Flat versus Dolly towing

Chucksterfxw · 03-23-2017, 07:38 AM

What a great forum here at Winnebago. I appreciate all the responses I have received and made the decision to go for flat towing viruses dolly towing. More expensive and more attention to the towed vehicle but what to do with the dolly when not in use was a factor. Now the last decision is braking system. So far I'm leaning towards the invisi brake system, $899.00. Any thoughts or better advice? Thanks, Chuck:

nothermark · 03-23-2017, 08:53 AM

FWIW by the time you by a brake setup, towbar and base plate I think you will find a dolly is cheaper. Even better, if you change vehicles it's more or less free with a dolly but not with a towbar because you need at least a base plate. If you go used there are a lot more used dollies at even lower cost and not much of a fit issue.

That said, I do not care what you use. Just the misinformation.

BBBEEBOP · 03-23-2017, 11:22 AM

I think he said he knew it was more expensive to set up for four down towing but the deciding factor was what to do with the dolly when camping. I agree I prefer tow four down. I used the brake buddy for braking it worked well for me!

RobbieH · 03-23-2017, 11:33 AM

Tow dollies are easy to move. Even my wife can easily move ours around. We roll it as far under the RV as possible. It's not in the way. They also make a model that will fold up really small, so you don't have to unhook it. If you are in a long enough pull-through, you don't have to unhook or fold or anything.

MisterT · 03-23-2017, 11:38 AM

what are viruses?

Jim_HiTek · 03-23-2017, 12:04 PM

I think he meant 'versus' or 'vs.' for short.

What made the decision for me was watching other RV'ers struggling with their tow dollies, in fair weather or foul, vs. the four down method. Some of those dollies seemed really bulky and heavy. I decided the 4 down system was much easier to deal with. Especially during foul weather. After watching someone having to unstrap, and then a couple wet days later strap a very muddy set of tires back on the dolly finally made up my mind. What a mess that was with that mostly clay mud. The guy looked like he needed a shower before he got back in his rig. His wife sprayed him off with a hose before he got back in. Not something I'd want to deal with. And because I spend lots of time in Oregon, with it's famous rains, that was a consideration.

JMO.

crh97 · 03-23-2017, 03:17 PM

I bought a dolly for my first coach 10 or 12 years ago. We didn't own a car that was towable and I couldn't afford to trade. I hated it. I never tore up anything but it was just a matter of time. Its cheaper but I can think of no other advantage.

If cheap was on the table, we wouldn't be in this sport.

Duner · 03-24-2017, 04:15 PM

Chuck, I can recommend SMI braking products. I've had the SMI 4-wire brake since 1999 and still use it today after two motorhomes and two different toads. If I was buying one today it would be the "Stay-n-Play" which works with my hydraulic brake system. If you have a DP with air brakes, then you'd get the Air Force One.

I've been to rallies where SMI engineers present seminars and have been impressed by the knowledge and experiences.

Another aspect is how often you tow. If you're working and make one campout a month and 3 wk vacation a year, then a brake box up by the peddle is ok. But if you're fulltiming or taking months long trips, then an easy system like SMI or Invisibrake is the way to go.

Happy Trails,
Bill

UFO Pilot · 03-24-2017, 04:24 PM

Replacing my "brake in a box" with the SMI Stay-in-Play is one of the best RV decisions I have made. Plug in the light cord and done.

Crazeee1 · 03-24-2017, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek

I think he meant 'versus' or 'vs.' for short.

What made the decision for me was watching other RV'ers struggling with their tow dollies, in fair weather or foul, vs. the four down method. Some of those dollies seemed really bulky and heavy. I decided the 4 down system was much easier to deal with. Especially during foul weather. After watching someone having to unstrap, and then a couple wet days later strap a very muddy set of tires back on the dolly finally made up my mind. What a mess that was with that mostly clay mud. The guy looked like he needed a shower before he got back in his rig. His wife sprayed him off with a hose before he got back in. Not something I'd want to deal with. And because I spend lots of time in Oregon, with it's famous rains, that was a consideration.

JMO.

If the wife can hose you off, she can hold the umbrella.

SuperGewl · 03-26-2017, 11:06 PM

To answer your question, Invis Brake, Brake Buddy Stealth and the SMI Stay-in-Play Duo are all of the same type which will let you use it with any MH. This is a great advantage if you think you will be getting rid of your current MH in a few years. Basically these are stand alone units. They have there ups and downs along with any other type of unit. One advantage is that you don't have install anything every time you go to use it. Just plug into the MH, hook up and go.
The install can be long and tedious and require a charge line from the MH, this is due to having to remove power from the battery of the Toad to flat tow and/or due to the discharge rate of the battery while powering the brake system.
You will still also need park/turn and brake lights n the toad and some of these systems use the info from the MH to actuate them so they take that into account to some extent.
You just need to choose which one will suit you better.
Do some looking here in the forum to see of complaints and issues with each.

Forza Tom · 03-27-2017, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chucksterfxw

What a great forum here at Winnebago. I appreciate all the responses I have received and made the decision to go for flat towing viruses dolly towing. More expensive and more attention to the towed vehicle but what to do with the dolly when not in use was a factor. Now the last decision is braking system. So far I'm leaning towards the invisi brake system, $899.00. Any thoughts or better advice? Thanks, Chuck:

There was a lot on info here a while back about an issues with the Invisibrake. I don't recall exactly what it was but you may want to search this site and check it out.

