UHaul Trailers? Big Enough for a TriFive?

bob p · Jun 28, 2009

I've been reading through some of the towing related threads, and I thought I'd ask people's experience on whether or not a U-Haul trailer is adequate for transporting a TriFive.

I just paid $270 to have my 57 Beauville wagon transported about 90 miles on a flatbed tow truck. The only reason I did this was because UHaul didn't want to rent a trailer to me.

FYI, my tow vehicle is a 1999 K2500 Suburban with a factory option Class IV hitch and tow package. Its got a 454 up front, a 4.10 in the rear, and its rated to tow horse trailers up to 10,000 lb. Its plenty of truck for the task.

Why wouldn't U-Haul rent to me? They said that their trailers couldn't accommodate something as big as a 1957 Chevy wagon. I guess that they only want people to tow Hondas.

This really bothers me. Looking around the forum, I see lots of photos of people hauling their TriFives on UHaul trailers. How did you get them to rent to you? Did you not tell them what kind of car you'd be hauling?

tripleduece · Jun 28, 2009

Bob---they probably just heard "57" and did not want the insurance issues with a classic if something failed on their trailer?! That would be my only guess.

dseale4888 · Jun 28, 2009

Unless they have changed the size over the past few years they should handle a trifive with no problem. I brought my 56 rolling chassis home on one. They don't want you to rent them local, they want to send them oneway. When I went to rent one for the 56 I couldn't rent it local. I went on line and rented it in Conneticut to come back to Mass. About 100 miles one way.
Dave

TheHotrodHandyman · Jun 28, 2009

I have had a guy I know transport five cars, 4 TRI-5's to me here in MA.

The 5th was a F**D and was a little bigger than a TRI-5. Those cars came from; MT, AL, CA and 2 from SK Canada ALL on a rented U-haul trailer with no issues. One of the cars, A sedan delivery from SK was STUFFED with parts.

BLACKHORSE · Jun 28, 2009

ETriggs HAULED ONE IN AN ENCLOSED TRAILER, GIVE HIM A PM...

ProjX57 · Jun 29, 2009

You tow vehicle met all the criteria to pull that trailer, they just didn't want to rent local. like someone else posted. I towed my 57 with one of their tow dolly's, after I convinced them a 57 would fit, because my cousin had pulled one 900 miles on a dolly about a month earlier with no problem. I only had about 80 miles to tow, and had no problem at all, just kept checking the tire straps. Maybe not the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to get that car to the house and they had no trailer's at the u-haul I was at. My .02

Ed

ETriggs · Jun 29, 2009

I hauled one on the trailer AND in the back of a 16 foot truck. They handled just fine. If that UHaul won't rent to you, go to another location and get someone who does not have their head in their posterior. I towed Bertha from Ocala FL to Phenix City, AL without a glitch and Rose in the back of a 16' Budget Rent-a-Truck from the middle of Texas to Phenix City, AL. Just tell them it is a 1990 Chevy Caprice.

ricka1957 · Jun 29, 2009

I went to our local u-haul, told them iam hauling a 55 sedan, they said no problem, had the trailer for 24 hours cost me 49 bucks for the trailer and 7 more bucks for insurance, guess i got lucky. rick

carls 56 · Jun 29, 2009

used a uhaul trailer to bring home my 55 and 56. 300-400 miles one way. never had trailered anything before. those are great trailers :tu............all 4 wheels off ground, not the dolly type

zonker · Jun 29, 2009

Was the trailer going out of state? when I rented a trailer to pick-up my 56 it was on the otherside of the border, the rental company had a problem with taking the trailer out of state, I knew the manager and he let it slide.

bob p · Jun 29, 2009

They never asked about in-state, or one-way. They turned me down as soon as they knew that I wanted to transport a 1957 station wagon that was as big as my 1999 Suburban. They said it was beyond the size limit of the trailer.

