Pro and Con's to towing a vehicle especially using Dolly OPINIONS

[ms60ocb]

We are considering down sizing a fit, moving from a 41 foot Fifth-wheel to a Class A. Presently we do extended stays at two location and cars available at each location but 6 other location the truck is the daily driver . As the extended family relocates,we're looking at more locations. As we grow older maybe be Handicap parking may be of benefit thus the car rather than the truck.

Present vehicles can not be towed with 4 down but are FWD so could be Dolly towed. I don't like to trailer haul as using trailer causes a parking problem many place once the car is unloaded. But a box trailer does allow addition covered storage.

A Dolly is often store-able by parking over the tongue, thus using less space than we presently use with truck and FW.

Four down would require a difference vehicle and many vehicles are hard to crawl in and out of. But I can't say I wouldn't trade.

Clay   Summer NW IL and Winter in Central TX

 

[Darryl&Rita]

Every migration season, in a 2000 mile trip, we will see 3 to 6 dollies on the side of the road. Only trailers we've seen on the side have been getting a tire swapped, before returning to the road. Stay on top of maintenance, and they might be okay, but if we get into this choice, we're going 4 down as first choice, trailer second, and dollie a distant third.

[Pappy Yokum]

2 hours ago, ms60ocb said:

We are considering down sizing a fit, moving from a 41 foot Fifth-wheel to a Class A. Presently we do extended stays at two location and cars available at each location but 6 other location the truck is the daily driver . As the extended family relocates,we're looking at more locations. As we grow older maybe be Handicap parking may be of benefit thus the car rather than the truck.

Present vehicles can not be towed with 4 down but are FWD so could be Dolly towed. I don't like to trailer haul as using trailer causes a parking problem many place once the car is unloaded. But a box trailer does allow addition covered storage.

A Dolly is often store-able by parking over the tongue, thus using less space than we presently use with truck and FW.

Four down would require a difference vehicle and many vehicles are hard to crawl in and out of. But I can't say I wouldn't trade.

Clay   Summer NW IL and Winter in Central TX

 

IIRC - some of your "Toad" (4-down) situation questions were answered in another thread (yours?). Unfortunately, some replies indicated the last year/s for two wheel drive vehicles (towed 4 down) was 2011(?) vehicles or older.

I should have posted:  Front wheel drive Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs are OK (for sure) through the 2016 model years.   (I have a 6 cyl 2016 front-wheel-drive Terrain*).  I "think" the change over to a different trans began in 2018.  Check the 2017 owner's manual/s* !!  And,  keep your eyes open! Some of those SUVs are 'virgins' - like my 2016 with 40K miles!

Advice per the (then) REMCO site:  *"Please see owner's Manual for conformation and procedures".

Dolly towing consideration:  two-wheel dolly(s) are a real PITA (impossible) for backing while hitched with the "toad" on board.  Not so - for a "utility" trlr with two axles.

Handicapped pickup truck registration:  Not sure of your state's regs, but in CA *ALL*  pickups require commercial plates, which means a "normal" registration fee *PLUS* an added fee based on the load capacity of the pickup!

However, a handicapped pickup commercial fee is waived with proof of the owner's handicap - and the commercial designation is retained.  Note:  A standard/normal commercial (load rating) fee portion remains the *same* for the life of the truck, as opposed to the "normal" registration fee which *decreases* with the age of the pickup. Only one pickup can be registered with the handicapped waiver.  My 2005  p/up rates a savings of $225 per year (and has, every yr since new).   CA regs can be a PITA - but there are legit "work-arounds" for some, as above!  (*Legal* sales tax avoidance on RVs is another - w/o LLCs, etc.)

Hope all your plans work out.

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Pappy Yokum
Added REMCO.

[2gypsies]

After towing our Jeep for 8 yr. I would never consider towing on a dolly.  4-down is so easy and takes less than 15 minutes to get the car ready to tow or to disconnect.  It's a very easy process.  As others stated, what to do with the dolly or enclosed trailer when you get there?  Here are some articles that may help:

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/what-cars-can-be-flat-towed-behind-an-rv.html

https://familyrvingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2021-TowingLineup-FRV0121.pdf

https://images.goodsam.com/newmotorhome/towguides/DinghyGuide2020.pdf

 

The Chev Equinox/Terrain is a very, very comfortable car with good ease of getting in/out.

