delrosado Report post Posted August 19, 2011 We are first-timers and are in a dilemma as to what to purchase for our 30-foot Allegro Open Road gas RV. Please help us with some suggestions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted August 19, 2011 Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What vehicle do you want to tow? Brett Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GerryJo Report post Posted December 19, 2011 New to tow dollies as I may be using one soon myself, not a pleasant choice as have always towed 4 down in past. My concern is the type of tow dolly brakes out there, some have electric, others surge, then there's Acme tow dollies with they say best, a surge type disk brake. Another concern is most tow dolly's track behind the motor home and have read where when turning the dollies tires don't turn but kinda slide side ways causing tire wear. Then others such as Demco's Kar Kaddy dollies that feature steerable wheels and turn with the direction of the dolly. Any input here would be appreciated. You know sometimes in turning the motor home you need a wide turn at some intersections, and if the dolly is going to track at a 90 degree angle you could damage your car on the dolly, or have it come off the dolly I'm told. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikey360 Report post Posted December 19, 2011 I bought a Demco Kar Kaddy SS for towing my wife's car behind our RV. I have used other brands of tow dollies in the past. In my opinion, the Demco Kar Kaddy is the best available. One reason is the steering mechanism that I have not seen on other brands. Due to the steering mechanism, there is no 'scrubbing' of the dolly tires. Yes, the Demco is more expensive. But I firmly believe in 'you get what you pay for'. The frame members of the Demco are not painted. They are galvanized. Superior corrosion protection. Surge brakes on the Demco are independent of the RV and not subject to the bad connections or blown fuses that plague electric brakes . If your car fits the specifications of the dolly, then there should be no damage in a turn as long as you have it loaded correctly. If the car is loaded properly, I cannot foresee a situation where the car will come off the dolly in any situation short of a major accident in which case your towed vehicle will be of small consequence. When selecting a tow dolly, pay close attention to the maximum width and weight allowed. It's easy to overload any tow dolly. HTH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Koliver Report post Posted December 20, 2011 Having read so many posts here about transmission problems, I am pleased to use a tow dolly that raises my drive wheels off the ground and eliminates that worry. After the first few times, the loading/unloading is a breeze. No mileage accumulates. No battery drain. I bought a used Roadmaster 2000 dolly. http://www.roadmasterinc.com/products/towdolly/towdolly.html#RoadMastertowdolly. It has steerable wheels and electric brakes. I have a controller in the cab, so I can see how much braking is happening back there. I have two cars that I can tow, so only need the single expense for the dolly, rather than equipping both cars for towing. The maximum weight isn't a problem with this dolly, as it is sized adequately for my Volvo XC90. I towed it 1500 miles, without incident, and without a significant mileage penalty. I then towed the other car, a Volvo sedan, weighing a lot less, and saw a little better mileage, less than .5 mpg difference. If I change cars I only need to avoid vehicles that can't have even the back wheels down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GerryJo Report post Posted December 30, 2011 I do thank every one for there input on tow dollies, regardless of brand. One small concern for me and my mini-van is when loading van on neighbors Master tow dolly, after van was in place on dolly the dollies ramps were uncomfortabily close to the van's rocker panels, and we both thought that if there was a dip in the road we might damage the van. Other than this concern, everything else was fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Koliver Report post Posted December 31, 2011 Niether of my cars show any sign of contact with the dolly ramps, despite the Volvo S70 having quite low clearance. I have towed it about 2500 miles, mostly highways, but some sidewalk crossings that would likely drop the back of the MH low relative to the dolly wheels, the only place I would expect contact. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gmoreno Report post Posted December 31, 2011 We purchased the ACME tow dolly and haven't looked back. It has the surge brake system, LED lights, and spare tire. We tow my wife's '02 Mini-cooper with a CVT transmission. We took the kids to Disney World Florida and back summer 2010 (we live in MA) and had some small problems, but nothing that I couldn't handle; mostly user error, such as not cinching the tire straps securly. Never lost the car, but thank God I always used the safety chains. Purchased the ACME because it was lighter and frankly, more budget friendly. Also, I wanted to make sure that the loading ramps of any tow dolly would not but-up on the cooper's underside floor board. One last bit of advice would be to make sure you purchase a drop hitch low enough so that the tow dolly' tongue is as much parrallel to the MH receiver hitch as possible. I think I have an 8" drop I'll also up-grade my tow dolly to what ACME has - which is the rapid system tire strap system. Should make loading and unloading the Mini tons faster and easier. I drive a 35' 2010 Damon Daybreak, gas, V-10. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NavyDad89 Report post Posted December 31, 2011 When we towed with a Mastertow 77TSB dolly behind our RV from '05 to '07, we towed a 2002 Buick Rendezvous with absolutely no problem with the ramps touching the rocker panels. When we towed our 2000 Pontiac Bonneville, we did have some paint show up on the rocker panels of the white Bonneville from the blue dolly ramps. I corrected that by adjusting the ball height on the motorhome to raise the dolly tongue to about 2 or 3" higher than level. I'm considering aquiring a dolly to tow our new Dodge Caravan and it appears to be slightly lower than the Rendezvous but considerable higher than the Bonneville was so I anticipate no problem while towing. The Bonneville was so low that I had to use 2x6" boards about 30" long under the ramps to get the front shroud to go up onto the ramp without dragging. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeprinter Report post Posted January 5, 2012 I have just finished a 7000 mile plus road trip, two coaches with a Stehl tow dolly no problems at all, tracks very well. Now the stock tires on the dolly were garbage, I put on radials what a difference. Yes its a hassle to unhitch, but the price was perfect. Didn't have to worry about a pump too go four wheels down. Yesterday I just installed the surge disc brakes. Not sure until I bleed the brakes an try it out today to see how it performs. For those on a budget its a good dolly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
