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Contemplating renting a U-Haul trailer (not a dolly) to drag my car to a track day at Pocono. I am guessing you have to climb in and out through the window because the doors will hit fenders when you try and open them? Anyone have experiences to share?
Contemplating renting a U-Haul trailer (not a dolly) to drag my car to a track day at Pocono. I am guessing you have to climb in and out through the window because the doors will hit fenders when you try and open them? Anyone have experiences to share?
Those are only in limited areas so far, and while I do like them...
I feel as though the breakover angle is going to be a problem for a lot of low cars. Folks are going to have to learn to use the terrain around them to alleviate such. Even raising the rear wheels of the tow vehicle has issues as then the bumper is more likely to drag at the end of the ramps.
I've taken my Vette all over the country with a U-Haul Trailer up until I got my own. If that track hauler option that Erikf555 posted is available, I would definitely use that. The ways I've tried, I've never had to climb in through the window. But from my experience here's what I learned:
- The fold down wheel fender on the trailer is super useful, finally figured it out about halfway through my journey. That can give you enough room to slide in and out of the car without you rubbing the bottom of the door.
- Get yourself a couple of 2x8 boards. I used 2ft sections and put under the rear driver's side wheel, and if you're nervous, you can put one under the driver's side front wheel as well. That gives some extra clearance. I didn't do the passenger side just in case the back slides around (It shouldn't with the front tires being strapped down and the rear end chained down.
- Use an inclined driveway or curb to load up on. You can also decrease the angle to get on the trailer by taking those 2x8 boards and putting them under the ramps
- Put a blanket over the wheel well that way if you can't fold them down, you won't scrape the bottom of your door. Done that before...
- Hot take: You can remove the roll over stops at the front of the trailer and give yourself more clearance. Obviously, do this at your own risk but, I never had any issue with it. Besides, you'd have to drive over an elevated lip before you would drive over and off the trailer so, likely won't happen as long as you don't whisky throttle it.
I rent a U haul to take my car to the track. I have an assortment of 2x12s that make it easier. Most important are the pieces that fit in the front wheel area of the trailer. This get the air dam over the front edge of the trailer. Then I have a shorter piece with a bevel cut on it that I place down to get the tires onto the first piece I mentioned. Less important but helpful is a double stack that I drive my SUV onto to raise the tongue/lower the rear. This last time I also placed an identical double stack under the U-Haul ramps. This really made getting my car on there much smoother. Here it is from 2 weeks ago. You can see the boards under the truck tires.
@schaumi
If you just pulled truck & trailer out into the street, and extended ramps to the driveway, you could literally drive straight onto it.
The angle of of the driveway is making the angle even worse. Here is a pic demonstrating how to use the terrain to your advantage for loading/unloading. That's my old trailer, and my Lincoln.
Yes, carry the blocks for use at the track, but best thing to do is find a curb to drive up onto, OR back the trailer/ramps up to; to change the whole angle of the dangle.
@schaumi
If you just pulled truck & trailer out into the street, and extended ramps to the driveway, you could literally drive straight onto it.
The angle of of the driveway is making the angle even worse. Here is a pic demonstrating how to use the terrain to your advantage for loading/unloading. That's my old trailer, and my Lincoln.
Yes, carry the blocks for use at the track, but best thing to do is find a curb to drive up onto, OR back the trailer/ramps up to; to change the whole angle of the dangle.
This is exactly what I was talking about how to use a driveway or a curb to decrease the angle of driving up on to the trailer. Good example.
Make sure your tongue weight is 10% of the total weight. Trailer and vehicle combined. A class 3 trailer hitch required, and possibly load levelers ( if the trailer has provisions for them) Good Luck from a previous U-Haul mechanic.
@schaumi
If you just pulled truck & trailer out into the street, and extended ramps to the driveway, you could literally drive straight onto it.
Uhh, what?! You want me to completely block my two way street with my truck and a trailer while I load my car onto it?! That’s a FANTASTIC idea!! Sure, all the people trying to get where they are going will be happy to wait 10 minutes while I load up my car and hook it up.
No thanks. I’ll use my wood blocks and take my sweet time without the stress of getting honked at or worse.
Uhh, what?! You want me to completely block my two way street with my truck and a trailer while I load my car onto it?! That’s a FANTASTIC idea!! Sure, all the people trying to get where they are going will be happy to wait 10 minutes while I load up my car and hook it up.
No thanks. I’ll use my wood blocks and take my sweet time without the stress of getting honked at or worse.
A good driver could jackknife it, leaving the trailer on the lower part of the driveway and the truck parallel to the curb so it's not blocking the whole street.
Uhh, what?! You want me to completely block my two way street with my truck and a trailer while I load my car onto it?! That’s a FANTASTIC idea!! Sure, all the people trying to get where they are going will be happy to wait 10 minutes while I load up my car and hook it up.
No thanks. I’ll use my wood blocks and take my sweet time without the stress of getting honked at or worse.
It would take 5 minutes tops to pop the car on, set the emergency brake and chock a tire; and then gently back the rig into the driveway to tie it down.
I'm just expressing and demonstrating there is another way. Keep this in mind whenever/where ever you are loading/unloading; look at the topography and use it your advantage.
You don't have to get upset. You and your neighbors must not be very neighborly.
I measured from the trailer base to the top of the tires with the fender folded down and then from the ground to the bottom of the door sill and both came up at 9in. So using some boards underneath will work (track day tires are 18in). Appreciate the other tips and will see if I can make this happen. My tow vehicle is a 2016 4ruunner and I have a trailer brake controller - but the UHaul guy said the trailers use "surge brakes." I also have air bags in the back. Read that using a dolly with our cars is a no-go with the torque tube....
Yes, using a tow dolly is a no go.
And yes, all UHaul trailers are surge brakes.
ALSO, take a look at your local FB Marketplace. A new trend is small mom/pop local trailer rentals. Search "trailer rental". There is even a FB Group on how to start and maintain your own side-hustle of private trailer rentals. There are trailer-share options out there too kind of like Turo. There you will find more options, more car haulers, lower setup up, etc. etc. More than likely be electric brakes which is a much better setup.
Loading with a U-Haul trailer
Alternative when yer at the U-Haul Place 
