How to Easily and Safely Dolly Tow

When it comes to towing you do not always need to use a full sized towing truck. In many cases reasonably skilled drivers can learn how to dolly tow on their own.

Dolly towing on your own – step 1 – getting to know your dolly towing equipment

You have probably heard the phrase dolly towing on one occasion or another. When people say ‘tow dolly’ they mean a compact and simple towing trailer. The tow dolly’s front end has a connector which connects the trailer to the towing vehicle. The tow dolly’s rear end has two wheels and two small ramps onto which the towed vehicle’s front wheels are loaded. This way, the towed vehicle’s two front wheels are lifted off the ground.

It is most advisable to read the tow dolly user manual before putting it to use.

Dolly towing on your own – step 2 – getting ready

Before using your tow dolly you should take the time needed to make sure everything is in good working order and that there are no parts missing. Now is the time to make sure that security chains, safety pins, straps, ramps, and the like, are all there and are all in good shape.

Dolly towing on your own – step 3 – preparing the towing vehicle

Before you can load the towed vehicle onto your tow dolly there are a couple of things to take care of regarding the towing vehicle.

First, apply the parking break on the vehicle that is supposed to be doing the towing in order to make sure it stays safely put.

Then, make sure the tow dolly is properly connected to the towing vehicle. Make sure that the security chains are safely engaged and that the hand-wheel is tightly secured.

Dolly towing on your own – step 4 – loading the towed vehicle

Now it is time to start loading the towed vehicle onto your tow dolly.

Start by releasing the safety straps, pulling out the ramps, and straightening the safety straps on top of the ramps.

Now you can carefully drive the towed car onto the ramps and onto the tow dolly until its two front wheels are completely off the ground and on the ramps and until they fit into their designated slit.

Engage the towed vehicle’s hand break, wrap the safety straps around the towed vehicle’s wheels, and tightly secure them. After you are done with that install the security pins to make sure the straps remain in their place during the ride.

Finally, pull back the ramps into their place.

Dolly towing on your own – step 5 – the ride

After you have completed the aforementioned steps it is time to hit the road. During the ride there are some important things you should keep in mind and be aware of:

• When dolly towing drive more slowly than you normally do. Your car is a bit more cumbersome now that it is towing another vehicle and you will need the spare time to react to things happening on the road
• Take extra caution in curves, intersections, rainy weather, hills, slopes, bumpy roads, and in general, any road conditions that may affect your driving
• When towing another vehicle slow down more gently than usual and accelerate more gently than usual
• Keep in mind that should you need to take a sharper turn, there is something attached to the back end of your car that will alter the way your car usually behaves

In conclusion – with little effort you too can become an expert!