Have you ever rented a U-Haul trailer and moved long-distance?

[bsnyder]

How hard is it to drive while towing one of those things?

 

[Grog]

Ive never actually towed a U-Haul trailer, but have towed trailers with cars on them, and towed cars with tow bars, which I guess would handle about the same. It wasn't really that difficult. You need to allow extra room for lane changes, and more room for braking when possible, but it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[TheLionKing]

Drove from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 1988 with a Toyota Corolla towing a U-Haul trailer. It wasn't that bad. You just have to remember that acceleration and braking distances are much different. I don't think it did any serious wear on my car either. The 4 cylinder Toyota Corolla is not exactly known for it's towing capabilities.

Skip to 1999 and I towed a U-Haul with my Ford Expedition from Iowa to California. That was a piece of cake.....

So it depends on the car and how big a U-Haul you are towing.

 

[DMickey28]

I have done this before a few times. As long as you are very careful in the stopping, lane changes and acceleration you'll be fine.

My story:

I was moving and had the uhaul attached to my mom's minivan, it was empty... much worse when empty. I was going through a construction site on I495 when I lost control of it. This was in heavy traffic and going fairly slow but the bumps in the road did it. The thing started swinging back and forth, luckily the guy next to me and behind me saw what was happening and backed off. The next thing know I was on the side of the highway and the uhaul trailer was about 50 feet behind me upside down in the woods. It turns out the ball wasn't tightened enough onthe hitch and got loose.. make sure the tightened with the pressure machine thingy...

Luckily no one was hurt and the trailer wasn't badly damaged!!!

 

[marlasmom]

I did it once. Twice got into a spot where I had to back up and couldn't. Never again.

 

[bsnyder]

DMickey and Marlasmom's experiences are exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about! YIKES!!!

Fortunately, my dear, sweet FIL has come to my rescue has offered to make the drive with me! He's done this before, and also already has a trailer hitch on his SUV (for towing a boat) so I can stop having nightmares about this now.

 

[seaotter]

Been there done it many times...from Ohio to Washington, from Washington to Arizona and then back a year later, and most recently from California to Washington. The first time we pulled a u-haul trailer because the 24 foot truck we rented didn't hold everything! The other three times I pulled a car on the trailer.

The only thing you gotta watch out for is getting yourself in a situation in which you have to back out with the trailer...now that is a challenge, especially if you are in a tight spot! Once, I got myself stuck. I couldn't get out! I was nearly hysterical and a very nice gentlemen helped us get it out! That was back in 1993 and to this day I still think very nice thoughts about him! That only happened one time out of 6000 miles of driving with a trailer, though....and I was young, just 23 when I did it. I'd know better now! lol! Other than that, it's really quite easy. You simply gotta give yourself some time to get used to the extra weight. And like somebody said you need extra time to break. I always keep a very safe distance from what ever is in front of me. Sometimes trailers (and moving vans) wobble a bit if they aren't loaded corrently. You probably have a video or manual on how to load them, but if not, keep in mind that the heavy stuff should be in the back and toward the middle. This prevents wobbling, which can be quite alarming when driving at high speeds.

The best of luck to you and your FIL!

 

[adamak]

I rented a UHaul and towed my car, from Chicago to NYC. It's pretty tough. We didnt' 'linked' the car right to the U-haul, and didnt' realized it until 6 hours later. Could have lost my car and hurt someone else. Make sure you know what you're doing, and if possible, ask the U Haul people to show you.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

So,Does this mean you are moving to NC?

 

[figmentvi]

I had to do it when we moved from Miami back to Boston. Me, 3 kids, a cat and a U-Haul. It wasn't a pleasant experience. My van broke down along I-95 during a storm in GA. I'll never forget an incredibly kind man stopped and GAVE me his AAA card, then called a tow truck.

I also couldn't back the bloody thing up, so whenever we stopped for a rest, I had to make sure it was someplace that I could pull straight in and straight out. It was just a nightmare of an experience.

 

[FOJMO]

Fourteen years ago, we moved ourselves from Rochester, NY to Orlando, FL. We rented a Ryder truck and my DH towed our one minivan on the back. I followed with the other minivan, filled to the gills with stuff and our then 3yr old DD.

So, even though we didn't exactly tow a trailer on the back of a car, I can emphasize that you just have to take it SLOW (we never really did over 45 MPH) and hope for good weather. We also had to plan our overnights at hotels to somewhere where my DH could just pull in and pull out so as not to have to back up at all.

We hit a DRIVING thunderstorm when we got to Jacksonviille, FL -- I will never forget it. We had a CB radio between us and I couldn't even SEE the yellow Ryder truck in front of me! I was so worried I lost my DH! But we made it and now live in Tampa Bay area and never looked back!

Good luck! VAL

 

[AirForceRocks]

I drove a 26 foot U-Haul truck from Montgomery, AL to Washington DC while towing a full trailer with DH's car on it.

Piece of cake - just give yourself more time to stop, and more room to make wide turns.,

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by luvindisneyworld
So,Does this mean you are moving to NC?

Not full time, but my DH and I, along with my sister and her husband, bought a vacation home right outside of Waynesville!

We are taking some furniture and household stuff up there in a couple of weeks, and will try to get the place at least functional. My in-laws love the area too, so they will be using the house some and I'd love for them to be able to go back up there this fall to see the leaves change.

We'll primarily be using it during the summer months. My parents spend 6 months of the year up there, and the house we bought is directly across the street from them. Our summer visits with them have gotten a little cramped, as there are now 6 grandchildren, so this will be a perfect arrangement for all of us!

 

[rae519]

Tooo many times during our USAF days and after!

Tom did the driving and said, "Just take it slow and easy"

Rae

 

[AirForceRocks]

Originally posted by rae519
Tooo many times during our USAF days and after!

Tom did the driving and said, "Just take it slow and easy"

Rae

Yep, taking it slow is the key! I think that trip between AL and DC was the longest I've ever gone without passing ANYONE on the road.

We've only moved once, but you've got to love the DITY move - didn't lose/break a single thing and the $$$ were very nice!