Hi Richard…
I wanted to give you a review of our Eze-Tow dolly… It arrived in Arizona, where we winter from Canada. I was extremely impressed with the packing and the shipping by Conway was excellent. The dolly was a snap to set up and the construction is excellent in every way. I just towed our 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan for the first time and was very impressed with the performance.
As we operate a Mobile RV Service business in Calgary, Alberta, Canada during the summers, we have operated many vehicles for our business. We have used full-size vans, 4WD pickups and other heavier vehicles. I have setup many, many vehicles with towbar baseplates, transmission lube pump systems and braking systems and so did our own vehicles as well. On our last vehicle, a 2010 Chevrolet 4WD pickup, flat towing with our Diesel motorhome was really felt… the weight along with turning the 4WD drivetrain caused poor fuel economy and performance.
A number of years ago, we operated small minivans for our business and the size of the vehicle, fuel economy and performance fits well for our business. I had heard alot of very good reports and reviews on the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan and decided to try this for improved fuel economy and driveability. I am extremely happy with this van and now will use them moving forward.
I had contemplated outfitting the van for flat-towing but after a transfer-case problem while flat-towing our 4WD Chevrolet pickup, decided to go with a tow dolly to eliminate the costly setup (parts only as I install all the systems). Also, the labour for the installation of the necessary equipment to flat tow was going to approach $4500.00 for a new braking system, transmission lube pump system and towbar with baseplate and the necessary extra's to make it complete. I looked at other dollies in the marketplace but the construction was less than appealing and after seeing your website, I knew I had found the right unit for our needs.
In towing our Grand Caravan for the first time, without the drivetrain resistance of our previous pickup, it is absolutely amazing! The motorhome performs as though it is not towing a vehicle at all… probably in part to all wheels are "free-wheeling" with no drivetrain in the equation. In our milage calculations, I estimate that we are getting about 4 miles per gallon better than towing our former pickup… Impressive!
Also, on the rear of the van, we have a bikerack for our 2 mountainbikes. I was thinking that as with most dollies, the bikes couldn't be transported this way however, with the low deck height, this is not a problem… the bikes ride perfectly on the back of the van.
The only unfortunate thing for us is the Grand Caravan won't accept the ASRS chain system due to sensors and brake lines in the way. The ASRS straps however secure the van perfectly to the deck and do not allow any movement at all.
After the disc brake anti-corrosion coating had burned off, I tried a "panic stop" and was extrely impressed with the braking… smooth and stable characterize the stopping power of the dolly with our van. I had an industry-leading supplemental braking system in our pickup and thought it braked well… this system is every bit as good and is built-in.
Being from Canada, we needed the necessary documentation to clear the border and register the unit in our home province. Everything needed was in our package and should be a breeze to bring into the country and register.
So once again, thanks for making an awesome product which, in my opinion, "kicks all your competition in the pants". It has been a great purchase and we look forward to trouble-free towing our new Grand Caravan!
Tony Thomas
RVMD Mobile RV Service
Calgary, AB, Canada