Flat Towing vs. Trailer Towing vs. Dolly TowingFlat TowingThere are a number of advantages to flat towing, the first of which is cost. A good towbar will generally run a couple hundred dollars, while a well-built trailer equipped with lights and brakes can run several thousand.
Then, of course, there is the matter of convenience. When flat towing, once you reach your destination you can simply fold up the towbar and stow it in one of your vehicles. With a trailer, you have to have room for storage both at home, for when it's not being used, and at your destination, whether it be a campground, an RV park, or a hotel. And, of course, you have to be careful to park in such a way that you have room to back your vehicle off the trailer and load it back on later.
If you're traveling with a bed-mounted camper on your truck or have an SUV that is already loaded down with heavy gear, then flat towing is a nice option because it adds no further weight. On the flip side, if you're flat towing with an empty truck, the towbar will provide no tongue weight to settle it down, which can make towing a little unsteady at highway speeds.
There are two big drawbacks to flat towing. The first is that you can't back up, which requires that you always be thinking two steps ahead to avoid getting into a situation that you can't get out of. If worse comes to worse, you can always remove the towbar and back the two vehicles out separately, but it's awkward and inconvenient. The second drawback is the lack of trailer brakes. This means you have to rely entirely on the tow rig's brakes to stop both vehicles.
Trailer TowingTrailer towing is perhaps the best option for long hauls in all weather conditions. Towing with a trailer has several advantages.
The first is tongue weight. A properly loaded trailer will typically have around 500 pounds of tongue weight. This weight provides a downforce that helps to stabilize the back end of the tow rig. Without tongue weight, the back end of your tow rig tends to get pushed around by the towed vehicle, especially when towing with a pickup.
In addition to tongue weight, a vehicle trailer usually has trailer brakes. Two versions are available: hydraulic and electric. With brakes on your trailer you won't have to rely solely on the towing rig's brakes. This means quicker, more consistent stopping than you'll find with flat towing.
The third advantage to trailer towing is that size and weight are not as much of a consideration. With trailer brakes assisting your tow rig, you can tow more weight because you can stop more weight. Also, towing a trailer is much more stable than flat towing, which means you can tow a longer rig than you typically would in a flat tow situation. Of course reason should prevail and you should never tow a trailer that is ridiculously longer than the tow rig. For situations like that, a fifth-wheel car hauler is a better choice.
Trailers are easier to back up than a flat towed rig, and you can always get your trail rig home no matter what you've broken on the trail. On the down side, trailers cost more, weigh more, and are harder to store than a towbar. The weight can be handled by keeping a close eye on the trailer construction and the size. Buy a trailer that is the right size for your trail rig, not the super jumbo one you found on sale.
Dolly TowingDollies share some of the advantages and disadvantages of both trailers and towbars. Similar to towbars, dollies are less expensive than trailers and are easier to store, both at home and on the road. However, there are strict limitations on the weight of the vehicle you can tow, which is a major concern.
When we approached U-Haul about using a dolly to tow our 2000 Nissan Xterra to Moab, the staff informed us that the vehicle exceeded the maximum weight a dolly can safely handle. The standard figures are 3,950 pounds for a front-wheel-drive vehicle and 4,250 pounds for a rear-wheel or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Before you start thinking about renting or buying a tow dolly for your next trip, be sure you know how much your trail rig weighs. If you're pushing the limit, it might be safer and more convenient to get a fullsize auto trailer or use a towbar.