My wife and I are moving again next month and I can't decide how to tow my car. We are moving from Louisiana to Oregon and I have an 03 Mustang GT that I gotta tow out there. We have some pretty steep mountain ranges that we gotta cross and with a long trip like that, I wanna keep as much strain off my truck as possible. The car weighs around 3,200lbs but with the other stuff we're taking, we're probably gonna be pushing close to 5klbs with us and the kids included. Im renting a U-Haul trailer to haul the car and would rather use a car hauler but figured the dolley will be easier to tow and not put as much load on my truck as the car hauler trailer would. Which would you guy's recommend? I know with my car being RWD the driveshaft will have to be removed and it does sit low to the ground but should work on a dolley. I just feel a little uneasy about having it on the dolley for some reason. Thanks for the input everyone!

 

I would also prefer the car hauler but the dolly would give you next to nothing for tongue weight and would be the best option for your truck. You have nothing to worry about with the dolly unless maybe your truck doesn't have mud flaps? That is the only minimal problem i see. Good luck!!! Kevin

 

I have towed with both a dolley and a hauler and I would choose a hauler over a dolley any day of the week. There is just something about them I do not like. But given your situation it might be easier on the truck if you go with a dolley. Thats a long drive to be totally loaded down like that. Good luck on the move.

D

 

i think a dolley is easier on the truck but a hauler is better for the mustang but if you dolley the stang that far drop the drive shaft so the trans isnt spinning. My boss (from a towing co.) said towing a car in neutral is ok short distances but anything further than cross town should be on a flatbed or hauler. just my .02

 

Hauler....

 

I didn't think about mentioning the tongue weight issue until I asked this question on the Mustang forum. I'm gonna have enough stuff in the bed of my truck to make it squat a little and with the tongue weight added in, I might have a hard time getting enough weight off the tongue to not run the risk of having sway problems. I might go ahead and get the car hauler and pull it around town here for a day and see how that goes. If it doesn't work out then I can take it back ans swap for the dolly. My truck also doesn't have mudflaps and someone mentioned rock pebbles hitting my car on the other forum, so that's a big issue to worry about. Thanks!

Yea, it's about 2,300 miles and gas mileage is a big consideration It took about $600 in gas to make that drive unloaded and I know the cost is gonna double that on this trip! Thanks!

I agree. If I didn't have kids, I would probably just drive them both but it would take too long having to stop anytime one of them needed a snack or something. Thanks!

 

Get the trailer...

 

The trailer will have brakes (surge type) while the dolly won't. That will add far more to your safety than the reduced tongue weight of the dolly, especially in hilly areas.

 

I have used both I have a class 3 hitch frame mounted on my 02 Supercrew, 2wd, 5.4.
Preferred the drive on hauler, Indiana to Virginia. Used the dolly going out, hauler coming back. West Virginia mountains! Had 4wd Mazda B4000 on dolly & hauler. Hauler was easier backing up than dolly. Truck rode higher, no rock chips on hauler!

 

Didn't know that about the brakes. That definitely takes the dolly out of the picture then! Their is no way in hell that i'm gonna pull that much weight over those mountains relying only on the trucks brakes! Thanks for that bit of info!

Thanks!

 

I've towed with both and I would take the car hauler over the car dolly every time.

 

Tow dollies can have either electric or surge brakes from what I've seen... I've not towed with one for any distance, but I see motorhomes towing their "dingy" car with them and they would want to have brakes on them you'd think??

Anyway, see if you can find one with at least surge brakes and it might not be that bad?

Good luck!

Mitch

 

One thing to remember with the dolly is taking the DS out which you know.

The 2nd is without the yoke trans fluid will leak out. You'll need to pop out the u-joint and stick the yoke back in the trans. Unless you have a spare yoke.

Hauler all the way. Rent it and put some of your stuff in the car and on the trailer.

 

Thanks for the input!

Thanks man! Looking on the U-Haul site, they don't mention brakes on either trailer but I know they do have them on the hauler and would think the dolly would too, since they want the transport to be as safe as possible and not wanna risk any type of lawsuit.

Yea, I have decided on just renting the hauler, since it will be less work and worry. I can get the weight distribution equalized with a little work. My next hurdle I need to conquer is the gearing on my truck. It has the stock 3.55 gears and i'm running 33" tires, which has my gearing down into the 3.30 range I would figure and that combo pulled my 28' travel trailer surprisingly well but I never had to go over any mountains pulling that weight at a high elevation. I'm gonna get my gears swapped out for 4.10's or 4.30's. What would you guy's choose? I know the 4.30's will be like having 4.10's with stock tire's and the 4.10's will be like stock tire's and stock gears. I'm not worried about fuel mileage, since it's gonna suck anyway, I just wanna take as much strain off my truck as possible.

 

only down side to the hauler is the weight. Its 2k lbs empty.

Ive used both setups twice, i like the hauler if the truck can handle the extra weight.




Have you priced getting the car shipped on a transport?