U-Haul's NEW Car Hauler Trailers

This is a game changer for those that don't have a trailer or only need one from time to time...

https://www.thedrive.com/news/u-haul-just-dropped-a-superior-car-trailer

 

Nice trailer, makes me want to sell mine and put the money in a separate account and wait. But I bet it’s going to be a while before they do a complete rollout. That’s a big dollar trailer.

 

Nope …

Not a car hauler trailer

Read the comments in the link you provided.



Jim
Transporting To Travel
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U-Haul is introducing a new
toy hauler trailer for a niche market

They have not had a different open car hauler design since they started - this is a trailer
that (in my opinion) is not a new car hauler
for their rental fleet.

Jim
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Stories From The Road

 

Looks like it has surge brakes? Also why is the hitch so long? Is there an extension on it?

 

Trailers in the real world that haul vehicles have extended tongues to prevent sharp turns from damaging the trailer and the vehicle on it or in it.


Jim
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Looks good from here. The track width on that can am spyder they've got pictured is about 60" and has room on both sides. Track width on a '60 Cadillac? 61". I think just about any car we like is going to fit just fine....if you've got something that is going to drive over the fenders it's going to be a big lifted 4x4 of some sort so no worries there....

 

Looks great.

More pics here:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a63073711/u-haul-auto-car-transport-toy-hauler-trailer-2025-new/

Uhaul has extended the deck width wise from 6.5' to 8.5 feet providing deck in front and in back of the wheel wells.
Sure your wide and static dropped custom that has rockers 3" off the ground shouldn't be driven over the stepped wheel wells but many other cars can be at least a few inches up on each side. At least you won't feel like your threading the needle like entering a car wash when driving a vehicle onto the current trailer. The stepped wheel wells also provide more grace than the current 12" high steel box fenders for a low front bumper if you're a bit off center during drive on especially if you don't have a spotter.

• will have a use for wide vehicles or lifted vehicles with way oversize tires.
• 3rd ramp will make loading a farm tractor, trike or slingshot much easier.

UHaul current car trailer specs;
Dimensions

• Deck Width 6'5"
• Deck Length 12'3"
• Deck Minimum Width 3'4"
• Fender Height Off of Deck 12"
• Between Ramp 3'7"
• Outside of Ramp 6'4"
• Ramp Length 6'6"
• Deck Height 19"

 

It's got a 16' long by 8.5' wide deck, which is way wider than my 18' wood deck low boy car hauler that I have no issue fitting a large vintage vehicle on between the fenders. Can't open a door without hitting a fender? Climb out of the window, or push it onto the trailer. I'm sure the width between the fenders is wide enough for most normal vehicles to drive between without driving over. The drive over fenders are for wider vehicles like large SXS's and trucks. The holes are dimpled and are for stiffening of the deck floor, not for hooks. Those comments on the link are ridiculous, hahaha.

This is 50x better than the previous car hauler they've offered, and is way more versatile because it's designed for a broad range of different vehicle types.

 

As @anthony myrick might say "I'd tow it"

 

Read The Trailer Description
It is a “ toy hauler” not a
vehicle hauler - the usable
deck area is 16 feet



Folks that own UTV’s and ATC’s
and ATV’s usually already own their own
trailers - those trailers are built for
off road use because they go off
road where the trails and camping spots
are - an aluminum trailer would get
beat to hell - no company in business
to make money would rent an aluminum
trailer intended to be subjected to that use.

Standard deck clearance between wheel wells is a nominal 80 inches on an 8.5 foot wide open
or enclosed car hauler trailer to accommodate market demand - deckover trailers have no wheel wells and are taller which presents a problem for low profile vehicle loading and unloading - removable fenders expose the tires while loading and unloading but are not designed to be driven over - a compromise design offers drive over fenders - but they are all a 90 degree angle relative to the trailer floor - in an enclosed trailer that can present a problem with vehicle clearance height while loading and unloading
low profile vehicles like sprint cars with a removable rear spoiler that have a wide drivetrain footprint are an example of
where that design is effective.

U-Haul car trailers have no winch mount
or winch because vehicles are expected to drive on and off - as noted in the comment I took an image of in my first reply - damage to the body
is likely with an angled wheel well - in my opinion it is likely a vehicle will go off the trailer whether it is being winched or driven.

