Tow dolly delima

Trukinbear · Jul 29, 2023

Hi, is there a reason my i3 can't be towed with the rear wheels off the road on a tow dolly, being towed backwards? I'm forced into a situation where I'm the only driver, but have 2 vehicles to drive 200 miles home. The other vehicle is AWD and cannot be towed, plus I don't have a hitch on my i3. It IS rear wheel drive with both motive, and regenerative braking done solely by the rear wheels, right? I don't see anything but rarely used disk brakes up front. Everybody seems to say NO to tow, but I just can't see why backwards with the rear wheels off the ground wouldn't work.

Thoughts?

mojo · Jul 29, 2023

I strongly advise that you do what it says in the Owner's Manual.

It says "Do not have the vehicle towed" and "Only have the vehicle transported on a truck bed" which clearly shows all four wheels on the bed.

It doesn't specifically say that you can't tow the vehicle backwards with the front wheels on the ground, but the words "If the vehicle is towed with one axle raised, the vehicle can be damaged" do not distinguish between front and rear axles.

They don't even make exceptions for short distances - the manual says that if you need to move it without power for short distances, it should be pushed with all four wheels on the ground, at a speed no greater than 6MPH.

alohart · Jul 29, 2023

mojo said:
I strongly advise that you do what it says in the Owner's Manual.

It says "Do not have the vehicle towed" and "Only have the vehicle transported on a truck bed" which clearly shows all four wheels on the bed.

The Owner's Manual seems to have been written to simplify the life of an i3 owner so the owner doesn't have to think much. It might be confusing to write that an i3 could be towed with only the front wheels on the road. However, without a built-in steering wheel lock, it could be unsafe to tow with the front wheels on the road and the front wheels being able to steer at random. If an i3 is in drive ready state and only the front wheels are rotating, what would traction control do?

I wouldn't hesitate to tow an i3 with only its front wheels on the road if it is off and the steering wheel is secured such that the front wheels are pointing straight ahead. I don't know how to secure a steering wheel, but tow truck drivers probably do.

EvanstonI3 · Jul 29, 2023

Go to a grocery store. Get a shopping cart. Push it forward.

Then pull it backwards. Watch the front wheels while you reverse direction.

I've known several people throughout the years who have attempted to tow a vehicle backwards like this.
The only ones who were successful had the steering wheel tied off and secured in some way to keep the wheels straight so they did not end up locked left or right. They were also not traveling hundreds of miles. The unlucky ones did not get very far.

mojo · Jul 30, 2023

alohart said:
I wouldn't hesitate to tow an i3 with only its front wheels on the road if it is off and the steering wheel is secured such that the front wheels are pointing straight ahead. I don't know how to secure a steering wheel, but tow truck drivers probably do.

I guess if it were an emergency and there were no other options then I would consider it, for short distances. You're right - vehicle recovery drivers do have techniques for securing the steered wheels when towing backwards with the front wheels on the ground (though my knowledge of this extends only as far as having watched TV programs in which it was done).

But this doesn't seem to be an emergency. As far as I can see, the OP has the option of making the journey twice or finding another driver to drive the other vehicle.

Trukinbear · Jul 30, 2023

Thanks for the replies. I cannot make the trip twice, I'm the only living driver I know (sadly). I could return with a suitable tow rig, but the only economy is that I'll already be there. Not feasible to return burning dino juice at $5+ gallon. Cars used to have locking steering wheels as a theft deterrent, and only just now have I noticed that my i3 doesn't. Weird.
Anyway, it doesn't look like you could get it up on the dolly backwards and be able to slide the ramps in since the wheelbase is too short - wasn't really going to try.
Oh well, like I needed another Jeep.