Our Touring Past

The Dolly.
An alternative to using overload springs on the rear of the car is to use a dolly. A dolly takes most of the weight off the car and carries the weight itself. The big advantage of using a dolly instead of a weight distributing tow bar is that the dolly removes the weight of the caravan from the rear of the tow car, with the minium weight at the towbar for use on towing dollies would be 200 lbs.
There are many people who use or would like to use a fairly heavy caravan, but who cannot justify owning a big car for 50 weeks of the year so that they can tow in comfort for two weeks.

Two Types

Hutchinson and the Henderson.
Early development of towing dollies with 2 wheels trailed behind the car carrying the caravan coupling. The dolly has a coupling at the front to connect to the car and a ball at the back to connect to the caravan, which has proved its capabilities and limitations to the Australian Caravanner.

Jones'
The built in dolly wheel of the Jones type has its place in our caravans of today, where comfort and convenience frequently dictate increased size and weight of the caravan being towed. With the main advantage of this dolly wheel being that it does not change the way in which the caravan is reversed.
( taken from 1950 caravan article )

HUTCHINSON DOLLY WHEELS.

1958 Ad

1962 Ad
1963 Ad.
The not as popular Henderson Dolly Wheel.

1967 Ad





JONES DOLLY WHEEL.

1962 Ad.
1969 Ad.

Interesting stuff.

I have a Hutchinson Dolly I have purchased to possibly use with the Clipper. Are the chains as pictured only safety chains or do they actually perform some other sort of function?
Also are the red bars as pictured part of the dolly set up or are they something to do with the van drawbar?

thanks, Leigh.

Hi Leigh. I believe that the chains have a dual role. (1) Safety & (2) They prevent the dolly wheels from jamming under the draw bar when executing turns.As for the red handle thingy, don`t know. Could it be a Measuring gauge? Have seen something like it which tells you the weight on the tow ball.cheers

Hi Sportsman and DC3td.

Correct the chains stop the wheels from turning under the draw bar while cornering and while trying to reverse.
I could imagine that it would be pritty hard to reverse a caravan with the dolly wheel in place.

The red bars are the folding leg / jocky wheel for the Propert.

Cheers.
Richard

Hello Richard. Now that makes sense.And a great idea having a support arm/bracket attatched directly behind the coupling.Hmm,food for thought (for mine).cheers

I have been thinking about the problem of backing with the unit fitted.

What would happen if you have the dolly "fixed solid" to the caravan using 2 removable arms? Wouldn't that allow the caravan to be backed more easily?

Same process but "fix" the dolly to the car.

Anybody here had experience with towing with a Hutchinson fitted?

I have also seem them fitted with load levellers????????? Thought the dolly was supposed to do that job.

cheers, Leigh.

Hi Leigh.Back in the early `70s i used to travel around Oz on the Show circuit driving an old Fargo P/v with a 30` in tow.It was fitted with ? dolly wheels.Probably like yours. Had no problem reversing.Used to drive an Acco c1700 in that time with them too though i had more probs reversing with that than the Fargo. I think you`ll find that if you 'fix' the dollys so they don`t turn you`ll only create big problems concerning them 'digging' in. And probably find you`ll tear the tyres of them.The dollys are a unique design in that apart from taking 'load', they enhance the ride & steering.cheers

Well it has taken me a while but I have finally dug up some information on the elusive Carapark Single Wheel Dolly and the Hutchinson Single Caster wheel Dolly.

A 1959 Ad for the Carapark Dolly wheel.
And a 1959 photo of a Hutchinson single caster wheel Dolly with inbuilt shock absorber and steering arm that attaches to the rear of the car.

A 1959 Litecraft Caravan with a Carapark caster wheel dolly.

Here's an advert for the Hendy Caravan Dolly from Australian Motor Manual, July 1963. Sometimes think I should be searching for one of these
Also from the same magazine an advert for adjustable air overload springs. By coincidence I was given a set of these when I first got the caravan but wasn't sure how to fit them correctly and in the end went for a spring upgrade instead. Sold by Carapark among others according to the advert although it doesn't actually name a manufacturer, other than BSC

George