Does anybody rent trucks to pull RV 5th wheel trailers?

[sandman2234]

Title pretty much says it all. Bought a camper 800 miles away, and made arrangements to pick it up on the way to my class reunion. Decided my old truck could use a paint job, and two of the neighbors do body work and paint, so after getting 3 estimates, I talked to those two. 1 couldn't do it, the other's price was half of my best estimates. (I had done a lot of tractor work for him). He said 2 weeks, which pushed my time schedule, but doable. 2 weeks came and went, he agreed to needing 5 more days. I had to cancel mechanical work i had planned during those 5 days. Stopped by there last night, truck is apart and still showing bonds, not even primed!
Now there is no time, no available rooms in local motels, and no way to pull the camper.
Really need a 3/4 or 1 ton rental but can't find one!
This is going to cost thousands of dollars to fix, as well as messing up several plans.
Anybody know of a place doing 5th wheel hitch renting?
David from jax

 

[Chewwy]

Another option would be to hire an RV towing service.

 

[Roadworthy]

Do a web search for fifth wheel truck rentals. I scored several both 3/4 and one ton.

 

[stucknutz]

All the hotshot truckers are the ones hauling those campers from Indiana to all the dealers over the US. Any hotshot company should be able to do it at a reasonable price.

Especially if you can find one that just dropped off one at the dealer. He has not choice but to dead head back to get his flat bed.

 

[Quaffer]

There was someone in Oklahoma that did this but his truck got wrecked.

 

[MMC]

All the hotshot truckers are the ones hauling those campers from Indiana to all the dealers over the US. Any hotshot company should be able to do it at a reasonable price.

Especially if you can find one that just dropped off one at the dealer. He has not choice but to dead head back to get his flat bed.

I second that idea - if you look at fuel, motels, repairs, etc., it's awfully nice just to wait to see it show up in your driveway. I would get insurance on it before it leaves though.

 

[sandman2234]

I searched the web for any 3/4 and 1 ton trucks with 5th wheels for rent and sale. A couple of my friends are doing the same in their area. Nothing is showing up.
A couple dealers are looking hard to sell me one, but are not able to get one already set up, in time for the trip.
Driving is what I do, and understand what they have to charge in order to stay in business. I was hoping not to have to pay those rates!
The widow I am buying the camper from is not at all excited about having a stranger pick up the camper, which weighs a lot on my decisions. I knew her late husband for years and will abide by her wishes.
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

All the hotshot truckers are the ones hauling those campers from Indiana to all the dealers over the US. Any hotshot company should be able to do it at a reasonable price.

Especially if you can find one that just dropped off one at the dealer. He has not choice but to dead head back to get his flat bed.

Unfortunately, this would be going the wrong way. Need LA to FL.
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

An update on this post...
I got an unexpected week off, made a call to the painter and he said he could have it back together and in good enough shape to make the trip. There were some flaws in the paint, which will require it going back to him.
I drove as far as Jackson, MS and stayed in a motel. Got up the next morning and the truck wouldn't start. Starter issues, on a Sunday morning and not an open shop in sight! I called around and found a starter, and was fixing to walk to get it when a guy with a new Jeep was backing out of his parking space. I asked him if he would give me a pull to get started. He asked if that could even be done! I explained that my truck was a stickshift, and could easily be pulled off. He pulled, it started and I went after the starter. I decided I would drive till I found an open shop, which ended up being just north of DeQueen, Arkansas the next day. Got the camper and headed home. I figured on sleeping in the camper on the way home, but without shore power, the dead battery wouldn't open the slideouts, and I didn't plan on finding a campground everytime I got tired enough to need to sleep. The bedroom slideout raises the bed at an angle, so sleeping on it wasn't an option until I could get power. So, sleeping on a short couch in the living room! Got to Lucedale, MS and stopped to investigate a noise. Turned out to be a rear U-joint. No vice, so can't do it myself, and no shops within 50 miles that would do it "today". So I headed for Mobile, Al where a shop would do it first thing..., or maybe by 10, or whenever they got around to it. They started talking about "other things they might find once they got it apart, tomorrow! I kind of got tired of that, figured what an extra night on the road would cost, and asked them if one of their techs wanted to make some overtime after 5:00...today? I told them I would pay up to $300 to get just the U-joint replaced, but offer was only good today, otherwise I was going to head to the next shop over near Loxley, Al who said they would start on it at 8:00. They took the offer, and it was about 5:55 when they finished. The bill was $243, so I paid it and headed home.
We just returned from our maiden voyage of the camper, a 3 day trip to Pine Mountain, Ga to watch the Fantasy in lights at Calloway Gardens. Good trip, although the trolley ride was a little cold! Wife is happy with the camper, although I will need to do some small things to it to make it "hers".
My poor old truck managed to get 12.32 and 11.58 on the two tankfulls of fuel, which isn't too bad for the speed and terrain we were traveling pulling an 11,400 pound camper!
David from jax