57-Geez · Jun 29, 2009

I believe I might be one of those guys who wrote in about towing quite a while ago. I went on line to register with uhaul, for a box truck,(for moving) and two car haulers. They over booked me, so when I went to pick up the truck, they said, sorry, we are all out of haulers and will be bringing some up from NY in the next few days.....did I mention I was moving from Maine to Utah. In a few days I needed to be in Utah, so I had no time to wait. All they had was a tow dolly, that they threw in for free since no haulers could be had.

I ended up buying a trailer for the 57 pickup, the belair 57, with no enigine/trans or interior (just a shell) went on the dolly, granted, not my first choice, but it was free. I had heard of the challenges with these rental places, so to answer your question....I dollied my 98 Honda civic 2500 miles with out a glitch.

The brand new trailer, had a blowout 900 miles into our adventure. Go figure.
Good luck and be safe.

Gil

G.R. · Jun 29, 2009

57-Geez said:
The brand new trailer, had a blowout 900 miles into our adventure. Go figure.
Good luck and be safe.

Gil

I bought a new enclosed car hauler in '94 to haul my Cobra to events that were many loooong miles from my home, Cobras ride like a 400+hp go-kart...not a lot of of joy to drive long distances. The first time I used it I was going from my home on Bainbridge Island to Seattle then on to Reno for a Cobra event. Blew out one tire on I-5 about 30 miles east of downtown Seattle in rush hour traffic...NOT FUN!!

Blew out another one on the same side(passenger) just before we entered the Reno city limits. We limped in to our hotel and the next morning I hauled the now empty trailer to Les Schaubs to have the tire replaced. As a courtesy they checked the drivers side tires and recommened they be replaced as well as they were showing signs of abnormal sidewall wear.

The tires Wells Cargo used were some cheap p.o.s. Chinese imports on a near $8,000 dollar race trailer.

As for using U-Haul ... with all their "coporate rules" governing local rentals I do not know how they stay in business. A friend of mine in Washington bought a '65 Shelby Mustang GT-350R clone in Tuscon. He was going to fly there with his son, rent a U-Haul box Van and haul it back to WA---when he arrived in AZ U-Haul told him " No " after he had previously confirmed a rental from WA before they left...so he went to Penske--No problem and they even threw in the tie downs for the car at no extra charge. Go Figure

ETriggs · Jun 29, 2009

Do they realize that a 57 Chevy is the same size and LIGHTER than a 2005 Chevy Impala? Those fit on the trailers. Just give them the dimensions as compared to a 2005 Chevy Impala and ask them why it won't fit.

Car: Width (track) Wheelbase Curb Weight
57 BelAir 58.9 inches 115.0 inches 3270 lbs
05 Impala 62.0 inches 110.5 inches 3389 lbs

bob p · Jun 29, 2009

You know it, and I know it, but in their minds a 1957 Chevy is some giant behemoth of an automobile that dwarfs a 2005 Impala. With my luck they'd probably not believe me. Once their mind is made up they probably wouldn't want me to confuse them with facts. They'd probably still say, "No."

roughneck424 R.I.P 3-24-2017 · Jun 29, 2009

I hauled a 63 Cadillac Limo on one

Had to tie the ramp up to the leaf springs, it would no go up and latch due to the back end hanging off

Don't tell U-Haul they think I was towing a Dune Buggy

I dont blame UHaul , I have seen a few of their trailers off in the ditch

SIDKELLY1 · Jun 29, 2009

I handle some claims for the insurance company for the local U-Hauls and I can attest that they are really cutting back on their 'exposure'-'nuff said

chevender · Jun 29, 2009

I hauled my 79 silverado long bed on a uhaul trailer. I guess the guy believed me when I said it was an S10.

Rick

Will · Jun 29, 2009

Bob, I've used U-haul and told them it was for a 55 chevy pulled by my full size pickup with appropriate hitch, and got the same answer as you did. The light went on.... went to another uhaul dealer with the same truck and told them I was towing a 97 Dodge Neon and I was hooked up and on my way in 15 minutes!

