Towing Your New Crosley Home

Several of our recent Captivated by Crosley Tech Tips have focused on finding the car, the phone call to decide whether to view it in person, and, most recently, the on-site “walk-around” for assessing the Crosley's condition. Crosleys are very small and have very different towing considerations. Depending on the model, per Crosley's specs, your Crosley is at most 149″ long and 49″ wide, weighing a bit over 1,300 lbs.

1. Renting a Trailer

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

   Borrowing a Trailer. Same precaution as renting: the trailer must be at least 12′ long, and you need a closed-deck trailer so the car doesn't 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 that lifts the front two wheels of a car off the ground while the rear wheels stay on the road. The spacing between the rails is fixed and too wide for a Crosley (only 3 feet from the inside of the 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 it seems safe, you're towing a ~1,200-lb car on 70+-year-old suspension — assess that before you tow. A few considerations:

   • Do the wheels run smoothly?
   • Is the steering in good condition to follow when turning?
   • Are the bearings in good shape? Do they roll smoothly, without “lumpy” spots in the rotation?
   • Is there sufficient rear-end lubrication?

   Also, if you do use a tow bar, be sure to use grade-8 bolts when attaching it.

   

4. Shipping the Crosley

   Know the exact Crosley dimensions — length, width, and inside-tire width at minimum — and tell the shipping agency. The Crosley has a narrow wheelbase (about 3 feet between the inside of the tires) and will not fit safely on a common car carrier. Some flatbed trailers will work, but you'll most likely need a closed-deck trailer for shipping.

   

5. Placing It in a Pickup Bed

   It will fit in an 8′ pickup bed with the gate down — but you have to leave the gate down and extend its length to make it fit. Remember, depending on the model, your Crosley is at most 149″ long and 49″ wide.