I installed the SMI Stay N Play system and it has worked great for the past 3 years.

Forza Tom · 03-27-2017, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duner

Chuck, I can recommend SMI braking products. I've had the SMI 4-wire brake since 1999 and still use it today after two motorhomes and two different toads. If I was buying one today it would be the "Stay-n-Play" which works with my hydraulic brake system. If you have a DP with air brakes, then you'd get the Air Force One.

I've been to rallies where SMI engineers present seminars and have been impressed by the knowledge and experiences.

Another aspect is how often you tow. If you're working and make one campout a month and 3 wk vacation a year, then a brake box up by the peddle is ok. But if you're fulltiming or taking months long trips, then an easy system like SMI or Invisibrake is the way to go.

Happy Trails,
Bill

Just a note here.

I started out setting up my gas unit with a stay n play and later I switched over to a DP and the stay n play works fine with my DP.

Obviously had I started out with a DP I would have opted for the Air Force One.

GKW · 03-27-2017, 11:43 PM

I tow a Jeep Wrangler with my Itasca Ellipse and use the Invisi Brake system. Very quick and easy connect/disconnect and no problems in four years of use. Initial installation in the Jeep required several hours at the dealer and a charge line from the coach which was very simple. I am very satisfied with the system.

crh97 · 03-29-2017, 05:40 AM

I use a Brake Buddy towing my Ford Explorer behind my Access. My Brake Buddy is 10 years old and it has been flawless, easy daily installs, no battery issues and on the few occasions I've needed it seems to have worked as billed. If it quits, I would probably buy something similar. I change tow vehicles enough that another big install rather than just the tow isn't something I want to do.

maryinreddin · 09-21-2017, 12:21 AM

We towed our Ford C Max on a dolly for a 3 month vacation in 2015. It was very hard to find places to park, if you got stuck in an area where you couldn't turn around you would have to take the car off the dolly before you could back up, as well as when you got into a rv park sometimes they required you to park the dolly somewhere other than at your campsite. It was such a relief when we were able to get our car wired to be towed 4 down. Now it is a pleasure pulling that little car behind us and it's such a breeze hooking it up and unhooking it. No more crawling on the ground to put straps on in the rain, worrying about another set of tires. We had a tire on our dolly actually peel back after hitting a piece of truck tire in the road. A definite win win situation.

skyking · 09-22-2017, 08:04 AM

Not wanting to duplicate, please consider my post here.
Flat tow is the way to go, if more than a few disconnects are needed.
http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/f...ml#post3809031

Cooperhawk · 09-22-2017, 08:26 AM

Just finished posting this on another thread.

Well, I've done it. We have been towing our VW Passat TDI since 2012 with a Demco Kar Kaddy III. It has worked well for us and prior to that we towed our Jedda for 6 years with another one as well. I SOLD the tow dolly last week. Here's why.

I'm getting old. It has gotten to be quite a hassle to load the car, strap it down, and crawl underneath to hook up the safety chains. Also it is quite heavy to move around by hand to park it and then get it hooked up again. At the GNR in July when I was hooking up to leave I had to drag it out of storage and get it all done in 90+ heat. Almost did me in. Getting too old for that.

Just finished installing the Blue Ox Base Plate on my Ford Explorer and the Air Force One Braking System. Took two of us a good day to get it all done, but it looks very professional and really slick. Our coach has a previous AF1 system already installed, but since it all came in the box we will install the new tank next week and replace the one that is over 12 years old.

This looks like a good improvement and I am anxious for our first trip with it. I did not do this sooner as my previous Explorers were not towable at all.

I am not bad mouthing the tow dolly. It served us quite well for a long time. I think our first one was purchased used about twenty years ago and our second purchased new five years ago. Neither ever gave me any mechanical problems. They were well built. I simply needed an easier way to hook up is all.

GKW · 09-22-2017, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chucksterfxw

What a great forum here at Winnebago. I appreciate all the responses I have received and made the decision to go for flat towing viruses dolly towing. More expensive and more attention to the towed vehicle but what to do with the dolly when not in use was a factor. Now the last decision is braking system. So far I'm leaning towards the invisi brake system, $899.00. Any thoughts or better advice? Thanks, Chuck:

I have been using the Invisibrake for four years now and am very satisfied with it. Easy to adjust for desired amount of braking and the unit is installed under the drivers seat of my Jeep Wrangler. I would recommend using an experienced installer as it looks like there is a fair amount of wiring and mechanical hookup.I am towing the Jeep with an Itasca Ellipse.

maryinreddin · 09-23-2017, 02:09 PM

We only towed on a dolly for 2 years. That was long enough for us. We know all that you suffered. Doing all that in the heat and rain was our undoing. We are so happy with our system now. Doesn't take longer than 15 minutes if even that. What stopped us was wiring the cmax energi. They weren't quite sure how to do it with all the electrical stuff in the car and didn't want to do it wrong. Two years made a big difference because others had done it and it wasn't so hard. It still took them a day to get everything done in the car and a day in the coach. We have it hooked up to the air system in the coach. The breaking system is SMI and it works flawlessly. Best money we spent on the coach so far....