits are less than $100 - add in installation and you're looking at maybe 4 hours of labor at around $150/hour and you're still well under $2500 total.

[Sundancer268]

What does your post have to do with the OP ?

I carry a phone and credit card, much lighter and less work.[/QUOTE]


I frequently travel where there is no cell service and have had to drive the toad to where I could call road service. I don't carry a spare for the coach and so far have never had any tire problems. I did have some cooling system problems early on in my ownership of this coach though no more problems in the last eight years that would strand us along side of the road. By the way four down for us as I need 4WD/AWD where we live for the winter and I know of no 4WD/AWD that are towable on a dolly. A trailer rig would exceed my towing hitch capacity so if I want my toad, it has to be four down.

[Sundancer268]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

Motorhoming has got nothing to do with backing up a tow, unless you assume that every MH is towing? If you are going to tow behind a MH, then the operator should know how to handle the rig, including backing it up. It's no different than a operator knowing how to make proper turns and other basic MH driving maneuvers.

Why should I practice something my towbar manufacture says NOT to do? Just stick with your Trailer and stop commenting on a topic you don't have any first hane understanding of. If the manufactures say don't then don't.

[LifeSalt]

Originally Posted by Sundancer268

By the way four down for us as I need 4WD/AWD where we live for the winter and I know of no 4WD/AWD that are towable on a dolly. A trailer rig would exceed my towing hitch capacity so if I want my toad, it has to be four down.

My chevy 4x4 1500 can be dolly towed by putting the transfer case in neutral. All 4x4 trucks can be dolly towed if you pull the driveshaft. Our AWD cannot be flat towed or dolly. It must be trailered ..

[geordi]

The 2002-2009 Jeep Liberty can be pulled on a dolly with the transfer case in neutral, the trick is you have to know your 4wd case and know which shaft (input or front/rear output) drives the lubrication of the transfer case. In the Liberty's case, the NP242J transfer case is lubricated by the rotation of the rear driveshaft - so it is "driven" by the rear wheels rotating.

[FlatsixV2]

Originally Posted by BillJinOR

I don't know where your looking but only the cheapest of cheap dollies don't come WITH brakes. Either surge or electric. The whole point of the dolly is for 1600 bucks you have brakes and legal lights (dolly lights are legal) without expensive mods to a car or the fact that most cars can't be flat towed anymore. I can change FWD cars at will and 0 expense. Yes it is more hassle but not something thats that difficult unless your physically challenged. I can drive the car I want not something i settled for

Bill...you nailed it as far as I am concerned.

I dolly towed for a couple years with no problem. I flat tow currently with no problem. I still own my dolly and have it chained up against the Quonset end wall. I may sell it some day, but I'm not quite ready to give up the potential convenience of having it ever-ready and enjoyed the extra labor involved when I used it. I do most of the maintenance on my Diesel Pusher and enjoy that labor of love (so to speak) also.

I personally don't feel there is a 'right' or 'wrong' way to tow your toad.

That's my story and I'm sticken to it!

[permitwriter]

Lots of posts but I'll throw in my $.50. Our coach came with a Demco Kar Kaddy SS dolly but my Pacifica minivan is too wide & can't be used 4-down. I wanted a mid-size pickup and found a great deal on a nice 2016 Colorado which can be towed on a dolly or 4-down.

Went with 4-down for several reasons. Weight of empty toad + dolly = tow capacity of the coach so I can't carry anything in the toad. Plus hitch weight takes away from coach load capacity. With 4-down I can carry 600 lbs. in the toad. Coach load capacity is only 1475 so 600 helps a lot.

DW is disabled so we carry a sizable 4-wheel scooter. It disassembles easily but is a big hassle to put in the coach storage compartments. Simple to put in the back of the pick-up. I also put the coach unmounted spare and bulky lighter items in the toad. This set-up makes loading & accessing coach storage much, much easier.

I tend to keep vehicles for a long time so 4-down set-up will be used for a long time also and thus is a reasonable investment. Since I don't have any qualms about buying used and I am an experienced DIYer, I knew that investment wouldn't be bad. I bought the brake buddy & tow bar used and the base plate & wiring harness new. I installed it all myself. Total cost was about $1000. I put my trolling motor battery on the floor of the toad behind the drivers seat & use that to power the brake buddy. I should get my investment back when I sell the dolly.

Plus based on everything I had read here, I thought 4-down would work better. Very happy with it all.

Never used it but directions for the dolly say don't back up. Backed up the 4-down toad once about the length of the coach to re-position in a campsite. No problem backing up but had to straighten out the wheels on the toad before I could pull forward.

[aggieflyer]

When I was in early 60's, we used a tow dolly with our Prius. Most campgrounds don't want a dolly sitting around the pad. So they ask you to take it to another place to park it. You have to manhandle the heavy dolly and many time this is on uneven ground and inclines. Much strain is sometimes needed. I tore my rotator cuff while wrestling with our dolly. I had surgery and bought a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. I no longer have the unpleasant wrestling matches.

