bdensford Report post Posted July 16, 2016 Are there any benefits of using a tow dolly or of having 4 wheels on the ground? Does one tow better than the other? What about weight considerations? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted July 16, 2016 I have towed both and they seem to me the same. I would tow 4 wheels on the ground if the vehicle permitted it and use to tow dolly only if required by the vehicle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted July 16, 2016 Primary advantage of a tow dolly is for those who change vehicles often and/or have a vehicle that can not be towed 4 wheels down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akadeadeye Report post Posted July 17, 2016 18 hours ago, wolfe10 said: Primary advantage of a tow dolly is for those who change vehicles often and/or have a vehicle that can not be towed 4 wheels down. Agree. We use a tow dolly for two different vehicles, one of which cannot be fitted with a base plate for 4-down towing. Both of them are front wheel drive. Using a tow dolly has some drawbacks but not as many as we were told in the beginning. I have never had a problem with finding a place to put it in an RV park when we had to unhitch. Usually, right beside or on one end or the other from our motorhome there is often room. And hooking up and loading the car takes me about 8-10 minutes. The first time took 40 minutes because I couldn't figure out the dang straps. Now it's a snap. I do rotate the toad's tires front to back after a couple of long trips to be sure the tread wear stays relatively even all around. Don Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gulya Report post Posted July 17, 2016 We have been towing with dolly since 2004. Once you get the knack it's easy to load and unload quickly. Biggest advantage is I can tow almost any car without modification. We have towed 2 pt cruisers one auto, one manual, a 2 jeep wranglers both manual, a Ford Taurus auto, 3 jeep patriots all auto. We go up and down mountains in NC, GA,TN, KY, WV and PA with no problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted July 17, 2016 Deadeye, Interestingly enough maybe 30 years ago, Goodyear did a study on rotating tires on front wheel drive cars. It concluded that if the tires were left in their original mounted positions one could see as many as 90 thousand miles from the tires on the rear axel. If rotated 30 to 40 thousand less. This was due to the fact that all they did was roll with no frictional forces from turning and the heavier braking forces applied from being on the front end. At that time however most were solid rear axel units and not independent. I do not know if an independent rear setup would fare as well but I think still better if left alone. I have had all kinds of VW Rabbits and Golfs and never rotated them. I never saw 90K but definitely more than if I had rotated them, just a thought to pass on. Bill Edwards Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blakeloke Report post Posted July 17, 2016 I prefer 4 wheels down but have done both. It's easier for us to unhook the toad and not having to maneuver the dolly around when backing into a space. Blake Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted July 17, 2016 Blake. Maneuvering a dolly around is hard to do with only one hand...the other has a beer! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhartjim Report post Posted July 17, 2016 8 hours ago, gulya said: We have been towing with dolly since 2004. Once you get the knack it's easy to load and unload quickly. Biggest advantage is I can tow almost any car without modification. We have towed 2 pt cruisers one auto, one manual, a 2 jeep wranglers both manual, a Ford Taurus auto, 3 jeep patriots all auto. We go up and down mountains in NC, GA,TN, KY, WV and PA with no problems. Everything I've ever read says a Jeep can only be towed 4 down or on a trailer. It cannot be towed using a dolly. The manuals for my 2005 Wrangler and 2014 Wrangler, both automatics, state to only tow 4 wheels down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gulya Report post Posted July 18, 2016 The Wranglers were 4wd manual transmission. Put transfer case in neutral and have a good time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted July 18, 2016 Another advantage to using a tow dolly is that the braking system on the dolly stays with it. Also I modified mine to a tandem tow which gives a place to place the golf cart or anything else that would require either a pickup or trailer. And of course the trailer addition is illegal in many states. A tow dolly will not work well for towing a rear wheel drive vehicle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moonwink Report post Posted July 18, 2016 I tried the tow dolly years ago but much prefer the ease of 4 wheel down. The tow dolly itself weighed 500 lbs and was hard to drag around - especially when we were stuck with a back-in campsite. Now, I make sure what I buy is towable 4 wheels down and there are plenty available. Different strokes for different folks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blakeloke Report post Posted July 18, 2016 Carl......I never thought about putting my beer down! Hold my beer and watch this! