Is it Better to Dolly Tow a $3,000 Toad?

[Koliver]

You are getting a lot of biased feedback from the proponents of each kind of towing. Hard to sort out what is useful from the rest.
When we bought our first MH, in 2011, we had with us, 2000 miles from home, a non-towable Volvo XC90. A tow dolly was available on Craigslist for $700US, so that is what we used. That car is heavy, though the guy selling the dolly had been towing a Highlander, about the same weight, so I bought. The next trip, I put my other car on the dolly, an older Volvo S70, also not towable, but easy on the dolly.
My next and present car is a Mercedes CLK500, definitely not towable. Trouble is, a dolly doesn't work for that model either. I sold the dolly. in the years between I had spent money on tires, brakes and bearings, but got $700US for it.
I now have a 16' enclosed trailer. I can also carry my bikes inside, hanging on the front wall. My car stays clean, no rock chips, no rain. Loading the car takes the same time as loading onto the dolly took, not much longer than folks with 4 down towing. The only hassle is storage of the trailer, which I have to arrange every year when I get to my final destination.
I hope you find this useful information.

[Bob-A-Long]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Driver

Hi,

This is not a flat vs tow dolly thread hooking up and disconnecting thread.

My question is does it make more pracitical and economical sense to dolly tow 3,000$ toad? If the car needs a major repair just trade in for something else.

This would not be for full time use and only to tow for about 3,000 miles a year.

What do folk think?

Thanks,

I've had great experience with "American Tow Dolly" Dolly list for $1695, does not need to be registered or insured, your MotorHome policy extends to the tow dolly.
This way we can tow just about any toad out there.Also has brakes to comply to states that require it.

[Unicorn Driver]

Thanks both,

The two reasons I am leaning towards a dolly are cost and in case I change the car.

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Driver

Thanks both,

The two reasons I am leaning towards a dolly are cost and in case I change the car.

I hope you don't forget those of us who have warned you about how cumbersome dollies are, and you still need tail and break lights for the car.

Except for most base plates, tow bars are transferable, as are breaking systems. The Air Force One is a good example.

And, the dolly has another set of tires to worry about and is another thing that needs maintenance.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

I hope you don't forget those of us who have warned you about how cumbersome dollies are, and you still need tail and break lights for the car.

Except for most base plates, tow bars are transferable, as are breaking systems. The Air Force One is a good example.

And, the dolly has another set of tires to worry about and is another thing that needs maintenance.

Interesting opinions here...
Cumbersome? A 750lb KarKaddy sure could be cumbersome, but our EZE-TOW weighs only 330lb and is very easy to move in the rare instance needed. And it glides under the RV's chassis in the very rare instance it must be unhooked while camping.

Lights? There is NO NEED for extra lights on the car with a typical dolly. As an example, even in the most strict laws of CA and similar states, on a dolly - there is only a need for "marker lights" of 6 lumin near the car's rear corners...easy fix - we just turn on the car's parking lights when towing at night.

Change cars? Everything on a dolly works on every front wheel drive car...no swapping anything. And don't forget those base plates typically need some drilling on the car's critical crush zone and cutting in the car's fascia.

Tires? The dolly tires (mounted on free wheeling axles) replace the car's front tires - saving those miles for the car. Quality tires should last just as long as the car's. And don't forget the wear and tear on the car's lower driveline whilst flat towing (shafts, seals, bearings, boots, etc) spinning down the road

Flat towing is good. Dolly towing is good too. And I submit that neither is better or worse - just offer different benefits.

Safe travels

[jamesham]

I have been in your position and had to make the decision about a toad many times. Using the Remco Towing site as a reference, all of the equipment needed to tow my daily driver would cost about $3,500. A Roadmaster tow dolly with electric brakes is advertised today on the Camping World website for $1,749. If my daily driver dies, I have to buy a new baseplate, assuming the replacement is towable.

I went with the tow dolly and it has outlasted 3 cars in the family garage. Yes it is a PITA at times. It is wide, but not as wide as the motorhome. I have replaced the tires a couple of times, repacked bearings like any trailer, and upgraded to LED lights. But i figure I am still ahead of the $3,500 initial cost for 4-down.
jh

Originally Posted by Unicorn Driver

Hi,

This is not a flat vs tow dolly thread hooking up and disconnecting thread.

My question is does it make more pracitical and economical sense to dolly tow 3,000$ toad? If the car needs a major repair just trade in for something else.

This would not be for full time use and only to tow for about 3,000 miles a year.

What do folk think?

Thanks,

[Judge32]

You can make modifications to a toad or get a straight shift. I pulled cars behind 5 different Motor Homes with zero problems. I bought a Demo tow dolly and the tongue broke on the interstate in heavy traffic with a Mercedes Van on the dolly. Wrecked the Mercedes, it and what was left of the dolly wrecked the rear end of my NEW motor home. I had just left the Motor Home dealer where they put the Benz on the dolly. I stopped down the road and checked the dolly, straps, etc, then resumed my trip. It was about 20 minutes later when the dolly tongue broke. I will never have another tow dolly, especially a Demco.

