|
04-10-2022, 07:23 AM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 2
|
Toad or dolly best choices
Recently purchased a 2021 Thor Quantom Class C. I now need a vehicle to go with us. We don't know which method of towing would be best of us. We probably will not do much off road camping ut do want to tour the country. Both of us are retired so we need something easy to hook up and disconnect.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
04-10-2022, 07:29 AM
|
#2
|
Community Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,186
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwmboat
Both of us are retired so we need something easy to hook up and disconnect.
|
This makes the choice easy……4-down towing since it’s the easiest to hookup and disconnect.
Check the owners manual of your current car or truck to see if it can be recreational towed…..if not trade it in for one which can be.
The 2022 Ford maverick hybrid pickup truck is a popular choice, as is the Ford Escape hybrid.
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 07:45 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Freightliner Owners Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,629
|
Something to flat tow will be quick and easy to hook or unhook. We tow a Jeep Wrangler. They’re about the easiest to equip and setup for towing. I installed our Ready Brute system myself and it takes one of us just a minute or two to hook or unhook it. There are other systems out there that are just as easy. Ready Brake’s systems are inexpensive and bulletproof. Wranglers are very popular as toads.
__________________
2021 Holiday Rambler Armada 44LE
2021 Jeep Wrangler High Altitude toad w/Ready Brute Elite II
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 07:49 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Thornville, Ohio
Posts: 3,662
|
There is a lot to consider; Do you have a vehicle that can be towed 4 down? 4 down is more costly with brake system and tow bars and toad plate. With a dolly you can tow more vehicles. The dolly adds weight to what you are towing, you need to store the dolly at the campsite and home. Dolly towing is much more work to connect and setup the vehicle setup. Back in sites most of the time you have to disconnect 4 down and the tow dolly.
We have done both methods and prefer 4 down. It would take both of us and a good 30 minutes to connect and setup the vehicle when dolly towing. It would take about the same time to disconnect the dolly and remove the vehicle if we had a back in campsite. 4 down it takes 5 minutes to attach the tow to the motor home each trip and about 5 minutes to disconnect.
__________________
Art & Joyce
Thornville, OH
Kia Soul pushing a 36' DP Endeavor
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 08:00 AM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Kamloops, BC, 60 miles from the Center of the Universe according to the Rinpoche, of the SF monks.
Posts: 7,321
|
Whatever you decide be sure to include a braking system. Surge brakes on dollies work well.
As others have said 4 down is the quickest and simplest system once it's all installed. I like the "ReadyBreak" system for it's simplicity and proportional braking.
__________________
Happy Glamping, Norman & Elna. 2008 Winnebago Adventurer 38J, W24, dozens of small thirsty ponies. Retired after 40 years wrenching on trucks! 2010 Ford Ranger toad with bicycles or KLR 650 in the back. Easy to spot an RVer, they always walk around with a screwdriver or wrench in one hand!
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 08:09 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Lansing MI
Posts: 2,821
|
When I started this I considered three methods of towing, trailer, tow dolly and flat towing. I went with flat towing. if you get a trailer many, if not most of the time you will have to park it somewhere not at your site. If you use a dolly the connect and disconnect process is much longer and you will likely be on the ground every time. Think about that if it's raining. With my flat tow vehicle I pull up to the back of the rig, attach the arms and in my case 3 cable and I'm ready to go, about 5 minutes. If you go either of the other two routes you will probably spend an hour a day dealing with hooking and unhooking. That's a lot of time on travel days. Good luck whatever you do.
__________________
An Old Fisherman
2017 Nexus Ghost 36DS, 2014 Ford F150 Long Bed
2007 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 08:11 AM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ & Plover, WI
Posts: 6,403
|
Having done both, if you have a vehicle that can be towed 4 down, go that route. If you already have a smaller vehicle but, it can not be towed 4 down, a dolly can work fine with a lot less expense, but a bit more work to hook and unhook. Many campsites will let you keep the dolly hooked to your RV, so the time to hookup isn't much different than 4 down.
__________________
2006 Monaco Executive 44 Denali
2013 43 QGP Allegro Bus ( SOLD )
2013 Avalanche
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 08:31 AM
|
#8
|
Moderator Emeritus
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bryan, TX when not traveling.
