U HAUL Trailer use
 

Has anyone rented a u-haul auto transport? If so how did it work out? i woulf like to take my Model A some distance so I thought that a trailer might eliminate some of the Miles.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I have used a uhaul trailer in the past and it worked well. I have a 30 closed cad pickup and the only thing that I did need to do is use a strap on the rear axle to keep it tight.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I tried to do that once, but U-Haul wouldn't let me pull it with my Explorer. I only needed it for about 10 miles.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Yep, a couple of times. They don't mention this, but they have different sizes of auto transport trailers, with 3 different widths. The narrowest one works the best for a Model A.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I have used them twice without any problem. Once one way for 600 miles and another local use. I would recommend you take pictures of any damage on the trailer when you pick it up and check with your insurance agent to be certain your policy covers such use. When you make your reservation they will want to know what you are going to pull the trailer with and what is going on the trailer. (to determine if your tow vehicle is adequate for the job) Some of the transporters are really nice aluminum models and others are well-used rusty ones.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I pulled a coupe about 400 miles with one. It worked out well. Better than with my old farm trailer. The Uhaul is designed for towing vehicles so it pulled good and had good brakes. But they are kind of picky about what you tell them you are pulling and what you are pulling with. They don't allow Explorers as a tow vehicle and just tell them you are towing a Honda because a lot of them don't have old cars in their computer system.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I have used them several times. They work great. They are picky about the tow vehicle though as Carl G mentioned. They aren't as concerned about the power to pull as they are that your vehicle has the weight and wheel base to handle the weight. My last time it cost $70. for 6 hours including insurance. A great deal I think as I don't have to store a trailer of my own.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I rented one of their trucks, put my Tudor in the back, closed it up and drove it from St. Helena, CA, to Portland, OR. No fuss no muss no bother.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I have also rented one once. Check the trailer closely before you rent it. The one I rented the axle broke as I left the Uhaul place empty. They tried to blame me? Hahaha. Never again. Their trailers are scary unmaintained pieces of well you know

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Used one hauling a coupe from Casper, WY to Walteria, CA and it was great.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

They quit renting to people that had Ford Explorer's after the Firestone Tire fiasco a few years back. I think one of the vehicles that flipped was towing a U-haul or something.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I used their auto-hauler & it was great. It tracked stably & the surge brakes worked well. I pulled my 29 Tudor home using my 6 cylinder Chevy 1/2 ton. Very satisfied.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I asked if they sell the old ones and the U-haul guy said the run them until they can't repair them and then cut up parts that they can't salvage. He also said they own the company that makes them and won't sell them to the public.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Must not be true everywhere as I have seen them in private hands a few times.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I've also seen the same thing.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I towed my 31 coupe from near Havre, MT to Tacoma, WA a year ago. I towed it with my 98 F-150 and a U-Haul trailer. Other than my half ton pickup sucking down the gas @ 9-11mpg (heavy load w/o overdrive) the trip was great. The trailer ran me $305 dollars for the nearly 800 mile trip. Fuel? Well lets just say thank God it wasn't with this years prices. :eek:

Some people have mentioned using extra tie straps and I agree this is a necessity. I used extra ratchet straps also and was glad I did. A word of warning with the U-Haul trailer is that their front tire straps that are secured to the trailer have a tendancy to slip off the narrow, tall Model A wheels. Secure it well and check it often.

http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/w...isc/hiline.jpg


http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/w...c/IMG_2099.jpg

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I used one when I purchased my 30 Fodor sedan in Des Moines and hauled it 175 miles home. My only problem was the temperature was -10 F when I had to load it and I nearly froze my $% off! Trailer worked great and I would rent one again....in warmer weather.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

That's what they told me as well. What really gets me is that they rented an 8x12 dual axle van type trailer to be pulled behind a Ford Excape. My friend just pulled one (loaded) up from Dallas to Anchorage. Go figure! The trailer was bigger than the car!

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

In 1965 I bought a 1931 Chevy coupe in Fargo, ND and U Haul rented us a clamp on bumper hitch for the 1962 Corvair and a tow bar for $15 to tow it back to Minneapolis. I'll bet they no longer rent either item.:confused:

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I've used them from As to '35s.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

When I bought my 31 Model A Town Sedan, I rented a U-Haul trailer to tow it home with my 1/2 ton Ford F-150 pickup. Worked out just fine. I did make sure I had straps on all four wheels (I brought along extra straps) and safety chains on both axles (with a towel under the chains to protect the axle paint) and made it home without incident.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Years ago the U-haul equipment had to be destroyed.I have a trailer that was taken out of service in the early 70's because of a bad axle,it was determined that the trailer had done it's tour of duty and was ready for retirement.My friend in the scrap yard cut it in such a way it satisfied the U-haul guy,but it could also be put back together.It now has a 30's Mopar tube axle under it.It is an open back trailer with those nice rails down the sides to tie off to.I have been to auctions at the big U-haul repair garage in Manchester N.H.I've bought a few one ton trucks there,a wood splitter,rototiller,and once rented a tow bar with instructions to not bring it back.They were no longer renting the tow bars.I still have that but have not used it in 15 or 20 years.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

1400 Miles towing a little U Haul trailer with our 1930 3 window sdn. I worked, but the trailer was so old and rough it gave me heart burn. Nevertheless, it got the job done.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Tiny has it right, their maintenance is deplorable.

Be sure to check thoroughly whatever it is you rent from them.

