Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Many states do not consider a tow dolly to be a "trailer", i.e. it's just a piece of towing equipment. Thus no title or registration tags. Check with your state DMV.
Looking at motorhomes
- Thread starter Mitch52656
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Any front engine coach is a lot noisier in the cockpit area than a rear engine. And the engine heat is noticeable too. Some people find it very annoying while to others it's just a background drone. We had tow gas coaches and never thought too much about the noise until we made some videos while driving and were amazed at how much noise there was in the videos. And when we got a diesel pusher the difference in sound level was night & day.
Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
No, you do not register and plate dollies. They become part of the vehicle you have riding on top of them.
I'm sure towing with a 36' motorhome is a bit different than towing with I would assume a pick up as mentioned in the post. Also, from that post, if you are experienced with dolly towing you would know you don't back up with dollies, just like you can't towing four down. Further, not all dollies are created equal, hence IMHO the Master Tow dollies are my choice for ease of operation, safety, initial expense, durability, and maneuverability when moving it around empty. As far as the straps go the one thing I pulled out of the owner's manual more than anything else is the simple statement "You cannot over-tighten the tire straps". I put a lot of effort into tightening my straps, some folks even laughing as squat and pull up with my entire body on the ratchet handle. That being said, as an added safety precaution every time we stop for a break, lunch, or restroom, I'll take a walk around the RV, check the dolly straps, our bikes that are on a ladder bike rack, and most times are kayaks on top of the toad. I can honestly state that during our two-month 8K mile cross-country trip two seasons ago there wasn't a single instance when the dolly straps needed to be re-tightened during one of our stops.
I am certainly not against towing four down. As I stated in my prior post I started with a dolly the second season we had our first RV because it was the easiest, the car we had, and the expense of going that route. If money was not an issue, then or now, I would love to be pulling a Jeep Wrangler (in a matching color would be nice) four down behind our DP. Before my brother passed away three years ago he directed his son to start selling off some things my SIL wouldn't need, and the money gained would help her out. Of his possessions was his 2014 Wrangler Sport with only 4200 miles on it! To this day it P's me off I didn't give my nephew the $20K that a local dealer bought the Jeep for. My wife would've looked good driving it around. My loss.
I'm sure towing with a 36' motorhome is a bit different than towing with I would assume a pick up as mentioned in the post. Also, from that post, if you are experienced with dolly towing you would know you don't back up with dollies, just like you can't towing four down. Further, not all dollies are created equal, hence IMHO the Master Tow dollies are my choice for ease of operation, safety, initial expense, durability, and maneuverability when moving it around empty. As far as the straps go the one thing I pulled out of the owner's manual more than anything else is the simple statement "You cannot over-tighten the tire straps". I put a lot of effort into tightening my straps, some folks even laughing as squat and pull up with my entire body on the ratchet handle. That being said, as an added safety precaution every time we stop for a break, lunch, or restroom, I'll take a walk around the RV, check the dolly straps, our bikes that are on a ladder bike rack, and most times are kayaks on top of the toad. I can honestly state that during our two-month 8K mile cross-country trip two seasons ago there wasn't a single instance when the dolly straps needed to be re-tightened during one of our stops.
I am certainly not against towing four down. As I stated in my prior post I started with a dolly the second season we had our first RV because it was the easiest, the car we had, and the expense of going that route. If money was not an issue, then or now, I would love to be pulling a Jeep Wrangler (in a matching color would be nice) four down behind our DP. Before my brother passed away three years ago he directed his son to start selling off some things my SIL wouldn't need, and the money gained would help her out. Of his possessions was his 2014 Wrangler Sport with only 4200 miles on it! To this day it P's me off I didn't give my nephew the $20K that a local dealer bought the Jeep for. My wife would've looked good driving it around. My loss.