Posts: 22,945
|
The big expense of towing 4-down is the break away and braking system for the towed car. And then you have to have a model that can be towed 4-down. Then the lighting system on the has to be adapted for the proper clearance and running lights. Additionally, the towed car has to be fitted with specific tow brackets, plus a tow bar.
With a dolly, you need one with electric brakes or the simplest is surge brakes. A dolly will have lights, but I prefer to add a set of magnetic lights on the rear of the auto.
A dolly can be used for multiple front wheel drive vehicles, but very few all-wheel models can be dolly towed.
With a dolly, you can switch cars easily. 4-down towing will have to have the equipment (braking system and tow-brackets) moved or new equipment with a new auto.
We have towed both with a dolly and 4-down and personally, if I went back to a motorhome, I would get a good dolly with surge brakes and a small front wheel car to suit me.
Ken
__________________
Amateur Radio Operator (KE5DFR)|No Longer Full-Time! - 2023 Cougar 22MLS toted by 2022 F150, 3.5L EcoBoost Tow Max FX4 Lariat Travel with one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot, retired mechanical engineer
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 09:08 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Brenham, Texas
Posts: 2,249
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by dizcom
Something to flat tow will be quick and easy to hook or unhook. We tow a Jeep Wrangler. They’re about the easiest to equip and setup for towing. I installed our Ready Brute system myself and it takes one of us just a minute or two to hook or unhook it. There are other systems out there that are just as easy. Ready Brake’s systems are inexpensive and bulletproof. Wranglers are very popular as toads.
|
All of the above, ditto.
__________________
Eddie and Jomaye, Retired
2018 Newmar Ventana 4369
2021 Jeep 4 dr Wrangler
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 09:26 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Ohio
Posts: 532
|
2nd all of what TXiceman said. Also, with some practice I can now load the car on the dolly in less than 15 minutes from start to finish, and unload in 5 minutes. One does have to be able to get down on one's knees though for the safety cables. (I use a yoga matt to make it easier on the knees.)
__________________
RV: 2021 Thor Four Winds 26B on Chevy 4500
Toad: 2019 Ford Fiesta Hatchback
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 09:33 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 817
|
Just a consideration, if you go with a dolly, make sure the ramps and tie downs are spaced properly to align with your towed vehicles front tires. Neighbor bought a brand new dolly only to find out his vehicle was to wide to get on the dolly.
__________________
2018 Phaeton 44OH
2023 Chevy Traverse Toad
Florida
|
|
|
04-10-2022, 09:49 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Thornville, Ohio
Posts: 3,662
|
Too add to my post. With 4 down. Our routine is the DW disconnects the toad when I check in at the camp ground. This makes it much simpler to drive in the CG. When leaving DW follows me to a place to connect. Most of the time its the dump station, where she connects the toad while I dump.
Yes it is that simple.
We always have the other person inspect that everything is setup correctly depending who did the setup.
__________________
Art & Joyce
Thornville, OH
Kia Soul pushing a 36' DP Endeavor
|
|
|
04-11-2022, 06:31 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SW Louisiana
Posts: 8,850
|
Both methods work, but dolly towing is a lot more work. I have not done it myself, but I have helped people get hooked up (we flat tow when we take a car now). Depending on which car we tow, the connect / disconnect time takes between 2-6 minutes, including putting the drop in braking system in place. (Our Yaris is simpler to hook up just put it in neutral, make sure the hand brake is off and go, the Jeep Cherokee has complex button / switch dance required to put it in tow mode so takes longer). By comparison from what I have observed dolly towing is closer to 20-30 minutes and requires crawling on the ground.
So my take is dolly towing may be ok for snowbirds who travel to one place and stay there for months at a time, but for seeing the country moving from town to town every few days flat towing wins hands down, even if it does cost more to setup initially.
__________________
2002 Safari Trek 2830 on P32 Chassis with 8.1L w/ 400 watts solar 420Ah LiFePo4
2017 Jeep Cherokee Overland & 2007 Toyota Yaris TOADs with Even Brake,
Demco Commander tow bar and Blue Ox / Roadmaster base plates
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|