towing with tow dolly or 4down

[charlestown]

hello I have a coachman 319ds leprechaun e450 with a v10 I want to tow my vehicle with me im new to towing I have a chevy trailblazer that weighs 4900 lbs that can be towed 4down or I have a prius that I have to buy a tow dolly which weighs around 3000 lbs I welcome your opinion does anybody have either vehicle that they tow with a class c 31ft motor home or something similar thanks mark from Charles town wv

[grumpy0374]

The Trailblazer would be easier to tow, but you will probably be at or over the max weight that is recomended, usually 5000 lbs. And, that is a heavy toad for your rig.
We have a 28 ft Lexington, same E-450, and tow a 3200 lb Subaru without any problem. Lexi is rated to tow 5000 lbs, but no way would I tow that weight unless absoultely necessary.
Some newer class c E-450 are rated to tow more now, but thats pushing the limit of whats safe, and what the rig is actually capable of towing over a long distance.
Prius will require a dolly, but will keep your towing weight within reason. Dolly would probably be a bit cheaper as you won't have to buy any 4 down towing equipment, usually 3 to 4 grand, total for all the equipment and supplemental brake system.
Only problem you may have is storing the dolly when not in use, either at the campground or at home, depending on your residence.. Most campgrounds you'll be able to detach and store the dolly right behind the rig, but some may require you to put it in an "overflow parking" area.
Grumpy

[RSchleder]

I towed 4 down for almost 20 years. I then bought a small car that needed to be towed on a dolly. All it took was one trip and the dolly and the car went up for sale. Never again would I even consider a dolly ( and I had bought a very high end unit). Replaced the car with a 6 speed Mini Cooper, added a tow plate/wiring and off we went with a big smile on my face. Bottom line, get a small vehicle you can tow 4 wheels down-PERIOD!

[grumpy0374]

Originally Posted by RSchleder

I towed 4 down for almost 20 years. I then bought a small car that needed to be towed on a dolly. All it took was one trip and the dolly and the car went up for sale. Never again would I even consider a dolly ( and I had bought a very high end unit). Replaced the car with a 6 speed Mini Cooper, added a tow plate/wiring and off we went with a big smile on my face. Bottom line, get a small vehicle you can tow 4 wheels down-PERIOD!

Agreed...I was just giving the OP alternatives to to what he has. Dolly is just another piece of equipment to store, and hook up when needed.
4 down is the easiest way to go.
Grumpy

[RudysWorld]

The trailblazer is probably a little heavy as stated before. In general I definitely prefer 4 down and will not go back to a tow dolly. I used a tow dolly the first few years because I did not have a 4 down capable vehicle. 4 down is more expensive to setup about $3,000 in my case, that includes brake system. If you trade vehicles often dolly's will work for almost all front wheel drive vehicles with no modification. Some people love dolly's but I am 4 down.

[Mark1]

Yes 4 down is easier but more expensive.My dolly cost 1600 bucks cost to hook up to motorhome (0) .on the other hand 4 down requires special plate for towing,and a car that can be towed and the mechanism to get lights and brakes to work.in both the car and motorhome.and if your new to motorhoming (like us) and purchase 3 different motorhomes then you have the expense to set each one up for towing.with the dolly there is no expense.I use the dolly.it takes 10 min.to put the car on it and away we go.it also is so small it all but fits under the motorhome when were parked. I dolly a FULL size Hyundai Azera front wheel drive.total weight of car and dolly ehhh 4000#Now a drawback is when people (Friends) learn you have a dolly they want to borrow it!

[KJcachers]

Originally Posted by Mark1

Yes 4 down is easier but more expensive.My dolly cost 1600 bucks cost to hook up to motorhome (0) .on the other hand 4 down requires special plate for towing,and a car that can be towed and the mechanism to get lights and brakes to work.in both the car and motorhome.and if your new to motorhoming (like us) and purchase 3 different motorhomes then you have the expense to set each one up for towing.with the dolly there is no expense.I use the dolly.it takes 10 min.to put the car on it and away we go.it also is so small it all but fits under the motorhome when were parked. I dolly a FULL size Hyundai Azera front wheel drive.total weight of car and dolly ehhh 4000#Now a drawback is when people (Friends) learn you have a dolly they want to borrow it!

What dolly are you using? Electric or surge brakes?

[Mark1]

I have a Acme tow dolly with surge brakes. actually we have two.My son also tows his car when he travels with his Class C. I have a Class A and it follows behind great!

[KJcachers]

Originally Posted by Mark1

I have a Acme tow dolly with surge brakes. actually we have two.My son also tows his car when he travels with his Class C. I have a Class A and it follows behind great!

Thanks, thinking of going dolly as well. Currently have a Jeep Liberty that we could tow four flat. But it's got a ton of miles on it and will need to be retired soon so I'm not sure I want to put the money into setting that up, just to replace it in a year or so. Probably replace it with a front wheel drive commuter type car that would work well with a dolly.

[vasnipe]

We decided to go 4 down.
Bought a used Smart Cabriolet and caught Camping World having a "$79 installs anything" promotion. Cost about $1500 for the Blue Ox base plate and wiring and connectors kit. I found a gently used Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar on craigslist for $275 versus the about $1500 for a new one. Overkill as far as towing capacity for pulling my little 1800 lb Smart, but I have the oomph for the future if needed.
Barely know the car is back there.

[helferdm]

Originally Posted by Mark1

Yes 4 down is easier but more expensive.My dolly cost 1600 bucks cost to hook up to motorhome (0) .on the other hand 4 down requires special plate for towing,and a car that can be towed and the mechanism to get lights and brakes to work.in both the car and motorhome.and if your new to motorhoming (like us) and purchase 3 different motorhomes then you have the expense to set each one up for towing.with the dolly there is no expense.I use the dolly.it takes 10 min.to put the car on it and away we go.it also is so small it all but fits under the motorhome when were parked. I dolly a FULL size Hyundai Azera front wheel drive.total weight of car and dolly ehhh 4000#Now a drawback is when people (Friends) learn you have a dolly they want to borrow it!

X2. Our Berkshire is our fourth coach and we're towing our fourth car. Have always used a Mastertow dolly. Can be a pain sometimes (like loading when the ramps are wet), but it's the economical way to go.

[wana65stang]

Originally Posted by helferdm

X2. Our Berkshire is our fourth coach and we're towing our fourth car. Have always used a Mastertow dolly. Can be a pain sometimes (like loading when the ramps are wet), but it's the economical way to go.

Have been looking at the Mastertow with surge brakes , whats your thoughts on it , well built and worth the money?

[helferdm]

My only criticism of the MasterTow product is the flimsiness of the fenders. They're plastic and seem to crack easily (Gorilla Glue holds 'em together) and are about $110 to replace. Were I to buy another dolly, I'd look for metal fenders. Otherwise, well-built and easily maintained.

[KarenDLS]

Originally Posted by charlestown

hello I have a coachman 319ds leprechaun e450 with a v10 I want to tow my vehicle with me im new to towing I have a chevy trailblazer that weighs 4900 lbs that can be towed 4down or I have a prius that I have to buy a tow dolly which weighs around 3000 lbs I welcome your opinion does anybody have either vehicle that they tow with a class c 31ft motor home or something similar thanks mark from Charles town wv

When we had our class A, we towed my 2000 vw beetle 4 down (manual tranny in neutral). The only problem we had was my DH (6' 4") folding his body and legs to get in. LOL