Before Loading
1.
Before loading the towed vehicle, make certain that
the ramps have been adjusted to correspond to the
width of the towed vehicle’s tires.
See the “Initial Assembly” section, steps 10 and 11,
for detailed instructions on how to adjust the ramps.
2.
Check the vehicle weight — the tow dolly is rated
at a maximum of 4,250 pounds. Verify that the weight
of the towed vehicle and all of its contents does not
exceed 4,250 pounds.
3.
Check the trailer ball height —
Make certain that the trailer
ball height is 19 inches, plus
or minus one inch. Ball heights
outside of this range can create
poor towing characteristics, such
as sway and fishtailing. In ad-
dition, incorrect ball height can cause the ramps to
damage the bottom of the towed vehicle or drag on
the road over bumps and dips.
The coupler requires a two-inch hitch ball with a
5,000 pound capacity.
Loading
1.
Park the motorhome on a flat, level surface. Make
certain that the motorhome engine is off, with the trans-
mission in park, and that the emergency brake is on.
2.
Position the dolly in line with the motorhome and
place the coupler over the trailer ball. Make certain that
the coupler socket fully encloses the hitch ball. Secure
the coupler to the ball by fully lowering the coupler lever
to a horizontal position (Figure 10).
Pull up on the tow dolly tongue to verify that
the coupler is properly latched and is securely attached
to the trailer ball.
Always connect the dolly to the motorhome be-
fore loading the towed vehicle. It is nearly impos-
sible to control the combined weight of the dolly
and towed vehicle when disconnected from the
motorhome. Attempting to do so may cause prop-
erty damage, personal injury or even death.
3.
Attach the safety chains to the receiver on the mo-
torhome and cross the chains, as shown in Figure 10.
Crossing the safety chains will help prevent the tongue
from catching on the road in case of disengagement.
Leave just enough slack in the chains for turning cor-
ners.
4.
Connect the tow dolly’s wiring plug to the mo-
torhome’s socket and check the lights for proper func-
tion.
18"-20"
ground level
USING YOUR TOW DOLLY
7
5.
Remove the pivot pin (Figure 3), and tilt the ramps
to the ground.
The ratchet must be in the down position when
loading. If the ratchet is left in the up position,
it may catch on the towed vehicle, resulting in
damage to the vehicle.
6.
If the towed vehicle has a rock guard, spoiler, air
dam or other undercarriage component, check to ensure
that it will clear the ramps and deck without damage.
Now, align the towed vehicle with the dolly and
have an assistant carefully guide you up the ramps,
being careful to keep the towed vehicle centered. As
the towed vehicle reaches the top, the ramps will au-
tomatically raise. Continue forward until the tires touch
the ramp stop.
All towed vehicles must be loaded forward, with
the steerable wheels on the tow dolly. The front end
of the towed vehicle is aligned with a small amount
of “toe-in” to help keep it in a straight line as you
drive. By towing backwards you reverse the effect,
causing the towed vehicle to wander, sway and
fishtail. This can cause loss of control, resulting in
property damage, personal injury or even death.
7.
Now, lock or otherwise secure the steering wheel
so that the front end cannot pivot on the dolly. If the
vehicle is not equipped with a locking steering column,
you must secure the steering wheel so that it cannot
turn while being towed.
Failure to lock the steering wheel will allow the
towed vehicle to pivot on the bed, causing it to hit
the fender and wheel assemblies of the dolly. Severe
continued on next page
Figure 10
