RE: Tug conversion
Piggyback launchs are cool and a lot of fun as well as easier but I would not neccessarily call it a better way. Thats because it does not offer challange and skills that must be acquired with aerotow on both ends of the towline.
Aerotow for those five or six that I have mentored into the technique becomes the whole point of the flight and some will circle down quickly to get in another tow.
Here are some of the wheeled launch dollys I built for the guys using conventional gliders: