Towing uhaul car trailer with comanche?

[10thta]

Has anyone successfully rented a uhaul auto transport trailer (not the dolly) using your comanche?  I tried on the uhaul site and no matter what vehicle I enter to tow with a comanche (ie- generic 4 dr kia), it won't allow me to proceed and says its "not recommended".

 

I trip to local uhaul agent and they are stating a comanche is only rated at 2K lbs towing capacity, regardless of hitch setup, tow package, etc.    Everything I have read shows at least 5K tow rated if properly equipped. 

 

I have an 89 2wd auto 4.0 that I really wanted to "properly equip" with one of krusty's hitches, trans cooler, and the GC rear brake upgrade.  But, if I can't rent a trailer for occasional towing then no sense spending the time and money. 

 

I know these are now 30+ year old rigs and safety is a concern due to outdated technology, structural concerns, etc but this 32 yr old rig has been in texas since new and is probably more structurally sound than a lot of much newer northern trucks exposed to salt and rust.  

 

I was just curious if anyone has found a "legal" way to rent a car hauler using your comanche as your tow vehicle.  

 

thx

 

 

 

 

[gogmorgo]

Other than showing up with someone else's truck to pick it up, unlikely you can make it happen. Uhaul's internal tow rating calculator says no vehicle can weigh less than 80% of the towed weight, regardless of what the truck is actually rated for. The Uhaul car haulers weigh around 2300lbs, meaning the heaviest car they'd allow you to put on one behind a 3500lb truck would weigh around 2000lbs, for a total wieght of around 4200lbs. But also, they won't let you tow a car hauler with any vehicle weighing less than 3500lbs, and the published curb weights for the MJ are all below that. I've also tried to get the calculator to allow it, but haven't come up with a way.

 

Regardless, it's not the best idea. Uhaul's car hauler forces you to keep the weight of the car all the way forward, which will put more tongue weight on the truck than a properly loaded trailer would, which will exceed what your suspension is rated for. This is probably part of the reason they have their seemingly dumb 80% rule. And regardless of what you might get away with, you can't legally exceed the original rating of the truck, regardless of the upgrades you've done. 

If you look around you might be able to find another trailer rental company in your area that can set you up with a much nicer trailer to use. Uhaul will also allow you to tow a car dolly with the correct vehicle on it, but then you've got to remember that all the weight behind you has no brakes.

[10thta]

that makes a lot of sense.  Appreciate the explanation.  I guess I will continue to rent the truck/trailer combo for now.  

[Eagle]

5 hours ago, gogmorgo said:

Uhaul will also allow you to tow a car dolly with the correct vehicle on it, but then you've got to remember that all the weight behind you has no brakes.

 You also can't tow a vehicle with any wheels on the road if it isn't currently registered and insured.

[gogmorgo]

26 minutes ago, Eagle said:

 You also can't tow a vehicle with any wheels on the road if it isn't currently registered and insured.

Depends on your jurisdiction. Mine doesn’t care, the towed vehicle counts as part of the trailer, and just needs to not be dangerous. But it’s good to confirm anyhow, some jurisdictions don’t register or insure the dolly so it counts under the towed vehicle’s reg and insurance.