Tow Dolly or towed vehicle ?

I don't see the 2015 Traverse on the Ford official guide to flat towing.  I would trust the Ford guide before the Remco.  I also don't see it on the FMHC guide for 2015.  But I may have missed it.  Check out the Ford guide:  http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/.
If you are 73, do not dolly tow.  Its a pain. 

Sailorkane said:

I don't see the 2015 Traverse on the Ford official guide to flat towing.

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That's because the Traverse is a Chevrolet. 

Ford's equivalent is the new Explorer.

Without discussing specific models I will tell of the 4 ways to tow

1: Unmodified (Save for brakes and tow bar) 4-down
2: Modified 4 down
3: Dolly
4: Full auto trailer, open or enclosed

Advantages and disadvantages
1: Cheapest way to tow, also the easiest, however limited towed vehicle selection
2: More expensive but a greater selection of vehicles to tow.
Remco Towing USA sells the hardware needed to modify, so their web site is rather good at advising.. My current towed has a lube pump to circulate transmission fluid even when Engine is not running, my old towed had an "Axle Lock" Some take a "Drive Shaft Disconnect" the last two items disconnect the drive wheels from the tranny, only the differnetial still operates.. This is also an anti-theft device cause without power to the wheels the car thief is going to have a bit of trouble with his get-away.

Dolly: About the same as "Modified" price wise, longer list of towable vehicles. since all the above cars can be dollied for the msot part (Some have to be towed backwards)

Disadvantages: Stowing it when parked,  Added weight.. harder to load than a simple tow bar hookup.

Full trailer.. Some cars need special prep for trailering (Usually turning a switch off and on depending on if it's on the trailer or the road) but that's about all.

Disadvantages: Same as dolly but bigger. (Harder to stow, more weight)

Have towed by all the above.

Hi all.Thanks for your input.Decided to go with a tow bar.Got a manual shift Saturn(cheap one) to tow.since 'people'said it was best way to tow.Went to U-Haul and got them to install everything.Now just waiting for parts to  come in.Has anyone towed a Saturn,if so is it good car to tow?Not that it matters now .Looking on internet connecting tow bar looked pretty easy .Do I need a brake  in addition to other stuff?Thanaaks .

Thanks for updating us. Saturn is a great car to tow.

Yes, you need to add a brake system to the Saturn.

Kewl.  We have been towing a Saturn for a while.  Which model did you get?  We have an '03 L300 automatic and its excellent.  It is too heavy to tow without a brake of some kind.  We use an invisibrake and love it.

it a Saturn 2007 Ion.So I do need a brake system with it.what if I didn't have one on it?Bad to tow w/0 it?Are they expensive?Hard to install,or need professional installation?Great,another expense.Thinking I should have gone with wifes idea of just getting bigger trailer to tow,we had a 16 foot but I thought was to small.To late now.

Do you need a brake system.. Three answers:

Many people tow without,,, Most police won't check.  However "Most" =not= ALL.

Second: laws vary from state to state, in one state the law saysd 1500 pounds and up, another says 4,000 pounds and up need brakes... Even if you never develop a sudden radiator leak (Rear end someone) they say you need brakes... YOUR State rules in this, even if you are in a lower weight state.. BUT read on

US Gear says that a proper aux brake system such as their Unified Brake Decelerator (WHich by the way is one of the best) can reduce your panic stop distance as much as 30%.. Personally I think that is a bit...er.. Optimistic .. but even if it's 10%

On clear dry Reference pavement at 60 MPH you skid about 198 feet.. with all wheels locked, sure how ABS affects this (it does but I'm not sure which way)

10 percent is 19.8 feet.. Might as well call it 20...  One full car length.

The proper distance to follow the car in front of you is the distance you travel in.. Depending on who you ask,, on dry pavement, 2,3, or 4 seconds. (I usually say 2, but practice 3 or try to or more) you travel about 1.1 foot for every MPH before you hit the brakes. (if you are an average person) Bit less if you are a teen or a coffee-holic, bit more if an alcoholic.

So if you rear end me while towing... I AM going to check for an aux brake system,,, and given US-Gear's 30% comment. I will do my very best to confince a judge that by not having aux brakes you were reckless.  And I will mention a number.. A very LARGE number. and ask for compensation.

John left out the most important law that supports the need for an auxiliary brake activation system. The laws of physics tell us that extra 3-4,000 lbs pushing on the back of your RV will cause it to take longer to stop than without it. A properly adjust auxiliary brake system reduces that push to a few hundred lbs at most, restoring normal stopping distances. The extra distance needed without such a system may only increase your stopping distance a small amount, but if that distance is the difference between hitting someone/something or not...

