Towing long distance with a tow dolly?

[djdiplomat]

Hello,

We are ready to start a trip next week from FL to CA and back, should I be worried? Any issues towing a car dolly 6k miles aside from the usual (maintenance, tire wear, etc)? I have not towed more than 1500 miles in the past so I am a little uneasy. Car being towed is a Ford Fiesta, RV is a E450 chassis V10.

 

[IBTripping]

Welcome to the Forum. A lot of Forum members tow with dollies or 4 down. You won't even know it's behind you. Just don't try to back up with the dolly attached. Enjoy the trip.

 

[djdiplomat]

Welcome to the Forum. A lot of Forum members tow with dollies or 4 down. You won't even know it's behind you. Just don't try to back up with the dolly attached. Enjoy the trip.

Thank you. Worried mainly if the long mileage will create problems to the car/dolly. Some say extended mileage might impact the structure on the car....sounds like BS to me... thats why I thought Id ask.

 

[Henry J Fate]

As long as the car is dolly friendly, the car will be fine.

If you do not have the service manual for your dolly, get it. There are some things you may want to do before departure. Greasing the wheel bearings and proper adjustment for starters. In addition to the few maintenance tasks, always inspect everything at stops. Keep track of the tire wear you can take a foto of the tread before you leave. Tire pressure will vary with temperature so be prepared to make adjustments for even tire wear. If you have surge brakes, know how to test them while driving and with the car unloaded. Keep an eye out for fluid leaks and excessive wheel Temps. Make sure you know the tendencies of the cars tire pressure. Small tire leaks can loosen up dolly straps. If you do not have a good rear camera monitor, get one. I use a full time 2 camera system. One shows the hitch area and the other shows the vehicle and behind it.

Wet straps will loosen so be prepared to tighten. Most of the time I can detect looseness through my cameras. Make sure you have a fool proof safety chain system for the car. Most factory set ups are not totally reliable and are contingent on how the chains are applied.

Check and check again. You will have a safe trip

Enjoy the trip.

 

[scottydl]

Florida to California! Doesn't get much more "coast to coast" than that. I hope you'll have enough time on that trip to stop and relax, versus just constantly driving. I've done both kinds of trips, and definitely prefer to former to the latter--even though it does take longer to get places.

Agreed with everything above on the dolly. Make sure you have the proper tire pressure in the dolly tires (likely the max PSI they are rated for) and check that at each stop on the trip, along with wheel strap tension. Visually inspect and/or wiggle the other connection points too--hitch, locking pin, safety chains, wiring plug. A spare tire/rim combo is a good item to have handy for a dolly. If you don't currently have one, you can buy them complete and ready to go at most large hardware stores that carry small trailer/towing items.

 

[LarsMac]

Hello,

We are ready to start a trip next week from FL to CA and back, should I be worried? Any issues towing a car dolly 6k miles aside from the usual (maintenance, tire wear, etc)? I have not towed more than 1500 miles in the past so I am a little uneasy. Car being towed is a Ford Fiesta, RV is a E450 chassis V10.

IF you've towed that far, then I assume you have all the details figured out. Just remember to check everything each time you stop, and make sure the wheel bearings have been greased before the trip.
On a long trip there is a tendency to get complacent, and forget to check everything. THAT is when you will have problems crop up.

 

[Skipper]

Thank you. Worried mainly if the long mileage will create problems to the car/dolly. Some say extended mileage might impact the structure on the car....sounds like BS to me... thats why I thought Id ask.

Will be using car dolly from Houston to Atlanta in October. First trip that far. Would like to know how your 5k trip went using the dolly. Did it damage your car in any way? Any problems with the straps? Any information or advice will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[PJ Stough]

I would strongly suggest getting a spare tire for the dolly if you dont already have one. Also, if you havent done so, check the motorhome to dolly clearance in a sharp turn to see how tight a turn you can make, and the car to fender clearance in a tight turn.
The structure of the car should be fine as long as it stays on the dolly.

 

[Old_Crow]

I would strongly suggest getting a spare tire for the dolly if you dont already have one. Also, if you havent done so, check the motorhome to dolly clearance in a sharp turn to see how tight a turn you can make, and the car to fender clearance in a tight turn.
The structure of the car should be fine as long as it stays on the dolly.

I got hung up for about a half hour getting to my site one night in the Fort Pickens campground in Florida because the campground road has a sharp turn and some guy had jackknifed his motor home, dolly and car trying to get around it. They had to get a tow truck to straighten everything out so they could unload the car without damage.

 

[Rene T]

I would highly recommend getting a TPMS system for the tow dolly and the towed wheels. Good luck and let us know how the trip went.

 

[Skipper]

So many have written no problems using car dolly on cross country. Some sites and other folks say it's not recommended for long distance; may be hard on rear car tires or cause structural damage to the car. Don't understand why the distance can be a problem if one travels 300 or so miles per day. Tire wear is understood but seems overly exactuated. So, what are your experiences for these concerns?

 

[PJ Stough]

We used a tow dolly for about five years and we travelled about 6,000 miles per year. One time we lost a strap and another one had come loose, but no big problems. WE did use a safety chain. We did have to replace the tires on the dolly after the third year. There were a couple of occasions where we had to back up, but usually just a few feet, and one time we did have to unload the car and back out of a parking lot that did not have enough room to turn around.
We never noticed any unusual wear on the rear tires of the cars we towed, or structural damage to either of the cars we towed. We did carry a spare, but never had to use it.
We had an American Tow Dolly.

 

[Skipper]

We used a tow dolly for about five years and we travelled about 6,000 miles per year. One time we lost a strap and another one had come loose, but no big problems. WE did use a safety chain. We did have to replace the tires on the dolly after the third year. There were a couple of occasions where we had to back up, but usually just a few feet, and one time we did have to unload the car and back out of a parking lot that did not have enough room to turn around.
We never noticed any unusual wear on the rear tires of the cars we towed, or structural damage to either of the cars we towed. We did carry a spare, but never had to use it.
We had an American Tow Dolly.

Thank you! The type answer good or bad I wanted to hear. Happy trails to you.

 

[Ray-IN]

Some car dollies have ST tires on them, check the speed rating. I recommend removing, cleaning, and inspecting the bearings, then repacking them prior to beginning your adventuresome trip.

 

[Scottro]

Thank you. Worried mainly if the long mileage will create problems to the car/dolly. Some say extended mileage might impact the structure on the car....sounds like BS to me... thats why I thought Id ask.

What exactly does “impact the structure on the car” mean?