How do I tow my Sierra to Florida?

[dondude]

Moving to Florida and renting a 26 foot box truck. Wife driving her envoy with small trailer attached. Every rental place I call says my 1995 Sierra is too big for there tow dolly or tow trailer? Wheelbase too wide and too long. Anyone here have any experience with moving one of these long distance. Don't want to break the bank on this old truck, but would like to take it with me.

[Chuck Bunyon]

If it runs I'd leave it behind and go back for it on a second trip. You could find the towing capacity of the box truck and rent a car hauler trailer and tow it that way. Trucks are too big for tow dollies.

[_zebra]

i agree... just rent a car hauler somewhere else

[dondude]

If it runs I'd leave it behind and go back for it on a second trip. You could find the towing capacity of the box truck and rent a car hauler trailer and tow it that way. Trucks are too big for tow dollies.
They say it's too big for tow trailer too. Max wheelbase 125 in. Called at least 4 rental firms (uhaul, budget,penske) all said no go. Who would rent larger car trailer?

[_zebra]

i rented an equipment trailer from Hertz before

[FordeatinZ71]

do this...i've done it before. take a tape measure and measure your truck. then go to your local Uncle Dad's U-Pull It (or UHaul or whoever) and measure the trailer. when they ask what you are pulling, tell them a 1995 Chevy Cavalier. if it measures that it will work...rent it. they don't have to SEE what you are pulling. stop playing by the "rules" and take a walk on the wild side...:lol:

[dondude]

I had the same thought. Wonder if it's just too rough on the tires or something and they don't want the wear and tear on their equipment. I could swear I've seen full size pickup's being towed with a dolly before?

[FordeatinZ71]

well, its a safety precaution to leave a big protection blanket for their equipment/public safety. the trailer should hold the weight fine...as long as the truck fits...

[dondude]

Too bad nobody still has the old bumper tow bars. My truck has the old style bumper. I'm surprised there isn't something to hook up to the tow hooks in the front.

[Chuck Bunyon]

The truck is too wide for car dollies. I tried to pull my '88 with one once and it wouldn't fit without removing the wheel wells. Then there wasn't enough room for tire rotation while driving. I'd just come back for it for rent a normal car hauler trailer from an implement renter.

[dirtyhick42]

Just tell them you are pulling something else. Whenever my family moved from Savannah GA to Houston TX we rented a trailer to tow my land rover with.Everyone said it wouldn't work because of the normal bs, wheelbase, weight, etc. I eventually just told a place I was towing a civic and just got the trailer. Towed it fine, 1006 miles door to door actually.

[~Super~Midget~]

i think i told the u haul place i was pulling a pontiac sunfire when i got a tow dolly to move my 87 full size bronco home after blowing up the motor in it

[mybrosride]

i've seen some of the soldiers tow some large cars behind U-haul trucks in the past... If you live near a military installation, you might check some of the rental places near there - they possibly might have some tow dollies that are larger than the ones at some of the other places.... Military move some big vehicles - large cars and full size trucks - and many tow them behind the rental trucks... So if they're towing these vehicles, I'm sure you can...

[FordeatinZ71]

they lie about what they're towing. UHaul's dollies come in one size.

[Jon4x4]

where in fl?

[mybrosride]

they lie...

typical joe.. :lol:

[FordeatinZ71]

yep...pretty much...

[mybrosride]

they sorta like that.... lol... but then again they get free money to tow their junk from pillar to post - so why not "stretch the truth" a lil...

[curious_george]

My brother's truck was towed on a dolly. It dented the cab and underside of the doors.

[LeoP]

put the Envoy on the trailer and tow it with the Sierra. case closed.

[FordeatinZ71]

put the Envoy on the trailer and tow it with the Sierra. case closed.

while you're "closing cases"...what do you plan to do with the trailer the Envoy is suppose to be towing...? leave it attached as it's pulled on the dolly?

[dirtyhick42]

put the Envoy on the trailer and tow it with the Sierra. case closed.

They are still gonna tell you the envoy is too heavy. When I rented one they were saying I couldn't even tow a grand marquis with it.

[mybrosride]

If you have a friend or family member who could drive your truck (or the U-Haul) that would save you from towing anything... I'm sure that someone would be willing to help you out...

[_zebra]

the only thing about saying you're towing a different vehicle is insurance - if something happens, you're screwed. also, U-Haul's computer system is whacked when it comes to towing weight allowances. it says my RCSB 4x4 V8 Sierra only weighs 4200lb and it didn't weigh enough to tow a camaro. i literally laughed at her & asked if she wanted me to get my two-week-old weigh ticket that showed 4330 with no gas, everything but the seats & carpet removed, no spare tire or tools, etc.

