When you need a car towed, the best thing you can do is to call a local towing service. They have the tools and equipment to get your car where you need it quickly and safely. Unfortunately, that's not always an immediate option. If you need to tow your car with another vehicle, even if it's just to get it out of the way until a towing service can arrive, it's important that you do so safely. If you've never had to tow a car before, the whole concept may seem confusing. Here are a few methods you can consider to tow your car safely with another vehicle.

Car Carrier or Trailer

If the towing vehicle is a truck or another vehicle large enough to safely tow a trailer or car carrier, that's your safest alternative to a towing service with a flatbed. Car carriers and tow trailers connect to a trailer hitch on the back of the towing vehicle, and you drive the car to be towed onto that trailer. Just remember that you'll need a tow vehicle with enough tow capacity to handle the weight of the car you're towing. Check the tow rating in the owner's manual before you hit the road, and when in doubt, call a professional instead.

Tow Dolly

Unlike a car carrier, only the front wheels of your car will be off the ground when you opt for a tow dolly. A tow dolly is a smaller version of a trailer, so the front wheels are all that fits on it. You'll still have to follow the same towing rules, including making sure that the tow vehicle has the capacity for the added weight. Otherwise, you may put too much strain on the engine of the tow vehicle, causing engine failure. You can rent a tow dolly from most equipment rental companies. They're lightweight, and attach to the tow hitch the same way that a standard trailer would.

Tow Bar

Tow bars mount to the car being towed by hooking around the suspension. Then, they attach to the towing vehicle via the trailer hitch. The basic structure of a tow bar resembles an "A." For safe towing with a tow bar, you'll need to have safety chains securing the towed vehicle to the tow bar and the tow bar to the truck. The chains just act as reinforcement, just in case. Tow bar towing is a bit less stable than towing with a trailer or dolly, so make sure you're traveling at safe speeds, and don't ride too close to the car in front of you. You'll want to be able to stop gently so you don't push on the rear of the vehicle.

Check with a company like Elden Dattage Towing & Auto Repair for more advice about towing your car safely.

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