All that You Need to Know About Car Tow Dolly and Accessories

If you have planned a road trip and need to attach your travel trailer, or you have decided to relocate to a new place and have to take your car along or you just have to transport another vehicle, then a car tow dolly is just what you need. Having the correct and top-notch towing equipment is extremely essential so that your journey can be easy and safe. A car tow dolly also comes with various other accessories that are equally paramount to have.

In this article, we shed light on car tow dolly and accessories, the types, how to choose one for your needs, and more. Also, one particular towing equipment that we will also talk about is a trailer hitch. Let’s begin by understanding a car tow dolly.

Table of contents

• What is a Car Tow Dolly?
• What Are the Benefits of a Car Tow Dolly?
• Types of Car Tow Dollies
• What are the Key Components of Car Tow Dollies?
• Car Tow Dolly Accessories
• Trailer Hitch: The Crucial Accessory for a Secure Towing Experience
• More About Trailer Hitches: What You Should Know
• How to Choose the Ideal Car Tow Dolly & Accessories for Your Specific Needs?
• Tips to Maintain Your Car Tow Dolly and Accessories

What is a Car Tow Dolly?

A car tow dolly is a device that comes with two wheels and is used to help transport front-wheel-drive vehicles. Basically what it does is it lifts the front wheels of vehicles – cars, travel trailers, cars or RVs and helps the back wheels to roll easily. The whole purpose of a car tow dolly is to ensure that any vehicle is being easily and safely pulled.

What Are the Benefits of a Car Tow Dolly?

• It’s super convenient to take another vehicle along and not have to worry about who would drive it.

• It’s pocket-friendly as you would only need to worry about fuel for the vehicle you are driving.

• It’s perfect for all sorts of cars, particularly front-wheel drive cars.

Types of Car Tow Dollies

There are various types of Car Tow Dollies available, each tailored to fulfill certain requirements. You can choose the ideal one for your unique towing needs. Let’s take a look at the different types below.

Standard Car Tow Dolly:

One of the most popular and common ones that you would find is the standard car two dolly. These standard ones are apt for front-drive cars or vehicles. They are designed keeping in mind ease of use and a standard towing capacity. Besides, they are built strong and sturdy and are exceptionally reliable for all your towing purposes.

Heavy-Duty Car Tow Dolly:

A standard one wouldn’t be the ideal car tow dolly if you are looking to tow heavy-duty vehicles. This is where you need heavy-duty car tow dollies to pull those large trucks, SUVs and trailers. These tow dollies are designed particularly keeping in mind heavy-duty vehicles. They are built with reinforced frames, come with a higher towing capacity and are made to withstand the strain of pulling larger vehicles or heavier loads.

Specialized Car Tow Dolly:

A specialized tow dolly is designed particularly for certain specific towing situations. These mostly come with swivel platforms or braking systems for smooth and easy movement.

If we have to further categorize them into primary types, it would be:

• Tow Dolly Without a Braking System:

These tow dollies do not have a braking system, hence, they are ideal for short distances and for cars or vehicles that are lightweight.

• Tow Dolly with a Braking System:

These tow dollies have a braking system, which means that they are designed keeping in mind additional safety, security and control. These are particularly apt for heavy-duty vehicles.

What are the Key Components of Car Tow Dollies?

There are various components to a car tow dolly that are really important for their proper functioning. Let’s take a look at them below.

Frame:

One of the main parts of a car tow dolly is the frame which is made of strong and sturdy steel. It’s very essential that the frame is made of good quality steel because it has to hold the weight of a car or vehicle. Besides, the stronger material the frame is made of, the longer will the frame last and will be able to hold on to higher weight capacity. It’s paramount that when you are looking for a car dolly, you have to ensure that it comes with corrosion and rust-resistant protective coatings.

Tires and Wheels:

Another crucial component of a car tow dolly is the tires and wheels without which it’s obvious a car or vehicle cannot be pulled along. Tires and wheels have to be of top-notch quality to ensure a safe, secure and smooth towing experience. Besides, the wheels and tires should have the capacity to handle heavier weight and last you a long time. This is possible if you get good-quality tires and wheels and ensure regular maintenance.

Brakes:

While you do have car tow dollies without brakes, having one with a braking system is rather a far more reasonable and safer option. Having said that, braking systems do vary from model to model. You might find car dollies with surge brakes that function when the towing car starts slowing down or you might find ones with electric brakes that are generally controlled by the towing car. Braking systems are absolutely essential, they ensure safety and security during towing, particularly when heavier or larger vehicles are towed.

Lighting:

It’s extremely paramount for car tow dollies to have safety lighting. This could include turn signal lights, brake lights, and tail lights. These safety lights help any other vehicle, big or small, aware of your towing when they pass by you, thereby, ensuring everyone’s safety. LED lights are much more preferred because they are exceptionally bright and can last you long enough.

Car Tow Dolly Accessories

It doesn’t just end with getting a top-notch car tow dolly, having the correct car tow dolly accessories is equally paramount for the convenience, safety and performance of the dolly. Let’s take a look at some accessories that you might need as well for an enhanced towing experience.

Straps and Chains with Latches:

It’s extremely important that the vehicle you are towing is secured well for your safety as well as the safety of the people around you. To ensure such security, it’s essential that you use straps and chains with latches so that the car or the vehicle being towed doesn’t shift during transportation. Another important aspect to take into consideration is that the straps and chains you are using are rated for the weight of your car. Also, ensure that there are no signs of wear and tear when towing a vehicle to avoid any potential mishap.

