jmrjames

Stupid Towing Question

Maybe this has been discussed before but if not I will ask now.

Can a 1991 928GT get a U Haul rental tow set up to for a vehicle trailer to travel 1,500 miles without a problem ?

I want to move a vehicle up north and I am wondering if this is an option.

Thanks for any advice about this.

jmrjames

After thought question.

Can another vehicle tow a 928 on a dolly without a problem ?

Landseer

No.

aaddpp

I recently had my 928 moved from FL to NY, and I looked into uhaul, but ended up shipping it since the difference was well worth eliminating the headache of a 1300 mile tow. I went with fedex, and I know there are cheaper options. Also someone a while back posted about how to get indepedant shoppers to bit on your tranport job. Just some thoughts, hope it helps.

Dave

tmpusfugit

I have towed 2 928's using uhaul trailers recently. One tow was 50 miles and the other was 275 miles. No problems with either, other than the 928's front tow point bracket dropped over the front lip of the trailer requiring lifting the front of both cars about 1" to clear the lip and back the car off the trailer. Neither tow was difficult and both cars came through the tow with no damage. Cost on a round trip was minimal. One way tows are more substantially expensive...

S4ordie

Unless you already own the trailer it is best to pay a reputable firm to ship your car. If you must go the UMaul route only use the roll on trailer. Some do it backwards as there are less clearance issues. Otherwise I would back to trailer perpendicular to the curb so the racks when pulled out will sit on the grass/sidewalk. Drive your 928 on with not so much angle on the ramp that way. Others jack their cars up for awhile before loading. This unsprings the suspension and gets a couple of extra inches of clearance. I think this is fine for a short haul but 1500 miles may cause the car to settle and lose those extra inches of clearance causing a problem when it's time to unload.

Do not tie the car down by using hooks/straps on the suspension. This has ruined plenty of cars. I would only use tire tie down straps.

Here is an outstanding East Coast based trucking firm I have used three times, once for one of my 928's. Incredibly honest, prompt with clean trucks. Family owned too.

www.demoise.com Tell Frank, Dan H. of California referred you through Rennlist. I have no affiliation except as a very happy customer.

Imo000

I've towed my '85 5-speed from Boston to Toronto using a car dolley. It was easy as pie.

Landseer

Easy to do. No issues, other than clearance of spoilers.(prelift the front with a jack and/or use boards at the base of the ramps to help). I've hauled three, two of them down from the northeast. One of those was 8 hours at night in the rain.

I like to snake separate tie-down chains around rear crossmember. Because the trailers are sprung, the car rides like it was on cushions. From a weight perspective there is no difference in towing feel when loading them frontwards vs backwards, same distribution since the car is 50/50 or so. I like backwards so there isn't chance of the front spoiler getting messed up on the tongue end of the trailer where the wheel stops are.

Key is you need a solid tow vehicle. With a truck or big 'burb its a moderate load and you could haul it across the country. U-Haul has guidelines on what can be safely hauled with which tow vehicle. Look for the heavier galvanized U-Haul trailer and make sure its surge brakes work.

On the other hand, towing a car with a 928, which is where I though you were heading, is not reasonable.

JHowell37

Several years ago I vaguely recall hearing about a guy who had a 928 he fitted with a hitch, drove it, the wife, and two toddlers across the country. He bought a second 928, and towed it back. I believe he took the axles out and towed it flat on the ground.

jon928se

Only need to take the axles out on an auto - 5sp is OK to tow just in Neutral. Not sure I'ld want to take the axles out on anything other than an early car with bolt on CV joints at both ends.

Jim M.

Porsche offered a tow hitch for the 928 and IIRC it is capable oif towing up to 3500 Lbs.

jmrjames

Thank You that seems to be what I am looking for.

JHowell37

That early 90s E-class on that flat bed is way over the 3500lb weight limit. That combination of the car and trailer is probably close to 5000lbs and maybe more.

That is a dangerous setup in that picture. The tongue weight is excessive and places a lot of stress on the rear suspension and axle. The front of the car is very high. If you've ever grossly exceeded the maximum tongue weight while towing, you know how unsettling it can be. OTOH, if the receiver from Porsche was designed properly and allowed you to fit a weight distribution hitch, then I have no doubt that you could put 500lbs on the tongue and have a total towed weight of around 5000lbs.

dr bob

Jon has a great point. The later cars with the non-unboltable outer joints don't give you the option of removing a half-shaft, since the nut on the end of the stub shaft is what holds the drive hub and the rear wheel bearing together.

Landseer

Not to mention, highway patrol from coast to coast would have a field day pulling that rig over.
And U-Haul would not knowingly rent the trailer and surely not insure it.
Just a bad idea.