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Originally Posted by markangie24
I have been looking at the Tow Dolly offered by Acme. Only 405 lbs and has surge brakes etc. the rest including the one from a Camping World are all over 500 plus lbs. just had back surgery, would love to go with 4 down but like our present car and it cannot be towed 4 down. The lighter the dolly the better. Talked to 2 folks a couple of weeks ago that had them and just love them. They were both over 60 and could move the dolly around easily. One had a Demco dolly, liked it but paid over $2600 for it. The Acme is $1299 plus for me about $300 shipping. I have looked at them all the past couple of weeks and to me lighter is better!!
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I bought the Acme Dolly due to the weight of our vehicle, which is a Honda Odyssey van. This particular vehicle was too heavy according to the specs for most dollies but the Acme seemed to be a great fit. Just towed the van on the dolly 4200 miles from Oklahoma to Alaska via Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, and the AlCan Highway. Worked like a champ. I only experienced 2 issues, and one was completely my own doing.
First, the surge brake system is perfect for flat land towing, and it also works well on basic hills. However, use caution on serious downward grades because the compression of the mechanism causes the brakes to be activated the entire way down. So, while you can avoid using your MH brakes by downshifting, your dolly brakes are roasting. I made many stops to allow for cooling, but I know my dolly brakes are now gone, as there is brake debris all over my front van tires. It's just something to be aware of as a difference between electric and surge brakes.
My second issue was a flat tire caused by not lining up the van with the dolly adequately and catching the right front tire on the angle iron that protrudes from the dolly. I'll be filing those down soon.
I've been pulling trailers of some sort since I started driving, and I will say that this combo (a MH and tow dolly) poses some challenges, especially at gas stations. You absolutely must leave yourself an out, without requiring tight turns or backing. Tight turns place a lot of pressure on the dolly tires, as well as the vehicle's front end and steering, and backing is asking for trouble.
So, all in all, I really like the Acme dolly and it made the trip quite well. It got the job done and is built like a tank. It handled the frost heaves and washboard gravel roads with no issues. I'll be giving it an "overhaul" with new brakes, new tires, and some touch-up paint before the next use and it will be good as new.