Uhaul tow dolly

[zach477]

Anyone have experience with these? I'll really only need to use a tow dolly for one long trip so I'm considering renting one of these. I have at 02 Corolla. FWD. I don't believe the tow dolly has it's own brakes. Is that a huge concern?

Thank

[Roy_Lynne]

I called about renting one and they were $42 dollars a day. For the length of time I'm going to be gone, its just not worth it. . I went on Craigslist and saw a few of them for sale in our area for under around 1000.00.

[2KGeorgieBoy]

You need to contact U-Haul, either use their website or talk to a dealer. There are 2 types of car haulers: the tow dolly in which only the front wheels are off the ground (and it DOES NOT have a braking system) and the auto transport in which the entire vehicle is off the ground (and it has a surge-brake braking system). Both units use a flat-four connector for activation of the trailer's lights. When you contact U-Haul, they will input information concerning both your tow vehicle (including year, make, model and type of hitch system installed) and the vehicle to be towed, into their system to determine if that combination will work and is allowed. As someone who works at a shop that also is a U-Haul dealer, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do this ASAP. We have people who come in "off the street" to rent a dolly or AT (auto transport) right now and we have to turn them down because the U-Haul system will not allow their combination of TV and towed vehicle to be used. Not very "happy campers"; but our hands are tied. You can reserve a unit ahead of time, but be aware that you may have to travel to another dealer if it is not available at your local dealer on the date you need it. U-Haul will contact you 24 hours ahead of time to let you know what the situation is. Also, if you are going one-way, have some info about your destination, if possible, such as address and ZIP code. It helps us a lot to speed your rental. If you are paying cash upfront, expect to also include a refundable deposit. With credit cards a deposit is not required. You also have a choice for insurance and can decline it BUT, I recommend you make sure that your insurance company will cover a rental U-Haul tow vehicle, because if you damage the U-Haul vehicle, they are going to want immediate reimbursement and you are on the hook for the entire amount. Again....contact U-Haul ASAP, don't wait until the day before or the day of, your trip.

[tonymull]

I rented a u haul tow dolly a long time ago, pulled behind a u haul truck. The toad was a ford escort. Absolutely no issues with towing it down the Alaska Highway. The only drawback is that you cannot see the dolly or the toad when backing up so it's pretty much guesswork..pretty much forget about backing up 🙂
There's also a pivot under the toad wheels on a dolly and that combined with the pivot at the hitch just makes trying to back up ridiculously difficult.

[mowermech]

Dr Quick wrote:
If you check towing laws in most states, 3,000 LBS is the most that you can tow with out brakes.

Again, that applies to TRAILERS, and the legal definition of a trailer often specifically excludes a towed motor vehicle.
U-Haul dollys are, IIRC, Demco Kar Kaddy dollys, built especially for U-Haul. They have surge brakes.
However, I agree, even though your trip is a one-time thing, you can probably find a good used dolly for much less than you would pay in rental charges over the long term.
A couple years ago, I paid $700 for a Kar Kaddy (without brakes), to tow my PT Cruiser from here to Ringgold GA and back. It worked just fine. I recently sold the dolly for $550.

[Dr_Quick]

If you check towing laws in most states, 3,000 LBS is the most that you can tow with out brakes.

[Golden_HVAC]

Check the rental cost. They might give a great monthly rate, but at $35 a day, it can get really expensive!

Check craigslist or other places, and see if you can buy a used one, or rent one from a seller looking to sell one. Perhaps if they are asking $1,000 for a nice tow dolly with brakes, they might rent it for say $200 and then are able to sell it later at a reduced price?

Anyway brakes are not required while towing a 3,500 pound load behind a 18,000 pound motorhome. Just downshift, and use the engine to provide some of the braking. . .

GOod luck,

Fred.

[darsben]

zach477 wrote:
Anyone have experience with these? I'll really only need to use a tow dolly for one long trip so I'm considering renting one of these. I have at 02 Corolla. FWD. I don't believe the tow dolly has it's own brakes. Is that a huge concern?

Thank

Could be a huge concern depending upon what you are towing with. A large diesel pusher not a big concern. A small class B or SUV a big concern.

[Popsie]

I used a rental tow dolly some years ago when moving.

It wasn't Uhaul, but some other outfit. It didn't have brakes, and it worked just fine.

I think the rental ones are built more solidly than ones you buy for personal use because they get so much action.