Although you may assume that towing your car or truck will be as easy as driving it, you are probably going to be wrong. Towing a vehicle requires a completely different set of skills in order for you to be safe and deliver both vehicles, and their driver, to their destination in one piece. If you have decided that you can handle the challenge of Towing your own vehicle, here are the two most popular options available that ensure your trip is made safely and legally.
Flatbed Towing.
Flatbed towing is the safest way to tow your car or truck, providing your vehicle that will be doing the pulling is at least 750 pounds heavier than the vehicle being towed. The advantages of flatbed towing are many, including the fact the wheels on most flatbed trailers are placed so that they will significantly reduce or even eliminate swaying during towing. They are also easy to load and unload, as well as making it simple to secure the vehicle being towed.
Flatbed trailers can be heavy though, and this can be a significant downside to their usage. Low to mid-range flatbed trailers are often without brake systems of their own; they rely solely on the coach vehicle’s brakes to slow down and stop.
Two Wheel Car Towing
This option is preferable for those who are towing a vehicle that has only front wheel drive or those that have a lighter weight coach vehicle available to them. To accomplish two wheel car towing, most people will rent an apparatus called a car dolly, which is a very small trailer that is designed for the vehicle being towed to be driven up onto. This is often much less expensive than flatbed towing or rental, and can save gas mileage because it is significantly lighter.
However, there are a few downsides to using a car dolly. It is not recommended for vehicles with all wheel or rear wheel drive unless the vehicle’s drive shaft has been removed. This process can be frustrating and time consuming. It is also not as stable to drive as flatbed towing can be, so it’s recommended that you get plenty of practice before you take the dolly out on the road.
