How to Utilize a Tow Dolly

Tow dollies are a great and economical way to tow your vehicle. Tow dollies work by letting the front two wheels of the vehicle rest on it while the back two wheels stay on the ground. These are small, easy to store and easy to drive with. They are not as long as the traditional trailers, which makes turning corners much easier.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tow dolly
• Car
• Tow dolly manual
• Tow lights

1. Read the manufacturer's instructions that came with the tow dolly before doing anything. If you rented the tow dolly, you should have received a manual from the rental company.

2. Attach the appropriate trailer hitch to the vehicle for the tow dolly. The manual should give you the specifications of the required trailer hitch. Also check the manual to see if the tow dolly has surge breaks because this will affect the required capacity for the trailer hitch.

3. Engage the parking break on the vehicle doing the towing. This needs to be done before any loading or unloading.

4. Hook the tow dolly to the hitch and connect the wires for the lights on the trailer. The trailer should be completely secure and on a level ground before the car is put on the trailer.

5. Drive the vehicle onto the dolly with its front wheels. Attach the lights to the back of the vehicle and test the blinkers and break lights. These lights are usually magnetic and attach directly on top of the trunk.

6. Secure the vehicle to the tow dolly according to the manufacturer's instructions. This usually involves a couple of chains attached to the bottom of the car or some other similar method.

7. Follow these steps in reverse when you are ready to unhook the vehicle.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to have someone help you so they can guide you onto the tow dolly.
• Use caution when driving with a tow dolly. Drive at slower speeds, take turns slowly and increase your following distance.
• Never put the back wheels on the tow dolly. This could severely damage your vehicle.
• Never use the tow dolly if the lights are not working. This is dangerous and needs to be fixed first.