Typhoontx · Jun 29, 2009

My brother had to bring his 55 home on a u-haul trailer when he lost a rod bearing on the power tour last year. the only thing they would not let him use my dad's f250 superduty with the tow package truck to tow it ( they claimed the truck was to lite ??????? ) so he had to also rent their smallest moving van that was based off a chevy 3/4 " ton van chassis.

Regards, Robert

ETriggs · Jun 29, 2009

Typhoontx said:
My brother had to bring his 55 home on a u-haul trailer when he lost a rod bearing on the power tour last year. the only thing they would not let him use my dad's f250 superduty with the tow package truck to tow it ( they claimed the truck was to lite ??????? ) so he had to also rent their smallest moving van that was based off a chevy 3/4 " ton van chassis.

Regards, Robert

Are you kidding me? That thing is a beast!

This is directly from UHaul's website for the car trailer, I have put in bold the items which DIRECTLY relate to the 57 Chevy and in green the items that talk about the towing vehicle.

Capacity

Max load: 5,290 lbs.
Gross vehicle weight: 7,500 lbs. max
Empty weight: 2,210 lbs.

Features
Easy-access loading ramp
Tilt-out fender allows vehicle door access
Ratchet-operated tire straps
Vehicle security chains
Automatic hydraulic surge brake

Advisements
Your towing vehicle: Must be equipped with a hard top if it is an SUV. U-Haul does not allow any type of sport-utility vehicle not equipped with a hard top to tow U-Haul equipment.
Must weigh at least 3,500 lbs. (curb weight), and must equal or exceed 80% of the combined weight of the trailer (2,210 lbs.) and the vehicle being towed (up to 5,290 lbs.).
Must have a towing system that has a 5,000 lbs. minimum weight-carrying rating
Must have 1-7/8", 2" or 2-1/8" hitch ball (5,000 lbs. minimum)
Must not exceed maximum allowable hitch ball height 25"
Must have external mirrors on both sides
Must have fully operational lighting
Auto transport lighting must be operational at all times, day and night, loaded or unloaded
Maximum recommended speed is 55 MPH
The vehicle being towed:
Must not weigh in excess of 5,290 lbs.
Must have a maximum outside-to-outside tire width of 79.25"
Note: outside tire width over 75" must use late-model U-Haul Auto Transport (identifiable by silver galvanized color).
Must have a maximum wheelbase (distance from front axle to rear axle, usually posted on the driver's side door jamb) of 133 inches.
Low-hanging equipment on the vehicle being towed such as spoilers, air dams, ground effects, etc., may be damaged by contact with the Auto Transport during loading and unloading. Make sure there is enough clearance for these items.

ETriggs · Jun 29, 2009

Ed, I agree. Someone lied to you Typhoon just to get a truck off of their lot.

ProjX57 · Jun 29, 2009

Exactly. My experience with them is they really don't like renting for local stuff. Actually in the long run, if you figured everything up, you would probably find that they actually charge more if you can get them to rent for local, than if you got it for a one way to a lot of places.....tditditditdi

My .03

Ed

alive 55 · Jun 29, 2009

I used Budget rent a car traler and it was fine. I towed it 250 miles with my Dodge rumble bee 1500......they said the car would be too long ....It was fine find another rental company

Mel56 · Jun 29, 2009

I just returned with towing our 56 on a 1200 mile trip in a uhaul trailer. I towed it with our 96 1500 Burb. It towed flawlessly up to Salem Oregon from San Francisco, CA. Uhaul and most of the rental companies only want you to haul 1 way or local. I told them I was towing up to Northern California. Okay, I stretched it alittle. They have a scale that they use but, if you go on their website, you can key in your tow vehicle and your vehicle that you are towing and to see if it is acceptible. $49/per day. The others wanted $96!

