Need suggestions and info on braking systems for a toad.

Mr. T · June 28, 2014, 06:42 AM

Yes, they do and that is important, especially with the Acme, due to the centrifugal braking system. The tongue needs to ride level to the ground. I dropped my ball about 2 inches to level out the dolly.

The adjustable hitch allowed me to dead center the receiver to the coach body. All combined, makes for an awesome tow.

Don T.

Rickf1985 · June 28, 2014, 08:46 AM

The hitch that is on the RV now is scary! It has a class 3 receiver for towing a toad and I know the previous owners did because I found all the paperwork for the tow bar and brakes for the car. Once you look up behind the bumper you see it is nothing more than a glorified class one hitch. sort of like what you used to get from U-Haul back in the 70's, they would clamp it to your bumper. That is all coming off and I will be replacing it with a weld on class three. This will reinforce the fact that the frame is not solid from front to back so between that and the gussets I will be putting on the frame I will have much more confidence in the rear end staying where it belongs and the rear cap seams not separating from the body. Ball height is an easy setup with several different types of hitches but 14-16 inches is standard.
I have towed many different types of trailers over the years with several trucks, one of which was a lifted 4x4 so I have probably 15 different height ball mounts. Being a fabricator if I couldn't find the one I needed quickly I just built another one, only took an hour to make one. I must have four or five of each of a couple sizes. Ought to sell some!

Rickf1985 · June 28, 2014, 09:20 AM

Quote from: Mr. T on June 27, 2014, 09:38 PM
Could be the line about an over-hang threw them off. Extension might have been a better description. My encore has an eight foot extension, probably similar to yours. I bounce and rock and roll down the highway and by-ways without any problem. Do you have a hitch in place? If not, I would suggest a universal adjustable.

When I bought my Acme, I received great service without any problems. Bad customer relations or not, I like the Acme.

Don T.

You could very well be right about the wording. They have a sale going on right now where it is 1300.00 if you agree to buy a spare tire at another 150.00. the sale ends Monday. I don't know if that is a good deal or not but if it is and I miss out because I can't get them to answer I will not be happy.

Mr. T · June 28, 2014, 09:38 AM

I bought mine in October, 2012. The dolly was 1489.99, plus 75.00 to have it delivered on a truck with a lift gate. Unless you have a tow motor on the property, you will need the lift gate option. It comes in one crate and is heavy as hell.

So, at 1300.00, plus 150.00, plus 75.00 equals 1525.00. That's a few dollars less that I paid two years ago. Not bad at all considering inflation.

Don T.

Rickf1985 · June 28, 2014, 07:47 PM

This guy does not want to sell a dolly to me. I have e-mailed back and forth and it seems their advertising leaves a little to the imagination in the truth stretching department. They say a up to a 20" rim will fit. They tell me a 35" tire will not fit. Must be a really low profile 20" tire on that 20" rim! Looking at the pictures again it looks like actually the only thing that will fit is a compact car tire. Attached are the e-mails that were exchanged, you have to read from bottom to top.

Mr. T · June 28, 2014, 08:29 PM

I think you might be wasting your money buying an Acme. As tow dollies go, this would have to be considered a light weight. I wouldn't dream of towing anything more than 5000 lbs. The frame and axle of the dolly wouldn't handle the stress, much less the welds. Another problem is there are no tire wells. The tires sit on the flats of the dolly. Large jeep tires would definitely be a problem.

I love my Acme, but would not use it in the application your describing. I'm sorry if I caused you to waste your time.

Don T.

Rickf1985 · June 29, 2014, 09:53 AM

Hey, No problem Don. At this point I am up for any suggestions. I also still cannot find any straight rims for the RV. I have four rims that are bent pretty bad, two are out of round and bounce. Not a fun ride. I have no idea how this can happen on an RV, On a delivery truck I can see it with jumping curbs and stuff but in an RV? There are NO RV salvage places on the East coast except Fla. and I am in NJ. I have called all around me and nothing. I found one place 100 miles from me that has them but they do not know if they are straight. They guarantee them but it is up to me to find out if they are straight.

DaveVA78Chieftain · June 29, 2014, 10:05 AM

Mill Supply carries both 16" and 19.5" new rims.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/19-5x6-00-gm-wheel-rim-chevy-ford-dodge-p30-/160577048504

Dave

Rickf1985 · June 29, 2014, 11:55 AM

They are 8 lug, I need 10. They look a little rough too, I want to be able to see that they are round before committing to them. Guarantee or not, that is a lot of money on the street for used parts that you are trusting someone to give back if they decide to trust you plus then there is the shipping at 50+ lbs. per wheel. I am going to have to find somewhere that I can pick them up to make it feasible and financially safe for me. I don't want to start the wheel thing on this thread since I have another thread on it somewhere, don't know where but it is out there somewhere.