Spare Tires and Wheels:

Spare tires and wheels are crucial to have for a car tow dolly to avoid any unforeseen situation. You never know when you end up with a flat tire and you are left stranded in the midst of nowhere wondering what to do. So, always be prepared and have with you a spare tire and wheel for your dolly as well as for the vehicle that you are towing.

Brake Controllers:

A brake controller is a crucial car tow dolly accessory to have with you. This is particularly paramount for tow dollies with electric brakes. Brake controllers give you the power to control the braking system of the towing vehicle, thereby, ensuring much smoother and controlled stops that you make along the way.

Wheel Nets:

Another critical accessory of a car tow dolly is wheel nets. Basically, a wheel net is used around the wheels of the vehicle you are towing to ensure additional security and safety. It thereby reduces any possibility of the towed vehicle from shifting and causing any mishap.

Lighting Kits:

Without proper lighting, it might be difficult to see things well enough. Therefore, to ensure visibility and safety, lighting kits are essential to have. This could include signal lights, brake lights, tail lights and more for a safe towing experience.

Trailer Hitch: The Crucial Accessory for a Secure Towing Experience

When discussing vehicle towing, how can we ever miss out on a trailer hitch? While a trailer hitch might not be an accessory that’s directly related to a car dolly, it is an extremely important accessory for the vehicle that’s being towed.

What is a Trailer Hitch?

A Trailer Hitch is a device that basically joins or attaches the towing vehicle to the tow dolly. It ensures that the two are secured well enough for a smooth and safe towing experience.

Types of Trailer Hitches

You will generally find three main types of trailer hitches. Let’s take a look at them below.

• Receiver Hitch:

A receiver hitch is a popular and the most common type of trailer hitches available. It precisely comes with a square receiver tube that is of a standard size to which a ball mount or other hitch accessory can be attached.

• Gooseneck Hitch:

A gooseneck hitch is basically a truck bed hitch that uses a hitch ball to attach to a gooseneck trailer. Usually, the main body of the gooseneck hitch mounts beneath the truck bed and uses brackets to be able to bolt onto the frame of the truck.

• Fifth Wheel Hitch:

A fifth wheel hitch as the name suggests is specifically designed to connect to the fifth-wheel trailer’s kingpin. The kingpin is mostly held and secured together by metal jaws or locking bars and the hitch's pivoting head plate gives the trailer the motion it needs to be towed smoothly.

With various options available for you, it’s crucial that you choose a trailer hitch that is suitable as per the weight of the vehicle you are towing and the capacity of your car or vehicle.

Recommendations:

3000lbs 3Pt Gooseneck Trailer Hitch

More About Trailer Hitches: What You Should Know

Below is some information that you should know about a trailer hitch.

Trailer Hitch Installation:

Installing a trailer hitch properly and securely is paramount for a safe towing experience. You have to ensure that you have correctly linked or joined the trailer hitch and the towing vehicle to avoid any mishap. You will always be given a manufacture guideline on the trailer hitch installation process, make sure to follow it step by step and if it all its seems to be confusing always reach out to professional, because in case you haven’t secured it well enough, accidents will be unavoidable.

Trailer Hitch Parts:

A trailer hitch has various parts that are paramount for its smooth, and proper functioning. These trailer hitch parts include safety chains, brackets and bolts that are important for a secure towing experience.

Trailer Hitch Lock:

To ensure that your towed car or vehicle doesn’t detach, a trailer hitch lock is extremely important for added security. Imagine the mishap that could happen on the road if your towing vehicle detaches from the main vehicle. Well, it could be very dangerous for you and the people around you.

Trailer Hitch Ball:

A trailer hitch ball is the main attachment section for your car tow dolly. You have to be particularly careful when choosing a trailer hitch ball as you have to ensure that you have chosen the most apt size and the most applicable type.

Trailer Hitch Receiver:

As the name suggests, a trailer hitch receiver is that section of a trailer hitch that receives the hitch ball mount.

Trailer Hitch Pin:

The role of a trailer hitch pin precisely is to make sure that the ball mount is secured well enough to the receiver, thereby, guaranteeing a reliable connection.

Trailer Hitch Covers:

To ensure that your trailer hitch is absolutely protected from dust, mud, and debris, trailer hitch covers are necessary. You should always cover your trailer hitches when you are not using them, leaving them exposed to the sun, dust and dirt can damage them faster than expected.

How to Choose the Ideal Car Tow Dolly & Accessories for Your Specific Needs?

You need to take into consideration various factors when choosing a car tow dolly for yourself such as:

• Ensuring that your vehicle is compatible to the dolly you are choosing for towing.

• Considering the weight capacity of both the vehicle that you will be towing and the dolly.

• Understanding the usage of car tow dolly. Go for the ones that are more user-friendly, and the ones that have a braking system for added safety.

• Balancing budget and quality. Remember never to compromise on the quality of a car tow dolly as it is a matter of safety as well.

Tips to Maintain Your Car Tow Dolly and Accessories

For the longevity and proper functioning of your car tow dolly, you should maintain it well. Here are some tips.

• It’s paramount to maintain your car tow dolly regularly. Inspect all the parts thoroughly, from the braking systems to the wheels and tires, bolts to the chains and brackets. Every part of the dolly should be checked well before towing any vehicle.

• If you find any wear and tear, always make sure to replace and repair those parts.

• Always clean every component of the car tow dolly and then store it in a clean and dry place.

It’s essential to have a thorough knowledge of car tow dollies and their accessories before you tow any vehicle. This is important not just for your safety but also for the safety of people around you, after all, you will be dragging along with you another vehicle. Therefore, selecting the right dolly in automotive accessories as per the capacity and weight of your car and the vehicle that you tow is super important. Also, always remember the key to the longevity of any equipment is proper maintenance and most importantly, quality products.