Tow Dolly Recomendations

[RV Wanderers]

I would like to see if there are tow dolly that are recommended by the groups. I will be using my 2011 Class C (F450 chassis) to tow either my 2014 Ford Explorer or 2009 VW Jetta.

In your opinion, is electric brakes needed? I will be towing mainly in NM, TX, and surronding areas. I am also looking for a tow dolly that will accept the 17" rims on the VW and the 20" rims on the Explorer.

Thank you in advance!

[BFlinn181]

You might want to read through this thread:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/tow-d...ns-252056.html

You do need brakes on any wheels on the ground, it helps you stop faster and also provides braking for the trailer (dolly) if it breaks away. I wouldn't go for electric brakes, surge hydraulic disk brakes are about the best out there for simplicity and no adjustment needed.

[twinboat]

Go with surge brakes. No hookups, they just work.

Is the Explorer front wheel drive?

Did you check the tow weight, rating on the Class C.

My Kia Soul had 18 inch wheels, no problem with the straps.

I use a Stehl Tow dolly

[mbridinger]

Flat tow. If your current vehicle does not work, trade it. IMO

[jergeod]

Stehl or Master Tow

[nothermark]

Stehl tow here.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by mbridinger

Flat tow. If your current vehicle does not work, trade it. IMO

That's so funny. Having two toads is one of the reasons that many choose to use a dolly.

Bob's reply about reading a recent thread is a great idea...there are literally dozens of threads about this, the different kinds of dollies and how they work. Just look at this Forum's summary page and pick a thread, see:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/

Brakes are not required in many places on a tow that is not a trailer and even U-Haul rents dollies with no brakes in many places. But if you get a dolly, please get brakes - electric or surge hydraulic...it is smart and safer. I vote for surge because they are fully automatic and EZE to use.

I have never seen an Explorer that is only front wheel drive, so that could be an issue for dolly towing. Some have towed rear wheel drive cars facing rearward. That is a complex thing to do and is not recommended by dolly makers.

We have just over 15,000miles on our Acme EZE-Tow, works for us:
http://cartowdolly.com/compare/

Best luck

[vettenuts]

ACME EZE Tow dolly here as well. Very nice dolly for the money and the surge brakes work great and are worry free.

Best to check on the Explorer, might not be towable on a dolly or four down.

[nothermark]

What I can't understand is all the anti dolly bias. I would rather have a dolly that cost less than a good tow bar and brake setup, not need car mods and have a wider range of vehicles it can handle. ;-)

[speed racer]

Demco Kar Kaddy 460SS is by far the best tow dolley on the market but is also the most expencive. I would first recomend one with tires that steer and second choice would be one with a turn table. What ever you choose make sure it fits your needs and budget because you have to live with it.

[cwsqbm]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

I have never seen an Explorer that is only front wheel drive, so that could be an issue for dolly towing. Some have towed rear wheel drive cars facing rearward. That is a complex thing to do and is not recommended by dolly makers.

Current generation Explorers are FWD standard with AWD as an option.

Current FWD and AWD models are both capable of being flat towed.

[Hikerdogs]

We used a Roadmaster 2000-1 dolly when we had a Buick that couldn't be towed 4 down. It's a little more expensive than some previously mentioned, but in my opinion well worth the money.
Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories


It has several nice features including steerable wheels. With steerable wheels the dolly will follow directly in the path of the rear wheels of the motorhome. Dollies using swivel plates or require the front wheels of the towed vehicle to turn cut to the inside of the arc when making a turn. This requires the motorhome to make a wide turn to avoid scraping the tires or wheels on the curb or other close object.

In addition the Roadmaster has an "auto loading" feature which only requires the owner to flip a lever to lower the ramps for loading and unloading. It has ample locking storage compartments for the wheel straps and any other hardware you take along. It also has built in electric brakes and built in safety chains.

It does require a brake controller to be installed in the tow vehicle. We use a Tekonsha Prodigy (now in my 2010 Ford Expedition) Which has been replaced by the Prodigy P3
Tekonsha - P3®

It took less than 5 minutes to install the controller in my Expedition. It took longer to decide where to put it than it did to install it.

As a side note our Roadmaster dolly is still in service. We used it for about 30,000 miles before we purchased a Jeep Wrangler. We sold it to a friend who has put on another 30,000 miles towing a Fiat behind his Winnebago Impulse Silver.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

Current generation Explorers are FWD standard with AWD as an option.

Current FWD and AWD models are both capable of being flat towed.

Thanks

Good stuff to know.