Towing an old rear drive car with motor home

[JIPJOBXX]

I'm thinking about buying a car trailer the ones that the front tires sit on and the rear touch the ground. Just wondering is there anything that I might be concerned about if I towed my rig with such a trailer? And what preparation I should go through if I do go this route? Thanks Jon

Oh Yes happy Labor day to all my fellow mopar buddies!

[blucarsdn]

The type of rig you are talking about is generally called a "car dolly" ie; the front wheels of the towed vehicle sit in a cradle that is attached to the tow vehicle and the rear wheels are on the road.

A lot of people use the car dolly's behind their RV's, however, I for one think they are the pits... And here is why I feel that way;

The towed vehicle can't be backed up, which is true of any vehicle that is towed on a tow bar.

Added weight is placed on the rear wheels which can result in bearing failure and/or tire problems.

Many of the car dolly's have a pivot plate that the tires of the towed vehicle sit on... The plate allows the vehicles front wheels to pivot in turns, however, the towed vehicles steering might not return to the straight ahead position which makes the towed vehicle "crab" down the road.

The best way to tow a "dingy" is to use a two axle car trailer or a tow bar.

If the vehicle being towed has a standard transmission there is generally no problem in towing the vehicle on a tow bar with all four wheels on the road..

There are people that will tell you that this can be a problem, however, their fears are so much bunk.

I tow a '91 Jeep Cherokee behind my motor home on a tow bar. I have towed the Jeep across the US twice... When I get where I am going I disconnect the tow bar, fold it up and drive the car away.... If I get in steep mountains with narrow twisting roads or roads that are under construction, I disconnect the Jeep and my wife drives it until the road conditions improve.

[greg g]

First thing you need to do is check your states Vehicle and Traffic laws and see if there are any laws and or restrictions regarding the use of tow dollies.

I have used one to tow long distance twice, once when I bought a repoed jeep that was north of boston, and once when I towed my daughters car from Florida to NY behind a rental truck when she moved.

Neither time was there any difficulties, but I check the set up about every 2hours to make sure everything is tight and straight. Granted her car was front wheel drive so there were no drive shaft, transmission issues to worry about. On the jeed they had removed the rear drive shaft (rather than putting the transfer case in neutral).

So if you are towing moderat distances, the dolly is an option when used correctly and checked often. As far as the towed car is concerned, if I were towing my P15 a distance over a couple hundred miles, I would disconnect the drive shaft and secure it up and out of the way with a ratchet tie down or two.

Brakes on the towig vehicle are an issue but your motor home should be up to the task, just keep your speed moderate and following distances appropriate.

[Rusty O'Toole]

Not as good as a trailer but not bad. If you are towing an old vehicle check that the back tires are good and the rear axle full of grease. The axle can lock up if it runs dry of lube.

If it is an automatic car you have to remove the driveshaft. Otherwise the trans will be damaged.

There are exceptions, such as, if you are towing at 30 MPH or less for no more than 10 to 20 miles. Or, certain early automatics have a rear pump and are self lubricating even if the engine is not running.

In the case of a manual trans car it should be OK as long as the trans is full of lube.

When you take off the driveshaft you can get a bad oil leak from the back of the trans. A friend of mine made up a false rear yoke of ABS plastic pipe with a pipe cap on it, held in place by a bungee cord to stop the drips. Or a spare yoke will do the job.

You need to be careful not to turn too sharp, and of course you can't back up. On many dollies I have seen the fenders will dent the rocker panels if you turn too sharp.

Most of all BE CAREFUL an accident with a dolly can really mess up your car.

On the whole I am not sure a tow bar isn't a better solution.

[Young Ed]

Both my 46 pickup and 48 coupe came home on our car dolly. The coupe has been on it once more on its way to the frame shop. For long distances its a good idea to pull the driveshaft. Across town to a car show would be ok to leave it in. Our car dolly also has elec brakes to help slow it down.

[Big_John]

Buy a car trailer and don't look back.

You'll pay almost as much for a good dolly and you'll be able to use the trailer for other cars. The only thing the dolly has on the trailer is it's easier to store when not in use.

[littlemo]

We used a Blue-Ox" towing rig to tow our pickup all over Arkansas,and Texas summer before last and had no problems at all. The RV didn't even know it was back there. The truck is a 5 speed manual trans. Just remember, with this kind of setup, special connectors must be installed on the vehicle being towed. Wouldn't want to do that with my 48 !!!

[WatchingWolf]

While a dolly may appear cheaper, consider this...

Replacement tires will be expensive, but the world is full of low mileage 15" take offs that will fit a standard trailer rim.

A dolly requires unique "over the tire" tie downs that should be replaced regularly, while a trailer can safely use straight straps or load rated chains (last forever)

a 16 foot utility trailer has many uses, a car dolly has 1.

[Eneto-55]

I think I recall that some states have laws prohibiting towing an unregistered vehicle while any wheels are on the ground. (That is, a trailer may be the only legal option in some states for unregistered & uninsured vehicles.)

[Dan Hiebert]

I'd say it depends on if you would have use for a cargo trailer, too. Then why not get one of those and do the two birds with one stone thing. Easier to tow, back-up, and maneuver. But it does take up space in the yard. If the only thing your going to do is tow a secondary vehicle, then to me it would depend on what that vehicle is. Something that has a "true neutral" - like a 4x4 transfer case (Jeep) - I'd just use a tow-bar. Front wheel drive, automatic transmission, etc. I'd probably go with a dolly. I've done a lot of towing with both and no real problems with either, but I still prefer to put my old stuff on a trailer. If I'm not driving it, I want all the wheels off the pavement. I towed my daughter's 63 Falcon from New Mexico to Michigan on a dolly with the driveshaft detached, and the pumpkin got hotter than a popcorn fart, so I don't think I'll do that again. I think dollies have a low weight-limit, but their tongue weight is almost non-existent, too.

[Rusty O'Toole]

On thinking it over, if it was me I think I would prefer to flat tow a car with a tow bar. Either that or rent a car trailer.

[blucarsdn]

While a dolly may appear cheaper, consider this...

Replacement tires will be expensive, but the world is full of low mileage 15" take offs that will fit a standard trailer rim.

A dolly requires unique "over the tire" tie downs that should be replaced regularly, while a trailer can safely use straight straps or load rated chains (last forever)

a 16 foot utility trailer has many uses, a car dolly has 1.

A few words of caution about trailer tires.

I found out the hard way that car tires, especially used car tires are not a good thing on trailers.. There are people that will tell you that bias ply nylon tires are the best for trailers... And there are people that will tell you that radial trailer tires are the only way to go..

Through the years I have found from everyday experience that the radial trailer tires give the best service.

Regular car/truck radial tires are an absolute no no on a trailer.. The side walls flex to much causing them to over-heat and blow out...

Not a fun thing to be sitting out on the Interstate with your trailer upside down in the burrow pit and your prized car under the trailer... Bill

[knighthawk]

the main thing I dislike about the car dolly is..... the tire 'track' or axle width is wider than the car obviously, but also wider than the motorhome ! I am constantly going over the center line or rubbing the curb on the right side, it's real pain ! Also the fenders have a tendency to vibrate, and they may eventually ''hook'' the tire, and I have had a flat at 2;00 in the morning more once , before I reinforced the fender supports !! I personally like the towbar better, as long as the vehicle manufactor says you can tow it ( rear tranny bearing gets dry ) , only reason I got the dolly was , I didn't want to cut the grill in the new car.