U-haul tow dolly without brakes?

[Elkins45]

I might be buying a car out of state. I’ve played around with the idea of just driving my truck and towing it home rather than flying in and driving the vehicle. I have my own 16 foot car hauler with electric brakes but I’m being seduced by the idea of a one-way U-haul dolly rental from both a convenience and liability standpoint. I’ve never towed a car on a dolly and it appears neither the U-haul dolly nor their auto transporter have brakes other than a hydraulic surge brake on the flat trailer. My Titan has huge brakes and has never had any problems stopping my fishing boat, and since I see cars on dollys all the time I assume it’s not a problem.

How does pulling the typical compact car on a dolly feel compared to towing other things like a heavy boat or a compact tractor? How hard are they to stop?

 

[ctechbob]

How big of a car are you buying?

You've got a titan, I'd spend a few extra $$ and just get the flat trailer, it will be a nicer tow and give you brakes for the trailer.

 

[SupremePossum]

You'll notice it for sure, but your Titan will deal with that no problem

 

[Elkins45]

How big of a car are you buying?

You've got a titan, I'd spend a few extra $$ and just get the flat trailer, it will be a nicer tow and give you brakes for the trailer.

Camry-ish, maybe a Mazda 5.

 

[The_Jeff]

I've towed Camrys and Bonnevilles with a 1/2 ton truck on a dolly. I've been very conservative with my stopping distances. Jackknifing is my biggest fear... get the rear axle out on a curve and it's over.

Of note, you can't back up a loaded tow dolly as it has two pivot points.

 

[c502cid]

I dunno. I bought trailers so I don't have to go renting stuff. You have the trailer, and you are driving out to get it...I'm missing something.

 

[redhat]

The tow dollys don't tow bad, but they do not tow as well as a dual-axle car hauler + electric trailer brakes.

I personally would take your 16' car hauler. I've always found driving while towing an empty car hauler pleasant. Especially that length probably tracks pretty well and turns decent enough.

 

[redhat]

Another thing I think of. I'd be afraid of getting to the remote Uhaul and they'll flat out deny you renting it. Of course you have enough truck... but if the guy behind the counter doesn't know much.

Whenever you rent a dolly you're always towing a 95 Honda Civic coupe with your F-250. Also never show up with a Ford Explorer and expect to rent anything.

Might sound funny but I've seen it happen.

 

[cptbarkey]

It will be ok with your truck, but your brakes will be working hard, expect more wear. If the vehicle doesn’t run, winching is a pain vs a trailer. I have used them a few times but it is not my first choice.

 

[GON]

I towed a 2004 Pontiac Vibe with a rented Uhaul tow dolly behind my 2015 F350 6.2L gasser three hundred fifty miles two months ago. Picked up the uhaul dolly a few miles from where I picked the Vibe up from.

Had zero issues with safety, brakes, etc. Worked extremely well, and the weight savings over a car hauler was noticeable. On a side note, the non-working Vibe was stored up an unimproved narrow mountain road. I had to disconnect the dolly and turn it around to load the Vibe, something I could not have done with a dual axle trailers due to numerous constraints. Also, pushing a Vibe onto a tow dolly is significantly easier than pushing a Vibe onto a car hauler.

 

[chainblu]

I own a tow dolly and a 16 ft hauler. Both have their advantages/disadvantages, depending on what's being carried. If it's a small FWD car, it'll be on the dolly every time.

 

[ripcord]

Technically, you may be fine towing it without brakes on the dolly but beware any state's laws that you have to transit. My state requires self actuating trailer brakes when over 3000lbs in case of a breakaway. They are also required if the trailer weight is equal to 40% of the towing vehicle.

 

[mrsilv04]

Technically, you may be fine towing it without brakes on the dolly but beware any state's laws that you have to transit. My state requires self actuating trailer brakes when over 3000lbs in case of a breakaway. They are also required if the trailer weight is equal to 40% of the towing vehicle.

I would think that whatever U-Haul rents out of their fleet, it HAS to already be compliant with the laws in all 50 states.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I have towed a VW Cabriolet from Phoenix,AZ to KY on a tow dolly and that was over the mountains and all. Also towed a VW bus Westfalia from Santa Fe, NM, on a tow dolly to KY. My tow vehicle at the time was a 76 Dodge B200 Maxi Van. All but one time towing with my 07 Dodge 1500 with uhaul trailer with a 1990 F150 long bed from Rolla,MO to KY. Never had any problems with any of them. I will say to leave the steering column unlocked so you don't break things in the steering of the vehicle on the dolly.

 

[CarbonToast]

I would not hesitate to do the 1 way tow dolly. I would pick a LARGE uhaul rental center as close to the destination as possible. Even if that is still 100 miles away. This just avoids some gas station in the middle of nowhere that has a junk tow dolly or someone who doesn't know the system.

If you have a tight timeline, take your own trailer just to avoid possible issues. IF it is in good shape. Tires, bearings, etc.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Oh man. That 4000lb caddy looks safe.

 

[bullwinkle]

U-Haul surge brakes usually work well, albeit suddenly, all at once. One downside of the Auto Transport trailer is they are really heavy for their size, just over 2700 empty. Add a vehicle, there’s some pretty good weight there. I used one to move a SRW C3500 standard cab 6.2 diesel pickup, it just barely fit.

 

[bullwinkle]

Oh man. That 4000lb caddy looks safe.

Towing a car with a Patriot… Not feeling that either!

 

[atikovi]

Oh man. That 4000lb caddy looks safe.

That was just for a short distance to get it home from the dealer after they took the engine apart and wouldn't put it back together under warranty.

Towing a car with a Patriot… Not feeling that either!

No worries, it was a 5-speed.

 

[The_Jeff]

Technically, you may be fine towing it without brakes on the dolly but beware any state's laws that you have to transit. My state requires self actuating trailer brakes when over 3000lbs in case of a breakaway. They are also required if the trailer weight is equal to 40% of the towing vehicle.

Yeah, this, read up on laws about trailers and dollies, sometimes they are not the same. The dolly could be considered a "towing accessory" that doesn't need a license plate, but the car on it, does, as its axle, at least its rear one, is on the pavement. Your tow rig could be considered "not a trailer."