Tow Dolly....or a car hauler...what do you think?

[Bob Montgomery]

We have a Leprechaun M230CB with the hitch limited to 5,000 lbs. We also have an AWD Toyota Matrix and a FWD Volkswagon Beetle. We cannot tow either with four wheels down. Do now we are trying to decide on a tow dolly which will work with the VW or a trailer which will work with both. I thought the tow dolly would work fine for the VW until I considered the rear lights. The ACME tow dolly is nice, but when I asked about turn signals etc. they said extra lights are not required...that the ones on the tow dolly are all you need. I would like to hear from some of you who have used a dolly or trailer and get your thoughts. Thanking you in advance...Oh yes, greetings from Cody WY

[coupevillefish]

A tow dolly is a simple solution for the VW. It would be no more problem to hook up than a trailer and easier to store.

We towed a PT Cruiser on a Demco dolly until we bought a CRV and went four down. I have towed with another dolly previously with only the dolly lights but highly recommend additional lights on the car. With the Cruiser, I used magnetic lights with a splitter. On our CRV, there was room in the tail light housing to install a second bulb so the lights are separated from the vehicle circuit. Today, that would be my first choice if you can do it.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by Bob Montgomery

...The ACME tow dolly is nice, but when I asked about turn signals etc. they said extra lights are not required...that the ones on the tow dolly are all you need.

I have the Acme disc brake model dolly for our C-Max. Acme is correct in that no additional lights are required other than the dolly lights. FWIW U-Haul rents their car dolly without any additional lights. I did buy a set of cheap magnetic lights at U-Haul I could stick on if some jurisdiction wants to insist I need them.

I went with a dolly versus a trailer because:
1. The weight. I don't have extra capacity to tow a trailer. I'm limited to about 4,000 before I hit the GCWR. A decent car trailer would eat about half that weight.
2. The cost. The Acme dolly is a lot cheaper.
3. Storage. My Acme easily "stand's up" on it's "tail" in my garage.
4. Brakes. Adding a electronic brake controller to a M-B Sprinter can be a real PITA. The surge disc brakes on my dolly mean I don't have to add a brake controller. Most car hauler trailers would require a brake controller.
5. Fitment. The dolly will fit about any FWD vehicle I want. My wife just purchased a new Ford Fusion and it can be dolly towed just fine. It can't be flat towed since it is the EcoBoost 2.0. Since it weighs about 400 pounds less than my C-Max it may be our new TOAD...

Hope this helps...