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Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:30 am
by v8_ranch
This may be old news for some of you but I have had some strange experiences in the past with uhaul auto transport rentals. Mostly I am referring to cars not showing g up as ok to row with another vehicle you know good and well could tow a Small mountain! So I am going to pick up my new to me 1968 2000 Roadster today, and I call my local uhaul, and I’m thinking they are probably not going to have a 1968 Datsun roadster in their database... so I say I’m towing a 1973 MG Midget. They say yes, it is in there system and I think “Great”! But then it flags it as not compatible with being towed by my Mercedes GL450. What!? So I say, “well, can you check on a 1970 Datsun 2000 Roadster? She does and bingo, good to go! Ok, guess I’ll just say “whatever?”

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:29 am
by redroadster
One of those aluminium car trailors ?
Yeah they want a full size truck ....I worked for
U-haul . insurance wants it likely, I tried to rent one here but no go ... they wanted a square receiver hitch
My truck a 4L Dakota was a ball on a full chrome bumper....I think a lot of renter's say they are towing a VW bug , when really it's a LTD

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:05 am
by Curtis
No one will rent me a trailer for my 91 Mazda B2600i truck, too big and heavy for it. I could buy a 5 x 10 flat bed utility trailer. U Haul put on a hitch receiver welded to the frame, class 2 or something. Rented a dolly from u haul and it was kind of a pain. You can not back a dolly with a car on it so plan your stops carefully.

One of the local roadster owners has lent me his very nice dolly and I have now used it 3 times and it tows the car very well. I've been looking off and on for a newer truck with a V6.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:06 am
by v8_ranch
Red, I get that, but mine was a totally different sitch. My GL450 has factory towing and will tow a load. The strangeness I was bring up was they said I was good to tow a Roadster, but not a Midget... that seems kind of odd to me...

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:36 am
by rwmann
Probably a database of demonstrated use cases that 'worked'.

Too bad about the guy with the Midget, I am guessing.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:47 am
by MattC
Curtis, if you ever want to sell that Mazda, let me know. I’m looking for one.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:00 am
by Curtis
MattC wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:47 am Curtis, if you ever want to sell that Mazda, let me know. I’m looking for one.
Owned it since new, 95k original miles. We'll see if I find what I want.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:33 pm
by notoptoy
The thing with the midget may be more based on the trailer compatibility with the car to be towed rather than the towing ability of the Tow vehicle. The Midget has a very small track, and my not fit onto the trailer ramps.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:46 pm
by Curtis
The dolly I'm using barely fits the roadster, the tires are right up to the inside edge of the pads.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:18 pm
by RCMike
notoptoy wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:33 pm The thing with the midget may be more based on the trailer compatibility with the car to be towed rather than the towing ability of the Tow vehicle. The Midget has a very small track, and my not fit onto the trailer ramps.
Bingo

When we load Ron Carter's race car on his trailer, the rear tires touch the load track edges on both inside tires. a Midget would not fall into the tracks.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:31 pm
by v8_ranch
RCMike wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:18 pm
notoptoy wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:33 pm The thing with the midget may be more based on the trailer compatibility with the car to be towed rather than the towing ability of the Tow vehicle. The Midget has a very small track, and my not fit onto the trailer ramps.
Bingo

When we load Ron Carter's race car on his trailer, the rear tires touch the load track edges on both inside tires. a Midget would not fall into the tracks.
Understand... I figured they had to be pretty close on track width, but I stand corrected

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:35 pm
by MattC
Yep, I used a uhaul car carrier trailer when I picked up my roadster and it barely fit in the tracks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_D1DMR ... sp=sharing

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 6:32 am
by v8_ranch
Matt , thank you. I was squirming a bit getting it on and off the hauler but your picture assured it could in fact be done... man that was tight.

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2023 6:03 pm
by Stick
MattC wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:35 pm Yep, I used a uhaul car carrier trailer when I picked up my roadster and it barely fit in the tracks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_D1DMR ... sp=sharing
Very helpful .... this is my current plan to pick mine up. my biggest challenge is getting Haul to answer the phone ... I called 3 separate stores today and couldn't get a live person! The online/app format they use doesn't list the car and won't let you proceed.

Any suggestions of where to tie it down and just as important, where not to?

Re: Towing a roadster - My lesson today with uhaul

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2023 6:05 pm
by MattC
I just picked something close, like a Miata or something. It doesn’t really matter what you choose on the online form. They’ll never see what you’re towing.