Another Trailer vs Dolly towing question, again Options

[chris914]

Once everything is moving dowm the highway, is there any differance in how the whole outfit handles driving wise, between a trialier and a dolly?

Is one safer then the other?

[Spoke]

For each person's situation, there are a lot of depends:

Depends on what type of tow vehicle you have. A truck, use a trailor; a minivan or sedan, maybe use the dolly.

Depends on how far you are driving. With a trailor, it's nice to have the 914 off of the road surface for a long trip. Short trip might just require a dolly.

Depends on the condition of your 914. If in good shape, do you want the rear wheels, tranny in neutral, on the road surface. If in bad shape, do you want the rear wheels, tranny in neutral, on the road surface.

Depends on how much money you want to spend. I didn't have a truck, so for a trailor, I would have had to rent a U-Haul truck and trailor. I was lucky enough to have a friend lend me his truck. I felt better having the 914 off the road for the 180 mile trip.

Oh yeah, depending on your route, your vehicle tie-down straps, and your nerves, YOU might need some Depends. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

My vote is for the trailor.

Spoke

[Joe Ricard]

I have done all sorts.

Towed aluminum U-haul with trailer brakes and a 914 little over 1000 miles with a 94 Explorer. (before the firestone crap).

Towed a 914 with dolly 500 miles same vehicle. not as easy.
Cold have used more power either method.

Been towing my car on 18 ft steel car trailer. (heavy) witha F150 4.6L no trailer brakes. Could really use bigger truck.

Shopping for 3/4 ton truck with turbo diesel. Just seems better and has longer wheel base. (way better).

[RonD]

Here we are in the middle of Nevada this last July. Towed from Bay Area up I-80 to Colorado. No problem. I would do it again.

[chris914]

I have a Roadtrek with a 454 (7.4L). We are driving down the 5 and the grapevine.

I can get the trialier for $40 more at U-Haul.

[Joe Ricard]

it's worth the 40 bucks for sure. If available get the aluminum version.

[TROJANMAN]

Nice Van (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

You could also buy a used tow dolly, use it, then sell it.
That's what I would do. These things don't exactly depreciate (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[DanT]

just get a nice David Lee manufactured tow bar attachment along with a superbeetle tow bar and flat tow the thing.
Much cheaper than a dolly or trailer, easier to store and no harder on your car than either (especially the dolly)

and no, you don't need a turbo diesel F450 to pull a 914 on a trailer or a dolly or flat tow.

[GWN7]

Once everything is moving dowm the highway, is there any differance in how the whole outfit handles driving wise, between a trialier and a dolly?

Is one safer then the other?

What determines your towing abilitys is what your towing with and it's hitch size. Read the capacity ratings plate on your van and on the hitch.

When towing you add mass and weight and while a 914 only adds 2000 lbs to your mass it can effect your stopping capabilites.

Flat towing - once rolling adds little weight to the van, but adds 2000 lbs to it's braking capacity. Backing it up is very hard so make sure you can drive forward at all times. No extra brakes.

Tow Dolly- adds some weight to the van along with the cars weight. They come with and without electric brakes. The electric brakes reduces the addition on to the van's system. Backing up small distances is possible, but you should always plan on just pulling straight ahead with it on back. Most home built or older styles have no brakes.

Trailer- single axle - can be used to trailer a light car, but without electric brakes it adds little over a dollys usage and is better used to bring stuff home from Lowes instead.

All three of the above (without electric brakes) rely on the driver never haveing to do a emergancy/panic stop.

- Double axle - comes with electric brakes on one or both axels. Really cheap ones have no brakes. They are illegal to tow in some areas with anything on them without brakes on the trailer. Best of these is electric brakes on both axels and a breakaway system. A breakaway system stops the trailer if it becomes detached from the tow van. A properly designed trailer will have sufficent braking capacity to stop itself and a load up to the trailers rating plate.

I had a tow dolly for a number of years and towed 914's many a mile with it. Tryed to tow a full size truck with not so good results (rolled forward trapping the dolly underneath). When it was stolen and my 3000 lbs utility trailer was stolen 3 months later, I replaced them with a 9000 lbs capacity double axle trailer with brakes on both axles, breakaway system. I added tie down rings and a 3000 lb winch. Now I can load & haul just about anything.

[chris914]

Once everything is moving dowm the highway, is there any differance in how the whole outfit handles driving wise, between a trialier and a dolly?

Is one safer then the other?

What determines your towing abilitys is what your towing with and it's hitch size. Read the capacity ratings plate on your van and on the hitch.

When towing you add mass and weight and while a 914 only adds 2000 lbs to your mass it can effect your stopping capabilites.

Flat towing - once rolling adds little weight to the van, but adds 2000 lbs to it's braking capacity. Backing it up is very hard so make sure you can drive forward at all times. No extra brakes.

Tow Dolly- adds some weight to the van along with the cars weight. They come with and without electric brakes. The electric brakes reduces the addition on to the van's system. Backing up small distances is possible, but you should always plan on just pulling straight ahead with it on back. Most home built or older styles have no brakes.

Trailer- single axle - can be used to trailer a light car, but without electric brakes it adds little over a dollys usage and is better used to bring stuff home from Lowes instead.

All three of the above (without electric brakes) rely on the driver never haveing to do a emergancy/panic stop.

- Double axle - comes with electric brakes on one or both axels. Really cheap ones have no brakes. They are illegal to tow in some areas with anything on them without brakes on the trailer. Best of these is electric brakes on both axels and a breakaway system. A breakaway system stops the trailer if it becomes detached from the tow van. A properly designed trailer will have sufficent braking capacity to stop itself and a load up to the trailers rating plate.

I had a tow dolly for a number of years and towed 914's many a mile with it. Tryed to tow a full size truck with not so good results (rolled forward trapping the dolly underneath). When it was stolen and my 3000 lbs utility trailer was stolen 3 months later, I replaced them with a 9000 lbs capacity double axle trailer with brakes on both axles, breakaway system. I added tie down rings and a 3000 lb winch. Now I can load & haul just about anything.

Thanks for all the good info and the detailed breakdown of options!