Any Concerns About Using Wheel Lift/tow Dolly?

[jcmiller]

I'm arranging a 300 mile haul of a 1946 Chrysler.  It's about $120 less to use a wheel lift/tow dolly compared to a flatbed or trailer.  The hauler said that if the frame and suspension are solid, the wheel lift/tow dolly should be fine.  Would it be penny-wise and pound-foolish to go that route?  Thx.

[desoto1939]

I would spend the extra 120 to have it on a trailer.  With the front wheels off the ground the rear end and drive shaft will be spinning.  Also you do not know how fast this guy is going to be going down the road and also what kind of road conditions he will be facing like post holes etc.

 

The extra stress on the rear-end, wheel bearings, u-joints and drive shaft are not worth the savings.  If you were pulling the car on the dolly then you can control how fast you go and also keep an eye out for any issue while going down the road. Also what condition are your tires are they in good shape or are they marginal with tread, any side wall cracks, these are the things to consider.  Also pull the hub caps off the rims because at high speeds and bumps they might come off and the driver will not be noticing that they came off.

 

Spend the extra and keep the car safe and sound.  The 120 you save might be spend to doing a rear axle or some other type of repair.

 

Just my $120 worth of advise.

[Plymouthy Adams]

using the dolly is not a problem if you are experience towing with these..You will need not to have a need to back up...arrange your fueling stops and such in a facility that has a nice pull through lane..also be aware your turning radius is not the greatest and depending on the width of car and the such may be less...this and backing up are two of the major concern.  Third..do not drop the tire of the two vehicle off the pavement onto a low shoulder etc..this also makes for possible loos of your load and blow out of the dilly tire...do check your straps often and use the safety chains  and ensure the vehicle stays on the dolly...I have towed full sized vehicles some 500 plus miles with no problems...also as dollies rarely have any brakes..drive accordingly.   All this applies to a trailer with exception of backing up..  do have a spare with you..two if possible...get a set of two lights to place on the rear of the car in tow...

 

States vary but most do not like an unlicensed vehicle being towed on a dolly...they rarely say anything but if you towing a cars that seems to be in a state of disrepair..they may stop you for a safety inspection...

 

Drive safe..good luck...

[Don Coatney]

Trailer or dolly, what is the towing vehicle? Does it weigh more than the towed vehicle?

[Young Ed]

Been there done that a few times. Everything Tim says is spot on. Are you renting a dolly or trailer or paying someone else to haul it on either?

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2013 by Young Ed

[jcmiller]

Thanks for all the quick feedback guys.  I'm paying to have it done.  He said all four wheels will be suspended.  One end will be lifted by the tow vehicle, and the other by the dolly.  Based on what you have said, I feel pretty comfortable with it and will probably take that option.  This is the car that is on an island, and this setup saves a lot on the ferry ticket.  It costs $200-250 for a truck/trailer combo for the ferry ride.

[Young Ed]

Ah thats a totally different option. That'll be a tow truck with a wheel lift and then a dolly setup under each rear wheel. As long as its a pro doing it you should be ok.

[Merle Coggins]

If it's all about the ferry fare, wouldn't a flatbed/rollback truck be the best option? I would think they'd still charge extra for the car behind a tow truck since it still takes up 2 spaces.

[Plymouthy Adams]

okay..now that a few more crucial facts have been posted....I would suggest that you contact a few more professional car movers with experiences dealing with  ferry company policy, cost etc and ask their opinion/related costs on best method for the move..I thought this was a DIY question and based my answer on that..

Edited June 17, 2013 by Plymouthy Adams

[jcmiller]

If it's all about the ferry fare, wouldn't a flatbed/rollback truck be the best option? I would think they'd still charge extra for the car behind a tow truck since it still takes up 2 spaces.

 

You only pay going to the islands, so there won't be a charge for the extra length coming back.  I talked to a bunch of guys before settling on this.  I would probably pick a flatbed if the costs were closer together, but $120 is not insignificant, plus this guy seems like a pro and is a good communicator.

 

I used Uship, by the way, which I just learned about.  If you have not heard of it, you should check it out.  You can post what you need hauled and from/to and shippers then can bid on the job.  I had 5 bids.  This one was not the cheapest, but I'd rather work with the actual operator than a broker in Florida.  It seems like a really good solution for bulky car parts on Ebay.

[Plymouthy Adams]

trucker.com used to be a consignment sign up also for eliciting bids...could not find that last time I looked..so this is good current info..I found my individual shipper this very way long ago...broker firms is not in my opinion a way to do things but each person has to make that call for themselves...

[jcmiller]

I had the car hauled and the tow truck/dolly set-up seemed to work just fine.  One nice thing about that system is you don't have to roll the car or even inflate tires (although inflated tires helps).  The guy did a good job for a reasonable price and was good about communicating.  If you're in the NW and need a car hauled and want his contact info let me know.  The U-ship system worked well too.  When I accepted the bid, I made payment to U-ship, which gave me a "payment code."  When the car was delivered I gave the payment code to the hauler who then used it to collect his fee.