Those of us who drive a motorhome have to decide whether not to tow an extra vehicle. If we don't, then running to the store requires us to unhook, pack up, and then park that big rig. Coming back, we have to again squeeze in the spot that is always just big enough, level, hook up, and spread out.

Thus many choose to tow a car. But then we must make one more decision -- do we tow with all four wheels down or use a dolly? One obvious advantage of the dolly is that most cars can be towed with this method, while many makes cannot be towed four down without either damaging the car or voiding the warranty. The obvious drawback is that if you need to back up, you must move the car off the dolly and unhook and move the dolly itself (though one member says he has backed up with the unloaded dolly still attached. It wasn't easy, but he did it). Hooking up and then unhooking in camp will also take longer than just unhooking your car.

Thus both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. Several posts on RV-The outline the benefits of each:

First the advantages of towing four-wheels down:

I have used both the tow dolly and pulled a car 4 down. Far and away I like 4 down.

1. When you get to destination, you have an RV, a toad, and a dolly to park. Same deal at home. In the long run I got a nice Saturn for the toad and 2nd car.
2. If you do not get the car secured well on the dolly, it can jump off the dolly, but remain attached. This happened to my father. He is pretty old and secured the car with all his strength. Thinking all was OK he started a trip, hit a bump on the highway and the car jumped sideways on the dolly. Now getting the car off the dolly in the middle of nowhere is a headache when you cannot drive it off.
3. There is very little weight to handle with a good folding tow bar and pulling 4 down.
4. The number of dollies I have seen that did not wire the car for break lights or signal lights is unnerving. These people depended entirely on the dolly lights, which are low and hard to see.
5. Having said all this, I do believe there are uses for a dolly. Again, my dad had a front wheel drive car and it was much cheaper to get a dolly than another car.

But another member is convinced that the dolly is the way to go:

1. Cost and safety: I paid a total of about $1100 for a complete tow dolly with electric brakes, a good brake controller and a breakaway kit. Not only do I not have to worry about what state/country I visit with it, since I'm legal all over, I've also accomplished it for a lot less money than buying a top-quality tow bar, baseplates for car(s), and toad braking system. I also don't have to buy things like transmission lube pumps or drive shaft disconnects for any vehicles. You'll find that most people who tow with towbars have neither a braking system nor a breakaway setup. It simply costs too much, and I'm not too sure where the technology for that is, anyway. And the lack of braking is a HUGE safety issue, as far as I'm concerned - and it often exceeds the motorhome chassis manufacturer's stated load limitations for requiring towed-load braking systems.
2. I can tow nearly any car I can put on the dolly. No baseplates, no special wiring, no special brake setups, nothing. Drive it on, strap it down, and drive off in the motorhome. Too many times, I've seen people on this list bemoaning the fact that they can't safely tow their car, so they had to buy one they could. I have perfectly good cars and a good pickup, all of which I can safely replace without the worry of "can I tow this?" - and all of which I had prior to buying my motorhome.
3. I can use the dolly (and I have, unfortunately) to tow my kids' and other relatives' cars when/if they break down. A minor point, to be sure, but it's already saved me a couple hundred bucks in tow charges.

< This member is so convinced that the dolly is the way to go that he even lists some of the normal problems and his responses:

1. It takes too much time to hook up.

   It takes me from 5-10 minutes to hook up. That's not a whole lot longer than I've observed people with tow bars taking. In fact, these days, I can hit close to the 5 minute mark pretty easily. With all the stuff you have to do in order to move a motorhome (dumping tanks, topping water off, raising awnings, stowing chairs, etc., etc.), the extra 5 minutes don't really count for much.

2. You can't back up with a dolly.

   True enough (I know, I tried...) - but then again, you can't with a tow bar, either.

3. It takes too much room to store.

   No, it doesn't. When I get to a storage lot or to a campsite with limited length, I simply put the tongue on a piece of wood on the ground, then back the motorhome over the top of it. It takes just the width of the wheels (about 18"-24") extra when doing that (it doesn't all fit under the motorhome!).

As you can see, the solution is obvious -- either tow four wheels down or use a tow bar, whichever one you prefer (unless you would rather pull an enclosed trailer and park your car in that!). Sorry, there is no right answer to the question. If you already own a car that cannot be towed four wheels down and you don't want to buy a new car, you have only one option. Otherwise, you need to check the advantages of each method and make your choice. Whatever you decide, you'll have plenty of company and plenty of folks who will think you are nuts!