If youre planning a cross-country motorhome trip, a common question to have is whether to bring a vehicle with you. Motorhomes gives the comfort of home while on the road, but theyre large and are unreasonable for short town trips to stock up on supplies or to check out a local attraction. After all, while a motorhome is great on our nations highways, its less than ideal on in-town streets or anywhere smaller cars and trucks can go with ease. But before you make the decision to go with a tow dolly, its important to consider your options.
There are four main ways to tow a vehicle behind a motor home. They are a tow bar, a two-wheel dolly, a trailer designed to haul a vehicle and an enclosed trailer. Before towing your vehicle, always check your vehicle operators manual for guidance. The first, typically called flat towing, four-wheel-down towing or tow bar towing, is really only good for vehicles that can be towed in this manner. They also commonly require custom installations and subject your towed vehicle to wear and tear. Even though the cars not running, all four wheels, including the drive train, are soaking up every mile you drive, meaning any money you save here could be lost on vehicle depreciation. The next step up, a two-wheel dolly, is great for lighter, front-wheel drive cars, and their reduced space makes it ideal for storage when you set up camp for the night. Four-wheel dollies or trailers are needed for larger vehicles or when you want to minimize the wear and tear on your car, but theyre more expensive, significantly larger and harder to store when you settle down for the night. Enclosed trailers are another great option for bikes, ATVs and other toys, or classic cars or other expensive vehicles, but theyre even more expensive and bigger to maneuver and store than all the other options.
For many, a two-wheel tow dolly provides the best balance of cost, storage and flexibility, and theyre easy enough to use and operate that just about anyone should feel comfortable taking one on their next trip.
BENEFITS OF A TOW DOLLY
As most households own multiple cars, a two-wheel tow dolly provides adequate towing with minimal space, making it a great option for many motorhomes travelers. Sure, a four-wheel trailer gets all four wheels off the ground, making it best for larger vehicles, but youre already traveling in a large vehicle -- your motor home -- and it makes sense to take the smallest, most maneuverable vehicle to augment your motor homes size. Furthermore, once you drive your car off the trailer, it is like having another full-sized car on site, which can be problematic in cramped camping areas, forcing you into expensive upgrades or send you looking for an alternate campground at the last minute.
On the other hand, a two-wheel dolly can neatly fit just about anywhere. Additionally, unlike tow bars, a tow dolly requires no extra mounting holes or bolts to the towed vehicle. To be sure, two-wheel dollies require no complex fasteners or permanent changes to any towed vehicle vehicles, making them an excellent choice for both long-term and short-term trips.
DEMCO TOW DOLLIES
If youre wondering, "Are tow dollies safe?" -- were happy to report that thousands of tow dollies are used each and every day across the country without issue. Having the best balance of affordability and protection, as well as their ability to tow many vehicles without modification, a tow dolly is a very popular way to bring a vehicle with you on your next cross-country trip. Here at Demco, their tow dollies -- including the KarKaddy SS, the KarKaddy 3 and the new KarKaddy X -- are safe, dependable and easy to use and store. They can tow front-wheel drive vehicles up to 4,800 lbs and have an axle capacity up to 3,500 lbs.
Whether youre looking to tow a smaller compact car or a family sedan, Demco tow dollies fit the bill with a rugged dependability that youd expect more of an industrial application. No matter your vehicle hauling need, Demco products have earned an esteemed reputation among towing aficionados, and they make great used solutions because of their longevity on the road.
With the Demco KarKaddy SS, you can tow most normal cars and even some small SUVs or light trucks (front-wheel drive only), and when you get to your destination, just fold the dolly in half to maximize your space. Fully extended it sits at 133 inches long, but folded it shrinks to an astonishingly small 67 inches, which can be reduced even further if you tuck it in and around other items at your campground. Complete with a hydraulic surge brake system for safe and controlled stopping, the KarKaddy SS includes disc brakes and chrome wheels with radial tires and dual safety chains. The sealed bearing hubs also come with a 3-year unlimited warranty, and the whole thing has less than 100 lbs. tongue weight when loaded for increased ride and handling of tow vehicles.
For wider or low-profile vehicles, consider the KarKaddy SS. Designed for lower clearance and fitted with hydraulic surge brakes, the KarKaddy SS can accept vehicle treads from 42" to 78". Furthermore, a load angle thats reduced by four degrees allows the SS to accommodate more low-profile vehicles than any other tow dolly. The SS also incorporates a steerable axles allowing for tighter turns. This allows the towed vehicle to track exactly behind the mororhome! The KarKaddy SS is a galvanized unit that protects against rust and corrosion Along with sealed, maintenance free hubs The KarKaddy SS is fitted with a Demco brake actuator and EZLatch Coupler that makes loading and unloading a breeze.
If youre still wondering, are tow dollies safe? Company answer is a resounding yes! Here at Demco, we make towing equipment for the tough world out there. Whether youre a full-time RV’er, a weekend warrior, a summer traveler or you spend your days working on job sites, Demco products are tough, durable, safe and built to last. Contact us today to see how Demco can help you prepare for your next big trip.