[kcb37]

You can bring them the truck and show them it will fit. If it's reg cab long bed, or ext cab short bed or shorter it should fit. Then they should let you do it.
Telling them you are towing something else is just asking for trouble. If you get in a wreck your fault or not your screwed.
I have pulled a 49 Ford, a 84 Dodge both reg cab short bed, and a reg cab long bed 68 Dodge. No problem getting a trailer from u haul and pulling it with the 96 in my sig. Just told them what I was pulling and what I was pulling with got a trailer every time.
Try a different "dealer"
But like said above, use the truck to pull the trailer, and put the wifes on the trailer.

[CustomChevyGuy]

i've had similar situations trying to rent. i'd suggest calling the same places back and telling them you are looking for an "auto transport" to rent. tell them you dont want to rent anything that would make you drag the vehicles wheels.. that's made all the difference in the world when I was looking to tow my chevelle with my truck...one place told me I wouldn't ever find anything to tow a chevelle because it was too long and wide...then (after talking to a buddy who worked at u-haul and getting some pointers) i called them back and had no issues what so ever.. if they give you a problem after that, then tell them you're going to be pulling it with the moving truck.. drive up with the truck, attach it, drive home, and then connect it to whatever you're actually going to tow with..

[SmokeyLLY]

U haul rented me a 7500 lb car hauler to pull my 87 lwb i had plenty of room side to side and thats with the larger tires on it. Lengthwise was really close with less then an inch to play with. goodluck

[smccollamjr]

tow the envoy with the truck. tow the trailer (that you were going to tow with the envoy) with the moving truck

[dondude]

Ended up buying a tow bar from harbor freight. Worked great made it to fort myers fl. from st. clair mich. 1365 miles.

[FordeatinZ71]

whole lot nicer in Florida than it is in Michigan, isn't it? :lol:

[dondude]

whole lot nicer in Florida than it is in Michigan, isn't it? :lol:
Yes it was 30 degrees warmer here than back in michigan. My sister even posted on facebook they were getting snow flurries. LOL

[FordeatinZ71]

i couldn't live up north, honestly. i hate cold weather/rain and i'm too much of a car freak...i would be furious/sad if i saw my "baby" rusting out around me. screw that crap...i lived in a lot of places in the Army and i can honestly say, at least for myself, there's no place like the South...

[AltEffOr]

I actually work at a u-haul dealership, My regular cab long box fits on a trailer, I routinely put it on car haulers when picking up equipment from other dealership's.

[speedracer326]

i couldn't live up north, honestly. i hate cold weather/rain and i'm too much of a car freak...i would be furious/sad if i saw my "baby" rusting out around me. screw that crap...i lived in a lot of places in the Army and i can honestly say, at least for myself, there's no place like the South...

I can do ya 1 better, out west we don't get the humidity and can actually enjoy the outdoors in the summer. When I visited AR last year I wanted to blow my brains out, fvck was it hot.

I really have to wonder about kcb37's experience, it must have been before UHaul's illustrious computer program that ensures a half ton truck can't safely tow more than a Yugo.

[ZZ4Blazer]

Ended up buying a tow bar from harbor freight. Worked great made it to fort myers fl. from st. clair mich. 1365 miles.

Howd that steer with the tow bar and all 4 wheels on the ground? Ive been thinking about getting one of these, but I just gotta move stuff across town.

[speedracer326]

Howd that steer with the tow bar and all 4 wheels on the ground? Ive been thinking about getting one of these, but I just gotta move stuff across town.

I have the same towbar and used it to pull my Crown Victoria from MI to SD then SD to CA. Behind the pickup, you definitely felt it but behind the moving truck you'd never know it was there. After experiencing cars on trailers, then using the towbar for a 10 mile trip across town, I've quit using the towbar. The trailer pulls sooooo much nicer, plus it helps my woefully inadequate OBS brakes. As long as the TV is a truck, you probably won't die towbarring something behind you, it just sucks way worse than a trailer.

[ZZ4Blazer]

Im not really worried about the weight. Ive had the same truck on the 2xxx lbs uhaul trailer from upper MI to ohio. Just curious since the wheelbase is considerably longer than a trailer, how turning was and if it wanted to fight making sharper turns, like a right hand from a light, etc.

[speedracer326]

Oh, that won't be too much of an issue. You'll largely be able to stay in the lines even making those right handers at stoplights. You'll have to exercise the most caution when you're getting gas, but that's about it. Oh, and forget about backing it up. Once the wheels do whatever it is they deem fit, the bar will bind up and you'll stop dead in the water. If you're persistent enough, you can get lucky and make it do what you want. Might require some swearing though depending on your mood.

[Jon4x4]

where in ft myers? parents live in Cape Coral, and i grew up all over that area

[FordeatinZ71]

Oh, that won't be too much of an issue. You'll largely be able to stay in the lines even making those right handers at stoplights. You'll have to exercise the most caution when you're getting gas, but that's about it. Oh, and forget about backing it up. Once the wheels do whatever it is they deem fit, the bar will bind up and you'll stop dead in the water. If you're persistent enough, you can get lucky and make it do what you want. Might require some swearing though depending on your mood.

i usually use Jim Beam as my co-pilot...:scared: