UHaul pulling a 40

[amaurer]

I've never done anything like this, so while I don't think this is going to be an issue, I'll just ask...

I'm moving from California to Indiana, need to pull my 40-series behind a Uhaul. The dolly is the cheapest option so I figure I'll remove the rear DS and go with that.

Will I have any trouble with a 40 behind a 17' Uhaul? Nothing special to know, etc (I've only pulled a 4x8 utility trailer before)?

Should I opt for the full trailer instead? (Its significantly more expensive...)

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, No. ESP. If you are renting a diesel. Mike

 

[INsr5Runner]

I towed a 5" lifted tacoma with a cap, and 33's on a full trailer behind a uhaul from Indy to Denver. Wasn't a problem at all. Gas was a ton though. I think the dolly would have been fine, so I imagine the 40 will be fine.

When you moving back, and are you moving to Indy?

 

[amaurer]

I towed a 5" lifted tacoma with a cap, and 33's on a full trailer behind a uhaul from Indy to Denver. Wasn't a problem at all. Gas was a ton though. I think the dolly would have been fine, so I imagine the 40 will be fine.

When you moving back, and are you moving to Indy?

Fort Wayne, in August.

What kinda mileage did you get?

 

[FJsnoozer]

I worked for Penske years ago.

The dolly should be fine, but you will possibly need some small 6 bolt wheels and tires for the front straopps to fit over. That and yank the DS which takes 10 minutes. (mark your phase.

a 17 footer should be a 6.0 liter gasoline chevy or 5.4 liter ford. in most cases and should get roughly 10-12 MPG pulling your truck. You may get 14 with the ford.

How far are you going and how many parkinglot maneuvers will you be doing? That shoud determine whether or not you need to go with the trailer. On the trailer, you might need to go with the same smaller tires. I am not sure what you currently have.

Sometimes it is cheaper to take a Penske in a 22 or 26 because they need to move the bigger trucks to a location where you are traveling. This will give you a ton more room if you are moving all of your things and you will get a strong diesel and the same 10-12 mpg

you might price the larger trucks at Penske with a trailer and see if you come out cheaper.

 

[INsr5Runner]

I don't remember. I remember filling up a lot though. The recommended towing speed from uhaul is 45mph. We probably stayed around 55-60 with no problems. Faster, and it would wander a little.

We should take a trip to the badlands when you get back. There are a handful of Fjcrusier, and 4Runer guys that go out there and play on the moderate trails.

I plan on towing the 40 out to the fj summit next year.

 

[amaurer]

Just looked at Penske - they won't let you put a 40 on their car carriers, apparently; 4000# max, it won't let me reserve it.

I don't have a spare set of wheels and tires, but only have 31x10.5's... maybe I can deflate em to get the straps on.

 

[amaurer]

We should take a trip to the badlands when you get back. There are a handful of Fjcrusier, and 4Runer guys that go out there and play on the moderate trails.

I plan on towing the 40 out to the fj summit next year.

Cool, I'm in.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Buy some cheap second hand rollers. Mike

 

[brian]

look up the story in the 80's section where the the dude lost the 80 he was driving and the 55 he was towing when the uhaul trailer failed.

 

[FJsnoozer]

Just looked at Penske - they won't let you put a 40 on their car carriers, apparently; 4000# max, it won't let me reserve it.

I don't have a spare set of wheels and tires, but only have 31x10.5's... maybe I can deflate em to get the straps on.

Wikipedia lists the weight as:

Curb weightSofttop 1,480 kg (3,263 lb)
Hardtop 1,554 kg (3,427 lb)

Their system is not always correct, and you can choose a different truck type. I.E. mini truck. I never had any trouble letting someone test fit their tires.

 

[theside00]

look up the story in the 80's section where the the dude lost the 80 he was driving and the 55 he was towing when the uhaul trailer failed.

I was going to bring this up also. I knew the guy that did it. I would not get a full trailer, I would stick to the dolly. There is less to go wrong with dolly.

