If you do use U-Haul, heres a tip. If it is a rare car or prewar car you are towing, they usually do not have it in their computer system. They must enter the car being towed which tells them the weight. I was going to pick up my 46 dodge 1/2 ton and they couldnt find it in the computer. They said they had to compare it to the next closest model. That ended up being a 1 ton which was not rated for their trailer and wouldnt let me rent it. I drove up the street to the next U-Haul and told the guy I was towing a 55 chevy. I knew that was in their computer system and light enough to tow on their trailer. Lesson of the day...Always tell them you're towing a 55 Chevy.
understood . weight /to/rating info. i was just stating that there looks like a lot of risk at stake . car hanging over the front of the trailer, wheel tubs inches to the clean painted car...at that point call a flat bed..?
Nope not scary at all, the trailer came with front tire ratchets straps and we ratchet strapped (the heavy duty ones) the rear down to the trailer. Stayed in the slow lane, truck out of o/d and took it slow and easy. The Merc didn't move a bit, if you load it properly, drive carefully you'll have no problems. It was pushing the 1/2 ton truck a little but it has a class 3 hitch. Do you think that the local tow drivers are any better....they don't care. I've dealt with various towing companies with work for awhile and I wouldn't trust them. We stopped for food/stretching out and checked the load every time. With the tow companies you hope they don't hook a brake line or bend a tie rod (both of which have happened multiple times). It comes down to time = money for tow companies. BTW it's a friends Merc not mine.
Two other points on renting one from U Haul. Sometimes not all U Haul locations will have one on the lot so it is best to call a few days in advance so they can have one delivered to their location, waiting for you the day you want it. We always call ahead and only one time was it not there. Secondly, if you have an extremely low car, like some hot rods and customs, the ramp angle can be a little steep where the ramps meet the trailer. We have found that if you disconnect the trailer from the tow vehicle, block the tires of the trailer, and put a floorjack and jackstands under the tongue and raise it higher, it will create a straighter shot for the lowered car to travel up. Once the car is up over that hump you can lower the tongue back down and finish securing the vehicle. In addition to the nets that go over the two front tires and cinch down, their trailers also have a safety chain at the front and back to wrap around the axles for additional security. We wrap towels around the axles first so the chain won't scratch up the chrome or paint on the axles, but on a non finished undercarriage it really wouldn't be an issue. The reason '54 Caddy gave for telling them it is a different car than what you might be towing is valid. If they go into their computer and can't find the exact car you are towing they will pick something they feel is similar and it might make them not want to rent it........so you have to play the game a little. Don
I rented from a local rental store on Wednesday..Left home to pickup a truck,,got 500 miles down the road into Iowa and front axle tires were skimming off, cords showing on one tire,,bent axle obviously. So I put new tires on that night,,in the morning I called and asked rental folks what I should do, did not tell them I had already installed tires but they said put new tires on and they would cover the costs and they did. Had to rotate the tires on the way home they were skimming off so fast!
One thing nobody has touched on is with surge brakes, you must disable the unit if you are backing uphill. There should be a lever on the unit or at least instructions on how that unit operates. It will feel like it's just getting heavier and heavier until you realize the brakes are coming on.
Vandalia rental. Used them so many times without a problem. I forget the rates but here the site. http://www.vandaliarental.com/
I'm not sure what the trailer was but on the way back from picking up an axle for my boat trailer yesterday I saw a guy with a midsize suv pulled over by the state patrol when he was hauling a Caprice low rider on a trailer. I figure he got a ticket for pulling a load that was too big for the tow rig. With the Uhaul dealer I use it is as much the tow rig you are going to use as it is what you plan to haul. When I pull in with a E350 van or 3/4 ton pickup with floating axles they usually just say have a good trip see ya when you get back. Around here I see way too many small pickups or suv's towing cars on dollys that are bigger than the tow rig on an all too regular basis. One thing no one has mentioned. Take your camera or phone and take photos of the trailer when you pick it up no matter who you rent it from. Take a shot of any dents, dings or scratches on it and don't be bashful about letting the person renting it see you do it.
Yea the rental insurance add-on is a must. Back in the early '80's you could rent a trailer with a yard of concrete - talk about dead weight. So I get not a couple blocks down the road and a tire goes flat and is junked instantly. Cell phone what's that - call the place from a pay phone - nobody to come for help - stranded with hardening concrete. Think to try my Blazer's spare and low and behold it fits and gets us to offload at the project and back. Guess what - they want full price for the tire. Talk them into pro-rating it and have paid for the extra insurance most times since. Before I had a decent tow rig about 7 years ago I drug home a free Cragslist 1940 Chev truck cab and chassis and made $1,500 selling the parts. Thought I should get a car trailer and make a hobby of that, but those deals are few and far between. Have a 3,500# car to haul soon - already been researching U-haul. My 2007 crew cab GMC 2500 diesel tow rig will hardly even know the load is back there, and would love to have my own trailer. Heck I have axle straps, rachet straps and D-hooks for the trailer already NIB on the shelf since 2007. Think I even have a Gorilla trailer coupler lock. Every so often I price and study the trailers they sell locally, Big Tex, PJ, Iron Eagle.... There's even a guy offering his 10K rated trailer for rent on Craig's-list at $50 a day plus $250 damaged deposit. Can find nearly new on Craig's-list too - some used one time. But just can't justify the cost, maintenance and storage for once a year use if that Maybe if you had use once a month it would be worth owning. Would most def get a flat deck with stake pockets so it could be used for building materials, yard debris hauling, furniture etc.
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