TOW DOLLY
INTRODUCTION
Whether you are a camper or RV enthusiast and prefer the convenience of having a second vehicle for tripping around, have a race or stock car that needs transporting to meetings or shows, or are the serious collector or trader in cars and light trucks, you can't go past a tow dolly for ease of use and simplicity for towing another vehicle around.
With its tilting drawbar for ease of loading (a winch can be fitted if you are picking up mechanically unworthy vehicles) and with a pivoting deck to allow better tracking and control of the towed vehicle while on the road, the tow dolly is a good investment for the serious vehicle tower.
The tow dolly, with its small footprint, is easy and convenient to store. It doesn't take half the back yard or front lawn when not in use and can easily be stored down the side of the house or in a lock up if required.
The plans for this tow dolly will comfortably allow a vehicle up to 1830mm wide (6') and weighing up to 2000kg (4400lbs) or more to be towed, and while brakes may be legally unnecessary for the majority of loads, Trailersauce recommends electric drum brakes to be fitted at a minimum.
These plans allow for the top deck to pivot up to 16 degrees (8 degrees either side of center) which will suit most towing applications. It must be noted that tow dollies are forward only trailers and reversing with a loaded tow dolly should never be attempted.
Tow dollies, although relatively simple in their looks and nature, are pretty complex little trailers, that do take a bit of engineering to ensure they are strong and safe enough for their purpose.
Trailersauce recommends that tow dollies are fabricated by competent and experienced welders only.
Once the tow dolly is has been fabricated, wheel straps and vehicle restraining safety chains need to be sourced to secure the towed vehicle to the trailer. Contact your local webbing or rigging suppliers and they will custom make wheel straps and chains to suit.
Please note all dimensions in these plans are in metric millimetres (1" = 25.4mm).
Note - sketches above shown without vehicle restraints.