[Ray,IN]

If your RVing style is to stay in one place  in/near urban settings, you might consider not towing an auto; Instead renting one might be a viable option. There are obvious downsides to this though.

I tow a 2013 Chevy Silverado K1500 4X4 crew cab pickup 4-down, it is plated handicap. 2013 was the last year GM used hydraulic power steering. A ½T pickup with a camper shell provides much more latitude for hauling  bicycles and other bulky stuff.  This method means the MH must have at least a 10K pound towing capacity. Our MH has a handicap hang tag.

[Kirk W]

I really don't think that a quality dolly would cause you any problems, other than storage of it which can be done on most RV sites and the loading and unloading. We have traveled with couples who used a dolly but have not done so ourselves. One thing I do know is that the if we stopped somewhere for a time in route, we thought nothing of disconnecting the 4-down car to run about and then hook up again as it was so easy, but never did the frieds unload the car from the dolly for just a couple of hours like we so often did. But the dolly does have the advantage of being able to tow different vehicles as long as they are front wheel drive and small enough to fit on the dolly. It also means that you don't have to buy any special equipment when you change towed vehicles, but with 4-down you do have to get a new base plate. I have never known anyone who towed 4-down to change to a dolly and like it, but I have known many people who changed from a dolly to 4-down and would never go back. Like most things in life, there are pros and cons to either way but for convenience, 4-down will always win.

[bruce t]

Years ago we had friends with a dolly. UNTIL! Until one day they came across a narrow bridge and realised the dolly was wider than their A Class. BOOM. The dolly hit the side of the bridge. Not a pretty picture. We had camped with them in a state park a few days earlier. No parking for the dolly. I helped him drag his dolly from a nearby clearing not realising he had a heart condition! Dollies IMHO are a PITA.

Consider a good used older car. Plenty out their. Much cheaper. 4 wheels down. And not a big deal if they get a few stone chips. We purchased a used HHR from Budget rentals. That car served us well and cost us very little to buy and set up. Never stressed over it getting covered in grit, snow and road grime.

 

 

 

 

 

[ms60ocb]

Thanks for the feedback, You have confirm a lot of suspected problems. I can understand the ease of unhooking & re-hooking the 4 down and similarly the dolly is a dirtier job.

What are the Dolly problems other than the unhooking & re-hooking hassle. Is wheel bearing failing from the side truss from con-stance little weaving by the driver or excessive tire wear?  Kind-of-like towing with 4 down and the steering locked. (friend told me he got about 1500 miles on the front tires)

I would in be favor of a manual transmission but dear wife would not drive it. A smaller pickup is harder to take the ladies to town.

You have made good suggestions on some 4 down vehicles so I will have to keep my eyes open. I did own the prefect vehicle 45 years ago. A Jeep Wagoneer, reconditioned ones are available in Kerrville TX but I would be afraid to chip the paint.

Clay

[Kirk W]

For that we used a Blue Ox Rockguard. We have friends who used an underskirt.        

[2gypsies]

3 hours ago, ms60ocb said:

I did own the prefect vehicle 45 years ago. A Jeep Wagoneer, reconditioned ones are available in Kerrville TX but I would be afraid to chip the paint.

Clay

I'm convinced rock chips on the towed vehicle/windshield occurs with the stiff mud flap some have on the rear of their motorhome.

We only had the stiff flaps behind each tire and nothing across the rear.  We didn't get any rock chips on the front or hood of our Jeep in 8 yr., including an all-summer trip to Alaska where it's necessary to travel for long stretches of gravel on parts of the Alaskan Hwy.  In fact, we pulled into a park in Whitehorse and saw a few owners removing that big flap. We talked to them and were told it sent rocks flying on their toad's hoods and windshields.  We looked at their toads.  Indeed, there was a layer of large stones laying at the base of their windshields.  We had just driven the same highway and we didn't receive any damage and no rocks on our windshield.

After the trip and coming down through Salt Lake City in pouring rain, I began observing motorhomes towing in the lanes heading in the opposite direction.  Those with the big mud flap had a stream of water arcing up to their hoods.  Those without the flaps had the water aimed at their tires.  

We started our Alaskan trip from Arizona with a large angled crack received previously from a rock tossed by a semi truck into our Jeep's windshield while driving the Jeep.  We purposely didn't get it repaired because of hearing horror stories of the Alaskan trip.  We returned to Arizona with the same crack and absolutely no more damage on our Jeep or motorhome.

Edited August 21, 2022 by 2gypsies