As noted in another image comment in my first reply - if you take a j hook or other mechanical fastener thru the holes in the aluminum trailer floor it will tear out under load - maybe not the first time - but the aluminum will not wear up under that use - same goes for the aluminum rub rail around the trailer deck - it is not suitable to bear the weight of a vehicle driving on it or the stress exerted by a j hook or mechanical fastener attached to it - it is not designed for that use.

The aluminum loading ramps are also a bad idea for loading and unloading a car because they will fail prematurely due to the weight the must withstand during loading and unloading on uneven surfaces that is experienced in the real world - even on a smooth level paved surface they will not stand up to repeated use.

My observations are from personally transporting over 2300 vehicles since 2006 on both open and enclosed car hauler trailers.

This is a U-Haul advertising campaign
intended to attract customers with a
trailer to transport their toys on paved
and graded roads - it will not be put
into service as a car hauler at
their rental centers.

Jim
Transporting To Travel
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It looks to be a nice one for towing a project home, because for me I might use a trailer once in a blue moon if that. I have a really nice trailer here that I wish someone would buy so I could get it out of my way. It’s a pain in the ass to move it every time I want to get a hot rod out of the garage and backyard

 

Why do you say it's a concept that they're not going to put into production when every article I can find says the exact opposite? They're putting them into production in 2025, and if you haven't noticed 2025 is about 3 weeks away..... and they're rated for 6800 lbs, and can haul trucks and suvs. We know the holes aren't to be used for tying things down. There's tie down slots built in....we can't all hire a guy to haul our stuff across town, state, or country. These things look pretty damn nice, and as I said, the wheelwells aren't going to be an issue for any of our cars, there's more than enough width between them for even a large fullsize car like a Cadillac or Impala to fit without even putting one wheel over them....they call it a toy hauler because it sounds "cool", not because they're made for actual toys like Legos and a Barbie Corvette.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a63073711/u-haul-auto-car-transport-toy-hauler-trailer-2025-new/

 

Sure. It's trailer. The couple times I've wanted to rent a U-Haul trailer I have had a bitch of time finding one that was available when I needed it.

 

I used a older U Haul trailer to get my Sunliner home from Florida after I killed the trans and it done fine but that GMC van I rented to pull it was a under powered pig.

 

Having rented a older U-haul car hauler, this new one looks nice, but honestly not much better then the what is currently avalible. This one may actualy have a higher deck height, so loading ma be a little harder. The comment of having to drive over the fenders is nonsense. If your car can drive up the ramps it will fit between the fenders. This thing is more made for multi-use instead of just a car hauler.

 

The deck between the fenders looks to be pretty close to what most of us have between the fenders on our trailers. I see them being aimed at the folks who have a big tire lifted that they want to trailer to Moab for a bucket list crawl but normally drive it to their play grounds back home or only need a trailer a couple times a year and tying several K up in a trailer that sits 90% of the time doesn't fly. That is the reason for the drive over fenders not hot rod or low slung kustoms.

 

Reading between the lines I think they expect people to use this trailer for tractors, forklifts, pallets of material, the sort of stuff people already use the 6x12 and the car hauler for but for which the loading and unloading is frequently hard on the ramps and fenders and whatnot. While it's nominally marketed as a toy hauler the people doing "heavy duty" things outnumber the people hauling toys by a lot.

I don't think they expect this to be better than the car hauler for literal car hauling.

For all the sort of stuff that makes the "usual suspects" around here screech like Karens on facebook about safety this trailer might be just the ticket.

If I had to move a short MDT or a day cab tractor this trailer would be high on my list of ways to do it.

 

“ Reading between the lines “ is just fine when
the person doing it is using their own equipment and taking full responsibility for their personal decisions and the consequences that result.

The official press release from U-Haul, including a photo posted above of what the intended rental target market is - nowhere in the official press
release is there a photo of a car on the trailer
or a mention of the trailer being a car or equipment hauling rental trailer to the public



I have commented on other threads posted
regarding the legal liability and resulting consequences of renting equipment not expressly intended for the use of the person signing the rental contract.

Jim
Transporting To Travel
Traveling To Share
Stories From The Road

 

Yep, right there in the same Road and Track article you posted, it says it's able to haul SUVs, pickups, and equipment up to 6800 lbs.

