Anything I need to know before buying a Tow Dolly?

[Popeye1959]

I used my brother in-laws dolly and all the tires blow (not all at once). Damaging dolly fender even back up light on the RV luckily the car on the dolly was undamaged. Make sure the tires are in good shape even the spare

[SurfsideGolfer]

Originally Posted by daddude1218

ACME TOW DOLLY is a good one if you don't mind laying under car to affix chains to front end,picking up and attaching the heavy ramps and then mounting the tire straps.Doing this In bad weather is not a joy. Straps will have to be adjusted after a short distance and make sure you have a spare tire included in purchase......I miss 4 down towing

Four down is the only way to go. Most campgrounds have limited storage for these “extra” vehicles, and by the time you “push” this heavy device around a few times, we’ll, you get the message. No storage, heavy to pickup, load, strap down, difficult to impossible to backup, restrap after a few miles. Try that in 35’ rain. I can hook my four down CRV in 1.5 MINUTES.
No to dollies, my best day is when I sold it!

[jeddpearl]

Originally Posted by CountryB

Thanks for all the helpful replies.
I bought the 2021 Master Tow (80THDSB) with the surge brakes.

I’m on my way home with it now. It’s raining too. Tows nice but kinda noisy with no car loaded onto. I reduced the tire air pressure by 10 psi as the manual instructs.

I think you made the right decision. We have the same model and really like the swivel pad. It tracks perfectly behind the RV with no issues whatsoever. We make sure to check the straps periodically as it did need tightened up a bit, especially the first 4-5X using it.

Also, we had a few glitches at first and it was only our inexperience with using one. Customer service was spot on and gave us precise instructions and walked us through each time. We were very impressed with that.

One last comment would be to switch out the tires when you get home. The tires that came with it were not rated good at all and a lot of negative reviews regarding poor quality. We opted for much better Goodyear tires for peace of mind. We kept the original tires and used one for a spare.

Anyway, best of luck to you

[05dutchstar]

We purchased a used uhaul dolly from uhaul for $1050. No brakes. You can't even tell its behind you. We keep the rear camera on just to keep an eye on it. We're towing a 2014 Buick Verano behind our 2005 40ft Dutch Star. We have logged over 1,000 miles so far and very happy with it.

[alansaxton]

New to the Class A RVing world, we had two vehicles that could be dolly towed but no flat tow vehicles. So, after some research, decided on the Demco Kar Kaddy SS. As mentioned before, it has surge brakes and a unique pivoting wheel system that I read helped keep the towed vehicle in a better “track”. The KK SS also has a folding tongue, so if you get to a place that has no “storage” lot for trailers, it tucks in behind or in front of your rig with minimal space. After the first 4 trips, all with rain at the beginning and end of our stays, my wife asked me if I could please wear a waterproof jump suit to hook up and unhook the car! That would have been the cheaper solution but, following my brother-in-law’s lead(the previous owner of our rig), I gave up on the occasional swim lesson and opted for a flat tow solution. That said, I found that the KK SS was great to tow and because it used a standard hitch and electric hookup, it was an easy hookup and did not require any break/turn signal connection to the vehicle’s lights. A very sturdy and well built unit. If we were staying in each location longer, I might have kept the KK SS, less wear and tear on the towed vehicle.

[DonDee]

Have had an ACME now a Demco. Both are excellent. I've backed over 30 ft by locking the steering on the Demco and straight line.

[EdInArk]

Originally Posted by GypsyR

If the vehicle you plan to tow has a locking steering column be sure the dolly "swivels". Because if not then you have to have a key in the toad ignition to keep the steering unlocked.
We have a fixed dolly and a Toyota that locks the steering column. To deal with it I bought a spare key and had it cut to fit. But I didn't code it to the car. So we can leave the key in it all we want but it will never start the car. Having a swiveling dolly would be easier and we might upgrade to one at some point.

I did the same thing to pull our RAV4 on a swiveling dolly (Master Tow). The problem was that the steering never locked with the wheels straight. We'd start with them straight, and when we'd stop the first time they were always cocked to one side or the other, and the tray on the dolly would be cocked.

I just started using key I'd had cut to unlock the steering, then I'd turn it off and not remove the key. No more problems.

[JustBS]

Mike,

We have the Demco, I like the hydraulic surge brakes, steering wheels for tracking, and the fold-away tounge... however, there are several others available the should meet your needs. The other things you may want to consider when getting a dolly is... 1. You should have a spare tire for the dolly, a tongue mount works great but adds some extra weight. 2. Some states require additional tow lights (running, brake, turn) for the towed vehicle. If you lights you may need a Y adapter for your trailer light plug to connect the dolly and the towed vehicle to your RV lights. 3. If you need optional lights for the vehicle, magnetic works great, but you need to make sure the wire is long enough to reach from one end of the vehicle to the other. Extension are available. While magnetic mounts are great, they could let go under some conditions. I use a bungee cord (other cord could work too) to tie around the light base drop it through the hatch (or trunk) for extra security. Lastly, but maybe the most important... 4. When you first take off, after driving a couple of miles pull over and check the tie-down straps... no matter how security you think they are, they almost always seem to be a little looser than when you started out... even if they aren't, checking gives you some piece of mind knowing you checked. Happy travels Bill

[richardkronz]

Originally Posted by Crimson Tide

My suggestion is do not go in that direction..I found out the hard way. The best way to go is all four down towing, much easier to connect and disconnect. So much less of a hassle than using a tow dolly.

The modifications to the towed vehicle in many cases is a very good reason to use a tow dolly. Wear and tear on the driveline when towing 4 down is another good reason for a dolly. Thirdly, you can only tow the vehicle you've set up for said purpose, so using a dolly is a more versatile option. I can put any vehicle I want on my dolly and have strapped and ready to go in 10 minutes, so I dont see any incentive to ever tow 4 down. Moving an empty dolly is a one hand operation as well.

[trx430ex]

Originally Posted by CountryB

I'm thinking of buying a used Tow Dolly. Is there anything I need to know or consider before buying?

I plan to get one with brakes. Surge brakes are preferred as I believe this is the easiest way to have brakes.

If I get a dolly with electric brakes, do I need some sort of "brake controller" or do I just connect directly to my Coach's brake light circuit (at the trailer light connector).

Any brands to steer away from?
Looks like the top brands are: Master Tow, Roadmaster, Demco

Thanks

Yea, skip this step and don't buy one, 2 more tires to feed, and a place to manhandle it into storage.

Go 4 down flat tow, your back will thank you, learned that a decade ago from training from million dollar row in the keys.

if you can't flat tow your current toad, find another one, either way you will end up at this decision in the future.

Better you learn this now, than 2 years from now.

10 tires is all you need, a dolly is just dead weight. And something you do not want to wressle into overflow parking or storage.

At night.

10 tires is all you need.

Lord let me teach it forward from the old timers,,, less is more.

[RobertRR]

I would rent one first to see how it works for you in real time.
Robert

[JONWisconsin]

I have an American dolly for over 5 years with no problems. I can put my car in the dolly by myself as I have had a lot of practice. Also, I have been in many states and not one campground has given me problems having a dolly. I leave it on the hitch all the time with no space problems. When it is raining either system dolly or flat towing is a pain when it comes to get the toad ready for travel.