Tow Dolly Modifications

[Marchos77]

Anyone take a Tow Max Heavy Duty Car Tow Dolly or similar dolly and modify the front of the dolly to mount a motorcycle as well as being able to tow a car?? I am looking at trying to take my Street Glide and my car to Sturgis, SD next year and don't want to spend $3500 on a tow dolly when a simple modification to the tongue can possibly work for much less.

 

[SpencerPJ]

I don't know if it was original or modified as you are considering, but I saw one as you mention on the interstate the other day and was impressed.  Great idea.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It seems to me that tongue weight would be a challenge.  A standard tow dolly is configured with the axle directly under the car wheels to carry the load directly and keep tongue weight relatively light (neutral balance). Loading an 800+ lb bike plus a platform for it ahead of the axle is going to put something like 800-1000 lbs extra on the tongue and thus the ball mount.    Total tongue weight could reach 1100 lbs.  Ideally, the dolly axle would be moved forward several inches to shift some of that weight off the tongue.  Of course, the axle must have sufficient weight capacity to handle the extra plus the car front end weight.  Also, the coupler on the dolly might have to be uprated to handle the extra weight.  Most dollies come with a Class II coupler (2" ball) with a 3500 lb rating. The modified dolly could easily go to 4500 or so if  heavy vehicle is dollied.

That amount of weight on the ball mount may or may not not be a show-stopper for a big diesel coach, but it has to be pushing the weight-carrying capacity of the hitch receiver.

 

[Marchos77]

It seems to me that tongue weight would be a challenge.  A standard tow dolly is configured with the axle directly under the car wheels to carry the load directly and keep tongue weight relatively light (neutral balance). Loading an 800+ lb bike plus a platform for it ahead of the axle is going to put something like 800-1000 lbs extra on the tongue and thus the ball mount.    Total tongue weight could reach 1100 lbs.  Ideally, the dolly axle would be moved forward several inches to shift some of that weight off the tongue.  Of course, the axle must have sufficient weight capacity to handle the extra plus the car front end weight.  Also, the coupler on the dolly might have to be uprated to handle the extra weight.  Most dollies come with a Class II coupler (2" ball) with a 3500 lb rating. The modified dolly could easily go to 4500 or so if  heavy vehicle is dollied.

That amount of weight on the ball mount may or may not not be a show-stopper for a big diesel coach, but it has to be pushing the weight-carrying capacity of the hitch receiver.

Yeah I was thinking about that. I might just get a hitch lift for the bike that can handle the weight and also allow be to attach a dolly to the back of that. It would still require modifying the hitch to handle the 1000lbs weight on the hitch.

 

[SpencerPJ]

I might just get a hitch lift for the bike that can handle the weight and also allow be to attach a dolly to the back of that.

Now that you mention this, I can not confirm if the MC was attached to the dolly or hitch lift to dolly, only that I saw a Larger Motor home, with a decent size MC on back, with a car on a dolly.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Licensing and legally using the combo may be an issue.  At what point does the dolly cease to be a dolly and become a cargo carrying trailer in the eyes of the law?  And does adding a car become towing a double trailer instead of a car on a dolly?

 

[KandT]

Tow a truck 4 down and put the motorcycle in the truck

 

[muskoka guy]

It looks like you have a gas motorhome in your signature. Im not sure I would hang an 800 lb bike off the back of a gasser. Im not sure I would want one on my diesel. They do make these, which will do both of what you want.
https://www.tandem-tow.com/Models.htm

 

[KandT]

It looks like you have a gas motorhome in your signature. Im not sure I would hang an 800 lb bike off the back of a gasser. Im not sure I would want one on my diesel. They do make these, which will do both of what you want.
https://www.tandem-tow.com/Models.htm

Cool idea but I wonder when the police will consider that a trailer and a dolly??  I agree - Hanging off the back end of a gas is asking quite a lot.  I would want to weigh the tongue.  The motorcycle weight will be split of course but that could still be quite a bit.  I wonder how it tows with no bike on it.

 

[John From Detroit]

Most gas motorhomes can tow 5000 pounds (500 hitch weight) or less  In most cases that means you tow a car 4 down and have to pick carefully.

Now that 5000 is the Hitch rating. IN many cases the Motor home can not tow that much as well 2200 pounds of Motor home (loaded) subtrtacted from 26000 pounds Max GVCW (My numbers) leaves me towing up to 4000 pounds.. My Neon is 2500 empty. add a thousand for the Dolly you are at 3500.. 800 for the bike and you are overweight .