"The addition of this new towable was largely driven by the changing automotive market. As vehicle weights and sizes creep up, U-Haul’s existing trailer lineup no longer meets the weight demands of typical full-size SUV or truck owners. The brand has also had an influx of customers looking for a trailer option for items like side-by-sides and tractors, which also don’t easily or safely fit on the current offering."

 

I've used the older 'hauls many, many times and have never been disappointed with them. They pull great loaded, they say "55 only" but hell, i've taken 'em to 85 no sweat. Like someone said, only problem was finding one when needed, very popular.

 

Just say it already.... you hate it.

 

I don't think he likes the idea of anyone but himself hauling anything.........

 

My comments on this thread are
based on the U-Haul Official Press Release
which is not what has been represented
in the media spin on it.


Jim
Transporting To Travel
Traveling To Share
Stories From The Road

 

I don't think a 967 lbs. Can-Am Spyder is anywhere near the 6800 lbs. capacity of the new trailer, they seriously overbuilt that sumbitch for their intended market, don't ya think?.....I've got a better guess why they posted that as a demo vehicle/press photo: They probably wanted to demonstrate the fact that the new trailer, unlike the old ones, can haul a 3 wheel vehicle, as well as a truck, SUV, car, or tractor. Pretty much anything that weighs under 6800 lbs.

 

Please attach a link to the "U-Haul Official Press Release"

 

These image are the actual official
U-Haul press release with a photo
of intended rental use - read it and
you will see this is not a replacement
for their car hauler trailer - this is
a new trailer design for a niche market.

To sensationalize and draw attention
to their reviews - opinions have been
added by online reviewers to what
U-Haul plans to rent this trailer for
and this misperception is being
continued on this thread - starting
with the title.




Jim
Transporting To Travel
Traveling To Share
Stories From The Road

 

How are you reading that article and missing this part of it? It clearly, very clearly, says that the new trailer is coming out because truck and SUV weights have crept up, and people also need to haul tractors in addition to heavier trucks and SUVs. Additionally, the new trailer can haul 3 wheelers. CLEARLY states that is why they came out with this trailer. How do you keep skipping over certain parts of the article you repeatedly quote? The new trailer has a higher weight capacity than the old ones. Are you saying that it doesn't? Are you saying that even though it's rated for 6800 lbs. that it can only haul things that weigh under 1000 because that's what they put a picture of out there? Do they need to put every single type of vehicle that weighs under 6800 lbs. on the trailer to demonstrate every single thing it can haul?

"The addition of this new towable was largely driven by the changing automotive market. As vehicle weights and sizes creep up, U-Haul’s existing trailer lineup no longer meets the weight demands of typical full-size SUV or truck owners. The brand has also had an influx of customers looking for a trailer option for items like side-by-sides and tractors, which also don’t easily or safely fit on the current offering."

You also claim that the article you quote is "media spin". Then when someone asked you where you found the official U-haul press release, you quote the same article you said is "media spin" as being the U-haul press release.

 

The quotes referenced in the post directly
above are from the reviewer and not from
The U-Haul Official Press Release and the
those quotes are the opinion of the reviewer
for why U-Haul introduced The Toy Hauler.

Jim
Transporting To Travel
Traveling To Share
Stories From The Road

 

This has got to be one of the craziest and most head bang against the wall arguments I've ever had in my life. Your own quote, of Jasmine Spenser, who is the head of the U-haul towing program clearly states this is a higher capacity offering, not a smaller one. Higher means more weight. Is the term higher capacity confusing to you? You quoted her. Your own quote states that the new trailer is higher capacity. You quoted the head of the towing program at U-haul. She says it's higher capacity. It can handle more weight. Hokey smokes, man, it's a lot easier for you to just say "I'm sorry everybody, I misread that article and didn't see that the new trailer can haul 6800 lbs. as compared to the old trailers that can only handle 5290 lbs. I'm sorry, thanks". So. Damn. Simple.....here's the same quote you just posted:

"Jasmine Spencer, manager of the towing program at U-Haul headquarters, told Road & Track. “By adding this higher capacity option, the rental fleet can better serve a wider range of customer needs, ensuring that there are suitable trailers available for both smaller and larger vehicles, as well as a wide variety of cargo options.”

She, the head of the towing program at U-haul, says they added this higher capacity option. Higher capacity. More weight. 6800 lbs actually.