Kirk
Well-known member
We have owned 2 class A motorhomes, both of them gas. The first was powered by a 454 Chevy and the second by the V-10 Ford. There is no question that you have more engine noise with the engine up where you can hear it but, my wife has health issues and so would sometimes be on our bed while traveling and the pushers usually have the engine under the bad and the noise and heat are there, just not between the front seats. Like post #20, I did add insulation to the dog-house and I also did the same under the floor of both front seats and that did a lot to mitigate the noise and heat. Even then, it is still in the front so can be a negative. We were fulltime in the V-10 rig for 12 years and I suppose we got used to it. The noise was not so much that you can't talk to each other. After I added the insulation the heat problem was minimal and the noise also less. To me, the biggest single benefit of going with a pusher is the air ride but be careful as there are some lower priced pusher that don't have that. The air ride is a significant improvement over any gas chassis. On the other hand, maintenance will cost significantly more for a diesel rig and now days the fuel cost is much greater that the difference in fuel mileage.
My suggestion is to do several test drives in each type and in any that you consider buying. I would also stay with rigs under 100k miles if gas and less is better. Our first class A was a 3 year old Allegro and we kept it for 9 years and 55k miles. The second was a new Georgie Boy, Cruise Master(now just a name from the third owner as GB no longer exists) and we kept that for 14 years, 12 of them fulltime.
Kirk
Well-known member
That depends on the state of registration.
The max speed for a uhaul tow dolly is 55 mph. You discovered why loaded tow dollies, like 4 down toads, can't be backed up except for very short and very straight distances. Otherwise, that little Civic with it's short wheelbase and lack of weight likely had you with negligible tongue wt., inducing sway. I'm surprised it stabilized at 55.
I apply the Woody Harrelson rule. When on the set of True Detective Matthew McConoughey (?) asked Harrelson what he did when he had a nagging problem that wouldn't go away, after careful consideration Woody said "I just don't think about it". I have a front engine V-10 and I just turn the music up.
DonTom
Well-known member
The smallest Thor Class A was the very first motorhome I checked out while motorhome shopping for a class A. It seemed cheaply built to me as well as many other issues. As I mentioned here.
The only thing I liked was the 7,500 towing/ 750 lb tongue weight capacity which I didn't really need.
I am reasonably happy with the 2022 Entegra Vision 27A motorhome I did buy, in September 2021, but it has had its share of small issues that I was able to take care of. IMO, that is expected. Perhaps more issues with new motorhomes than used. Previous owners probably already fixed such minor issues, as I did in my new rig.
I would recommend mine to others but try NOT to get the tankless water heater option.
-Don- Reno, NV
WILDEBILL308
Well-known member
Something else to look at. Pre exhaust filter and pre DEF. 2007 Newmar Mountain Aire 4523 | Motorhomes of Texas.
Major nice. 2007 Foretravel Nimbus XT 3630 | Motorhomes of Texas
Major nice. 2007 Foretravel Nimbus XT 3630 | Motorhomes of Texas
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Ouch...
I just saw a wrangler on Marketplace for about $6k. I immediately started thinking how I could swing buying it... Then I remembered I really don't need it - LOL...
Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
One of the reasons I didn't buy the Jeep from my nephew is the words my SIL put into my head when my brother first bought it. I went to their house to check out the new ride, orange, and cheerfully asked Lynn "Hey, what do think of Bob's Jeep?" Sourly she responded "What's an old man doing with a Jeep, in a year or two he probably won't even be able to get in the D... thing" Bob was 62 at the time, and within 3-4 years he had a hard time getting in and out of the Jeep.
Larry N.
Well-known member
DW and I are in our 80s and still go places in our Jeep Wrangler, so it's not so much age as condition. It's easier for me to get in the Jeep than it is in DW's 2002 Mercury Marquis, since I don't have to scrunch down as much.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
I can easily get into my MG. The front crossmember is about 2 inches off the deck.
Getting out is another matter...
Getting out is another matter...
Front engines are definitely noisy and generate heat. But both can be reduced by 3/4 or more. My experience with classic cars told me to strip off the worthless factory insulation mat under the doghouse and replace it with 4 layers of HVAC insulation to about the same thickness as the factory mat. Like Dynamat but cheaper, even 1 layer works better than the factory mat. I also put 1 layer on the firewall and floorboards. I sealed up the doghouse with much higher quality weatherstripping and stopped all the heat. Being such small areas I got it all done in one afternoon. Now I can barely hear the engine at idle.
