U-Haul car carrier

[fitter1]

I need to get my tractor down here from Vt. to move snow banks back. Can anyone tell me if a u-haul car transport trailer can safely haul my J/D990 with fel. I'll be towing with my 09 f-150 4x4. Truck has factory tow package but no electric brake setup. My main concern is securing it properly with the tire straps that come with the trailer. Trailer does have hydraulic brakes. Local transport co's are backed up 2 weeks. Dealers don't think this will work for me.

 

[George2615]

1) Depends on the weight of your tractor and loader. Most U haul car trailers are 7K rated and have about a 5K load capacity.
2) You should definetely have a brake controller. The trailer may have hydraulic surge brakes but do they work properly.
3) Use chains or straps to tie down tractor and loader. Over the tire straps are OK but I'd use chains too.
4) Is the trailer long enough to properly balance the load for proper tongue weight.
My opinion is to borrow or rent a proper sized trailer and get a brake controller in your truck. Chain the load properly.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Big issue is wheel spacing. The Uhaul units have channels the wheels fit in, not a flat deck. My guess is its not going to work.

Chris

 

[dodge man]

He can put a brake controller on his truck but what good is it going to do if the trailer only has surge brakes and no electric brakes.

It looks like the weight of your tractor would be OK. Maybe it weighs 5000 lbs at the most. I'd think you could figure out a way to tie it down as long as the wheels line up with the channels on the trailer.

 

[Sprinklerman]

U haul will ask you what type of car are you hauling ? When you tell them its a tractor they wont rent it to you . If you go that route tell them you are hauling a chevs s10 pick up .

 

[hoho]

also find out what your insurance carrier says both truck and home owner may want tractor ins.for trip and work if off property.

 

[George2615]

He can put a brake controller on his truck but what good is it going to do if the trailer only has surge brakes and no electric brakes.

It looks like the weight of your tractor would be OK. Maybe it weighs 5000 lbs at the most. I'd think you could figure out a way to tie it down as long as the wheels line up with the channels on the trailer.

I'm not implying that adding a brake controller to his truck would help anything since the Uhaul trailer has hydraulic brakes. But adding one would help if he is able to borrow a friends trailer with electric brakes. Poor wording on my part.

 

[schmism]

buy a 7K "landscape" trailer to haul it on? they can be found on craigslist all day long for like $1500.

you could buy it, have brake controller installed in your truck, move your tractor, and sell the trailer for what you paid for it and still come out ahead if you had rented something.

 

[clayhardock]

You could probably get the u-haul unit to work but as said its not a flat deck so you may have to fiddle around with some boards if the wheels don't line up with the channels. A better option would be to call an equipment rental place and rent a flat deck trailer. You will probably need to install a brake controller then. You could also rent a u-haul truck and put it in the back, just have to figure out some ramps to get it up there.

 

[MossRoad]

As someone else mentioned, when you go to the U-haul place, they're going to ask about the tow vehicle and then what you're going to tow on it. They'll look up the weight of the "S-10" in their database and see if your tow vehicle is capable of pulling their trailer with your "S-10". Now if you misrepresent the "S-10" and you get in a wreck, even if its not your fault, my guess is some lawyer will go after U-Haul, who will produce documents showing you were hauling an S-10, signed by you.... don't go that route.

As others have mentioned, get a proper trailer, brake controller for you truck, use it through the winter, and sell it for what you paid for it in the spring. You'll end up with a brake controller for future use, which will cost less than the trailer rental for a couple days.

 

[94BULLITT]

I thought u haul trailers had surge brakes.

 

[JJZ 109]

I thought u haul trailers had surge brakes.

I think so, which generally suck in my opinion.
As far as the nylon webbing tire tie downs, I don't see them going over the rear tires of a 990. Unless I'm missing something, I would think they're the over the tire type like on tow dollies. As others have said, U Haul is probably not the best option for this move.

 

[fitter1]

Thanks for the feedback. The u-haul won't work for me. I will get the brake controller installed for future towing and have a transport co. bring it down but not until next week. My only concern is that I have a reputable co. actually deliver it and not pay them to steal it. I'll have to drive up an follow them down here.

 

[JJZ 109]

Thanks for the feedback. The u-haul won't work for me. I will get the brake controller installed for future towing and have a transport co. bring it down but not until next week. My only concern is that I have a reputable co. actually deliver it and not pay them to steal it. I'll have to drive up an follow them down here.

A little advice from someone who's been down this road with an F150: Get yourself a Ford factory brake controller. They work great and are made to be in the truck, no screwing/bolting an auxiliary unit somewhere on the lower dash.
I had good luck buying one online much cheaper than I could get it at a local Ford store. Installed myself. Then took the truck in to the dealer for a reflash of the computer. You can likely find YouTube videos all over showing the procedure for your specific truck year.

 

[Diamondpilot]

A little advice from someone who's been down this road with an F150: Get yourself a Ford factory brake controller. They work great and are made to be in the truck, no screwing/bolting an auxiliary unit somewhere on the lower dash.
I had good luck buying one online much cheaper than I could get it at a local Ford store. Installed myself. Then took the truck in to the dealer for a reflash of the computer. You can likely find YouTube videos all over showing the procedure for your specific truck year.

100% correct. The factory unit is ten fold better than any aftermarket unit.

I do as you do and install them in my customers trucks then my local dealer flashes the truck for $30.

Chris

 

[clayhardock]

TRy calling your local tractor dealership and see who they use for hauling tractors around.

 

[orezok]

You could check with any local auto towing company. Most have roll ons that will easily handle a tractor and it may be more cost efficient.

Before I retired from my facilities job, we had a local towing company haul many things other than cars.

 

[timswi]

U-Haul trailers are pretty stout but the surge brakes suck...Towed my mom's 66 396 El Camino to the mine, couldn't get enough "hit" to engage the surge, by the time I got to the bottom of the entrance hill to the mine, the truck brakes were up in smoke. Wouldn't be bad trailers with electric brakes though.

The car is pretty heavy given the motor etc, so I was getting pushed but good.

 

[ultrarunner]

U-Haul trailers are overbuilt and conservatively rated... problem is they will not rent to you for your intended purpose...

I've have several issues at my local rental yard and posted on TBN... yard requires a 3/4 or better for any rental with a 2" or larger ball... didn't matter I was going 7 blocks away... the alternative was a $75 drop off and a $75 pickup fee.

 

[timswi]

U-Haul trailers are overbuilt and conservatively rated... problem is they will not rent to you for your intended purpose...

I've have several issues at my local rental yard and posted on TBN... yard requires a 3/4 or better for any rental with a 2" or larger ball... didn't matter I was going 7 blocks away... the alternative was a $75 drop off and a $75 pickup fee.

I was pulling with a 1/2 ton 4x4 5.7 Chevy, a 1997 if I remember correctly and that's what I hooked up with at U-Haul. They didn't ask me much about what I was up to..Nice trailers, but they are rentals after all.