Penske and Ryder and other companies have better maintained products in my opinion.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

This may explain why when I was by a U-Haul facility, out of curiosity I went in and asked if they ever sell any of their trailers as they replace with new ones... the answer I got was they NEVER sell trailers, other items yes, trailers no. they just keep repairing and replacing parts on them.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Be careful-

Not to be a pessimist (and I have towed trailers THOUSANDS of miles). Be careful on hookup, tie-downs and towing that trailer. I had a ball come loose (but not OFF fortunately) for NO apparent reason.

In three years of driving an ambulance for a volunteer rescue squad I was on scene of TOO many trailer accidents. Some were caused by excessive speed, some by losing control do to braking hard (imagine crack the whip), some by lack of tongue weight (wobble and roll), and some by STUPIDITY. One guy towing a large enclosed trailer with a Ford F350 (fully restored Mustang in it) lost control going down a hill on I-81 and it flipped the F-350 and the trailer over the guardrail (little damage to guardrail). Totaled F-350, totaled trailer, totaled Mustang, instantly dead driver. His buddy who was following said the dead guy trailed somewhere every week. Probably reason for accident -- excessive speed and improperly secured load.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Tell them it's for a 60's mustang or bug. They need to type something in the computer to see if you can tow it by weight and their computer barely goes into the 60's. They want a 1/2 ton with a class 3 hitch......towed this a few years ago from San Jose to Orange county.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I have rented them, used one to tow my latest project home. 50 bucks a day is a deal. I recommend you go to the website, http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/Eq....aspx?model=AT
take the time to put together the package on line first. You can select the vehicle you are towing with and be sure they allow it. As other said, they have some very tight rules regarding the auto transports and will not bend them. That being said, if you do not have a tow vehicle the meets their requirements, you can rent a tow vehicle/trailer combination from them and still save money from a car hauler.

Keith, I have one of those tow bars from Manchester too! I have probably used it/loaned it out more then it was during its rental life!

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Where I am we have been pretty lucky with the condition of U-Haul equipment.One,the big U-Haul shop is in Manchester and they had several mechanics right out straight.Two,they had the road mechanics,I knew two,one of them quite well.He lived here in town until he passed a couple of years ago.He drove an F700 Ford,(one of their old trucks)with a sleeper and a wrecker boom.He went from store to store,and would go through everything one by one until they were fit for use.It was a never ending battle,and most of the trailer problems were brakes and lights.He didn't have the wrecker boom for towing,it was to pick up things to be worked on.He changed dozens of engines in hardware store parking lots over the years.Back when he did it things on their equipment was pretty well standardized so he always had the right bearings,lights,brake parts,truck tune up parts,tires,wiring,etc.The problems were not with the trailers that stayed around here,it was with trailers that came in from across the country and dropped.He said the one way car trailers were notorious for coming in with four skins for tires.Guys would rent a trailer one way to bring a car up from the south and the tires would find their way to another trailer before it got dropped.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Keith is right on regarding the quality of products that come in from out of the area. One issue is that if you buy the "insurance" for 20 bucks or whatever it is, there is a no questions asked policy on condition of returned equipment. Several years ago I rented a box trailer in KY to bring a motorcycle home, they sent me out to the line to pick it up. It was all beat to hell and the wedge in the ball was broken in half! I went back in to get a different one, and asked him if he wanted to do a "walk around" to document damage. He literally said "nope, you have the insurance, we don't care."

When I dropped it off here in NH, they did not even walk out to look at it. They knew it was a one way from out of state and they just shoved it in the back of the lot, to wait for another one way rental so they could get rid of it.

For the last few years I have been renting from the U-Haul Store in Rochester NH, and have been real happy with the products and the service, you should call them two days before you go in to rent a auto transport though. They tell me that there are not a lot of them available, especially for local rental. If they do not have one they need to bring it in. They told me that the have Auto transports that are dedicated for local use and others dedicated for one way. As in any business, being a regular customer will help you get the best equipment too.

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

I was going to rent a u-haul trailer to bring home a coupe. 1000 miles one way. They want $467 dollars. That is open air. I also need to bring some furniture home at the same time. The cost of the little u-haul truck is $550 one way. Now, the time frame on these rentals is five days.

I thought, hmmmmm, wonder if anyone around here rents car hauler trailers?

Found a nice one. 24Ft long. $550 for 11 days! unlimited miles. It needs a pintle hitch which is included in this price. ( I just don't have one of those!!!)

So, the car will go in the middle and the rest of the furniture will go in front and tail!!!!

I have a diesel F350 to do this with. I don't know what you have to pull with, but it might be worth the time to do some surfing!!!

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

24 ft car hauler trailer with a pintle hitch?? Please educate me. Do you mean 5th wheel hitch?
I think I know what a pintle hitch is but thought it was for use if with small air compressor on wheels, or a small mortar type mixer on wheels, not a 24 ft trailer.
paul in CT

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

You should google " unsafe U Haul vehicles and trailers ". Many articles talk about ageing fleet, unsafe brakes etcetera. Trucks moved from one state to another to avoid stringent safety factors. Not for me anymore !
Al

Re: U HAUL Trailer use
 

Pintles are the eye and hook variety. And come as combos and rotating for off road use.

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Ball...tle_Hitch.aspx

Since this is a equipment rental place I'm renting from, they probably have most of their equipment set up with pintles. (less likely to be stolen since most folks have ball hitches)

Easier to hook up, are stronger ( at least should be) Higher weight rating (higher than what my truck is rated for any way)

I haven't used a pintle hitch in many years, so it will be an interesting pull!