Tow trailer or tow bar

Ashlyn · 03-01-2021, 07:21 PM

Trying to decide which one to get.
Any advice is appreciated. I have a 360DS with V10 and 5000# tow rating.
Pros and cons please
Thank you

wrapperman · 03-01-2021, 08:52 PM

That's a good conversation starter. When you say "tow trailer" I am assuming you mean a "tow dolly" because of your weight restriction and you have a car that is towable 4 wheels down.
We have a "tow bar" and really like the ease of set up and break down. My wife timed me hooking up the tow bar in under 2 minutes with ease.
Tow bar
Pros: ease of set up, light in weight, easier to store.
Cons: needs a braking system, needs a light retrofit kit,

Tow dolly
pros: could have a built in brake system, can tow many more types of vehicles,
Cons: requires more room to store, heavier, takes longer to set up.

These are just some of the things am thinking of. Hopefully many more people will chime in.

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 08:26 AM

Thanks wrapperman,
Brain fart on the tow dolly (tow trailer).
Tow bar equipment adds up $$$. I did plan on towing other vehicles but base plates aren’t always available on some of them for the tow bar system. I do currently own a Jeep Wrangler. Gonna do more research on this.
Thanks again.

llr · 03-02-2021, 08:39 AM

Check the manual on the Jeep, many 4WD seem to be full trailer (4 up) or 4 down, not a dolly.

A front wheel drive vehicle can use a dolly to tow. If the dolly doesn't have brakes you still need to add that.

I have only towed 4 down and was very happy with it except you can't backup without disconnecting. I believe with a dolly you can back a little but not maneuver it.

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 08:50 AM

Thanks llr,
No brainer for my Jeep on 4 wheels down with tow bar. I have 2 other vehicles that’s full time all wheel drive 05 Toyota 4Runner and 14 Audi Q7 that I would like to change out once in a while. I don’t think either of those cars will work on either tow bar or tow dolly?

Aladin Sane · 03-02-2021, 08:59 AM

I have a cousin who is a full time RVr. He actually does tow his small car on an open trailer behind his motor home.

360true · 03-02-2021, 01:17 PM

We currently pull a Toyota Prius on a dolly. It takes us about the same amount of time to setup as 4 down, as we did it side by side one time. The dolly is about 500 pounds - that might make a difference. We have a 2014 Georgetown XL 378 - also 5000# rating.

The dolly has surge brakes (disc) built in. Was about $1600 new - far less than the tow systems. Further we can switch cars easily as long as they are front wheel drive.

They do require some maintenance - to lube bearings every 1500 - 2000 miles, keeping lights working. No license plate required or registration in Florida.

Most everywhere we have camped (7 years and 30,000+ miles), we are able to keep the dolly in/about our site. Only once or twice did the campground have a separate area. We added a hitch to the Prius so we can relocate the dolly with the car.

And like 4 wheel down, you cannot backup. Has worked well for us and have towed three different vehicles with it.

The RV gets 7-8 mpg, the Prius 55-60 - so we average well above 30 mpg in fuel combined!

Adrian Gordon · 03-02-2021, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashlyn

Thanks wrapperman,
Brain fart on the tow dolly (tow trailer).
Tow bar equipment adds up $$$. I did plan on towing other vehicles but base plates aren’t always available on some of them for the tow bar system. I do currently own a Jeep Wrangler. Gonna do more research on this.
Thanks again.

Jeep Wrangler cannot be towed on a dolly.

Roger Baxter · 03-02-2021, 01:36 PM

According to the towing guides, Jeep Wranglers cannot be towed on a dolly. Even my owner's manual says to only flat tow with the transfer case in neutral, and the transmission in Park. I just converted my 2014 Wrangler Sport to flat towable with the Blue Ox bar & plate, and the Stay IN Play brake system to tow behind my 2014 Georgetown XL.

rskeans · 03-02-2021, 03:05 PM

We agonized about flat towing vs car trailer. Car trailer won. Weight was not an issue as our MH is rated to tow 20,000 lbs. The deciding factors for us was the backup issue and we could use the car trailer to transport our tractor. With the OP's MH having a 5000 lb tow rating I think flat towing should win.

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 04:01 PM

Thanks Aladin
The problem with an actual car trailer is that it counts as the length of your RV to some campsites

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 04:05 PM

Thanks rskeans,
Small pickins with a 5000# rating

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 04:12 PM

Thanks 360true,
I would like the flexibility of bringing more than one type of vehicle. That’s one of the pros for a tow dolly. I’m registered in Tennessee will have to check on registration rules.

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 04:16 PM

Thanks Adria,
Didn’t know wranglers cannot be towed by dolly

BehindBars · 03-02-2021, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rskeans

We agonized about flat towing vs car trailer. Car trailer won. Weight was not an issue as our MH is rated to tow 20,000 lbs. The deciding factors for us was the backup issue and we could use the car trailer to transport our tractor. With the OP's MH having a 5000 lb tow rating I think flat towing should win.

If you frequently visit large campsites, the car trailer might be fine. But if one visits state and national park/forest campgrounds with limited site size, having a motorhome plus a flat trailer plus a car/truck/SUV, it’s is going to be a tight fit or more likely not even possible.

rskeans · 03-02-2021, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BehindBars

If you frequently visit large campsites, the car trailer might be fine. But if one visits state and national park/forest campgrounds with limited site size, having a motorhome plus a flat trailer plus a car/truck/SUV, it’s is going to be a tight fit or more likely not even possible.

Agree. We almost always are in the National Forest or open BLM desert, or large private campgrounds. It is all a trade-off.

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BehindBars

If you frequently visit large campsites, the car trailer might be fine. But if one visits state and national park/forest campgrounds with limited site size, having a motorhome plus a flat trailer plus a car/truck/SUV, it’s is going to be a tight fit or more likely not even possible.

I guess it would pay to all first

retireearly · 03-02-2021, 07:54 PM

We have both, a dolly setup to bring our car and a bar to bring the jeep. The dolly is a pain to deal with, but it is simple and the braking is a plus. Braking systems are always the weak link with flat tow, best option is to keep it as light as possible. Worst part about owning a dolly is your friends borrowing it to drag home their project cars,etc.

Ashlyn · 03-02-2021, 08:07 PM

How true about people borrowing

IDguy · 03-08-2021, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by llr

Check the manual on the Jeep, many 4WD seem to be full trailer (4 up) or 4 down, not a dolly.

A front wheel drive vehicle can use a dolly to tow. If the dolly doesn't have brakes you still need to add that.

I have only towed 4 down and was very happy with it except you can't backup without disconnecting. I believe with a dolly you can back a little but not maneuver it.

You can back a 4 down with a DW assist to hold steering wheel.

An added feature of four down is you can easily leave the RV and drive home (e.g. oil change) and my first one I drove to pick up a new RV 450 miles away.

Also I was recently able to hook it behind a uhaul to help a friend and drive home throwing tow bar in the back. You can do that with a dolly if your toad also has a reciever (mine do).

Brake buddy is easy to use and it plus Demco tow bar, base plate, lighting kit and install labor adds up to nearly $2,000. Brake buddy is half that and tow bar reusable so second rig set up about $400.

You can spend a lot more on a tow bar but I’m happy with the Demco one.

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