Posted: 9/2/2009 12:53:49 PM EDT
| I need to tow my old 97 Dodge Ram 1500 with my 05 Dodge Ram 1500 from my old house to my new house. U-haul won't rent me a carrier because the truck is too heavy for it. I tried calling a couple tow companies and they are asking a hook up fee plus $4.00 per mile charge plus tax so it would cost $250+. Any ideas or suggestions? Before you say drive it, the transmission is shot. Would a tow bar work? I never used one before so I'm a little gun shy on what and how to do it. |
|
I once used a dolly to tow a 1975 Chevrolet 1/2 ton short bed pickup with 39" tires. I don't see any reason why one would not work for your Dodge.
U-Haul is probably just trying to protect themselves from liability. Think of the Maria Federici incident where U-Haul was found liable because some fool using their equipment without common sense resulted in the maiming of a drunk driver. You might give Ace equipment in Snohomish a call and see if they will rent a dolly for your intended use. Otherwise, I would probably just tell them that you need to move a Dodge Neon or some other economy car. A tandem axle flatbed trailer would work, too. Although most rental places want to see more than a 1/2 ton truck used to pull them with. Personally, I think by the time you get on hooked up right a tow bar would be more expensive than renting a dolly or a trailer. I use a tow bar to flat tow my Jeep, but I also spent a decent bit of money initially to get it set up right. |
I found a rental place in Edmonds that will do a tow bar for like $50 bucks for a day rental. U-Haul has a shitload amount of warnings about only towing vehicles that are on the rental contract, but unless I get into an accident that should not really matter if I fib a little, right? 
Is the tow bar difficult to set up? |
|
Quoted:
Did you use a dolly or the carrier? Did you back the truck onto the dolly or the front wheels? I see where you are coming from now. U-Haul has the lightweight car carriers. They may not be suitable for a full size pickup truck. I would look into a dolly. You can load either the front or rear wheels onto it. I have done it both ways. Is the truck to be towed 2WD or 4WD? |
|
Quoted: Quoted: Did you use a dolly or the carrier? Did you back the truck onto the dolly or the front wheels? I see where you are coming from now. U-Haul has the lightweight car carriers. They may not be suitable for a full size pickup truck. I would look into a dolly. You can load either the front or rear wheels onto it. I have done it both ways. Is the truck to be towed 2WD or 4WD? If I remember correctly, I had the back wheels on the dolly and tied the steering wheel off. |
|
I only know what I've seen on TV. But on one of the towing reality shows they pull the driveline so that they don't toast the transmission while towing it.
You might be able to find a heavy duty towbar at one of those tool rental places. Or a local arfcommer might have a car trailer. Good luck! |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you use a dolly or the carrier? Did you back the truck onto the dolly or the front wheels? I see where you are coming from now. U-Haul has the lightweight car carriers. They may not be suitable for a full size pickup truck. I would look into a dolly. You can load either the front or rear wheels onto it. I have done it both ways. Is the truck to be towed 2WD or 4WD? The truck to be towed is a 2WD. So I rent a dolly from uhaul (telling them its a small FWD car being towed), put the rear wheels on the dolly securing the steering wheel and off I go to happy towing land? Sounds about right? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you use a dolly or the carrier? Did you back the truck onto the dolly or the front wheels? I see where you are coming from now. U-Haul has the lightweight car carriers. They may not be suitable for a full size pickup truck. I would look into a dolly. You can load either the front or rear wheels onto it. I have done it both ways. Is the truck to be towed 2WD or 4WD? The truck to be towed is a 2WD. So I rent a dolly from uhaul (telling them its a small FWD car being towed), put the rear wheels on the dolly securing the steering wheel and off I go to happy towing land? Sounds about right? As I said, also check out Ace Rentals in Snohomish or United Rentals in Monroe. I would likely prefer to load it with the front wheels on the dolly. That way more of the weight of the truck is on the dolly and closer to the tow vehicle where it can be better managed rather than hanging out back where it is more susceptible to swinging around (acting like a pendulum) and possibly causing handling issues. Just disconnect the driveshaft at the differential and tie it up out of the way. |
|
You coming up to help? Thanks man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you use a dolly or the carrier? Did you back the truck onto the dolly or the front wheels? I see where you are coming from now. U-Haul has the lightweight car carriers. They may not be suitable for a full size pickup truck. I would look into a dolly. You can load either the front or rear wheels onto it. I have done it both ways. Is the truck to be towed 2WD or 4WD? The truck to be towed is a 2WD. So I rent a dolly from uhaul (telling them its a small FWD car being towed), put the rear wheels on the dolly securing the steering wheel and off I go to happy towing land? Sounds about right? As I said, also check out Ace Rentals in Snohomish or United Rentals in Monroe. I would likely prefer to load it with the front wheels on the dolly. That way more of the weight of the truck is on the dolly and closer to the tow vehicle where it can be better managed rather than hanging out back where it is more susceptible to swinging around (acting like a pendulum) and possibly causing handling issues. Just disconnect the driveshaft at the differential and tie it up out of the way. This! Takes a whole two minutes to disconnect the driveshaft and you are good to go. Also, just to warn you, if you have larger or wider than normal tires on the truck, the tiedown harness straps may not fit. You can air down the tires if needed, but it's easier if you have some normal size spares. |
|
Quoted:
Just disconnect the driveshaft at the differential and tie it up out of the way. The part Boomer forgot to emphasize is that the front of the drive line is slip splines, so be damn sure you have it tied off good or simply remove it and put it in the bed. I find it easier to take it out and put it in the bed. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Just disconnect the driveshaft at the differential and tie it up out of the way. The part Boomer forgot to emphasize is that the front of the drive line is slip splines, so be damn sure you have it tied off good or simply remove it and put it in the bed. I find it easier to take it out and put it in the bed. The part HABU forgot to emphasize is that the front of the drive line is slip splines and sometimes is what hold the fluid in the tranny. |
|
Quoted:
The part HABU forgot to emphasize is that the front of the drive line is slip splines and sometimes is what hold the fluid in the tranny. Sounds like toe voice of experience? 
Since it is 2WD, the seal on the splines DOES keep the fluid in the tranny. It will be a mess if removed. |
|
Here's how you do it.........
You are towing a '97 saturn SL2, it is your wife's car that broek down and you want to get it home to fix it. You'll be towing it with your Dodge. You only need a tow dolly. I pulled a '70 Scout from Port Angeles to Lacey with the above mentioned set up. You'll be fine. Tow dollies are either $40 or $50 bucks for the day. Depending on distance you may or may not have to disconnect the drive shaft....... although I would definately recommend it. Although if your tranny is already shot, then who cares......... As far as U-haul knows my wife's saturn has broken down all over the state 
|