Choosing equipment to tow a car behind an RV starts with compatibility, not convenience. The right answer depends on both vehicles, the equipment, and the route you’ll travel.
Check both vehicle manuals first
Start with the current manual for the towing vehicle. Then read the manual for the car you plan to transport. Don’t rely on a general chart, an old forum post, or advice for a different model year.
Look for the manufacturer’s instructions on recreational towing and trailer use. Record any stated limits, required equipment, and prohibited configurations. If the manual doesn’t address your planned setup, contact the vehicle manufacturer or an authorized service department.
You also need the manual for the specific dolly or carrier. Product names alone don’t establish compatibility. Two pieces of equipment described with similar words may have different dimensions, ratings, hitch requirements, or operating instructions.
Create a checklist for all three parts:
- The RV, truck, or other towing vehicle
- The car being transported
- The exact dolly or carrier under consideration
A rental listing or sales page doesn’t replace those manuals. Ask the equipment provider to identify the exact model before you reserve it. Confirm that its current manual will be available when you pick it up.
This matters when you want to tow a truck with a tow dolly. The approved information for this site doesn’t establish that trucks, pickups, or any drivetrain type are universally compatible with dollies. The answer must come from the current vehicle and equipment manuals.
Don’t treat a popular percentage rule as permission to proceed. We couldn’t confirm a universal “80% rule” in the approved material for this page. Use the manufacturer’s actual limits instead.
Compare how each method supports the car
The useful comparison isn’t the name printed on the reservation. It’s how the chosen equipment supports your particular car during travel.
Ask whether the setup leaves any car wheels on the road. Then confirm which wheels are supported and which continue rolling. Check the car manual for instructions covering that exact position. If the manual prohibits it or stays unclear, don’t improvise.
For a carrier, confirm whether the complete car sits on the equipment. Some people also use “car carrier” to describe a commercial transport service. Clarify whether you’re comparing two rental products or comparing a dolly with professional transport.
These questions separate the options without making unsupported compatibility claims:
- Which wheels will the equipment support?
- Which wheels, if any, remain on the pavement?
- Does the car manual approve that configuration?
- Does the equipment manual list the car as compatible?
- Can the towing vehicle handle the complete proposed setup?
- Do body changes affect clearance or loading?
- What inspections does the equipment manual require during travel?
Don’t assume a trailer to tow a car automatically fits every vehicle. Full support doesn’t erase the towing vehicle’s limits. Partial support doesn’t prove that the car can travel that way.
This is also where personal preference matters. Consider how comfortable you are managing the combined setup. Think about parking, fuel stops, campground access, and what you’ll do if the equipment needs attention. Those concerns come after the manuals approve the configuration, never before.
Confirm vehicle and equipment limits
Gather the exact identifiers before calling a rental company or transport operator. You’ll need the year, make, model, and configuration of both vehicles. Keep the equipment model and manual nearby too.
Ask the provider to confirm every applicable limit in writing from its current records. Quick Tow EP can’t verify rental inventory, equipment ratings, or manufacturer compatibility. We also don’t rent dollies or carriers.
Don’t publish or trust a generic weight limit for all equipment. The approved claims ledger doesn’t confirm one. Ratings vary by the specific equipment and towing vehicle. The manufacturer or equipment provider must supply the applicable figures.
The same caution applies to hitches, brakes, lights, straps, chains, tire pressure, and loading steps. Follow the current manuals. Don’t substitute instructions from another dolly, trailer, RV, or car.
Price needs the same exact approach. No verified universal dolly or carrier price is available here. Rental length, equipment, route, provider terms, and other details may affect what you’re offered. Request the full amount and terms from the provider before accepting.
If you’re considering a professional Texas towing company, you can check the company or operator through the TDLR license search. Texas has separate towing license categories based on the work performed. New Mexico has different governing rules, so don’t apply Texas licensing information across the state line.
Pause if any document conflicts with another. Ask the manufacturer or equipment provider to resolve the conflict. A guess made in a travel-stop parking lot isn’t a compatibility decision.
Consider the route and destination
An approved setup still needs to fit the actual trip. El Paso routes can change the practical choice, especially when an RV and transported car create a longer combination.
A run along I-10 isn’t the same as moving through central El Paso. Loop 375 includes Border Highway and Cesar Chavez on the south, Joe Battle on the east, and Transmountain on the north. Other common routes include US-54, Spur 601, Mesa Street, Montana Avenue, and Dyer Street.
Trips toward Horizon City often involve Horizon Boulevard or Eastlake Drive. Socorro, Clint, and Fabens may place you near North Loop Drive, also known as FM 76. TxDOT describes much of its studied corridor as a two-lane, two-way rural road with narrow shoulders. That route deserves more planning than a simple map preview.
Weather belongs in the route check. El Paso’s July normal high is 96.1°F. Monsoon season runs from July through September and can bring short, intense storms and flash flooding. March and April bring dust and wind, with possible low visibility on I-10.
Plan fuel stops, overnight parking, turns, and the final unloading location using the complete combination. Confirm restrictions with the RV park, storage property, hotel, or destination before leaving.
State lines matter too. Sunland Park, Santa Teresa, Chaparral, and Anthony, New Mexico, aren’t governed by Texas towing rules. If your trip crosses into New Mexico, check the current requirements with the appropriate New Mexico authority and your equipment provider.
Ask when professional transport may fit
Professional help may fit when the manuals don’t approve your proposed setup. It may also make sense when the documents conflict, the equipment provider can’t confirm compatibility, or you don’t want to manage the combination yourself.
Tell the operator exactly what must be moved. Include both vehicles, your location, destination, and any visible damage. Mention whether the car rolls, steers, starts, or has been modified. Those details help the operator evaluate the work without assuming compatibility.
For an RV-related situation, our RV and trailer towing referral line can connect you with an independent local operator. The operator decides whether the requested work fits its equipment and licensing. You’ll deal with and pay that company directly.
Confirm the price before the operator hooks up. A driver-requested tow is a consent tow, so the El Paso nonconsent fee table doesn’t set its price. Quick Tow EP sets no rates and quotes no totals.
If the vehicle is already stranded on a covered El Paso highway, TxDOT HERO may provide certain free roadside services. HERO covers specified portions of I-10, Loop 375, and US-54 during its published operating hours. It can move stranded vehicles from travel lanes or shoulders, but it isn’t transportation to a repair shop.
Professional transport doesn’t remove your need to ask questions. Confirm the operator’s plan, the destination, the price, and which company will perform the work.
When to call us
Call when the manuals don’t support your plan, the car is disabled, or the trip needs licensed towing equipment. Call us at (915) 615-5465 and we’ll connect you with an independent licensed operator who handles this work. If nobody picks up, leave a voicemail.