What brand towing dolly recommendations

[Raxel7851]

Thinking of possibly using a towing dolly for our Minnie Winnie 22M. I’ve seen all kinds of manufacturers and prices ranging from less than $1,000 up to $4,500. I need to pick the brains of people here that have had or still use a dolly and which manufacturer they like/dislike.

[catmandoo62]

i have a demco kar-kaddy that i bought in 2006,had to replace the master cylinder 2 years ago and just put some 8 ply tires on it.one of my best investments.swear over the last 2 years my neighbor has used it more then i have.

[be happy]

I have been using a RoadMaster tow dolly for the last 8 or so years, with well over 15000 miles on it. The RoadMaster has a swivel platform for the cars wheels to set in.

I chose a dolly with electric brakes. The reason was tong weight and more the weight when moving the dolly by hand. I find that in back in sites, we unhook the dolly and roll it to the end of the site. Its really is easier than it sounds.

You read stories about the length of time to hook up the car. To me whats a little more time. Yes the straps can be a pain (on third set) to work with but then not much more that a 50amp cord in cold weather.

I did have trouble with the 1157 bulbs staying is the socket. Had to replace with led's.

Hope this helps Good Luck

[Reniram]

I have been very happy with our Master Tow dolly..I chose this because it has a hydraulic surge braking system with drum ( not disc) which means it can be hooked up to any tow vehicle and there is no long term storage problems..With near zero maintenance needed we have travelled all over the US with no troubles. Suggest you look into buying used to save money but tires and wheel straps are the most important items you need to check when looking for a good deal.

[catmandoo62]

i have to agree on the tail lights.i swapped over to led's 4 yrs ago and man are they bright.as "be happy" mentioned his roadmaster.they use a plate the wheels sit on and it pivots in the center.the demco has basically a straight axle with king pins like a big truck and the fenders of the dolly turn with the wheels.i believe u-haul still uses the pivot plate design like the road master.if they will let you, try one and see how you like it.then try to find someone with a demco to try out before you buy one.if you were close you could try mine.also agreed on used,i see them quite often and definately get a spare tire.

[BobC]

After a lot of research I purchased an Acme "EEZ Tow" dolly from cartowdolly.com. Due to Covid and other issues I haven't had a chance to use it yet but I can say that I'm extremely happy with it's fully galvanized construction, etc.

My reasons for choosing it in addition to its construction were:

1. Its positive online reviews and comments in the various RV forums.

2. I like the idea of it's hydraulic surge disc brakes with their independence from electricity.

3. Its relatively light weight (380#), both for my sake and to minimize my overall tow weight.

4. The fact that it will tip up vertically for storage.

5. Its price.

Here are some Winnieowners threads re: the Acme Tow dolly:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22A...client=gws-wiz

[Viper One]

I have the Demco Tow Dolly. Bought in 2010. No issues just changed brake fluid and a new set of tires because of age.

[Oldchinahand]

Second BobC and for all the same reasons. We flat tow our Ranger and EZE-Tow our Camry (it's always a Camry).

Electric vs Surge is good for hours of campfire talk.

I also like the ability to "lockout" the surge brakes and coast on the exhaust brake down long grades. Mitigates hot brakes. Thinking about Salt River Canyon and Flagstaff to Verde Valley in our part of the world. Likely another topic of lively campfire talk.

Fair Winds and Following Seas

[bkg]

I bought my ACME Tow Dolly soon after purchasing our View. I love 4 down towing but for our Trax it's only 2 down and the ACME is the easiest. You can't back up with it (you can't with any brand that I am aware of) but the ACME is super easy to move unhitched. I have over 10,000 miles on ours and on our 2nd set of dolly tires and about to install our 2nd set of tire straps (it gets a lot of use).

Bobby

[Grapehound]

I used a MasterTow dolly for about a year. Then I switched to a flat tow system.

I would get one with brakes, either surge brakes or electric. The newer ones all have LED lights.

The tow dolly hook-up process does take some time and requires you to lie on the ground and get under the toad to hook up your safety chains. (My tow dolly did not come with safety chains so I had to add them.) Then the straps which go over the front tires can be a bit hard to rig; I ended up going through a turning process after rigging the straps to stretch out the straps so that they did not come loose.

I turned sharp to the right at least once and then sharp to the left at least once, then pulled over. I found that the straps would stretch a bit and be loose once I completed those turns. If I did not stop and re-tighten after the turns, the loose straps could become so loose they'd fall off the tire or wedge themselves into the steering assembly of the toad. One time I had to remove the front wheel to disentangle the tow straps from the steering assembly, once getting to my destination..

The cost of a tow dolly starts around $1,400 which is much less than the $3,000-$5,000 of a flat tow set up.

You mentioned your camper model but your toad is really the important part of towing with a dolly. For example, there are 4WD cars which can be flat towed but cannot be towed on a tow dolly. (My Jeep Grand Cherokee is an example.)
Generally you need a front wheel drive car, best with a manual transmission.

Check your car manual to be sure what can be towed with rear wheels down.

[Woodman]

I have researched several brands. Went with the Demco unit. The wheels pivot when turning making the unit follow much better. The surge brakes are quite good, work well and are solid. It is easy to load and when not in use, it “folds up” taking up less storage space.