towed vehicle

[mikew968]

Same question!!

[Fishstick8]

I have been doing the rent a car when I am camping and need a car. In fact I am doing that right now. I have debated getting a tow dolly to tow with the front wheels up for my Camry automatic. I am noticing all of you tow four down. Is there a reason no one has replied with a Demco KarKaddy or the like?

[Robbbyr]

For many all-wheel drive vehicles you can tow 4-down or all off the ground on a trailer, but not on a dolly with with only two wheels turning. And even if you have a car that can be on a dolly, that means another piece of equipment you have to find a place for at your campsite (and home base). Some campsites are short and if you have a dolly you have to put it in a designated storage area.

The various tow methods all have their pluses and minuses, you just have to figure out what works best for your particular situation.

[Mr.Oz]

Originally Posted by brushbuster

Just bought a '15 Wrangler to tow behind my Melbourne 26a. Waiting for some parts and hope to be ready to go soon. Reviewed the Jeep manual and don't think the key needs to be in the ignition as there is no steering lock from model year 2009 and newer. I think I got that right, but let me know if I am missing something. Good luck and safe travels!

Just put the transfer case in neutral, trans in park and remove the key. You are good to go.

[cdrcos@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Fishstick8

Is there a reason no one has replied with a Demco KarKaddy or the like?

Did that for a couple months and then went to 4-down towing. Got tired very quickly of lying under the front of a vehicle hooking up straps and chains.

Also, as previously stated, then one has to find a place to store the tow dolly at your campsite.

[rgolding]

Very interesting and timely conversation. Thank you all for taking the time to reply. We are currently in the market for a Seneca and that has brought me to this site. We currently tow a trailer and if moving to a Seneca our thoughts are to tow our Chrysler Town and Country on a front 2 wheel up dolly. For us, this gives us a vehicle to use at locations, a roof for Kayaks and a hitch for the bike rack. Currently the kayaks are on top of the truck and the bikes are on the back of the trailer. We have felt the Town and Country is a good choice because of the front wheel drive, off the ground on the dolly, and an interior that could be used for storage and hauling stuff in, as long as we don't exceed capacities. Also, we already own it.
Please, opinions? Where am I wrong in my thoughts?

[Robbbyr]

If you are considering a newer Seneca I think you will be fine, so long as your rig isn't loaded to the max gross weight chassis weight. My 2014 has a GVWR of 28,000 and a GCWR of 33,000. That means if I loaded it to max I only have 5,000 left for towed vehicle. With the van AND a dolly you would be close to maximum IMHO. However - I can tell you I have never loaded my Seneca to the point I was near gross. I had full fuel, propane, and even water, along with provisions, clothes, toys, etc. I was still 2,000 pounds under the gross.

I haven't seen too many vans being towed, but there isn't any reason I can see you would not be able to do what you describe. Please just make sure you get a dolly with adequate brakes, because your towed combination will really "push" if you don't.

[rgolding]

Robbbyr,

Thank you for the response. I've looked in to the Dolly with brakes and feel comfortable with that part of the equation. Your explanation was what I was looking for.

[Markr]

I have a Tow Master tow dolly and a Ford C-Max. This keeps the total towing package under 5000 lbs. (Tow dolly (600) C-max(3600)) Because the C-max is front-wheel drive, I drive it on the tow dolly, put it in park, strap the front wheels to the dolly and I am ready to travel. I don't have to worry about the car battery, transfer case, fuses or any of those other issues that flat towing can cause. The tow dolly is simple and easy to use and I can quickly load and unload my car.

Mark
2016 Red Hawk
2013 Ford C-Max

[rgolding]

Mark,
Thank you, a great example.