It also reduced the noise from my roof A/C by 20 decibels by replacing the worthless fiberglass insulation inside the interior A/C cover and using it to replace the original factory gasket around it. A lot of the A/C noise was vibration and when touching the ceiling you can feel the reduced vibration. Now I'm trying to figure out how to kill the generator noise/vibration.
I have not been RVIng nearly as long as a lot of these guys and would, in time, love to be able to flat tow as well…but we started a few years ago with a dolly for economic reasons and we did not want to have to buy another car and the accessories to flat tow.
So a dolly we will go! At times it can be a bit much,but I,so far can say close to 90% of the time I pull into a CG as anyone else,pull to a spot close to our space,back the vehicle off the dolly, my wife parks the car or moves it out of the way while I pull the MH forward. Then I almost always have been able to back the dolly right into our spot attached to the motorhome. If you are not, at least decent at backing this may be a challenge,but I do it quite regularly. No unhooking the dolly etc. 1-2-3. If I’ve got room to back in with the dolly attached and don’t foresee a problem with anything I do it. If someone was camping behind us I would ask them if they were bothered or concerned with me leaving my dolly attached and haven’t had anyone mind yet. Camp hosts, so far have been pretty cool as well.
When we go to leave it’s all ready to go. Pull out, drive the car on, strap it down, boom,on the road. So far it’s saved a decent amount of extra work and some time.
Scott,Orlando
So a dolly we will go! At times it can be a bit much,but I,so far can say close to 90% of the time I pull into a CG as anyone else,pull to a spot close to our space,back the vehicle off the dolly, my wife parks the car or moves it out of the way while I pull the MH forward. Then I almost always have been able to back the dolly right into our spot attached to the motorhome. If you are not, at least decent at backing this may be a challenge,but I do it quite regularly. No unhooking the dolly etc. 1-2-3. If I’ve got room to back in with the dolly attached and don’t foresee a problem with anything I do it. If someone was camping behind us I would ask them if they were bothered or concerned with me leaving my dolly attached and haven’t had anyone mind yet. Camp hosts, so far have been pretty cool as well.
When we go to leave it’s all ready to go. Pull out, drive the car on, strap it down, boom,on the road. So far it’s saved a decent amount of extra work and some time.
Scott,Orlando
I have the gear for flat towing but I'm an outlier in that I prefer the dolly. I'm in a 23k gcvw rated outfit and I'm towing about 6k, so brakes are an issue and in reading entire threads dedicated to portable braking device issues I don't figure to trade one pita for another.
Kirk
Well-known member
There is a downside to having many years of RV experience and that is the accumulation of birthdays that have flown past! The price of extensive experience is age.
Even though I have flat towed for a long time and prefer that method, there are some advantages to a dolly as well. We once traveled with a couple who didn't always take the same car, which a dolly makes possible at a much lower cost than that of equipping two or more vehicles for towing. And it also simplifies upgrading to a new towed vehicle. Like most things in RV travel, there is no one way that is always best for everyone. The only suggestion that I'd make at this point would be to add a hitch to the back of your tow car to allow you to move the dolly with it when more convenient.
Professor David
Well-known member
Just to reiterate what some others have written. As far as the noise with a gas motorhome...mine is about the same as my pick up truck. I grew up on gas engines and use the sound of the engine as part of my driving decisions/style. Call me strange but I like the sound a strong gas engine like our Ford V10. For example, I listen for the down shift kicking in when going down a steep grade and other such examples. As a new RV owner, I like the reduced upfront cost factor in initially buying the unit and reduced maintenance cost. We had a slide in camper many years ago and loved it but could not be sure we would like a motorhome until we experienced it. With that said, we are really enjoying the RV and may upgrade to a DP at some point...maybe 5 years of so down the road...mostly for the air suspension ride of a DP. Gas motorhomes generally (maybe always?) are on a heavy gas truck chassis with crude suspensions. The is fine if the roads are good, but not so fine if the roads are bad.