Also, they only use front tire straps and a couple of safety chains. I used 4 more straps to secure the car. I don't care for surge brakes either. I'm used to electric brakes on a trailer. So going down some of those hills up to Oregon was not fun!

rj57 · Jun 29, 2009

I was seriously considering hauling my '06 LTZ Monte Carlo to the now past Monte Nationals in Collinsville, IL which was over yesterday. Mileage on the car is why. I don't want to put any on the car.
lol

I just called U-haul to ask for a quote to haul one of my '57s about 10 miles. The CSR said it was $98 to use their trailor one way. If I returned the trailor to the origin point the rate was $48 with liability ins included. Additional insurance is available that covers the vehicle on the trailor for $12. (money well spent to me)

She did tell me when I call back to confirm the reservation they will ask about the vehicle I'm towing with and the vehicle being towed.

Typhoontx · Jun 29, 2009

I'd agree the uhaul place was just trying to get the extra bucks I think
they said if the truck was a extended cab it would have been acceptable, doesnt make sense to me other than the drive to make more profit.

Regards, Robert

Mel56 · Jun 29, 2009

Back to Bob's original question, I found a pic of me trying to load our 56 on the uhaul trailer. As you can see, it does fit. It hangs over the rear a tad. It's a short trailer but, it will work.

MT94SS · Jun 30, 2009

That's funny. I just went through this getting a trailer to haul my brother's '69 Road Runner. I told them that I had a full size car and they said it would work. It did, but their trailers look like they are made for the 'new' full sized cars, you know, like the Honda Accord or Toyota Avalon. It stuck off the front and back by a lot. It did make it through the 300 mile trip OK. A tri-five should be no problem.

It's like renting a full sized car now, you can't. I seem to remember the trailers being a lot bigger...

bob p · Jul 7, 2009

TOWING UPDATE

It turns out that the Beauville's brakes are going to keep me from driving it home this week, so I decided to give U-Haul another try. This time I tried my local neighborhood hardware and lumber store instead of the other u-Haul place because I saw they had car dollies out back on one of my recent visits.

I called them with all of the information in-hand from the U-Haul website and ETriggs' post regarding towing specifications.

This time I was going to be ready for any BS that the U-Haul guys might try to throw my way.

As it turned out, the local hardware store is only a mile away from my house, and they have an "Auto Transporter" sitting on the lot right now. Its reserved for someone else to rent as of Wednesday night at 7 pm. When I asked if I could rent it for a round trip on Tuesday morning, maybe the fellow realized that it would be in his best interest to rent for a 24-hour round trip on Tuesday morning, so he'd make some extra money and get the trailer back in time Wednesday morning to also make the Wednesday night rental.

First he asked what type of vehicle I'd be towing, and I told him it was a '57 Chevy 210 wagon. Much to my surprise, the U-Haul computer system had pull down menus that allowed him to pick 1957, Chevy, and 210 wagon. (!) Their software even knew the accurate curb weight for my car! It was within the load limit specs for the trailer, so we passed over the first hurdle. So far so good...

Second he asked what type of vehicle I'd be towing with, and I told him it was a '99, K2500 3/4-ton Suburban, 454 with 4 wheel drive, 4.10 posi rear end, and a 10,000 lb. factory-option receiver hitch & tow package. Its rated to pull horse trailers.

The U-Haul software told him that normally the tow vehicle has to weigh 25% more than the total of the trailer + car, but this requirement is waived for vehicles that have a 10,000 lb tow rating. It looks like we cleared the second hurdle too.

The good news is that I've got a reservation to pick up the trailer tomorrow morning. $49.95 for 24-hours + $8 insurance for the car on the trailer.

Hopefully all will go well and tomorrow I'll have the car in a location where I can start working on it myself. :tu

I remember there being a question about what sized ball you'd need for one of these trailers. The rental brochure said 1-7/8" or 2," but didn't mention the 2-5/16" ball. My quick change kit has all three, so it looks like I'm OK.

Keeping my fingers crossed...

UHaul Trailers? Big Enough for a TriFive?

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