Towing question/dilemma

[DeltaT]

No Penske or Ryder in my area. That's one of the problems in Canada; lack of competition. They can pretty much do whatever they want and get away with it. Same goes for telephone providers, electricity, alcohol etc.. And it's not in our nature to complain too much. It is more like 'what can you do' and then take it.
Don't get me started. It's time you 'Mericans start flooding our market.

 

[twentyocho]

Man-o-man, I have finally rented a trailer for next Saturday.

[start rant]

My experience with U Haul is very unpleasant I must say.

I started the trailer hunt yesterday. I arrived at a U Haul depot in Brockville, which is about 30 minutes from where I live. Turned out to be a sleazy 2nd hand car lot with scary tattooed neanderthals. But I did not want to judge people on appearance so I entered the 'office' and asked for help. The lot owner could (or did) not help me and said that the rent guy was at the bank. He told me to wait. I waited for 10 minutes and then decided to do some groceries instead. I returned after 20 minutes but the guy was still not back from the bank. I gave them my name and number so they could call me a.s.a.p., which they of course never did. Very unprofessional.

So today I decided to go the next U haul depot in Athens. But they stopped renting out stuff and told me to go back to Brockville. Friendly folks in Athens but no trailers.

So I went back and had to deal with this crack smoking idiot (no, not the mayor of Toronto) Apparently he was back from his bank trip. But as said, he refused me to rent me a car trailer.

So off I went to Portland this time. I like this gas station and always fill up my vehicles there, but I don't think they ever rented out a trailer before. The friendly person (from India) had no clue what I was taking about and to be honest I didn't really understand what he was talking about either. But there was no trailer on their lot. If I wanted to leave my phone number so they could call me. I thanked him and left.

So off I go to Kingston (another 40 minute drive) to a bigger U haul place. They have lots of rentals but the person there was just about the rudest person I have ever met. Just plain nasty.
I would say beginning 30s and the general manager at that. I wanted to help him with spelling my name (which is always a problem) so I offered him my drivers license but he shouted: You already told me your name !
I asked if it was a long day of work for him and he just replied NO.
I swallowed my aggravation, made the reservation and said goodbye. All he answered NEXT!....
I thought it might have been me after a day like this but my wife agreed that he had no friendly genes in his body. I should've / would've walked away but with 6 visits to U haul depots I had enough of it. Way to go U Haul.

[/rant over]

pfffff. I feel better already, thank you.

I wonder what gives. But U Haul is notorious for hiring a bunch of holes and crappy service around here also.. Im sure not ALL of them are this way but good grief!!

 

[DeltaT]

She took it like a champ! What a towing machine! We did 700 miles in one day and averaged 12 MPG.

 

[hankinid]

No way a loaded car trailer has a tounge weight of 3500 lbs. Assuming its a double axle car trailer. The trailer is designed to carry the majority of the load over the trailers axles and slightly forward. I think the max tounge weight for a LX is around 800lbs. Assuming the loaded trailer weights 5000lbs, and 15% of the weight is at the tongue, that will be 750lbs of tounge weight.

Label on my oem hitch notes 650lb. max tongue weight, 6500lb. max total trailer weight.

 

[DeltaT]

Exactly. Mine has the same. It's 10% of the max towing weight. When the towing weight goes up, the weight at the tongue usually goes down percentage wise because the trailer has two axles.
We have established that the guy I was dealing with at U haul was an idiot. He should have known better.

And I know from experience now that my LX didn't even break a sweat towing my pickup and trailer. The AHC compensated for the tongue weight and kept the vehicle perfectly level.
There was moment when the AHC switched to low. I was on a strange angle in a town. I think it could compensated the back any further so it leveled out the front. It was perfectly drivable. We had a little pits stop on a horizontal surface. When I started the engine, the AHC was in neutral again and stayed that way for the rest of the journey. I think it behaved exactly the way it was designed to do.
I (and my mechanic friend) was very impressed with the towing capability. I have owned a lot of vehicles (45) but this is the best by far.

 

[marshotel]

sweet longbed pick-up from the 70's !

 

[DeltaT]

Thanks!

Here is a thread with more pictures.