Rental Yards here now require 3/4 ton truck or better when towing.

[ultrarunner]

I've rented on and off for 30 years... originally towed with a full size station wagon and a 455 olds motor.

Later, I bought a high output 5.7 Silverado Pickup 1500 with trailer brakes, equalizing 10,000 pound hitch and it does a great job towing my 7000 lb enclosed 20' trailer.

Today, I called to reserve ditch witch walk behind trencher and was told new policy is 3/4 ton of better.... called two more yards and they have the same policy.

Ironically, I have 3/4 ton Chevrolet Van with a 12,000 pound hitch and a 305 V-8 that is low gear coming home not towing anything.

Just wondering if 3/4 ton minimum is nationwide?

 

[mikehaugen]

not sure, I know places like u-haul will look up your vehicles tow rating and ask what you are towing before renting you a car trailer. I needed make and model of my truck and make/model of what I was putting on the trailer before they would rent it to me.

About 7 years ago a buddly of mine once asked me to tow a blazer for him (s-10). He called and asked, and said to rent the trailer and he would pay me back. I went to the rental place (rental max) to rent a car trailer. The guy asked what I was towing with- a '96 ram 2500- and he advised that he didn't think it was enough truck. He stated that he wouldn't tow any car with anything less than a one-ton. He agreed to let me rent it, but was a little leary. Funny thing was just as he was doing the paper work, the guy called me and cancelled for whatever reason. If he had been 3 minutes later or the guy had been 3 minutes faster, 80 bucks would have been wasted.

 

[HHR]

When I was younger, I worked at a rental yard and we had no policy saying what the minimum truck size was. Took about 20 minutes to dissuade a guy with a Dakota who wanted to rent an mini excavator that weighed 8,000 pounds not including the trailer.

 

[Cat_Driver]

They required that more than 25 years ago around here.

 

[Dmace]

That's ridiculous, my local Taylor Rental will caution you if they feel you don't have enough truck but you sign a rental agreement that clearly states your liable for confirming you meet all requirements for towing that trailer, mini-ex, etc...
The mini-ex I used to rent is a 7,200lb Yanmar Vio27 on an 1,800 lb dual axle 16ft trailer with surge brakes. With my 03 RAM 1500 I was actually about 500lbs over the tow limit.

 

[MyJoBota]

It's just like everything else in this country. REGULATIONS!!!!! BECAUSE - There are too many dumb azzes that dont have a ounce of common sense that go out and hurt or kill some innocent people by grossly exceeding gvw and or gvcw and think nothing of it until their load just demolished a family in a minivan.

 

[BigMike50]

This is only required for skid steers and mini excavators at the rental I go to. Anything else is fair game. Understandably so, even though I run a dodge diesel, it's still a decent load and would be stretching a light duty truck

 

[yelbike]

That's ridiculous, my local Taylor Rental will caution you if they feel you don't have enough truck but you sign a rental agreement that clearly states your liable for confirming you meet all requirements for towing that trailer, mini-ex, etc...
The mini-ex I used to rent is a 7,200lb Yanmar Vio27 on an 1,800 lb dual axle 16ft trailer with surge brakes. With my 03 RAM 1500 I was actually about 500lbs over the tow limit.

I would think if you show up to rent a piece of equipment on a trailer that is over rated for your truck, you should be turned away, if not the rental company should be partially liable should an accident happen. On the other hand if you rent just a flat bed, that's up to you to stay within the limitation of your truck, if you exceed them, around here anyway, you can be personally held accountable should an accident occur because on being over loaded.

 

[tractchores]

I've noticed this too. They used to just look up the tow rating or at the rating on the hitch and be fine. I went to rent a heavy chipper and they refused to rent unless I had a pickup truck regardless that the rating on my SUV was more than what I wanted to tow. I found that independent rental places actually use their heads and have no problem renting as long as its within the specs of the tow vehicle. I'd say increased liability is why they are now checking tow ratings and they didn't in the past.... I don't get where the big chains come up with the idea that only a pickup can tow something though...

