Uhaul trailer

[SLU MD]

im planning on getting a small uhaul trailer behind my jeep cherokee. like the 5' X 8' one. ive gotta move some stuff bout 400 miles, how fast can i plan on safely going. speed limit is 70, so thats not a problem.

EDIT::
one more question. seems to be super cheap if i pick it up and then drive it back as opposed to drop it off in a different city. how fast can i go w/ the trailer empty, or will this cause some problems.

 

[jemcam]

U-Haul will tell you it's 45 mph, but I've gone hundreds of miles over 70 mph. Just be careful how you load the trailer, have the majority of the weight in front of the axle of the trailer.

 

[se7en]

i wouldnt go with uhaul to start with.. ..might not even get to your destination.

 

[labgeek]

Originally posted by: SLU MD
im planning on getting a small uhaul trailer behind my jeep cherokee. like the 5' X 8' one. ive gotta move some stuff bout 400 miles, how fast can i plan on safely going. speed limit is 70, so thats not a problem.

I think most of their trailers have a 45mph sticker on them... but that's probably because of insurance purposes. We used one recently, and we did 65 with it without a problem during a local move. It was the largest enclosed one.. don't remember the size.

 

[DeadByDawn]

That 45mph max sticker on the car hauler trailers is a joke

 

[labgeek]

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
That 45mph max sticker on the car hauler trailers is a joke

What do you want to bet that little insurance policy they try to push you into voids if you were going over 45 and something happens?

 

[DeadByDawn]

Originally posted by: labgeek

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
That 45mph max sticker on the car hauler trailers is a joke

What do you want to bet that little insurance policy they try to push you into voids if you were going over 45 and something happens?

Oh, I don't doubt that they would try and get out of paying anything if they could. But who's gonna drive across the country on 70mph highways, doing 45mph?

 

[DainBramaged]

See how fast it will go and then hold it there.

 

[imported_Dimicron]

I drove just last month from AZ to VA with a 5x8 trailer attached to my S-10 RWD and was able to make the trip with no problems and I'd say I averaged around 75-80 mph.

EDIT: (edited reply to your edited question) An empty trailer is a whole different beast. Any bumps and the trailer will want to go in a different direction. If you can, keep some weight in it and just move it to your car/truck when you drop off the trailer. Even so, you should be fine for a short drive.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Make sure you check the tires well. I watched a Uhaul trailer send a compact pickup across I-5 on it's driver's side door until it hit the center median. Driver was okay, passenger had a large gash on thier arm, baby that wasn't in a car seat died.

 

[labgeek]

Originally posted by: DeadByDawn
Oh, I don't doubt that they would try and get out of paying anything if they could. But who's gonna drive across the country on 70mph highways, doing 45mph?

I've been behind a few of those... but they "forgot" their uhual trailers somewhere...

 

[myusername]

Just remember your brakes will suck if you have to panic-stop.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: se7en
i wouldnt go with uhaul to start with.. ..might not even get to your destination.

too true

 

[sonoma1993]

i would check your owner manual about towing too. They usally suggest what speed is recommend for towing on the highway.

 

[marvdmartian]

About 4 or 5 years ago, I helped my sister retrieve something large, using a U-haul trailer. She lives in Georgia, my folks lived in NY, and the dollhouse (custom hand built by my Dad, years earlier) was about 3'x2'x3'high. My sister only had her Chevy Lumina sedan to drive, and my nieces wanted to go along, to visit their grandparents.

No problem, U-haul to the rescue! :roll:

Sis checked out the one way rentals (ridiculously priced, imho), versus the "local rental". With about a 1000 mile one-way drive, each way, she questioned how easily we'd get by with the local rental, and questioned the guy at the UH place. By the way they run it, you're only supposed to go one state away, max, in any direction from where you rent it. Shoot, NY isn't that far away from GA, right? Sis got a hitch put on the Lumina, I flew in from TX, and away we went.

We probably averaged 65, never went much over 70, towing a 4x6 trailer. One thing we did, that helped with the empty trailer wandering problem was to put our luggage (we spent a week in NY, visiting) in the front of the trailer. Didn't add a bunch of weight, but it did keep the rear suspension from getting too overloaded on the car. With careful packing, we got the dollhouse back in one piece too!

The funniest thing was, while we were in NY, I noticed that one of the tail lights on the trailer wasn't working. No problem, hooked it up and towed it over to the local UH place. Showed 'em the rental agreement, and the guy went out and replaced the bulb. He was cool, since he didn't even blink or balk about the fact that the trailer was rented in GA for a "local" rental! :laugh: