Several of our recent “Captivated by Crosley” Tech Tips focused on; finding the car, the phone call to see if you wanted to view the car in person, and most recently, the onsite “Walk-around” assessing the Crosley’s condition. Crosleys are very small and have very different towing considerations. Your Crosley, depending on the model, according to the Crosley “spec’s” is maximally 149’ long and 49” wide, weighing a bit over 1300 lbs.

1) Renting a Trailer

Regardless of what the rental facility tells you, most “car carrying” trailers don’t work for a Crosley. It is only 3 feet wide from the inside of the tires.) An open deck trailer is opened in the center of the trailer and that opening is too wide for a Crosley to fit.

Borrowing a Trailer.

This is the same precaution as renting. The Trailer must be at least 12’ long and you need a closed deck trailer so it does not fall through the middle of the wheel rails designed for “most” cars.

2) Renting a Tow Dolly

A tow dolly is a two-wheeled, specialized trailer designed for towing vehicles behind a moving vehicle. Basically, it lifts the front two wheels of a car off the ground while the rear wheels remain on the road. The spacing between the rails is fixed and too wide for a Crosley which is only 3 feet from the inside of the Crosley tires.) You can also rent a 12’ open trailer (available from U-Haul) which will work for a Crosley.

3) Using a Tow Bar

These usually attach to the bumper brackets (Scary). Although seemingly safe, you are towing an 1200 pound car with 70+ year old suspension. That needs to be assessed before you tow. Here are a few considerations:

o   Do the wheels run smoothly?

o   Is the steering in good condition to follow when turning?

o   Are the bearings in good shape? Do they roll “smoothly” without “lumpy” spots in the rotation?

o   Is their sufficient rear end lubrication?

 Also, if you do consider using a tow bar, ensure that you use grade 8 bolts when attaching it.

4) Placing It on a Pickup Bed

You put it in your 8’ pickup bed it will fit with gate down but you have to leave gate down and extend length of gate to make it fit.  Remember, Your new Crosley, depending on the model, is maximally 149’ long and 49” wide.

(My favorite - only with a Crosley)

5) Shipping the Crosley

Know the exact Crosley dimensions – length, width, inside tire width minimally) and tell the shipping agency. Specifically, the Crosley has a narrow wheel base (about 3 feet between the inside of the tires), and it will not fit safely on a common car carrier. Some flatbed trailers will work, but more than likely you will need a closed deck trailer for shipping.