Community Forums

Salmonson · 11-09-2016, 12:15 PM

I've seen a couple ways of hauling a vehicle. does anyone have a preference of using a trailer or hitching directly to the vehicle? really new to rv'ing.

Scatterbrain · 11-09-2016, 12:22 PM

Some cars can't be flat towed. In those cases, you're stuck either using a dolly or a full trailer, depending on the layout of the vehicles drive line. The choice has as much to do with what kind of car you want to drive as it does your preference for trailers, dolleys or flat towing.

BigBadDad · 11-09-2016, 12:30 PM

I prefer flat towing and being good at it is a main criteria for my cars. Right now, and most of the time, I have a Jeep Wrangler.

Sjg1277 · 11-09-2016, 12:37 PM

Flat tow (all 4 wheels on the ground) is the preferred method. If you trailer the vehicle or use a dolly you have an extra apparatus to deal with. Flat towing allows you to hook up and unhook in a relatively short period of time with little exertion. With a trailer or dolly you have to muscle it out of the way or to a parking area. Too many moving parts. The previous post is correct. You have to choose a vehicle that is towable. See the below guide to choose your toad or see if yours is compatible. The easiest vehicles to two are 4 Wheel Drives such as some of the Jeep models. The ones that have a transfer case that allows you to shift the whole drive train to neutral. I tow a Jeep Wrangler. It takes me about 10 minutes to hook up including the brake buddy. You need a supplemental braking system over a certain weight on the towed vehicle. Almost all cars and trucks exceed that weight requirement.

Steve
sjg1277
20160Tiffin Red 37 PA
Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MSHappyCampers · 11-09-2016, 01:02 PM

Get a vehicle that the manufacturer states can be flat towed. It's waaay too much trouble messing with a tow dolly in my opinion!

I would recommend the NSA Products ReadyBrute Elite towbars with built-in ReadyBrake, along with their breakaway system. The is the lowest cost system you will find and is reliable, simple to use, and effective!

Rockwood27 · 11-09-2016, 03:16 PM

Your motorhome and its trailer hitch will also have a limitation on what you can tow. Your profile suggest you have a small, gas engined Class A. More than likely, you have a 5000 lb. hitch with a 500 lb. max tongue weight. A trailer and car combo will most likely put you over both design constraints, unless the car/trailer are both small.

trimacon · 11-09-2016, 03:31 PM

Tried dolly, switched to flat tow and it's simpler and quicker for me. Research if your vehicle is flat towable. You can google for a guide to vehicles based on year. A four door jeep suited our towing and lifestyle, and is a simple tow vehicle.

computerguy · 11-10-2016, 10:48 AM

I battled the decision for a bit. It depends on how you are gong to rv. For me I am going to be full time therefore hooking up and disconnecting a lot. Ease of doing this was very important. 4 down is easier in this regard. The biggest downside I found using a dolly would be the tire straps and the under the chassis breakaway chains. I could not see myself doing this in the rain and therefore mud on the tires and trying to kneel on the ground in the mud to hook this up. It will not always be sunny and 75 degrees when I will be moving.
Downside of the 4 down is it is car specific and a little more expensive to set up.
After the past 6 months I am very happy with my decision to go 4 down.

nothermark · 11-10-2016, 11:12 AM

Here is the long answer.

There are 3 variables. Cost, ease, and weight.

A used tow dolly is probably the simplest and cheapest but a bit heavier than a tow bar and braking setup. It will tow almost any Front wheel drive car within the weight range of the tow vehicle. Properly setup it takes us about 5-10 minutes to hook up. I do not get on the ground as I have replaced knees and hips and it is a hassle. Put a hitch on the towed to move the empty dolly with. ;-)

A towbar - more expensive by the time you get the bar and brake setup and adapter plate. May take some modifications to the vehicle. Small selection of vehicles that can be towed that way especially automatic transmissions. Slightly faster than the dolly to set up.

Trailer - most expensive - will haul anything 4 up. The problems come down to weight and access. The weight limits them to mostly DP's and super C's when you combine the towed with the trailer weight. Maybe not with a small car and light trailer but one does not see many of those.

As you may have guessed we use a dolly as neither of us is interested in having our vehicle choice limited by what can be towed 4 down. We are also part time travelers but I don't think that makes a significant difference for us. There is a lot of bias about towbar over dolly that I do not understand other than as self justification.

TonyMac · 11-10-2016, 11:26 AM

Flat tow = zero tongue weight + no trailer to deal with.
Flat tow = can't back up = tow dolly.
Trailer = substantial tongue weight + substantial increase in towed weight.

IrishGent · 11-10-2016, 11:39 AM

As stated above there are varied opinions as to what type and of course as stated it has a lot to do with the vehicle you want to tow. I have a Demco KarKaddy SS which is more than big enough for anything I am going to tow and it has Surge Brakes. Operation is simple... I pull the vehicles front wheels on to the dolly, hook up the chains and the wheel straps and I am on my way. I also have a bad back and yes you do have to kneel or lay down by the front wheels to attach the breakaway chains but I can have the vehicle ready to tow or take it off the dolly in less than 5-6 minutes. I have a Honda Accord which cannot be towed 4 down so I went this route and do not regret it... Just again my opinion!!!

IrishGent · 11-10-2016, 11:51 AM

The other nice thing about a dolly is that I can tow just about any front wheel drive vehicle. So today mine, tomorrow my sons and the next trip my daughters if I want. With 4 down you need to modify the towed vehicle.

Scarab0088 · 11-10-2016, 12:02 PM

Buyer's preference...

Flat-tow = base plates, tow bar and associated hardware on the toad. Car must be able to be towed on all 4 wheels without permanent damage to the car's drive-line (a shorter and shorter list). Typically most expensive to set-up but very easy to use. Adds miles to the car's lower driveline line and probably needs cut-outs in the car's fascia and base-plates mounted in the car's critical crush zone.

Dolly-tow = tow any and all front wheel drive car/SUV'S with a small towed device (typically needs no registration or separate insurance). Typically least expensive to set-up and about equal in ease of use, but involves a separate piece of gear.

Trailer/car carrier = best for the car, but it is basically a flat-bed trailer...heaviest and most expensive. Biggest perks are ease of operation (drive and back-up like any tow/trailer) and best protection to the car.

We use an EZE-TOW dolly. Lightest and simplest dolly made in the USA and very affordable...plus an iRV2 sponsor

Which ever way you tow a car...PLEASE OBTAIN AND USE A BRAKING SYSTEM with a brake-away device. Not required in many locations but smart and safer.

Best luck

NewmarCS1 · 11-10-2016, 12:05 PM

I went the Dolly Route, the Acme EZ tow works great, I think it is more about how many times you use your MH, If I was full time I would set up for flat, but we are still working and camp 10 times a year, so the dolly was our best option. Flat for me was 3 times more expensive and locks you into the same vehicle, if you change you need to spend again to get the new vehicle set up. Also the car that can be flat towed seem to be higher price models, ie: jeeps. We have a 14 Ford Fiesta and have no issues. Also we have the option of using the dolly to move or transport cars around by hooking it to the pick up truck, we delivery a used car to our kid at college drop it off and drove away.