Towing a Uhaul trailer.
Question:
What about a trailer hitch? Uhaul said they'd have to see the truck to know if i need a permanent one or a temp. I looked in the Dakota manual and it was talking about Class 1 hitches, etc. I guess that's what I get
Answer:
I recently towed a 5x8 Uhaul trailer to college with a 94 S-10 Blazer
(4.3L V6 Auto 4x4). Some things that you should know. I don't know much
about Dodge trucks, but I believe that you're truck is rated to tow up to
5,000lbs. The first thing I would do before anything else is look in your
owner's manual under the towing section and see what information is in there
about how much you can tow. If that fails, call your local dealer and ask
them the towing specs on your specific truck. Make a note that you can not
exceed the total Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GWVR) of your truck. This is
the total amount of weight that the engine can move, including curb weight,
weight of the passengers, weight in the bed, and weight of the trailer and
everything in it. Once again, go see your owners manual and your Dodge
dealer for help with this.
Do not let Uhaul install a temp hitch receiver on your truck. They wind
up either drilling holes or twisting your frame. Put the hitch on yourself.
There are three different types of commonly used hitches receivers. Class
1, Class 2, and Class 3. The last one is the strongest of the three. It
has a 2inX2in square receiver to mount the hitch in. Not only can you tow
with it, it is beginning to be more commonly used for accessories. Bike
racks, cargo carriers, spare tire carriers, and winches can all mount on the
hitch in the 2x2 receiver. Installing a hitch is really a do it yourself
job if you are at all familiar with your truck. It is normally a bolt on
installation with no drilling required. I put mine on in 15 minutes.
JCWhitney ( www.jcwhitney.com ) sells a hitch for your truck for $95. As
for the lights, for most newer trucks, there is what is known as a T
connector. You unplug the wiring harness under or in the truck, plug the T
connector into it and then plug the other end of the harness into the other
side of the T, and wallah, you have a trailer light connector.
It'll probably cost you about $130 to install the hitch yourself
including hitch, shipping, and wiring. But you'll know it has been done
right and you'll also get more familiar with your truck.
As for U Haul, now you got me started. While towing the trailer, I had
no problems, it was everything before that. You have to call 1-800-GOUHAUL
to get the trailer reserved. But that doesn't mean that the trailer is
actually reserved for you. Then you must wait until 48 hours before you're
supposed to pick the trailer up, that is when the Uhaul dealer nearest you
will call you and tell you if they have a trailer for you to rent. If they
don't (now remember you supposedly reserved it), YOU have to go to whatever
rental place has it to pick it up, no matter if it's in the next state.
Once you finally track down the trailer and you get to the UHaul place,
you'll see your trailer. But it's not the trailer you thought you were
going to get. It is a POS. In all of UHaul's advertisements for a 5x8
trailer (and the other sizes for that matter), they have a picture of a nice
orange and white painted, enclosed trailer. But when I got there, there was
an open top wood, red paint peeling trailer. I asked the manager where the
enclosed trailer was that was in the picture and he pointed to the rate
board behind him with the picture of the enclosed trailer on it. Right next
to the enclosed trailer was $14.95 in a big green circle. He was trying to
show me the fine print, but there was none. I had no time for this, they
had me already waiting an hour, so I told him just hook up the trailer that
is out there so I can get outta here. The "Trailer Technician" hooked up
the trailer and then tried to connect the lights. They didn't work. He
then tried to blame it on me saying that I must have done a bad wiring job
since UHaul didn't install the hitch receiver and light wires. I went to
the manager and told him that I had no time for this and that I wanted a
different trailer (there were three other 5x8 trailers out there). He told
me that he didn't know anything and that the guy out there knew what he was
doing because he was the trailer technician. I went out there again and he
was still complaining about bad wiring so I went back inside and talked to
the manager again. I said that I realize that the man outside may be the
Trailer Technician, but I've been here two hours and I need a trailer now.
He went back outside with me and told the other guy to hook up another
trailer. Naturally they gave me the other wooden paintpeeling trailer, not
the brand new orange and white fiberglass one beside it. He hooked up the
trailer and the wires (charging me and extra $10 for a wiring adapter that
this trailer didn't have, but the new one did), and go figure, the lights
worked. I signed the contract and left. There is a speed limit sign on the
trailer that says 45mph. I called the 800 number and asked them why this
was so, and after being transferred three times and talking to three
supervisors, was told that it was because the trailer will sway. I stayed
right around 50 for the 130 mile trip down to the college. But on the way
back (it's an extra $70 if you want to only tow it one way) I was around
60-65mph without much sway.
I just have to put in my 2 cents on this one. Now that you have figured out
that you do have a 3.9L v6. That is what I have in a 1989 model. I have
moved my daughter over 500 miles, with many mountains between pulling a 5x8
Uhaul and with the 8 foot bed stacked to 2 feet above the cab. We had some
25 mph hills but the old Dodge did fine. This truck will haul 5000 lb.. It
will ping on 89 octane full but not if you put mid range gas in it. some
times I will mix a half tank of high octane with the low stuff. My truck has
168000 miles on it and has been a wonderful work truck. Most Uhaul dealers
know their stuff.
First off, the 318 is a V8. If that is your engine you can probably
easily pull the 5x8 trailer. The V6 probably will as well. Check your
owner's manual to find out what your truck is rated for. The enclosed
5x8 U-haul trailers weigh about 800 lbs. empty. I was faced with the
same situation last year with my '97 Explorer Sport. I didn't have the
luxery of taking my time moving. I had about a 3 week notice. I had to
put my house up for sale, and arrange for getting all of my belongings
2000 miles away. The three options I considered are: 1) Rent a big
truck and do everything myself. 2) Rent a 5x8 U-haul trailer for the
stuff I would need immediately when I arrived and paying a moving
company. 3) Buying a new 5x8 enclosed trailer and paying a moving
company.
I didn't have enough time to pack everything and load a big truck so
option 1 was out. I am glad I didn't after seeing how packed the moving
company had my stuff in their truck so it would fit. I didn't choose
option 2 either. All of U-hauls trailers were junk and they wanted $800
to rent it for 10 days, picking it up in Ohio and leaving it in
Arizona. I chose option 3. I paid $1450 for a new 5x8 enclosed Haulmark
trailer. It gave me a much better trailer than was available from U-
haul. I was also able to sell it for $1400 earlier this year. I used
the trailer to move my things from Ohio to my Father's house. I then
used it to move into an apartment a month later. Finally, In January of
this year I used it to move into my newly built house. I sold it a week
later. It wasn't a problem for my Explorer to pull it for 3 days and
2000 miles. My mileage did suffer though (10-12 MPG). I also put the
class III hitch on myself. It has came in handy several times since.
You are probably better off buying a trailer and selling it when you
arrive rather than rent one from U-haul, especially for long distance,
one-way moves. Unless you are moving straight into your new home, it
will come in handy again.
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