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HI,I AM NEW TO RVING.WE HAVE A NEW 32FT C CLASS FORESTER.WE WANT TO TOW A FORD ESCAPE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE 2008.WHICH TOWING IS BETTER FOR ME. FLAT TOWING OR GET A DOLLY
Towing question
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SeilerBird
Well-known member
First off it is a very bad idea to use your email address as a screen name. It will be harvested by spam mongers. Second turn off the caps lock and I might read your question. Caps lock is shouting and hard to read.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Ok cars fall into 3 categories for towing.
one: Can be towed 4 down with only a base plate Tow lights and aux brake install
one.five: as above but special procedure must be followed.
Two: Can be towed 4 down WITH MODIFICATION beyond the above. For Front wheel drive that is either an axel lock or a lube pump. I prefer the axel lock as it is a half-shaft (the drive shaft on one side) with a special clutch in it. like the old Locking hubs on JEEPS (Same techonology) it is 100% reliable provided you remember to UNLOCK it when you tow. Has a few other advantages too With this in the UNLOCKED position the wheel it is attached to spins freely like a rear tire.. The other one spins the differerntial but that' sonly a tiny bit of drag and runs in oil so no lube issues.
The LUBE pump pumps transmission fluid around using Motor home electricity to do the job.. Keeps the bearings lubed. Safely.
I used the first on a car that had the clearance for me to reach behind and lock/unlock the axle. the 2nd on one that does not have the clearance.
And then we have the 3rd type of car. Can not be towed 4 down no matter what.
How to find out.. Google Remco Towing follow the Store link enter your car's vital statistics on the left and the answer is on the right.
It is getting a bit tougher to find the STORE page
http://www.remcotowing.com/Towing/Store.php
So There it is.
Now 4 Down or dolly.. 4 down if at all possible. I'd never use a dolly lessen I have to.
one: Can be towed 4 down with only a base plate Tow lights and aux brake install
one.five: as above but special procedure must be followed.
Two: Can be towed 4 down WITH MODIFICATION beyond the above. For Front wheel drive that is either an axel lock or a lube pump. I prefer the axel lock as it is a half-shaft (the drive shaft on one side) with a special clutch in it. like the old Locking hubs on JEEPS (Same techonology) it is 100% reliable provided you remember to UNLOCK it when you tow. Has a few other advantages too With this in the UNLOCKED position the wheel it is attached to spins freely like a rear tire.. The other one spins the differerntial but that' sonly a tiny bit of drag and runs in oil so no lube issues.
The LUBE pump pumps transmission fluid around using Motor home electricity to do the job.. Keeps the bearings lubed. Safely.
I used the first on a car that had the clearance for me to reach behind and lock/unlock the axle. the 2nd on one that does not have the clearance.
And then we have the 3rd type of car. Can not be towed 4 down no matter what.
How to find out.. Google Remco Towing follow the Store link enter your car's vital statistics on the left and the answer is on the right.
It is getting a bit tougher to find the STORE page
http://www.remcotowing.com/Towing/Store.php
So There it is.
Now 4 Down or dolly.. 4 down if at all possible. I'd never use a dolly lessen I have to.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
According to the 2008 Dinghy Tow Guides, a 2008 Escape with automatic transmission is not 4-down towable unless it is the Hybrid model. The manual tranny version IS towable. Therefore your best option for the automatic is a tow dolly (front wheels on the dolly). The alternative to that is to modify it with a transmission lube pump (see John's reply).
http://webcontent.goodsam.com/DinghyGuide2008.pdf
http://webcontent.goodsam.com/DinghyGuide2008.pdf
RVMommaTo6
Well-known member
Why?John From Detroit said:
gwcowgill
Well-known member
RVMommaTo6 said:
4 down towing in most cars is easier to hook up, safer as you don't have to deal with straps coming loose, you don't have to find a place to store the dolly when you arrive in a campground and you don't have to wrestle with the dolly when hooking it up to the motorhome. BTW, if you do decide to tow with a dolly, make sure you stop every so often to check your straps as cars being towed on a dolly have been known to come off.
Laura & Charles
Well-known member
X2. A dolly or trailer is another vehicle you have find a place to park. Have seen a lot of folks have a hitch on the back of their towed just to move the dolly or trailer to the overflow parking.
dkreuzen
Well-known member
Having to drop a trailer (or dolly) at a campground and park it somewhere is not a given. I used a 16' trailer exclusively for 9 years and still do a few times a year. I planed ahead to get a site long enough so I didn't have to drop the trailer. In that time and over 70k miles I only had to drop the trailer once. Even when I flat tow I make the same request as the flat tow and trailer are the same overall length. I agree that flat towing is a slightly easier hookup but not much. I prefer to use the trailer when towing for it's benefits. I spent about the same for a new trailer as I did for all the stuff needed for a complete new tow bar setup with brake unit.
I have used a dolly in so many places without any problem. I keep it hooked to the MH for days, weeks or months as needed. Most campground are prepared for those of us that use dolly. Many cars cannot be towed 4 down. In addition, I get more options on which car to take with me, as both can be towed in a dolly.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Nobody has claimed a dolly isn't feasible or a solid choice if you have a FWD vehicle you want to take with you. It's just that 4-down with a tow bar is more convenient all the way around. I've done both and know which I prefer, but dolly towing has its place in the RV world.
Cooperhawk
Well-known member
We towed my DWs VW Jedda diesel with a Demco Dolly for five years with little problem. When I purchased my Ford Explorer I found that it could be towed four down, so I spent the money and did that.
The Demco Kar Kaddy III was a Cadillac of dollys. https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/towing-hitches-jacks-chassis/vehicle-towing
I ordered it from PPL Motorhomes and they drop shipped it to our place in less than a week. I had to assemble the wheels and ramps, but it took me about a day to have it going.
When I switched over I sold the dolly for what it cost me to install the Blue Ox tow bars and the AF1 braking system.
Both systems have their positives and negatives. I could load the car on a dolly in about the same time it takes to hook up the tow bar. The only thing I did not like was getting under neath to attach the safety chains. The tow dolly had surge brakes so no need to modify the car.
Whatever suits.
The Demco Kar Kaddy III was a Cadillac of dollys. https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/towing-hitches-jacks-chassis/vehicle-towing
I ordered it from PPL Motorhomes and they drop shipped it to our place in less than a week. I had to assemble the wheels and ramps, but it took me about a day to have it going.
When I switched over I sold the dolly for what it cost me to install the Blue Ox tow bars and the AF1 braking system.
Both systems have their positives and negatives. I could load the car on a dolly in about the same time it takes to hook up the tow bar. The only thing I did not like was getting under neath to attach the safety chains. The tow dolly had surge brakes so no need to modify the car.
Whatever suits.
