I have 99 F250 2WD V10. This weekend I have to go across the state and snowy pass with dolly to pick up a car to bring it back. 5hr drive at @70mph.

What would you guys advise as far as should I put any weight in the bed, speed, what gear, OD or Not...


Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

take your time! towing here in cali limits you to 55mph...not sure about your state. also here only the right two lanes are legal...when towing I try to stay 55-60 unless it's wide open flat then maybe up to 65. Remember when towing it takes longer to stop and emergency stops can be alot more exciting when your dragging something behind you. Use OD when your trans is hunting for gears or on the hills...
watch out when taking sharp turns in town (swing it wide). as far as weight in the back and snowy passes i'll let someone else with more experience answer that, no snow here in Socal...but the universal answer to newbie towing questions is, take it slow!
if you have to back up at all I learned a easy trick, grab the bottom of your steering wheel with one hand and if you want your trailer to go left move your hand left...simple and made backing up easy for me...thats one thing that got me when I first towed always screwed up reversing.
also planning ahead when pulling in somewhere like a gas station or parking lot is a good idea! before pulling in give a quick look for an easy way through or exit....can't just turn around easily if needed.

good luck!

 

Thanks, brother. Great help.

 

I've done a fair amount of towing and I still wouldn't feel comfortable towing in snow. I can't say I recommend cutting your towing teeth on snow, especially with a 2wd truck. You might want to consider rescheduling your trip or finding someone to drive for you (if you trust anyone driving your truck).

 

Just a couple of quick notes.

I've towed several vehicles with dollies and trailers and my preference has always been a trailer. However, if the dolly is what you have, it's not a problem.....use whatever you're most comfortable with.

Be careful taking really tight turns. Not all dollies turn as well as others and you can run into problems with the fenders of the dolly hitting the sides of the car on tight turns.

Backing can be a little more of a challenge with a dolly versus a trailer. I try to make sure that I don't get into a situation where I have to back it up. Try to find open areas / lots where you can pull forward to get out instead of having to back up.

If you're going to be traveling where there's definitely going to be ice or snow, I would look at possibly adding some weight in the bed of the truck before you go. The dolly isn't going to transfer a lot of hitch weight onto the rear of the truck depending upon the design. Most dollies carry the weight of one end or the other of the towed vehicle right over the dolly wheels, thus not putting much hitch weight onto the two vehicle. Add weight if you think you'll need it for traction.

Of course, it's a good idea to check your straps, hooks, etc. before you leave in case anything is worn and needs to be replaced prior to the trip.

After you hook up, check your straps and then re-check them after about 25-30 miles. Then I re-check them each time I stop or about every hundred miles thereafter. I'm guessing the dolly has lights on it. Check your wiring and connections at hookup and each time you check your straps.

Check the tire pressure in the dolly tires also. And if you don't have a spare for the dolly, at least keep a tire plug kit, portable air compressor, and/or a can of Slime or fix-a-flat with you. Good idea to keep some emergency triangles, road flares, flashlight, gloves, etc. with you just in case as well.


ON EDIT: Onug made a good point about towing in the snow. I've towed stuff since I was old enough to drive and that's been many moons ago. I still don't like towing in the snow to this day. If you're uncomfortable towing in the snow, like he said, reschedule the trip if necessary. Especially if you're not used to towing in it. Most of the dollies I've used had some type of surge brakes on them and some had none at all. That poses its own challenges without throwing bad road conditions on top of everything else. The surge brakes are going to lockup, more than likely, in any kind of snow and the towed vehicle isn't going to be braking to help slow you down.

 

I don't recommend a car dolly for your first towing experience, but you do what you have to do. Remember, a dolly doesn't add much in the way of tongue weight. The 10% tongue weight is what keeps your rear axle planted and aids traction. The dolly brakes are also probably marginal at best, so 70 MPH is not recommended. Keep it at 60 or 65 MPH. Your truck will tell you where it wants to run while under load, you just need to listen.

Yes, you'll probably need to turn off the OD. Again, your truck will tell you what it is comfortable with. Just listen to it.

Always remember you're adding 2000-5000 pounds of weight to the truck, but not adding that weight on the axles. This will limit your traction, so be careful.