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted July 20, 2016 I started out with a dolly due to the vehicle I had at the time, worked ok. I didn't like trying to find a spot for it and the safety chains were a pain to connect laying on the ground, it got old real fast. Switched over to 4 wheels down when we bought the jeep. If I were to bring a golf cart, motorcycle etc. I would switch back to a set up like Kay. I had the opportunity to demo one of these tandem axle dollies and it was pretty neat. When I had my boat I had a golf cart set up built on the boat trailer tongue. So I get it... brining all of the toys with you . http://www.tandem-tow.com/Models.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted July 20, 2016 On 7/16/2016 at 1:13 PM, bdensford said: Are there any benefits of using a tow dolly or of having 4 wheels on the ground? Does one tow better than the other? What about weight considerations? The main benefit is the ability to tow a car that otherwise couldn't be towed 4 down. You need to check the manual carefully to see if it can be towed on a dolly or 4 down. Look at the FMCA towing guide. You can allso look at Remco.com to see if they make adapters make a car towable (lube pump or disconects). I used a tow dolly for a couple of years then bought my current car that can be towed 4 down. I prefer towing 4 down but would use a dolly if that was the only way to take a car with me. I WOULD NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT A TOAD!!!! The weight restrictions are based on what your coach is rated to tow and your hitch restrictions. Obviously the lighter the better with in reason. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted July 20, 2016 Let's understand that all vehicles can be towed 4 down when it doesn't exceed your GVWR. AWD, rear wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, even front wheel drive. They have pumps, drive shaft disconnect both front and rear. All you have to do is find or have base plates made. It just depends on how far and how much you are willing to spend. So all I can say is going for it. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted July 21, 2016 Quote Quote Dam it, every time I forget to move my cursor, I get these Quote things! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted July 21, 2016 Now, back to normal, Herman, your about 98% right. There really is cars out there that even Ramco can't help ! If I had one off them, I would put it on a car hauler,,,why wear out only 50% off your tires! Bill. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted July 22, 2016 On 7/21/2016 at 8:40 PM, Manholt said: Now, back to normal, Herman, your about 98% right. There really is cars out there that even Ramco can't help ! If I had one off them, I would put it on a car hauler,,,why wear out only 50% off your tires! Bill. I would trade the one I couldn't tow in on one I could tow. I am much happier having one I can tow 4 down. I have watched and actually helped people trying to move a car trailer. It isn't fun when you don't have room at your site or the campground won't let you keep it at your site. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dcyeo@pei.sympatico.ca Report post Posted August 7, 2016 In process of purchasing a Tow Dolly to tow behind our motorhome. I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada where motor vehicles regulations don't require registration of unit but have usual safety requirements as is the case in all of Atlantic Canada. We are planning a number of trips to the USA and I was advised by an acquaintance that you can't use them in New Hampshire and as I looked into the topic on line I am still unclear. It also suggests that tow dollies may not be welcome in New Jersey either. Our tentative route of travel would be Maine to Florida and up through the mid west. If any of you knowledgeable folks on this topic can offer any advise or direction on this we will be forever grateful. David Cornwall, PEI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casuall454 Report post Posted August 7, 2016 While at FMCA rally in Perry. I attended a session about towing vehicles and state laws; http://www.readybrake.com/state-towing-laws.html http://www.brakebuddy.com/towing-laws Here is the links provided, hope this assists you. FYI I use a tow dolly, with 2013 Chevy Cruze with AT, so it can't be pulled 4 down. Next vehicle will be tow-able 4 down, at which time I will have a used tow dolly for sale. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted August 8, 2016 Since you first joined the Forum, I thought your 83' CJ-7 was your toad ! Why else have it in your profile? Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted August 8, 2016 4 hours ago, dcyeo@pei.sympatico.ca said: In process of purchasing a Tow Dolly to tow behind our motorhome. I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada where motor vehicles regulations don't require registration of unit but have usual safety requirements as is the case in all of Atlantic Canada. We are planning a number of trips to the USA and I was advised by an acquaintance that you can't use them in New Hampshire and as I looked into the topic on line I am still unclear. It also suggests that tow dollies may not be welcome in New Jersey either. Our tentative route of travel would be Maine to Florida and up through the mid west. If any of you knowledgeable folks on this topic can offer any advise or direction on this we will be forever grateful. David Cornwall, PEI Welcome to the forum. I towed using a tow dolly all over New England and never saw or heard of any rules about not using a dolly. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
