I want to set up my 71 Charger to be flat-towed by my 93 Ram Van

[jenkins71]

Hi Guys--

Title says it all. I move around a lot. And I'm tired of doing it like this:



Or worse, with the little two-wheeled dolly.

I want to set up my Charger to be flat towed, behind my 93 Ram Van with 360/a518!!! Meaning, all four wheels on the ground. I see guys with RV's towing their Jeeps all the time, and figured it must be a Jeep-only thing.

But then I saw a guy towing a Kia Soul, and another guy towing a newer Mustang! So it must be able to be done.

I don't mind adding some things to the chassis of the Charger. I can weld, do whatever. I want it to be a system, ready to go for easy transport. Does anyone have experience with this? Or thoughts?

Thank you!!!

 

[RT K_line]

I built a tow bar and attaching bar from some c chanel inside each other to make a box, for my 67 R/T to tow it to San Antonio raceway when I lived in Corpus Christi. I had to disconnect the driveshaft and attatched it to my driveshaft loop. I did have to drill 4 holes in the bumper though, but I was looking for another bumper anyway. You will just have to figure out where to attatch it to the car. I can remove or install it in under 10 minutes.

 

[jenkins71]

Cool. Got pictures?
I don't mind drilling on to or even welding on to my bumper.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I want to add that I am totally unfamiliar with flat-towing vehicles, so any pointers on how to do it safely would be helpful.

My charger is a 4-speed standard, does that mean I can leave the propshaft attached?

Thanks!

 

[YY1]

With a tow bar, your turning radius suffers greatly.

With a dolly it suffers some but not as much, however you run the risk of creasing your door/fender with the dolly fender.

Backing up is nearly impossible with either, but almost completely impossible with a dolly.

 

[RT K_line]

I'll try to post some pics this evening.

 

[silversedan]

back in the 70's I towed with a tow bar to the track all the time , I got tired of taking off the drive shaft so I made some tow hubs for the rear . take off the rear tire , bolt on the tow hub, put the tire back on and take off, only trouble I had flat towing is when the rear car was in lose gravel or sand the the front tires wouldn't follow.

 

[RT K_line]

tow dolly pics

Here are some pictures of the set up I made. It tracks straight behind my Nissan Frontier. Just don't crowd anyone in front of you.
I just used parts and pieces of stuff I had lying around, all but the receiver for the ball. Did you notice the distributor hold downs and rod caps? I use those for added security so that the bolts won't pull through the bumper. I also run a 20 foot tow strap across the truck frame and back to the cars strut rods just for insurance. I hope this is useful.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Send me your trailer and I will send you a tow bar in return. Bar is 5000 lb. rated. You will have to make mounts. Second thought if you are still on the east coast I can purchase a trailer localy for what the gas would cost .

 

[jenkins71]

Send me your trailer and I will send you a tow bar in return. Bar is 5000 lb. rated. You will have to make mounts. Second thought if you are still on the east coast I can purchase a trailer localy for what the gas would cost .

I don't have a trailer, likely, never will. The bar seems so much simpler and easier.

 

[Cornpatch MO]

I think you can rent a tow-bar that attaches to your front bumper , from U Haul....................MO

 

[YY1]

Also check craigslist and local junk yards.

I had a tow bar thrown in free with some parts I bought and another one thrown in with a truck I bought.

I bought a dolly off ebay from a local seller for $375.

Keep in mind that eventually (possibly the first time) you clamp a bar to the front bumper, you will likely scratch the chrome.

 

[RT K_line]

I shaped 2 hard urethane spacers to go between the bumper and the bar that mounts to it. The insulators also keep the bar in the correct position/angle. You can see the top of them if you look closely at the pictures. These prevent scratching the bumper.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

I have flat towed and used the dolley. Now-a-days I own a flatbed:glasses13:

 

[patrick66]

I think you can rent a tow-bar that attaches to your front bumper , from U Haul....................MO

U-Haul hasn't rented out towbars for nearly 25 years, due to liability issues. I used those quite a bit in the 1980s...only real requirement was that you had a stout-enough front bumper on the towed vehicle, PLUS you never, ever want to flat-tow a front-engined car without an engine in place! Squirreliest damn thing you ever want to do, behind putting a car on a trailer backwards (same result).

U-Haul DOES sell a bolt-on tow bar assembly. My son works for U-Haul, so that is how I know.

 

[Auggie56]

I wouldn't trust bolting any tow bar just to a bumper. I'd be afraid the bolts might break, as they aren't made for holding the weight under a tow.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

U-Haul hasn't rented out towbars for nearly 25 years, due to liability issues. I used those quite a bit in the 1980s...only real requirement was that you had a stout-enough front bumper on the towed vehicle, PLUS you never, ever want to flat-tow a front-engined car without an engine in place! Squirreliest damn thing you ever want to do, behind putting a car on a trailer backwards (same result).

U-Haul DOES sell a bolt-on tow bar assembly. My son works for U-Haul, so that is how I know.

For a few bucks more than a dolly,you can rent an open trailer:blob1:

 

[patrick66]

True, but if I am going to tow a Jeep or something with a bolt-on steel front bumper (most pre-1990 cars and trucks), a bolt-on tow bar is a cheap alternative, plus I don't have to turn it in. And yes, the dolly is only twelve dollars cheaper per day than the trailer, if the rental is local.

 

[mopar 3 B]

You better also consider the rear axle before ground towing. Sure - Grips should not be towed long distances on the ground and speeds are recommended at 45 mph.

 

[ckessel]

Disconnect your drive shaft and tie it up so the trans doesn't get tatered by lack of oil.

 

[furyus]

I know that you are trying to save bucks, but it would be better in the long run if you just bought a trailer, since you say you move around a lot. I have seen some scary **** when using a dolly. I won't ever use one. I tried the flat towing as a young man. I felt it was very unsafe. Also, all the crap thrown out by the tow vehicle will smack your car right in the face.