Theoretically if the combined weight of the tow vehicle and towed vehicle don't exceed the tow vehicle's GVWR then the tow vehicle's brakes alone should give adequate braking performence. This situation could exist with a big diesel coach with lots of payload---some claim over 10,000 pounds of payload. Were I towing something like a Smart Car, Ford Fiesta or Fiat 500 behind such a coach I wouldn't worry about braking performence.

irishtom29 said:

Theoretically if the combined weight of the tow vehicle and towed vehicle don't exceed the tow vehicle's GVWR then the tow vehicle's brakes alone should give adequate braking performence. This situation could exist with a big diesel coach with lots of payload---some claim over 10,000 pounds of payload. Were I towing something like a Smart Car, Ford Fiesta or Fiat 500 behind such a coach I wouldn't worry about braking performence.

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Well outher than most states require you to have an auxiliary braking system. The outher major reason is it helps you stop quicker. The next big reason to have auxiliary braking is if you have an accident.
Bill

WILDEBILL308 said:

Well outher than most states require you to have an auxiliary braking system. The outher major reason is it helps you stop quicker. The next big reason to have auxiliary braking is if you have an accident.
Bill

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From what I understand most states don't necessarily require auxiliary brakes: some states have braking performence standards and some states don't call for auxiliary brakes unless the toad exceeds a certain weight, often 3000 pounds, well over the weights of the cars I mentioned. Indeed, the options and doodads on some coaches probably weigh more than the cars mentioned.

As for stopping faster, well a TV and toad within the TV's GVWR should stop within the TV's designed capability. Most vehicle's can be made to stop better than stock but I don't think many of us are really worrying about that, not really. I don't see a market for high performence coach brakes nor are many people putting Brembos on their toads. Good enough is good enough. Have you improved the braking of your RV and toad over stock performence? (Yes, I know there's an aftermarket for disc brake for trailers, a good thing given the crummy brakes on many trailers. But coaches seem to have pretty good brakes.)

I don't see how auxiliary brakes will help me once I've had an accident.

irishtom29 said:

I don't see how auxiliary brakes will help me once I've had an accident.

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Not having them gives the other party's lawyer more ammunition for a settlement.

NY_Dutch said:

Not having them gives the other party's lawyer more ammunition for a settlement.

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Maybe. If one were towing within the law I doubt you'd be found negligent on the basis of not using auxiliary brakes. And I don't live in a state of defense against lawsuits, that could extend to almost every facet of life and be never ending. I'd be interested in a citation of an instance in which a person towing a car within the law was found negligent in a civil or criminal case because they didn't use auxiliary brakes.

I see this same argument used on trailer forums by guys who think you should use a 1 ton dually to pull a Casita. ;-)

irishtom29 said:

Maybe. If one were towing within the law I doubt you'd be found negligent on the basis of not using auxiliary brakes. And I don't live in a state of defense against lawsuits, that could extend to almost every facet of life and be never ending. I'd be interested in a citation of an instance in which a person towing a car within the law was found negligent in a civil or criminal case because they didn't use auxiliary brakes.

I see this same argument used on trailer forums by guys who think you should use a 1 ton dually to pull a Casita. ;-)

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Whether it's you that's found negligent or the other party, rest assured their lawyer will use any advantage he can to either raise the settlement amount if you're found negligent, or reduce it if his client is found negligent.

Do what ever you feel comfortable with... Personally, I want all the advantages I can get when it comes to emergency stopping. Add in the toad break-away protection most auxiliary brake systems include, and I see it as a win all around.

irishtom29 said:

Maybe. If one were towing within the law I doubt you'd be found negligent on the basis of not using auxiliary brakes. And I don't live in a state of defense against lawsuits, that could extend to almost every facet of life and be never ending. I'd be interested in a citation of an instance in which a person towing a car within the law was found negligent in a civil or criminal case because they didn't use auxiliary brakes.

I see this same argument used on trailer forums by guys who think you should use a 1 ton dually to pull a Casita. ;-)

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You can live with your head in the sand and convince yourself you are right. That will not protect you in a lawsuit. You will be sued and you will lose if you don't have auxiliary braking in your toad or on a tow dolly. That friend is REALITY.
Bill

WILDEBILL308 said:

You will be sued and you will lose if you don't have auxiliary braking in your toad or on a tow dolly. That friend is REALITY.
Bill

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A bold and cocksure assertion. Can you prove it, show when this has happened? Just repeating yourself with increased vehemence isn't persuasive.

My MH hitch is rated at 8000 lbs.Car I will be towing ,a Saturn Ion weighs about 2700 lbs ,Is that a problem?

irishtom29 said:

A bold and cocksure assertion. Can you prove it, show when this has happened? Just repeating yourself with increased vehemence isn't persuasive.

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Yes and I have no more time to waste on someone who doesn't have a RV isn't towing and is doing nothing but acting the expert on the internet.
Bill

WILDEBILL308 said:

Yes and I have no more time to waste on someone who doesn't have a RV isn't towing and is doing nothing but acting the expert on the internet.
Bill

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In other words you can't back up your assertions.

Not that it matters to the validity of my assertions but I own a Tiffin 32sa and tow a Ford Fiesta behind it. And I use an SMI braking system because the combined weights of my TV and toad exceed the GVWR of the TV, a case in which Ford, the chassis maker, recommends using a toad braking system.