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Old 11-02-2015, 11:36 AM   #1
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Car Hauler Advice

We have determined, as many of you have as well, that we need to tow a vehicle with us when we travel. Can't afford a new tow vehicle right now so have to go with what we currently own. Car is automatic front wheel drive, SUV is rear wheel drive with 4 wheel drive on demand. Seems that a car hauler will meet our needs.

Looking for advice from MH owners that have had any experience with a car hauler.

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Old 11-02-2015, 11:58 AM   #2
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For your front wheel drive car you can probably easily use a dolly. Check your vehicles Owners Manual under Towing to see if there are any issues. Also check your MH's rated capacities to see how much weight you can safely tow.

We have an Acme "Eze-Tow" Hydraulic Disc Brake Dolly. Since it has surge disc brakes I don't need a electric brake controller which can be a true PITA on the MBS chassis (M-B Sprinter). Unlike most dolly brands you can tow it empty with no issues as it is all welded, instead of bolted, together. We picked ours up at the factory and I saw a very professional set up staffed with employees that have a great customer service attitude.

So far we are quite happy with it and I'm glad we went with a dolly instead of spending at least twice as much modifying one of cars to do a flat tow. The big plus is if I change cars I don't need to spend any thing modifying the new car to be towed. If desired I could tow our other vehicle, a 2015 FWD Explorer, on the dolly instead of our C-Max. A dolly can be a hassle in some ways, hooking up in the rain comes to mind , but overall it was the most practical and economical, solution for us.
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Old 11-02-2015, 08:20 PM   #3
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Thanks.

I plan to also tow our rear wheel drive SUV. I believe that I need to tow that with all wheels off the ground. I'm hoping that folks that are using a flat bed car hauler can give me some pointers.

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Old 11-03-2015, 01:07 PM   #4
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What model motor home do you have?

We have a 3170DS and often tow a single axle utility trailer. At +31ft long with about 10-12ft overhang past the rear axle... Hitch/ball weight is what I fight the most.

Loaded up without the trailer I am already at the rear axle weight limit. Only have about 300lbs to spare, which is about the hitch weight of my 12ft single axle trailer loaded with bikes, wood, and other camping gear.

Towing 3000- 5000lbs behind the motor home, no problem engine has the power. Carrying 500lbs+ of extra hitch weight on the rear... That's the area of concern. Tow dollys add very little hitch weight, just like flat towing.
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Old 11-03-2015, 03:58 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funfinder5 View Post
What model motor home do you have?

We have a 3170DS and often tow a single axle utility trailer. At +31ft long with about 10-12ft overhang past the rear axle... Hitch/ball weight is what I fight the most.

Loaded up without the trailer I am already at the rear axle weight limit. Only have about 300lbs to spare, which is about the hitch weight of my 12ft single axle trailer loaded with bikes, wood, and other camping gear.

Towing 3000- 5000lbs behind the motor home, no problem engine has the power. Carrying 500lbs+ of extra hitch weight on the rear... That's the area of concern. Tow dollys add very little hitch weight, just like flat towing.
I have the same MH as you. Haven't purchased a trailer for the vehicles yet. Trying to gather information to be able to make an appropriate purchase.
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Old 11-03-2015, 04:08 PM   #6
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The biggest problem I see with a car trailer is where to put it. Many campsites are not big enough and leaving it in an overflow area leads to other risks.

As far as to tongue weight will be determined by where on the trailer the vehicle sits......... more forward more tongue weight more to the rear less tongue weight but could be less control.............

Then there is learning to tie it down properly..... I have seen vehicles on trailers get away.....

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Old 11-03-2015, 04:19 PM   #7
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If you get a trailer do not get drop axles for hauling a car or you may need to crawl out the side window as the door may not clear the fenders and open when loaded..... Just make sure the car doors clear the fenders when opening........... A SUV should not be a problem....... I have owned several car trailers over the years. My current one is a fifth wheel which also has advantages & disadvantages but won't help you......

Also one with ramps are heavy and can be a pain to pull out each time you load or a tilt bed but they can have a steeper load angle.

Climbing on & off the trailer numerous times has to be taken into account.

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Old 11-03-2015, 04:27 PM   #8
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An SUV on a car hauler behind a 3171 is going to be a bad idea. Unless you go aluminum the trailer is going to weight 2000# plus the weight of the SUV more than 4000# gives you at least 6000#. Tongue weight 10-12% of total for 720#. Are you going to use an weight distributing hitch? in that case add another 50#. And I am guessing the SUV is heavier that 4000#, there is less than 2000# of capacity for load in the motor home and this would use 800#. Pack lite.
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Old 11-04-2015, 12:09 PM   #9
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I have a post here somewhere on the weights of my 2011 3170DS. I still have the weight slip/ticket in a drawer of the HM. It helps remind me of just how little cushion I have every time I get the desire to do something like above or bring more with me than I should.

One of the big reasons why I now tow a 12ft single axle trailer behind the MH is to take some of the weight I was carrying inside/on the MH off the chassis and onto the trailer. 800lbs of bikes, camping canopies, and fire wood on the trailer only adds about 80-100lbs onto the MH chassis.😉
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Old 11-04-2015, 01:02 PM   #10
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OK. This is what I use. SunSeeker 3100SS, 16 Foot deck 20 ft. overall length. Weight 1700lbs. Ramps are attached to trailer meaning, pull pin and pull ramp to stop. No carrying ramp. Equalizer WD hitch. Tow 32 Ford Coup(2400lbs ), 1962 Falcon(2700lbs), or 2004 Escape(3700lbs). Have towed over 50000miles with this set up, Rocky Mts. to Florida. Not a problem Can back up anytime I may need to. Haven't hit a gas ststion I couldn't get around in. This open center steel deck. There are All Alum. trailers that are lighter in weight but a lot higher in cost.
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Old 11-04-2015, 05:22 PM   #11
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I just got back from a 1100 mile trip pulling an 18ft steel/wood deck car hauler trailer (double axle with single axle brakes) loaded up with a couple Polaris RZRs (one 2 seater and one 4 seater).

Total weight of the trailer was 4100lbs. Tongue weight around 450lbs. I have a prodigy brake controller mounted in the upper dash cubby of my 3170DS for easy access. Since the 3170DS is prewired for a brake controller installing one is pretty easy. Ordered the pigtail from etrailer and used a controller I had laying around.

I travel 60-65mph in the hills and just under 70mph on flat interstates and it does just fine. On one stretch of interstate with a 4 mile long 6% grade it stayed between 58-60mph the entire hill. No sway control whatsoever, and sway was never an issue. I think I could get by woth less than the 65psi i had in the airbags for a smoother ride.
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Old 11-04-2015, 10:04 PM   #12
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Thanks for all the great feedback.

We won't be making any purchase until spring, so lots of time to consider our options. Appreciate all suggestions and experiences others have had with using a flat bed.

Again, thanks!

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Old 11-20-2015, 10:34 PM   #13
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