[jerryd151]

I have a Stehl dolly with surge brakes. The part that pivots does not effect backing up it pivots free when there is no vehicle on it. It backs up just like a trailer, I need to pin the brake system and that takes about 3 seconds. I have never had a problem with storage. Some CGs want the car off when you arrive, my wife takes the straps off one side and I do the other. I take the safety chains and unplug the power cord. I back it into what ever spot they want it or they take it and wheel it away. If I take it to the site and its a backin, I back it in disconnect and then back over most of it, almost to the wheels. When it is time to leave I pull up to the hitch connect, drive to a nice clean flat spot load the car and we put the straps on and away we go. Most sites now are pull through so we just leave it on.

[JeanJB]

4 wheel down, no hassle to prep with straps, ramp,to store at the campground etc. I have a Lincoln MKX, just hook up, put it in neutral and go!! Nice car comfortable and easy towing. No hassle.!!

[RVLife_Iris]

We have used the dolly, the toad and a car hauler; here are our findings. [URL="https://rvlifeandjourney.com/guide-to-rv-towing-choices/[/URL]

[JimnOhio]

Originally Posted by F4Gary

Is it under your max tow weight? (5000lbs?)

No, it's a BIG Mama!

I know I'll have to upgrade the receiver....more concerned about those things others pulling one have experienced. Thanks

[TeJay]

It's real simple. On your next trip just count the number of RV's that tow 4 down versus using a tow dolly. I'd guess the ratio is 90% 4 down and 10% dolly. Unless I'm missing something that observation should make your decision easier.

[vincee]

Well after reading most, not all, of the posts on this thread I thought I'd throw in my opinion.

From what I've read, most posts do not point out the difference in the types of dollies. Not all dollies have "pivot or swivel'" pans that the front wheels sit on. Some are fixed, in which the steering wheel of the towed vehicle can't be locked as the front wheels will turn with the dolly. Fixed pan dollies will have a wider turning radius than "pivot swivel pan" type dollies. Also, fixed pan dollies can be backed up, whether easy or not will depend on the skill of the person driving the RV.

I tow on a pivot swivel pan dolly, Master Tow, because of the turning radius it follows the path of my RV. With this type of dolly, the steering wheel must be locked because the swiveling pan does the steering of the tow vehicle. Swivel pan dollys cannot be backed with a vehicle on them because of the twisting turning motion of the swiveling pan. Yeah, I guess if you get in a jam, you probably could go back a few feet, although knock on wood I have not had to try this, only close a few times.

As far as hook-up ease and speed, start to finish I would race any four-down towing person. If I don't win the race, I would lose by seconds only. My dolly weighs just under 500 lbs. and with the attached lift handle perfectly positioned and balanced on the neck moving my dolly around isn't much harder than pulling or pushing a wagon around. In 12 years of using it, there is only one campground I've been at that didn't allow me to have the dolly at my site, and, another time that I barely had room at my campsite to store the dolly.

Now after my dolly dissertation, which would I prefer, four down or my dolly, I'd go with four down. Why haven't I, you may ask? A couple of things. In my early days of RV'ing a dolly was easier and simpler way to go, and much less expensive. Also, our cars at the time were my wife's FWD RAV4 and my Sante Fe AWD. We would have had to trade one of the vehicles to go 4down. Where I made a mistake was three years ago our mechanic told us that the RAV4 engine rings were shot at 96000 miles, burning a qt. of oil every 100-150 miles (class-action lawsuit against Toyota). So with a trip coming up to Michigan UP in less than two weeks, I made a fast trade for my wife's current vehicle Kia
Sportage with only 8000 miles on it, and my favorite color combo red and black. Great deal on the trade and we had the Kia before the UP trip. Great, or so I thought.

When I bought the Kia, that's when I should have made the vehicle change for one that could have been used 4down. I bought the Kia at a Chevy dealer one mile from my home. They had a used lot full of Equinox's which can be pulled 4down, but I didn't know that then, and the dealer never mentioned it when I had a conversation with them about towable vehicles. The salesman's recommended vehicle to tow 4down, a Silverado PU 1500 4 wheel drive!

Second lost opportunity, 2017 I bought a Kia Sorento AWD. Started out shopping for a Jeep Cherokee because you guessed it, I could tow it 4down! But the more I looked at the Jeeps, the more I questioned the quality, not new, but when it has over 50000 miles on it, etc. I bought the Kia feeling confident it will last 200000 plus and this might be the last new car I buy with heading into retirement this summer.

Now, with retirement looming, 401 depressed with everything going on, and both our cars paid for and not wanting to take on new payments or debt, I think we are sort of stuck with dollying it for the foreseeable future. Oh well, as I said earlier, wanna race!