Rav 4 on tow dolly

[Hexnut]

We have just purchased a 2015 Toyota Rav 4 FWD with the intention towing it on a KarKaddy SS tow dolly. The curb weight of the Rav 4 is listed as 3500# and the weight of the dolly is 615# which will get me just under the 4200# limit. Has anyone used this or a similar setup and can offer any advice?

[lwalkplumb]

I towed a Honda CRV on a Acme tow dolly. Had no problems other than straps coming loose especially in the rain. Kind of a pain to load and unload, get yourself a pair of coveralls and gloves. I now tow a Honda Accord 4 down and love it, less work and worry. Good luck

[formerFR]

yes, coveralls, gloves, a hat, umbrella, and a strong back - when you arrive, unload the car, and have to move the tow dolly to a different area of the site. : /

[FFred]

Tow dollies STINK, far more time, work and effort than should be needed.

Plus they have to be stored and maintained, UGH!

Get a car that tows 4 down , Motorhome Mag has lists of what car, what configuration and which years are 4 down EZ.

A base plate attaches to the towd , a brake system is installed and your set to go.

Connect , disconnect 2 min , no problem.

[AudiDudi]

Obviously differeing opinions on dolly vs flat tow.

We tow a Chevy Sonic hatchback on an ACME dolly. Dolly weighs in at under 400 lbs and can be backed up with or without the vehicle being loaded.

It's quite easy to move around by hand, especially with the ramps not on the tongue. It will stow standing up but if we are in an RV park, I just typically back over it.

We also don't need to have the expensive hardware installed on multiple vehicles if we want to tow a different vehicle.


As already mentioned, hooking up is more complicated than flat towing but I personally don't find it to be that big of a deal.

[RVLifeIsGood]

I watched with chagrin while a dolly-towed car was backing off the dolly in front of me as we were leaving the park. They were likely nervous because they had blocked the camp road and we had to wait for them as we were leaving with our Forester 2401 WS. Been there. Turns out, they tore the front right fender completely off the dolly-towed vehicle while trying to get it off dolly. That made up my mind. Only 4 wheels down for us, once we take that step.

[AudiDudi]

Originally Posted by kdwallin

I watched with chagrin while a dolly-towed car was backing off the dolly in front of me as we were leaving the park. They were likely nervous because they had blocked the camp road and we had to wait for them as we were leaving with our Forester 2401 WS. Been there. Turns out, they tore the front right fender completely off the dolly-towed vehicle while trying to get it off dolly. That made up my mind. Only 4 wheels down for us, once we take that step.

I've never totally blocked the road dolly towing and I cannot imagine the mistake they made backing off and damaging the towed vehicle. Unless they had a dolly with swivel pans and the pans were turned and they didn't realize it. Not an issue with my ACME EZTow.

[Hexnut]

Thanks for the various comments and opinions. True life experiences can teach others valuable lessons. In that light, what I am curious about is out of those that do tow a Rav 4 on a KarKaddy with an MBS, what has been your experience with that combination?