The trailers tongue broke, it went forward and took out the rear wheel of the 80 series. Those rental trailers take a lot of abuse and I bet they are loaded well over their capacity a few times in their lives.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

Fort Wayne, in August.

BAE or Raytheon?

 

[jimkyser]

Towed my 40 from Rapid City, SD to the Chicago suburbs last summer. I had driven the truck out there but I broke it while wheeling and had to tow it home. I rented a smallish (12 foot??) Uhaul box truck and a tow dolly. It was a really smooth ride, though I didn't cross the continental divide. The only issue was that I have 33" tires and the straps they have don't work very well for tires that large. I had to take a lot of air out of them and also used an additional heavy strap around the 40's front axle housing and the axle of the dolly. I rechecked all of the straps regularly and drove 60-ish.

 

[fjfjfj]

I tow the FJ40's all the time on full size car hauler UHAUL. Larger tires require extended straps that you can get from UHaul ( you have to buy them, pretty cheap though ). Yes, car hauler more expensive but zero worries and yes I agree with everyone else, tow dolly will work also.

 

[Splangy]

I was going to bring this up also. I knew the guy that did it. I would not get a full trailer, I would stick to the dolly. There is less to go wrong with dolly.

The trailers tongue broke, it went forward and took out the rear wheel of the 80 series. Those rental trailers take a lot of abuse and I bet they are loaded well over their capacity a few times in their lives.

I have to disagree with that one. I would never choose a dolly over a full trailer. Never for any reason. It's worth the $30 more for the full trailer. Dollies are just too sketchy.

 

[JohnVee]

I always seem to get about 10mpg in the Penske trucks I rent (16'-26'). MPG drops about 1-2 if I tow something. I like the idea of having all 4 wheels off the ground using a trailer. You're not going to see your 40 behind you with a 17' truck. Also, Uhaul is REALLY bad about what they claim you can and can't tow. They said my Ford E350 Superduty 7.3 diesel (class IV hitch) couldn't tow a dolly with a sub-2000lb Triumph.

Uhaul is gonna be cheaper than the others but it might come at a cost. It can take over an hour to pick up your "reserved" truck here in CLT only to find out that they don't actually have it but the main hub does, where you can go stand in line again at rush hour, etc... They've really cut back on service and help, and I'd hate to have a problem on the road with them.

Penske costs more but has been great for me. I've had one problem (CEL with low power) over about 30+ rentals in 5 years. That happened late at night and we limped 50 miles to our destination. They delivered a new truck to us by 9am.

Best of luck.

--john

 

[Northbound]

I did a uhaul car hauler behind my f-250 with no issues I set the cruise at 65 and zipped through Pa and NY. I do look over that equipment really well because I think their stuff gets hammered on by folks. I can't remember what I used for straps because the tires were 36" x something really wide.

I would rather tow with four wheels up than two wheels down and this is why I'm buying a trailer to move vehicles. For me it's worth the one time investment to not have to dick around with a rental place (reservations, getting it, using it, returning).

 

[wdukes]

Towing

I have made multiple cross-country hauls with 40s, 45s and 55s. Most rental companies are keeping more up to date vehicles than I remember years ago. I have used my own trailer, bumper tow, rented trailer and tow dolly. I will say that I always feel better with the rig on a trailer. Check with the rental company. Look at what they are renting before you make a decision. Last time I rented a uhaul for a 40, the trailer was way overbuilt for the job and hardly knew it was back there.

Every trip with a rig behind you is a good trip. "Thumbs up" from cars passing and always the great feeling of bringing a new one home with that TOYOTA grill filling the rear view mirror.

Good luck with the move and safe travels.

Dukes

 

[Bret]

Went from SC to AK with a 17' Uhaul and car hauler with no trouble. The 31's I had at the time didn't fit too well with the provided straps so I didn't use them, I used HD rachet straps (4 of the miltary style) and a safety chain with a bolt to make sure it stayed. I had no trouble and got around 10mpg. Just look over everything well before you go and at every fuel stop. Tow dolly should work OK, just takes a little more thought since they don't back quite as easy as the trailer does. Take your time and enjoy the slow lane.