[Bluesky46]

Lots of things to consider. Budget? What will the vehicle be used for when not towing, if anything? How big of a toad do you need? How bad do you want another vehicle around and have expense of license, storage, insurance? Do you have a vehicle now that can be modified for towing? Are you planning to flat tow or tow using a dolly? How close do you want to push your GCVW limit? Whatever you tow, you really should have a brake system (required in many states). If you don't overload your RV, you probably have capacity to tow up to 5,000 with a typical class C, but in my opinion I would try to keep the weight of the toad around 3,000# or less.
A good resource for vehicles that can be towed, and what restrictions if any can be found at http://towingworld.com/resources/2015DinghyGuide.pdf

[dlongson]

Originally Posted by rcdurango

Just went this route, 31 ft. Melboure, towd is a 2015 Jeep Wrangler. Blue Ox tow bar 10K
Plate that fits the jeep and wired by Professional installer, $ 1800.00. Also installed Brake Buddy with brake away switch. $ 950.00 on Amazon.
Jeep owners manual says, Transfer case in neutral, Transmission in park, Key on to allow steering wheel to turn. No problems!
Brake system is a must, really makes a difference when stopping in a hurry.
Hope this was helpful.

I have a brake "buddy" that loses it's it's brain after going over a rough spot such as Railway tracks, and even after braking hard. I have tried the jogging up until the brake lights come on, then back two jogs; I have tried taking the legs off; next will try making a wood base for it; but feel that it shouldn't be this difficult. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[abarkl]

Originally Posted by dlongson

I have a brake "buddy" that loses it's it's brain after going over a rough spot such as Railway tracks, and even after braking hard. I have tried the jogging up until the brake lights come on, then back two jogs; I have tried taking the legs off; next will try making a wood base for it; but feel that it shouldn't be this difficult. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Contact the manufacturer. They are all really good about providing support, and replacements when needed.

[Dustdevil]

OK. I see you bought the Jeep Wrangler. Good choice! I happen to tow an older 2006 Wrangler Unlimited (this one is a two door). Jeeps are pretty towable and easy to set up. You do have to pay attention to do it right, to ensure you preserve your transmission, etc. Transfer case in neutral. Trans in gear (manual) or Park (auto). In my case, the key has to stay in the ignition, since I have a locking steering column. So, I lock the doors and take the extra keys in the motorhome. I also have a hidden security system to reduce the likelihood of theft.

I customized my wiring. Not so much on the turn signals and brake lights. There I used a wiring harness from etrailer so the Jeep lights would obey the motorhome, not the Jeep brake pedal. I also added a custom battery charging circuit so the motorhome alternator will keep the Jeep battery charged. The aux braking system uses the Jeep battery for power, and I don't want it depleted on longer trips. That causes all sorts of headaches. So, the battery charge circuit works very well at keeping the Jeep battery topped off all the time the motorhome is running.

[Bluesky46]

I was towing a Toyota Tacoma size pickup. Weight 4,400# and decided that was too heavy, so outfitted a Fiat 500. Both manual tranny. The only problem is I could see the pickup when I went around corners. Can't see the fiat unless Someone gets out there and looks. We only travel with the wife and I and only need transportation for two when we are on the road, and the Fiat 500 is a sporty little car to drive. The Fiat only weighs 2300#

[RangerRob]

So for anyone towing a Jeep thats uncertain of the procedure, Jeeps website had the owners manuals for download. Jeep Owners | Download an Owners Manual 2004 - 2011 | Jeep In the manual it has specific instructions for both manual and automatic trans. We put our on an iPad and can take it with to the jeep if we forget between seasons or there are questions. I think for the newer ones its page 43. Its certainly nice that newer jeeps don't need the key in the ignition at all. On long trips we installed a battery disconnect so we could avoid possible drainage and then direct wired a 12v socket plug to run our brake controller. Hope this helps.

[SloPoke]

We are faced with another dilemma... which vehicle to bring along, and it always depends on where we are going. Only the Equinox is capable of being flat towed, the Toyota FJ has to have all wheels off the pavement and the 65 Belair has to go on a trailer. We opted to go with a trailer that can handle them all - and the ATV as well as most trips are boondocking where we are riding offroad.

With the Seneca fully loaded and the Toyota and ATV on the trailer - we are right at our 33k GCVW limit. The only downside with this trailer is where I have to hunt for places to load/unload the BelAir, as the breakover is high with short ramps.

[abarkl]

At least when not towing a car four down you have the advantage of being able to back up when needed!