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  #1  
Old 07-08-2007, 03:45 PM
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tow dolly vs car carrier

Tow dolly lifts just 2 wheels of the car and the other 2 are on the road whereas a car carrier all 4 wheels are off the road. What is the deal with insurance and registration when towing? Can a car be towed leaglly with a tow dolly if unregistered and uninsured? What about a car carrier? thx

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  #2  
Old 07-08-2007, 04:04 PM
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I believe it depnds on the state you are in. some states require insurance for any vehicle with tires on the road. some have no issues with towing uninsured vehicles. check with your insurance company.
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  #3  
Old 07-08-2007, 04:07 PM
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I always use a car carrier... to me it is safer to have all the wheels off the ground and to use a trailer with good brakes.
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  #4  
Old 07-08-2007, 04:15 PM
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You cannot tow the car with the rear wheels on the ground unless you disconnect the driveshaft at the differential. If you don't disconnect the driveshaft, you'll toast the tranny within 30 miles.
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  #5  
Old 07-08-2007, 04:24 PM
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Issues

There are two issues here -- legality and safety.

As previously stated, some states (perhaps all?) require any vehicle that touches the ground with its own wheels to be "on the road" for tax purposes. It's also gonna depend on the cop who sees you. Some will wink at stuff like that, especially if you're just transiting the state and he'll never have to see you again. I speak from experience. Others may decide to be hard-nosed. "Do you feel lucky?"

A vehicle on a trailer, on the other hand, is just "cargo." As long as it's safely secured and not illegal, they don't care what that cargo is.

The safety aspect is obvious -- a trailer, properly connected, safety chains, lights, brakes, etc., is always safer -- , but also includes potential damage to the vehicle. Towing a rear-wheel drive car with the rear wheels on the ground is not good for the transmission. You need to disconnect or remove all or part of the driveshaft. Make sure the other end of the driveshaft can't fall off of the car (more personal experience ). Towing such a car backwards, with the rear wheels off of the ground and the steering wheel tied, can be done but I would not recommend it for more than a few miles.

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  #6  
Old 07-08-2007, 04:30 PM
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It would all be a matter of luck. I towed a trailer with expired tags or working taillights across four states a few years ago without any trouble.
Please don't tow the car with the rear wheels on the ground without disconnecting the drive shaft for your tranny's sake.
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  #7  
Old 07-08-2007, 05:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForcedInduction View Post
You cannot tow the car with the rear wheels on the ground unless you disconnect the driveshaft at the differential. If you don't disconnect the driveshaft, you'll toast the tranny within 30 miles.
why will this happen? my father states clearly that this is not possible that there are no gears moving except for the central planetary shaft. (my 240d is a 4speed lets base it on that)
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  #8  
Old 07-08-2007, 05:39 PM
ForcedInduction
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Originally Posted by Cervan View Post
there are no gears moving except for the central planetary shaft.
That's exactly why. There is no pump running when the engine is off so all those moving planetary gears will be moving without lubrication.

The manual equipped vehicles can be towed fine with the wheels on the ground as the gears are splash lubricated (no pump needed).
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  #9  
Old 07-08-2007, 05:45 PM
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I towed a 300SD home a few years ago and was fighting with the same decision. Do yourself a favor. Go to U-Haul or similar place and rent a car hauler/trailer with the electronic brakes. I can't remember the exact name (someone will chime in) but the brakes are activated automatically on the trailer when you hit the brakes on the truck. This is triggered by the forward motion of the trailer pushing on the hitch.

It worked great.
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  #10  
Old 07-08-2007, 05:59 PM
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A nice truck or large suv and a trailer is the way to go if you have any distance to cover. The truck's insurance will cover the trailer, I believe. U haul has an excellent little all aluminum trailer with pull out ramps and really simple tie downs for the front wheels of the car.

I used a tow dolley just once. I would never tow anything that I valued on one again.

Tom W
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  #11  
Old 07-09-2007, 12:51 AM
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I agree with T. Walgamuth, use a trailer. I just hauled my 85 300D from
winnemucca, Nevada to Santa Cruz, Ca. used a U-Haul trailer, didn`t know it was behind me it towed so well. it was around a 500 mile haul.
U-haul uses a chain to go around the rear axle or something. I used a
nylon ratchet strap, made it more secure.
In Ca. if it`s not registered, the wheels have to be off the road to move it.
the brakes on the trailer tongue are called surge brakes, they work when the towing vehicle applies the brakes. as the trailer surges forward, it
pushes against a master cylinder on the tongue.
charlie
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  #12  
Old 07-09-2007, 01:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vwbuge View Post
I towed a 300SD home a few years ago and was fighting with the same decision. Do yourself a favor. Go to U-Haul or similar place and rent a car hauler/trailer with the electronic brakes. I can't remember the exact name (someone will chime in) but the brakes are activated automatically on the trailer when you hit the brakes on the truck. This is triggered by the forward motion of the trailer pushing on the hitch.

It worked great.
Their called surge brakes and yes, they work great under all conditions I've tried them in!
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  #13  
Old 07-09-2007, 02:45 AM
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I towed a 5000 pound international travelall on a uhaul car carrier over 100 miles.....I don't recomend that, but a little 300d would be fine.


The key is to:
  1. Tell Uhaul what they want to hear....In my case, I was towing a 95 honda accord with a 3/4 ton suburban. They didn't know what a traveall was so they weren't going to let me tow one with one.
  2. Check the tie down straps that go around the front wheel BEFORE you leave. One of mine was cut and we had to improvise...improvising is not good when doing someting this potentionally deadly.
  3. Check the air in the tires of the trailer yourself. When we first got this thing loaded it was all over the road like a fiddler crab on PCP. Eventually we got back to civilization and got it secued and got all the tires to the same level but I got caught up on my prayin' for the last year.
  4. Get the silver trailer, not the orange one. The orange ones are smaller and older.
  5. Surge brakes work well, but they aren't electric trailer brakes...give yourself plenty of room.
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  #14  
Old 07-09-2007, 11:38 AM
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Does that car carrier look front heavy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by bdgr View Post
I towed a 5000 pound international travelall on a uhaul car carrier over 100 miles.....I don't recomend that, but a little 300d would be fine.


The key is to:
  1. Tell Uhaul what they want to hear....In my case, I was towing a 95 honda accord with a 3/4 ton suburban. They didn't know what a traveall was so they weren't going to let me tow one with one.
  2. Check the tie down straps that go around the front wheel BEFORE you leave. One of mine was cut and we had to improvise...improvising is not good when doing someting this potentionally deadly.
  3. Check the air in the tires of the trailer yourself. When we first got this thing loaded it was all over the road like a fiddler crab on PCP. Eventually we got back to civilization and got it secued and got all the tires to the same level but I got caught up on my prayin' for the last year.
  4. Get the silver trailer, not the orange one. The orange ones are smaller and older.
  5. Surge brakes work well, but they aren't electric trailer brakes...give yourself plenty of room.
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  #15  
Old 07-09-2007, 11:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForcedInduction View Post
You cannot tow the car with the rear wheels on the ground unless you disconnect the driveshaft at the differential. If you don't disconnect the driveshaft, you'll toast the tranny within 30 miles.
That I do know, but it is for automatics only correct? The 240D I just bought happens to be a 4 spd manual.

I wonder if you have a car towed by a towing company, and after informing the driver that it's an automatic, the driver tows it on the rear wheels and damages the transmission, is the towing co. liable for the damage?

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