[Ga.Gator]

Found it cheaper to call a car rental and rent as needed. No extra cost for tow dolly or hitch hookup or extra fuel burnt to tow, no insurance, maintenance, etc. A lot of places like Nashville has a shuttle that takes you to town $10 bucks round trip. Picks you up on Hr. on half hour for return. And no parking fees for toad.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by Judge32

...I bought a Demo tow dolly and the tongue broke on the interstate in heavy traffic with a Mercedes Van on the dolly. Wrecked the Mercedes, it and what was left of the dolly wrecked the rear end of my NEW motor home. I had just left the Motor Home dealer where they put the Benz on the dolly. I stopped down the road and checked the dolly, straps, etc, then resumed my trip. It was about 20 minutes later when the dolly tongue broke. I will never have another tow dolly, especially a Demco.

Was that a Sprinter van (rear wheel drive and starting at about 5000lb UVW and higher) on a dolly?

Any idea what caused the dolly tongue to fail?
Folding tongue style improperly secured? Hidden rust in the tongue tube?

Demco dolly's all have a max capacity of right around 4,800lb, so possibly overloaded?
https://www.demco-products.com/rv-towing/tow-dollies

Sorry for your troubles

[Eddie2003]

Originally Posted by MajorOz

My solution to the toad "problem" is to get a car trailer.

1. NO COST for brackets, towbars, etc
2. NO FUSS with braking systems
3. You can BACK UP.
4. No wear on the toad.
5. You can bring along an old beater, your chrome truck, momma's garage sale car, or your vintage convertible ......at your option.


(....and you have a utility trailer for.....moving stuff )



In the long run.......MUCH cheaper, and a WHOLE LOT less fuss.

Neither of our cars can be flat towed. We got a tandem axle trailer with brakes and brake controller that had been used twice. Cost, all in was $2100 including straps. We load and go. Takes me about twenty minutes to load and secure.

[Walt Graham]

Both the dolly and the flat tow have their pluses and offset by their negatives. With the dolly you have less wear on the front end like you would have on a flat tow. The big negative is parking the dolly at the campsite. We cured that by installing a wheeled jack on the dolly. The dolly has brakes that only added a hundred dollars to the dolly cost (about $ 1500 total) versus the flat tow setup of at least 3 to 4 grand. Yeah I like the dolly but if you only have short stays it can be a pain but all in all it's easier on the vehicle on the dolly.

[Crasher]

I would say that everyone pretty much likes what they have. Just goes to prove that all of the towing methods will work well. Each one has its particular issues and benefits. Just go with whatever trips your trigger the best and don't worry about the naysayers regarding your choice.

[jerichorick]

The OP is looking for an opinion here about tow dollies. 54 posts is a good opinion range.
Let me share my 10 years of using one and why I will never subject my self or my friends and family to a tow dolly again.
When I would hook up for a trip I had to man handle the TD to the rig. Pot holes, soft dirt, rain... No mater what, moving it into position to attach to the coach took physical effort. Kneeling on what ever surface I was parked on to attach the tie down straps was never fun, especially if in sand or mud. Reaching under the car to attach the hooks was messy.
Now I am hooked up and on the road. Lets say I am going to visit my daughter in a residential neighborhood in MD. Where does the dolly go? Can't stay on the coach. It is in the way of the neighbors driveway. So, we drag it up onto the lawn after getting the car off of course.

Okay, this is an unusual situation you say? Got to a campground. One of the older and smaller ones. "You can't leave your dolly there! Put it over there by the fence." So, I drag the TD 100'+ to where I am directed. Rough ground. Worked hard to get it out of the way. Oh yes. It was raining. I was not a happy camper.
Often I would have to get someone to help me get the TD back up a small hill or over a bump and a hole situation.
I had two different ones. Don't recall the names. The first was a cheap TD, lighter TD and the second had the swivel wheel platform to chassis arrangement. Neither were fun or easy to use and took a lot more time to hook up than the system I have now.
Just my opinion.
Happy trails,
Rick

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

The OP is looking for an opinion here about tow dollies. 54 posts is a good opinion range.
Let me share my 10 years of using one and why I will never subject my self or my friends and family to a tow dolly again.
When I would hook up for a trip I had to man handle the TD to the rig. Pot holes, soft dirt, rain... No mater what...

Gosh...so much rain and so much moving the dolly off the hook.

For this exact situation, we put an inexpensive, lightweight trailer hitch on the toad...tows just like a tiny trailer. But in all the years we've had our dolly, only had to use it once (RV Resort wanted the dolly to be in their provided/free parking). So the hitch is typically used for a bikerack

Safe travels