Towing on slick roads can be exciting. Climbing a grade and having the back tires break loose will raise your blood pressure.

 

Never use cruise control on a slippery road.

 

Your really taking the leap the hard way mountain driving, snow, dolly, 2WD.

AVOID TRIP UNTIL WEATHER IS BETTER IF YOU CAN.

1.) Keep it under 60mph keeping it under 55mph would be better.

2.) Inspect your truck and dolly before you leave check tire pressure (including spare), all fluid levels, E-brake, all lights, mirrors and wiper blades.

3.) Make sure you have Emergency gear in your truck like first aid kit, fire extinguisher, hazard warnings (triangles, flares, strobes...) jack, tool kit, extra straps, duct tape, leather work gloves, food, water, sleeping bag or blanket.

4.) If your towing in snow in the mountains TURN OFF cruise control and OD.

5.) Check your tie down straps every time you stop.

6.) Check state regulations on being allowed to use snow chains get a set and know how to put them on.

 

Lots of great advice above, I won't re-iterate.
Unless you have very aggressive and proven effective snow tires, I would bail on the mission. And I've been towing for 30 years.... When things start sliding with a heaviesh loaded trailer, things get weird and out of hand in a hurry. One of the best ways to stabilize is to add power and "pull the chain" back tight and straight, but in snow, that may not be an option. Manually applying the trailer brakes will do the same, but dollies rarely have electric brakes, so not an option.

I would add 1000 pounds or so to the bed for stability and snow traction.

Some dollies can be, umm, "frisky" when empty. Don't let it distract you. It may jump around on bumps, sashay around a bit, and rattle and clank. Keep one eye on it, but DON'T fixate to the point of not paying attention to more important things. With a big, heavy truck, an empy dolly can't really upset things - the truck will win in the tug of war.

 

All very good advice from the posts so far. As far as Snow is concerned its best to use a slow and steady approach. By this I mean no sudden maneuvers and use the throttle in a slow to add approach. In heavy snow stay around 35 or so depending on the tires and put your blinkers on to let the yahoo's behind you know your going slower than posted speed limit. Don't make any sudden throttle changes as this WILL lead to breaking traction then it gets fun. I always tow heavy loads with the Tow button on the stalk selected as this really helps taking off and slowing down. I haven't seen much difference in the mileage when using this and when not. The truck just seems to tow better when I do use it.
I once towed a 25 foot fifth wheel from Omaha to Seattle during January snow storms. Ran into 3 blizzards on the way over so I learned real quick what to do and not to do. This was with an 04 F150 2wd with 5.4 and limited slip and Nitto Terra Grappler tires. I made it ok but there was a lot of pucker up moments all the way. If it wasn't for work I would have said hell no and stayed in Omaha.
The point is to not speed any higher than you feel comfortable and that your truck can tow safely and not to make any sudden changes. (lane changes, passing, turning, etc., etc.) and you will be just fine.

 

Up here in the Canadian prairies we tow in ice and snow 6 months of the year. One huge thing youl need is wieght in the box forsure with a 2 wheeler dually. Sand bags work great for wieght as they dont slide around and if you do get in the rubbarb you rip 1 or 2 open and throw some sand under your tires instant traction. Keep them to the back or right over the axles. Bring more than you think youl need better to much then not enough. I always tow with a trailer wich is good you can adjust your load to ad or decrease wieght on your axle but a dolly i guess your sol. Keep rpm down but not so low that she'll drop gears on you that gets you side ways. Once you get in some icier areas find a big parking lot emptier the better throw some hard turns and play around a bit get the feel of having NO! traction. Most important sit back relaxe and enjoy your truck taker easy and anticipate all stops. Stop earlier even if your rolling up to slow to a stop, theres no sense hammering into corners or stops your not racing supercross at daytona this weekend. Have fun

 

+1 that pulling car on dolly in snow is not fun at all. Years ago I had to do it over Truckee Pass and had to leave the dolly on the shoulder, because snow cables would not give enough traction and had to run back to the city spending a fortune on real chains.
It you don't have to do it now, wait for better weather.