Thread: Car Trailer Dolly Q's

hey guys, I was just buying another car and I had a bit of a dilemma the 1.75ton utility truck that I wanted to buy was 5 hours 30min drive from me 90% highway so I looked up hiring car trailers and found they were relatively cheap to hire but than I came across a car trailer dolly on gumtree and thought what a great idea they look very simple to build

will the one pictured work or will it need a swivel platform?

Should be OK, as long as your steering wheel isn't locked. I presume that you will tow it back, behind the "truck"? Otherwise stopping could be a problem. Just make sure that you have a light bar, or that the towed vehicle is wired up to the towing vehicle for lights etc.
Kryn

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Should be OK, as long as your steering wheel isn't locked. I presume that you will tow it back, behind the "truck"? Otherwise stopping could be a problem. Just make sure that you have a light bar, or that the towed vehicle is wired up to the towing vehicle for lights etc.
Kryn

do u think the power steering could be a problem with the car being towed with the engine off?

I purchased a Mitsubishi pajero petrol V6 I would really like to find a similar turbo diesel car and tow it home, the pajero can tow 2.5ton so im ok there, u make a very valid point about lights I could use detachable lights like tow truck guys use

Originally Posted by gazza2009au

do u think the power steering could be a problem with the car being towed with the engine off?

I purchased a Mitsubishi pajero petrol V6 I would really like to find a similar turbo diesel car and tow it home, the pajero can tow 2.5ton so im ok there, u make a very valid point about lights I could use detachable lights like tow truck guys use

How much can the Pajero tow Unbraked?

Originally Posted by Aufitt

How much can the Pajero tow Unbraked?

unbraked towing load is 750kg so I would need to install brakes, ive just been looking on ebay usa for plans but there designs can only carry 3500lb's gross that's 1587kg, the car like my pajero weigh just under 2000kg alone

i have some lengths of 65x35x2.5mm out the back so im going to knock up a frame, from seeing the dolly's on ebay they look to be using 50x50mm SHS or smaller, ill order some 50x50x2.5 and 50x30x2.5 for bracing and extra support, ill probably want to use something serious for the drawbar unsure yet ill get the basic frame knocked up first, maybe go with a 3 point A frame for load distribution

im thinking of keeping it basic like this design below with a flat bed which should allow the wheels to turn the very slightest on a rather tight bend but undecided yet as i dont want to snap the steering lock taking a corner so may still go with a swivel platform

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Car-Trail...item1e9d6ad4bc

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/tagalong-...item3f4aff82d9

If you are going to run a turntable type set up, you may want to check with the local RTA, as in SA, they had a problem with that type of trailer, it required a tow truck licence. I think the name of that trailer was EZYTOW, can't remember if it was Y or I. Provided that the steering is unlocked, power steering shouldn't be a problem.
Kryn

yeah ill build the frame and go from there, the added turn table top is only a basic flat frame with swivel bolt extra so i can add it on if i like

also found a tow bar lowerer unsure what there called but it lowers the tow ball height for towing car trailers so i should be able to run a strait drawbar which will help simplify the design

There are some real issues with towing dollies and other such things.

Once you have a car completely on a trailer, it is a relativly straight forward matter from a practical and regulatory point of view.

If you remember a few years ago there where a couple of car towing start ups like Easytow and Mobitow that revolved arround using towing dollies with 4wds or small trucks.

You will notice they are conspicuous by them no longer using towing dollies.

I think you will find that, its pretty well near impossible to legally use a towing dolly.

that is before you look at the practicalities .......think a minute ....regardless of what you do to the towed vehicles steering, the vehicle is locked to the dolly...... if the dolly does not include some sort of pivot or turntable there are issues with turning.

cheers

yeah soundman i hear what your saying, with the non pivotal dolly u need to leave the key in the ignition with it turned to accessories so the steering lock is off, as u drive the cars steering will pivot and turn as it pulls the car along thru corners

tow dollies are not that great for hiring out as u cant just hook up and tow a 4x4 or 4 wheel drive vehicle as from my understanding it'll still spin the gearbox while towing and burn it out due to in proper lubrication so each tow u need to roll under the 4x4 or 4wd car and disconnect the drive shaft to the rear wheels

i came down with the flu a couple of days agobut ipicked up a chop saw last night something ive needed for a long time, plan was to start the build today but ill see how im feeling later on

Think about it again. ..... even if you leave the steering unlocked the car will not pivot on the dolly....on tight turns ( and not all that tight) you will be skull dragging the car.

Now here is the regulatory conundrum ..... remember the dolly is a vehicle of its own and needs to be registered.

Tow vehicle, towing dolly, dolly is technically towing the towed vehicle ...... that can now be argued to be a multi-combination.

There is to my understanding no accomodation for passenger or light commercial drawn multi-combinations

It is the above reason that rulles out the use of converter dollies for caravans

Speak to your roads authority and get it in writting before you even think about building.

THEN you have the load restraint issues to consider.

A few years ago this whole dolly towing thing looked attractive......there are some very good reasons why yo just don't seem to be many arround and they come up on ebay reeeel cheap.

cheers

yeah i better ask the RTA/RMS I will email them now, but this is how it works for the non pivoting dolly trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj_G-Mx_AVM

I just called RMS and the lady was getting confused with a trucks dolly trailer and not a car dolly trailer,she than asked her boss and the boss said a dolly trailer cannot be towed on a class C license, I will wait for confirmation by email first I will also email NSW police to ask that if they say its ok and I get busted I should be ok will include a picture too

just found this link so my ass is covered i can go a head with the build, but 60km's per hour towing speed is painful

http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/...04/s294.1.html

It would be a lot less "fooling about" to take a mate for a drive to bring back your original vehicle while you drive back the recent purchase. [Lateral thinking...I think]