Car Tow Dolly Or Flat Tow?

Do you love to travel all year round in your motorhome? Well, towing a car is one of the best ways to spice it up. It’s an opportunity to incorporate multiple destinations in one. Also, it enables access to remote areas and outdoor ventures.

if you want to stock up your supplies, having a car makes that quick, and easier.

While having a tow dolly is convenient, choosing one can be a challenge. With tons of varieties available in the market, it’s easy to choose the wrong one. And this is where it gets messy. ‘Cause choosing the right one can make a difference between a great road trip and a nightmare. 

With that said, here’s a guide to choosing a car tow dolly that’ll help you make the right choice. It covers all the essential details you need to consider when choosing this valuable travel asset.  What’s more, there’s also a description of how it works among other resourceful details that you’ll find to be informative. Let’s start: 

What’s a tow dolly?

A tow dolly is a two-wheel mechanical piece of equipment you can use to tow your vehicle during road trips. Having two wheels, its platform is designed to support only the front Wheels of the towed vehicle. 

Flat Towing Vs Tow Dolly: which is best? 

Going on a road trip is a great venture but also a challenging one. You not only have to focus on your family's well-being but also the GPS and road. With so much to worry about, it pays to have a car transportation method that fits your travel requirements. That’s why choosing the right car tow method is essential. 

With that said, there are two main methods you can rely on to tow your car throughout the road trip. Flat two vs the car tow dolly method. 

When it comes to flat towing, you need less equipment however for newer vehicles with automatic transmission your will need additional transmission and brake assistance pumps. Unfortunately, you can’t tow all the cars using this method. Automatic vehicles for instance are the most difficult to flat tow.

The range of cost for flat towing system will range from $4000-6000.00 Dollars. Therefore, if you are not sure whether flat towing is best for your car, consider checking with your dealer or owners manual. Reference ling for Dinghly Towable cars

Tow Dolly on the other hand is unique. For starters, it supports most front-wheel-drive cars. Thanks to this heavy-duty equipment, you can appreciate a comfortable and safe tow. Further, less wear is done to the vehicle being towed.

Types of a car tow dolly on the market

There are two basic varieties of car tow dolly, the:

• Center Pivot OR SWIVEL PAN DOLLIES
• If you want a tow dolly that allows your vehicles to trail, especially when going around corners, consider a center pivot tow dolly.  They are quality and often low-cost owing to their fixed wheels. But even so, they work efficiently when in use whether on straight roads or around corners. 

The construction of this dolly consist of the towed vehicle wheels sitting on whats called a Swivel pan. This methods allows your towed vehicle steering wheel to be left in the unlock position.

• FIXED CAR TOW DOLLIES

Fixed car tow dollies such as the Stand Up EZ Haul tow dolly does not require a pan. When transporting your vehicle

Factors to consider when choosing a car tow dolly

Now that you’ve made your mind on using Tow Dolly, there are important factors to consider before buying one. These factors will help you filter through the tons of car dolly in the market. 

As such, you will remain with a few for an easy pick. Now have a look at the following features for more understanding about this piece of machinery. This information will help you find a model that fits your travel requirement.

• Width of Car Dolly

What’s the size of the vehicle you want to tow? Well, this should be a reliable starting point when choosing the best width for your car dolly. As you ponder over which width to choose, you must end up with a wide model. However, it’s not an excuse to choose a piece of bulky equipment. 

A wide car dolly is great for stability on the road no matter which terrain you are riding on. Also, you will not end up scratching or damaging your car bumper when getting the front wheels on. Check out our wide car dolly collection

• Weight of Tow Dolly

Undoubtedly, a tow dolly comes in various weights depending on the size, model, number of accessories, and brand. But even so, it’s important to stick to lightweight options. They’ll make your journey easy and comfortable. And this is because they are easy to maneuver whether you are on a flat road, going uphill or downhill. 

• Storage Needs

How big is your car garage? Because if you have enough space, then feel free to explore all sizes of Tow Dolly. However, if you have limited storage space, then you will have to avoid the bulky options. In this case, you’ll need to narrow down your choice to small or compact designs such as The Stand Up EZ Haul Car Dolly or The Folding Car tow dollies which we offer

• Weight Capacity 

All Tow Dollie comes with a weight limit. Therefore, if your car exceeds the weight limit of this machinery, expect disaster on the way. To avoid such inconveniences, it’s important to note down the weight of your car. Majority of all car dollies max out at 4,900lb capacity.

• How to use it

Car tow dollies are one of the pieces of equipment that are easy to use. When it comes to loading and unloading both swivel and fixed tow dollies have almost the same operation when it comes to loading up the vehicle. The Stand Up EZ Haul Car Dolly does require to manual input the stow away ramps onto place.

• Brake System

The braking system is one of the critical parts of this piece of equipment. It enables easy to control when towing your car behind the camping RV. Also, this part is at work almost throughout, therefore, choosing galvanized brakes is most recommended. 

• Wheel Straps

Wheel straps play an essential role. And that’s to maintain your car secured on the tow dolly. What’s more, it also plays a complementary role when towing your car. Even though they do not wear fast, there’s a time you’ll have to replace them. 

• Tires

If you’re not a frequent traveler, then you don’t have to worry about replacing the tires. Most of them can withstand thousands of miles before they require replacement. But if you have to replace them, it’s important to maintain the same tire model. 

• Got Breaks?

Depending on the state you’re in, there are some which require a tow dolly to have a braking system. And not just brakes, but also light. Therefore, it’s important to consider your state regulation for car dolly before buying it.

To be on the safer side, consider those with breaks and breaking lights. This will be convenient, especially if you’re planning interstate road trips. 

When it comes to breaks, you can choose either surge or electric options. But in this case, a surge brake will be the best. You don’t need to connect the braking system with that of your car. Every time your car begins to slow, the surge brake senses and are activated to stop the tow dolly. 

On the other hand, some car dolly comes with no brake lights.  Thankfully, this is something you can buy and install to enhance safety on the road. 

Can the tow dolly damage your car?

Thankfully, they cannot. They have been crafted to protect your vehicle throughout the trip. But even so, avoid using the low-budget low-quality varieties, because these cannot guarantee the safety of your car. Besides that, using a high-quality tow dolly and adhering to the manufacturer's instructions keeps your car safe.