Employee Retirement Plans - Expected Benefit Payments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Expected benefit payments
Voluntary contribution	$ 1,300
Pension plan
Expected benefit payments
2017	1,400
2018	1,430
2019	1,410
2020	1,480
2021	1,530
2022-2026	9,560
Pension funding contributions made	1,711	$ 1,775
Required pension funding contributions expected to be made in next fiscal year	$ 216
Pension plan \| Minimum
Expected benefit payments
Pension funding contributions made		$ 411

Represents the amount of benefits expected to be paid in the four fiscal years after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plow_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsFourFiscalYearsThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	plow_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The increase in the fair value of plan assets from contributions made by the employer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanEstimatedFutureBenefitPaymentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References