Towing a car on U-Haul Auto Trailer

[nc_beagle]

Last year, I towed two different Chrysler Conquests on a U-Haul trailer (not the front-wheel dolly.) WHen making the reservations, it asks for the year/make/model tow vehicle and the vehicle going on the trailer. Both times (it was separate trips and rentals) it said I was good to go.

I've offered to tow a friends 2007 Jaguar XK8 Convertible but when I entered the details on the reservation page, it said "The Auto Transport is not Recommended for this Towing Combination."

The Jaguar looks to be about 14-15" longer and weighs maybe 800 pounds more (not sure if I was looking at the coupe or convertible's weight online.)

What's tripping me up here? Towing the Conquests was really easy, even through the mountains.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Many years ago, I towed a 2000 Dodge Dakota Club Cab on a haul trailer behind a uhaul truck. Can't remember if they asked what I was putting on the trailer. The truck barely fit, but made the trip just fine.

 

[nc_beagle]

Many years ago, I towed a 2000 Dodge Dakota Club Cab on a haul trailer behind a uhaul truck. Can't remember if they asked what I was putting on the trailer. The truck barely fit, but made the trip just fine.

It won't let me complete the reservation. I guess I can just go to the lot and ask them. Or lie about the car. But if it has a valid reason for blocking me...

I wonder if it's ground clearance on the car. We pulled one on backwards because the front air dam would have been clipped when pulled all the way up.

 

[PurpleRT]

I always tell them 90’s Honda Civic in the past when I rented just to keep it simple. There system then was picky and would decline what I was actually towing even though it was well within the specs of my truck/ trailer ratings (IS300) and dimensions. Just check the weight of the vehicle and make sure its within the weight limit and that the dimensions are fine and have some boards handy in case the front end doesn’t have enough clearance to get it on/off.

 

[nc_beagle]

I'm thinking it's front end clearance. I entered my wife's Volvo XC60 which is heavier and almost the same length and it was fine.

 

[detroitm2]

agree its probably frontend clearance. Most likely due to the fact the uhaul trailer has a lip on the front. When towing my M2, I had to drop a couple 2x10's under the front wheels to clear the lip, same with loading/unloading.

Just give another car in the form, and figure it out when you load it up.

 

[kapinallinen2]

I wonder if it's ground clearance on the car.

Most likely.
Had a similar experience reserving U-haul for towing my daughters VW EON.

 

[spyder]

I used one recently to haul a 2011 Impala. To get it to back off the trailer, I had to deadlift the front to clear the lip while someone else backed it off.
Just used one to haul the Challenger also and it was great. I've got a car trailer but it's a little rickety and the cars worth too much to not rent a 60 dollar good one. U haul trailers are fantastic. Use 2x4s to make the ramps at a lesser angle to load/unload if ya need to.

 

[scottmoyer]

It's all about the liability claims from the front end clearance. Older Camaros, from the 80's, were always declined due to the front valence getting damaged and people complaining to UHaul about it. So, they don't recommend using their trailers for certain vehicles if there's a clearance issue loading or even front overhang.

 

[Bt10]

I asked for a dolly to pull a Freestyle to the junkyard with a '04 GMC 1500, with a tow rating of 6000lbs. Wouldn't give that to me, but made me get the full trailer. Freestyle 4100lbs, trailer 2200lbs, dolly 200lbs. Yeah, just tell them it's a civic.

 

[spyder]

Their trailers DO make your load pretty tongue heavy. Every time I've used one, it's weight forward. Whatever, tows fine. Probably another "engineered against idiots" thing so that it's REALLY hard to have too much weight on the *** end unless you load a rig on there backwards.

 

[nc_beagle]

One of the Conquests I towed was lowered on coilovers and we backed it on. We used the trucks air suspension to adjust the angle of the ramps so it wouldn't scrape going on. Probably the best use I've had for the air suspension besides getting the truck low enough for our basement garage!

I like the idea of using a curb but there wasn't one handy where we were.

 

[Dr. Jim]

Wow, how things have changed. In 1992, I rented a U-Haul car trailer to transport my 1975 C3 Corvette from East Amherst, New York (near Buffalo, where I live) to the Bloomington Corvette Show in Bloomington, Illinois. No one at U-Haul even asked me what type of vehicle I was transporting. I had no problems with the Corvette and trailer, neither going nor coming back home. It loaded, unloaded and rode beautifully.