Whether youre a long-time road-tripper or youre venturing out in your first prolonged RV trip, youll probably want to bring a car. Wherever you stop, your small car or SUV will make for a great grocery getter around town and will enable you to expand your reach once youve set up camp. Just the thought of trying to navigate a bulky motorhome in a small parking lot or in and out of a tiny campground sends shivers down most enthusiasts minds. But instead of driving two vehicles cross country, accumulating wear and tear and spending most of your time apart, towing a vehicle gives you the convenience of mobility at your destination while everyone still gets the comfort of the RV on longer drives.
The simplest and easiest of your motorhome towing options is to use a tow bar. Also referred to as four down, referring to the number of wheels that make contact with the pavement, a tow bar is a flat towing mechanism that consists of a tow bar, a base plate installed on the towed -- or "toad" -- vehicle, a wiring kit for lights, safety cables and a supplemental braking system. However, cars with automatic transmissions that cannot be disconnected may not be compatible with this method, so be sure to consult your vehicles user manual before attempting to tow a vehicle for the first time. Another thing to keep in mind is that while your vehicle is attached, you will not be able to reverse your motorhome, though you can always detach your car if needed.
For those that would rather get some wheels off the ground, other towing options include tow dollies and trailers, which are capable of towing either two or four wheels up. The first, a tow dolly is primarily for front-wheel drive transmissions. Most hatchbacks, sedans and small SUVs fit this profile, and its as simple as driving up on to the dolly with a vehicles two front wheels and securing them in place. Always check your vehicles user’s manual for additional information. Dollies typically come with ratchet straps, security chains and safety chains to keep everything locked and in place, and the commonly included ramps help make loading and unloading easier. As with a tow bar, you wont be able to reverse with the dolly and car attached. Various states also require a license plate for your dolly, which can represent a potential added expense.
The third option, a four-wheel up trailer or car hauler, is the most comprehensive yet most cumbersome way to tow a vehicle. Great for all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles, a car hauler typically has two axles and low or no rails along the edges. They also commonly come with loading ramps and either a surge or electric braking system, as well as various straps, ratchets and fastening devices. Unlike the tow bar and tow dolly, a capable driver can reverse with a vehicle attached, though this should not be overdone as accidents and mishaps are common. One significant negative with a car hauler -- and is also partly true for a two-wheel dolly -- is that once youve unhooked your car, you now have a large trailer taking up room at your campsite.
But while the function of dollies and trailers are pretty straightforward, how does a tow bar work? As the smallest and easily stored option, tow bars are great space savers on a cramped campsite, and, used correctly with the right vehicle, theyre just as safe and capable as the other options. There are three types of tow bars: the first is a self-aligning motorhome-mounted tow bar; then theres the self-aligning car-mounted tow bar; and, finally, the rigid A-frame tow bar.
The self-aligning motorhome-mounted tow bar is an easy-to-hook-up option that requires just a few moments to attach to a motorhome and toad. Once attached, its as simple as setting off, and the self-aligning bars will fold and lock into place, safely keeping the toad properly aligned and a correct distance from the RV. Unlike other towing contraptions, this tow bar doesnt need to be aligned and hardly needs any setup at all. Just hitch the two vehicles together and away you go. Aside from attaching the tow bar to your motorhome, youll also need a vehicle specific base plate or bracket, as well as safety cables and a wiring kit to activate lights on the “toad”, but its by far the easiest way to get a towing setup going.
The second type of tow bar, a self-aligning car-mounted tow bar, is like a motor-home mounted bar in that once theyre quickly hooked up, everything will move into place and optimally lock and balance itself. But since its mounted on the car, not the motorhome, these tow bars can be handled by one person, though their extra weight can impact your cars fuel efficiency, as well as cause extra wear on your cars suspension, alignment and tires. In an accident, a front-mounted tow bar can also cause significant damage, so its important to consider your specific needs before deciding on a tow bar.
The final and most basic type of tow bar is an A-frame tow bar. Attaching to the rear of your RV and to the frame of the toad, an A-frame tow bar is a rigid, yet lightweight and cheaper option than a self-adjusting tow bar. Strong and capable of towing cars, an A-frame tow bar is shaped like the capital "A" and features a crossbeam providing support to two arms. Because theres no automatic self-aligning here, connecting an A-frame tow bar is a two-person job. One person holds the tow bar and guides the driver of the tow vehicle to the precise position for hookup. They can be finicky, so patience is a virtue here, and it may very well be best for those infrequent towing needs. Indeed, each time you need to tow a vehicle, this delicate connecting dance must be performed, and those that have graduated to self-aligning bars vow that theyll never return to a basic A-frame tow bar again.
If youre in the market for a towing apparatus, consider a Demco tow bar. Theyre self-supporting, self-aligning and self-leveling, so youll never again spend a frustrating morning hooking up a car only to repeat it day after day. Incorporating their patented Easy Trigger Release, which provides flawless hookup and disconnect, Demco tow bars are non-binding and perform at a high level under the harshest of conditions. Designed with arms that move independently, a Demco tow bar is surely the easiest tow bar youll ever use, and company commitment to strength and safety means you dont have to sacrifice peace of mind with an easy to use tow bar.