Tow dolly

Boss Cooker · #1 03/27/08, 08:59 PM

This may not be the best place to place this question. I will also place it is shop talk.
Here is my question. Can I tow a full size truck { Dodge 2500 4X4 quad cab diesel HD } on a tow dolly? My reason for asking is the rental companies> penske uhaul and budjet tell me that my truck will not fit the rig. I will be renting a 26 foot four wheel disk brake truck to relocate to my home in Florida. I do know the wheel base will fit the dolly. My options are to have a friend follow me to Florida and fly him back. I have no problem doing that. He and I can do a bit of fishing. My question is " will my truck load and travel safely behind the rental truck on a dolly? I will not do stupid " gotta get there stuff " But I can save about four hundred bucks in air fare if I can tow it. And he and DW will be coming down for the 4th.

MariaAZ · #2 03/27/08, 09:12 PM

I don't know if it will or not, but my concern would be if the rental place says the truck won't fit, you get the rental anyway and heaven forbid something happens, they might be able to say they won't cover any damages because they advised you it won't work.

What about a vehicle trailer instead of a tow dolly?

Boss Cooker · #3 03/27/08, 09:46 PM

The trailer is not an option. I have a long truck. It will not load on a trailer. Front wheels off the ground and the rear drive shaft disconnected. I do know there is a risk involved with the tow. I should mention. I have towed a lot of equipment and never had a problem. " THERE IS ALWAYS A FIRST"
I also know that if I rent the dolly from A. B. or C and there is a wreck I will bite the bullet. My real desire is to find out if the rig will safely tow my truck behind the moving rig. There are a lot of reasons to defer to the rental companies guide lines.. I m just looking to see if any one could pass on a tip or two.

wy_white_wolf · #4 03/27/08, 09:58 PM

Your rig is propably heavier than the rated capcity of the tow dolly. Penski's dollies are "Maximum load capacity of 4,300 lbs." That is total load, not just your front axle load.

http://www.pensketruckrental.com/per...es/towing.html

Rocky Fields · #5 03/27/08, 10:24 PM

Hey.

Buy a used car trailer that is long enough...hitch it to the rental truck. When you get down there, sell the trailer.

RF

fantasymaker · #6 03/27/08, 10:44 PM

Id just put a tow bar on the truck and pull the axles or driveshaft out

Darren · #7 03/28/08, 12:06 AM

Tow dollies come in different weight ratings. You might be able to buy one heavy enough for the tow then sell it. I've built tow bars a couple of times. I used one to tow a 8,000 lb. box truck behind a rental truck. I used a heavy piece of channel. 8 or 10" to replace the front bumper on the box truck. The bar was a 2x6" piece of tube steel with the appropriate coupler. I used chain to brace the bar through eye bolts on the channel bumper via a eye bolt on the bar. Having a diagonal brace is critical. I suspect even using 1/4" wall tube steel wouldn't be strong enough without the bracing. I used pieces of 4" angle, 1/2" thick mounted vertically in the middle of the bumper with a 2" bolt to attach the bar. Use self locking bolts for safety.

**Ross** · #8 03/28/08, 07:06 AM

Couldn't you rent a large trailer and use the Dodge to tow it? Just a thought that's one big truck!

Ken in Maine · #9 03/28/08, 07:16 AM

Instead of a dolly get yourself a tow bar... the kind those big rv's use to pull their vehicles behind them.

fantasymaker · #10 03/28/08, 08:56 AM

How about buying a trailer to pull behind your truck? A 26 'U-haul has about 1500 cubic feet of space and 23 feet in length of floor space with a 7500 load capacity .
You could get that with your pickup bed and a utility trailer that you could resell or keep.
An open pickup and trailer would be harder to pack but you would have unlimited time and could even prepack a lot of the trailer

Id step up to a 18 or 20' trailer and buy it new in your area where they are cheep.

There is a herd of trailer builders in Sikston MO , Big Tex is just south of Texarkana and I seem to remember trailer builders scattered around AR.

I just priced a Jerry James trailer ,you can get a 18' flatbed with extra width and new white spoke rims and tires for about $1200 subtract the $700 the rental is going to cost and $100 or so you will save in fuel and it makes a pretty cheep trailer parked in FL!