Tow Dolly vs Flat tow

[wana65stang]

So what are the pros and cons of flat tow vs tow dolly? Can you get away with surge brakes on a dolly with say a Ford Focus on it? Any thoughts or comments would be great.

[Kevin & Judy]

Hello
We had surge brakes on our dolly with a dodge Journey we used as our daily driver when traveling, We then switched to a Ford Focus and tow it 4 down, Much easier to deal with.

[carlb]

With Regards to towing, READ your owners manual to find out which is best for your vehicle. If buying new, the kit needed for a dolly or flat tow will be nearly the same once you add it all up. Also make sure that if you use a dolly with surge brakes that your vehicle allows for that stress on the hitch. Some RVs that have frame extensions frown (mostly class C's) on surge brake set ups.

My new Transit Connect has to be a dolly queen.

[wana65stang]

Just a added note, the Ford focus was just a example of car on dolly not the one I am thinking about towing. Thanks carib for input on frame stress from surge brakes, can go with dolly with electric brakes if that posses a frame issue.Any one else have thoughts on flat vs dolly?

[Bosco100]

I'm pulling focus 4 down can't even feel it. No dolly to deal with at Rv parks

[twiggw]

We pulled a CHEVY HHR with a Blue Ox tow bar behind our 30 ft Class A gas. Didn't know it was there. If you've ever tried to manually park a tow dolly it can be challenging I vote tow bar

[monte]

The first time you pull into a campground in the rain or at night you will know if you made the right decision. We have towed a 2010 Kia Soul 4 down for 5 years without a problem I have seen tow dolly connect/disconnect in bad weather and it is not for me. To each his own.

[tomrob1161]

The biggest problem you'll have with a tow dolly is the tow dolly. You have to find a place to put it when you get to the camp ground.

[BigTJohn]

Plus some CG will charge extra for the dolly.

[ActionJackson]

No one is mentioning that you need to buy the specific tow bar for your vehicle and then get an adequate braking system for a toad. Car dolly will tow any vehicle once you have it set up with electric brakes (or surge brakes, if your are ok with any hitch issues). Yes, you will need to find a place to park it.

[carlb]

I prefer the notion of the dolly because less stuff to modify on my toad that will impact it's resale value. Less wear and tear on the drivetrain, and two tires that won't be traveling as far as all the others, so less wear on my tires.

[RudysWorld]

Tow dolly is more work, strapping down tires but works with any front wheel drive vehicle. 4 down with braking system cost twice what I paid for dolly but am very happy with 4 down. Would not go back to dolly. We keep vehicles along time so worth the investment. Looking at a lot of sites that are back in which is a serious PITA with a dolly.

[donanddona]

depends; Are you fitting what you already own or what your going to get? When at the campground where do stow the dolly? Do you have to install an oil pump to flat tow or pull a fuse. Lot of variables. I heard Blue Ox is the best

[CJnDD]

We have tow dolly that has a folding tongue. We have not had any problems stowing at CG's. Once folded it fits nicely behind RV. Our dolly also has the surge brakes, we have not found any problems (we have a class c), but will keep any eye out for stress.

[RandyLee]

If I was just traveling back and forth to Florida one a year a tow dolly would be fine. But since I travel all over while I flat tow, more than once I got into a situation were I had to unhook to turn around. Flat towing, I can unhook and turn around in a few minutes. Just hang all the cables on the rear of the MH temporarily. With a tow dolly it will be much harder to deal with. Since I installed everything necessary to flat tow on my S-10, cost wasn't as big of a factor of me.