 

[SSdoxie]

I have run into this policy several years ago, regarding ride on type equipment (skid-loaders, excavators, tractors, etc.) but not with smaller stuff such as a walk behind trencher. A lot of them now are starting to require using their trailer too unless you are a "known" contractor with proper equipment. I can understand the policy because even signing a waiver can still lead to litigation if accident happens, and not only the exposure to law suit but rental income lost while getting repaired if their equipment is damaged.

 

[Diamondpilot]

That's ridiculous, my local Taylor Rental will caution you if they feel you don't have enough truck but you sign a rental agreement that clearly states your liable for confirming you meet all requirements for towing that trailer, mini-ex, etc...
The mini-ex I used to rent is a 7,200lb Yanmar Vio27 on an 1,800 lb dual axle 16ft trailer with surge brakes. With my 03 RAM 1500 I was actually about 500lbs over the tow limit.

Same in this area. They would not let you off the lot if you were way overloaded but within reason you are good to go.

Chris

 

[BigMike50]

Same in this area. They would not let you off the lot if you were way overloaded but within reason you are good to go.

Chris

If someone gets killed by said to vehicle due to negligence both the tow vehicle driver and the renter will be sued by the victims family. You can guarantee that. Them said company will be out of business. It's good business to cover your butt to the extreme in today's world. Smart for the companies policy in my opinion.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just looked up the tow capacity of a new Silverado 1500 at the GMC website...

With the available MAX Trailering Pack, Extended Cab models can tow 10,700 lbs

Chevy Silverado 1500 | Pickup Truck | Chevrolet

Seems a flat 3/4 ton or better is arbitrary and capricious... (always wanted to say that)

 

[Gary Fowler]

Do the guys that require 3/4 ton trucks also rent them? Sounds like it might be just another way to drum up truck rental business.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yes they do and the first yard... the independent that I have patronized for decades has a fleet of trucks from pick-ups to large dumps and cube vans.

Renting a truck, trailer, walk behind trencher for 4 hours with insurance waiver came around $150

 

[ultrarunner]

Here's a picture of my tow rig... been all over the West with it...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...your-towing-rigs-trailers-go-daddy-racing.jpg

 

[Lou66]

I have a one ton ford diesel truck crew cab, long wheel base,, When I rent a piece of equipment,, which I do a couple times a years,, I have them to deliever it which they will for 49 dollars one ways,, and 49 dollars the other way.. call them tell them what I want,, a time and place,, I show up in my truck and go to work,, call them when I am complete.. no tie down, no haul back, no pick up.. no road traffic that the good part.. Lou

 

[BigMike50]

In my state, you need a medical card if you tow any trailer rated over 5 ton

 

[jejeosborne]

I rent a 7500 lb excavator from our local sunbelt store a few times a year for local jobs. My biggest trailer is a tandem with only 3500 lb axles so I don't want to press my luck with mine. They rent me their 12000 lb trailer for just $25 extra. No brainer right? Well this trailer has surge brakes and no place to install a weight distribution hitch the way the tongue is designed. Even with a 3/4 ton truck, this is not acceptable.

 

[Bubbanewf]

I think its ridiculous not to check the upper limit of the tow vehicle. My new F150 is certified to tow a very heavy trailer. About 13000 lbs as I recall. But, the reason they want it to be a truck and not an SUV is due to the short wheelbase. SUV's tend to fishtail and jackknife when towing a heavy load, whereas, the long wheel based vehicles are much harder to get to fishtail. That is a fact you cant get around. Vehicle weight is another factor. Full sized pickup is at least 5000 lbs or so. They have a weight percentile that limits the weight a vehicle can pull. Its in the motor vehicle laws about trailer towing. The big chain companies, tend to have one simple rule to fit all. They dont allow for individual cases. ITs like GEICO not insuring Mustangs years ago. Mustangs were black listed and they didnt care if you were a 70 year old lady and the mustang had a 4 cylinder engine. If it was a mustang, they would not insure it. Why? They told me it was because the type who bought them (teenagers) had too many wrecks and it was easier just to blacklist all Mustangs than argue who drives how. I guess if they didnt ban all mustangs it would come under some type of prejudicial treatment. In other words, cant ban teenagers, but banning one brand of car was ok. Got to love lawyers! by the way< anything with a turbo was also blacklisted back then. They didnt sell 4 cylinder roller skates with turbos like they do now:laughing: