Tow dolly for 2013 Kia Soul

[Carin]

I need recommendations/advice on brand and part number for a tow dolly to tow my 2013 Kia Soul. 
It cannot be flat towed. I have a 2017 Forest River Forester. After looking online I am more confused.
Used? New? Ease of use? Anything.......

Thank you!


Carin
(Toby and Lucy)
2017 Forest River Forester 3151DS
2013 Kia Soul

 

[grashley]

I am NOT a dolly expert.  My opinion from what I have read here is there is not a lot of difference in quality. 
Some are fixed wheel plate, requiring the steering be UNlocked on the Toad.  Some are moving, or rotating wheel plate, requiring the steering be locked or tied in place on the toad.
You will want one with brakes, usually surge brakes.
Having a hitch on the toad makes it easy to move the dolly around the campground once you are unhitched.
In my opinion, lights are optional since the dolly will have lights and the Soul is a fairly short vehicle.

Break your search into small pieces and it may go better.

 

[muskoka guy]

It might be easier to go to a trailer sales place and look at what they have available. Even if you decide to buy a used one, at least you will be more educated. Mine has the rotating plate. I personally think they are better than ones that don't have one. The car will pivot when you turn, which I think is easier on the car. My dolly also has a hinge at mid point that allows the rear of the dolly to tilt down. This is easier than having to deal with ramps like other kinds have. My dolly has surge brakes, which don't require anything special to hook up or operate. They operate off the force exerted on the tongue when the rv brakes. Electric brakes are also available, but need something to tell the brakes to come on. Lastly, my dolly has  fairly high blocks that the front tires butt up to when loaded. My car has a spoiler on the front, so I have to put a couple 2x6s on the ramps so that the front will clear the blocks. Perhaps you can get ones with lower blocks, but then you run the risk of driving off the front of the dolly. Lastly, I have installed a foldable wheel on the front of my dolly to make it easy to move around by myself. I have the exact same dolly as the one in this video from The Motorhome Experiment. He demonstrates how to load the car as well. His car is higher than mine, and doesn't have any front clearance issues. Im not sure about your kia. My car is a Toyota Matrix. Once you get used to them, the dolly is easy to operate. Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boilt5TT428

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As others have said, the dolly brands are more alike than different and they all work.  Brakes on the dolly are strongly recommended and you can choose electric or surge hydraulic (already discussed above).  Running lights on the dolly are required in most states, so not an option.  The plates (aka "wheel tables") the front car wheels rest on can be fixed or swiveling; swivel is considered better but fixed is ok as long as the proper  procedures are followed (car steering wheel unlocked).    Some dollies may offer steerable dolly wheels, but that's gilding the lily [in my opinion]. The weight carrying capacity of the dolly is not a concern with the light Kia Soul, but you may want to carry a heavier vehicle in the future,. Even so, 3500-4000 lbs is plenty (it only carries the front half of the vehicle weight).

Master Tow and Stehl make good quality tow dollys and are popular. American is little less in price but has fixed wheel tables instead of swivel. EZ Tow and Roadmaster are ok too. Demco (Kar Kaddy) is an nice upscale model that goes beyond the basics but riced higher too.

I recommend a wheeled tongue jack on the dolly to make it easier to move around by hand when needed. A trailer hitch on the Kia is also a good idea in case you want to move the dolly to a storage area in the campground (some place may require that).

You can usually find a used dolly if you shop around on local online markets (Facebook, Offer Up, Craigslist, etc). There isn't much to wear out on a dolly, so even an old one is often a good deal.

 

[Carin]

Thank you all for the advice.  Most helpful.  Especially the little tidbits.  Thank you ??






Carin
2017 Forest River Forester 3171DS
2013 Kia Soul
+ tow dolly to be purchased.......

 

[Sunseeker365]

Hi there, we have an Eze Tow dolly with fixed plate. We want to tow a 2013 Soul. Do I need to put the car in neutral with the ACC turned on to safely tow? I do have a battery cutoff installed.
Thanks!!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

With a fixed plate dolly, the car steering wheel must be free to turn with the dolly. If your Soul has a locking steering column as an anti-theft device, you need to turn the ignition key to a position that allows the wheel to steer. If it has some other factory anti-theft system, e.g. an electronic cut-off, then you do not need to have the key in the ACC position because the wheel can turn regardless. I don't know enough about the Soul equipment to advise which it is. Your Soul owner manual should have a section on Recreational Towing that covers this.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Here's an off the top of my head checklist for a great dolly. Attached is my dolly I picked up used for $300.

1) Rotating wheel platform - mine has
2) Built in lights - mine has
3) Surge brakes - mine has not
4) Pull out retractable ramps - mine has not. The whole platform tilts backward on mine (release is the blue band on the tongue) - It can be disconcerting and maybe a little less safe when driving up the ramp and the whole platform "slams" back down. Also something you have to remember to lock...
4) Width - Make sure that the dimension between the fenders is sufficient for your vehicle. Especially if your platform swivels. People have struck the fenders when making turns.
5) Wider ramps are generally more versatile - mine are ok.
6) Storage - If given a choice I would buy one that can store vertically.

 

[Onyrlef]

I tow with a Demco Kar Kaddy SS w/surge brakes. A couple of things to keep in mind is electric brakes will ordinarily require you have a brake controller in the cockpit of your MH. If you don't have a steer axle ( As on the Demco SS) or swivel plates your steering wheel will have to remain unlocked although most later model cars no longer have locking steering columns ( they don't deter theft). If your vehicle's steering column doesn't lock and you're on a dolly with swivels or steerable axle you'll have to run the seatbelt through the steering wheel and/or run a strap from the steering wheel to the brake pedal. The draw bar needs to be relatively level to prevent sway issues. This won't apply to you, but never tow a vehicle backwards, the engine weight out front will induce a pendulum effect and sway will likely be an issue. And too when you're towing an empty dolly it's recommended to deflate the tires down to about 15 psi or it will bounce down the road behind you like a basketball and of course you'll need to reinflate them before loading.

 

[Sunseeker365]

With a fixed plate dolly, the car steering wheel must be free to turn with the dolly. If your Soul has a locking steering column as an anti-theft device, you need to turn the ignition key to a position that allows the wheel to steer. If it has some other factory anti-theft system, e.g. an electronic cut-off, then you do not need to have the key in the ACC position because the wheel can turn regardless. I don't know enough about the Soul equipment to advise which it is. Your Soul owner manual should have a section on Recreational Towing that covers this.

Thanks Gary!