Car carrier vs Tow Dolly (2 Viewers)

[bosljeff]

I'm getting ready to move across the country and I really do not want to drive my 60, I'd rather tow it. I have to rent a Uhaul/Penske/whatever and I'm getting various answers from them regarding a carrier and a dolly.

I would rather use a carrier, but both companies aren't sure if it will fit on there due to weight and/or tire size.

What are your thoughts on dolly vs carrier?

New guy idiot question: If I use a dolly (front lifted), what are the ramifications, if any? Drive shaft removal, yes/no? A quick how to would be appreciated if this is an option.

Any and all thought would be appreciated. I don't think the cruiser is up for the drive so towing is my only option right now and finances are slim for getting it road worthy for such a drive.

Started this thread for consolidation:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/381230-how-trailer-60-a.html

 

[3_puppies]

cross country? car carrier all the way, is it mostly stock, or mild lift? should fit with no issues.

 

[SARCruiser]

From experience with both, go with the car carrier. The rental dollies are pieces of junk and tend to cause the vehicle on them to "wag" back and forth at highway speeds. Not something you want to deal with on a cross-coutry trek. There really shouldn't be any issue with it fitting either. I actually used a uhaul vehicle carrier to bring home my new frame and the frame was almsost too narrow for the carrier. With the full chassis on there, there shouls be no fitment issues. That is, unless you have huge backspacing or wheel spacers and tires wider than 12.5".

 

[bosljeff]

Yeah, cross country. Mild lift. PO put on some safari spring lift, so prob 2" give or take. 33 1250s, pretty neutral backspacing.

Granted, it is their websites that are saying it won't fit...probably some default feature. I talked to a person at penske and she said the carrier couldn't handle it due to weight.

Yeah, I'd like to avoid the dolly and go carrier all the way, but I'm getting static from the companies regarding fitment on the carrier.

 

[slcfj62]

How much would it cost to have a car carrier company move it for you? Do a Google for "Vehicle Shipping Rates" and you should be able to get some quotes.

 

[bosljeff]

Hadn't thought of that...I'll check into it. Thanks.


Anyone have any suggestions on companies they may have used and had good experiences with?

 

[RockDoc]

I've flat-towed a "light" 62 (no drivetrain) about 2400 miles with no issues. That would be an option, especially with a heavy, strong-braking tow vehicle.

 

[bosljeff]

Yeah, when it comes down to it, I'm probably stuck, liability-wise, using the company's towing equipment. And if I'm stuck with the dolly, then I'm told I'll be disconnecting the driveshaft.

I've flat-towed a "light" 62 (no drivetrain) about 2400 miles with no issues. That would be an option, especially with a heavy, strong-braking tow vehicle.

 

[SARCruiser]

Did you check uhaul? When I set up the rental on their website to haul my frame, I entered my cruiser as the vehicle being towed and it didn't give me any issues. They may have changed their standards since then I guess...

You could always input a different vehicle as that being towed in order to get the reservation. Their system is set up to be super-conservative on what vehicles will work with what.

 

[bosljeff]

Yeah. Uhaul worked, said the carrier would work too....but Penske is almost 700 bones cheaper. Who knows? I'll swing by a penske and have the physically check to make sure the rep I spoke to and the site isn't being overly conservative with its estimated abilities.

 

[mountainibis]

I'm about to do the same thing, and from what I could tell on the Uhaul website, the only thing they'll rent for an FJ60 is the carrier. For an FJ40, they'll rent either the carrier or the dolly. I was just going to say that I'm towing an FJ40. All of the paperwork will still say "Toyota Land Cruiser" as the vehicle being towed. For the trip I'm taking, the difference between tow dolly and car hauler is over $150.

If you end up going with Uhaul, you might want to get some smaller tires for up front. The front tires are anchored with a sling that goes over each tire and gets ratcheted down. I hauled a vehicle with 31s awhile back on a Uhaul trailer, and had to air the tires down a bit to get enough strap into the ratchet. 33s might get a little tricky.

 

[meatloaf]

Go with the carrier.

I tried a dolly with my 60 for about a 200 mile tow with a Tundra. Since the 60 has 33" tires, the straps did not fit on properly. At 60mph the cruiser 'shifted' after one strap slipped off. I could see the 60 swaying side to side and so was my tundra. I am surprised I did not flip over. Scary, to say the least.

 

[Heartworm]

You might shop car carriers and buy one. Then when you get to Colorado Springs, you can keep it or flip it depending on how much the money is.

 

[Lugal]

When I first bought it, I towed my 60 home on a dolly behind my brother-in-law's 100. Narrow roads, hills, and bad drivers all around me. Scariest 45 minutes of my life. Go w/ the carrier.

 

[Spanky Pete]

I did this last November from Texas to Oregon with a dolly behind a big penske truck. The dolly worked fine for me. I had 30" tires at the time though, so you might want to make sure the straps will work with your 33".

 

[bosljeff]

OK. It sounds like the peace of mind of a carrier is much better. I never thought of shopping for one...

 

[fj4play]

if you have over sized tire the straps wont fit over the tire,,also if your wheels are offset the dolly isnt wide enough for it to fit on the dolly,, if you have a bumper you can drill and mount a towbar and save a but load of money, and still have the towbar to use other times, you can get a towbar with safety chains for less than $200, i got mine at pepboys

 

[Frontier Cruiser87]

I did a 500 mi move 2 yrs ago and put the 60 on a Uhaul carrier and towed it behind a 26' Uhaul. Pulled the I5 "Grapevine" grade surprisingly well. Couple of things:

Your 33s will almost certainly be too big for their slings, I had 28" rollers and even then there wasn't much slack left. I threw heavy chains around both axels (watch your brake lines) and secured with come-alongs.

Carefully check your equipment out first. First truck they gave me, brakes gave out before I left their yard. Then, 1/2 way thru the move when I stopped for gas, I found 1 of the 3 beams that make the tongue of the trailer had snapped clean thru. With the amount of rust on the edges of the break, I know it did not happen on my move. I was ****ed to say the least!

Overall, I would do the move again. Just take it slow and you'll do fine. I wouldn't do it with anything smaller than a 17 footer though

 

[limerence]

I just towed up my 80 from LA to San Jose, about a 400 mile drive. The UHaul car carrier rental was $75 for 3 days. Granted, the price was probably cheaper since I rented a UHaul truck to move all my junk too.

If you are thinking about having it shipped, check out transportreviews.com for which company to go with. More often then not, you can haggle with them on pricing.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Carrier and the truck should have no trouble pulling or stopping it. Mike