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Re: towing an '86 convertible Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:41:22
In Reply to: towing an '86 convertible, ryoung, Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:30:03 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I've towed all manner of c900s both with Uhaul "auto transports" (the dual axle trailer) and the "tow dolly." I will tell you bar-none it's a lot more comfortable for me towing on a full trailer, but there is no technical reason why the dolly won't work. Over such a long distance, the dolly will probably not save only rental money but gas money as well - the full trailer is about 1500lbs dry, compared to 700lbs or so for the dolly.
Either way, you're talking about towing anywhere from 4000-5000lbs depending on your trailer choice, which is well beyond what most cars and many light-duty SUVs ("cute utes") are capable of safely. Aside from sheer engine power and chassis integrity, you also need to be sure the tow vehicle's brakes are up to the challenge. Remember too that a longer wheelbase translates directly to stability - towing with a passenger car is a lot less stable than say a Chevy Suburban. Uhaul will not rent the full trailer to shorter-wheelbase tow vehicles.
If you go with the tow dolly, a light-duty truck will be plenty - a Toyota Tacoma or what have you... most modern incarnations of those trucks are huge anyway. I towed extensively with a '00 Tacoma V6 and a Uhaul dolly, and it was never a problem. These days, it's almost exclusively on a full trailer with a 3/4 ton Suburban, which is just so darned pleasant.
IME, renting a truck to tow isn't cheap - pretty sure they up around $0.60 or $0.70 per mile, so over a 700 mile distance you're talking about $500 plus the rental of both truck and trailer. I can only imagine you can do better hiring a professional to do the moving... that sort of distance across California is around a grand, and you don't have to worry about your insurance or your time.
OTOH, not much more than a grand buys you a running '80s domestic pickup, which is pretty darned convenient to have around, or you can sell it at surely no loss when you're done. An acquaintance of mine bought a Dodge van in New York for a couple grand, drove it across country, then sold it when he got to Seattle for what he paid. Win!
posted by 12.71.42...
, Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:20:34, Tue, 1 Sep 2009 12:06:17, Tue, 1 Sep 2009 19:18:29, Wed, 2 Sep 2009 08:38:46, Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:41:22 <-- Viewing This Message
, Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:16:56
, Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:03:02
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