When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'll be renting a U-Haul car trailer to move my 2009 C2S in the near future. I've got a GMC 2500HD as the tow vehicle so no problem there. Hauling it over Donner Pass on I-80 but only a bit more more than 100 miles so should involve minimal drama.
Couple questions...
Should the car be loaded nose forward or backward for correct tongue weight?
Are the tie-downs supplied by U-Haul adequate or should I provide my own?
I used U-Haul to take my 14 981S to the track a few weekends ago. My tow car is a 2013 Taureg TDI. No issues there at all.
Because my car is very low, I had to build a series of ramps using 2X8's and 3/4 inch plywood because in order to get the splitter over the front of the trailer, I had to ramp up the car and then once the GT4 style fender liner ducts had cleared the front of the trailer, I had to allow the car to drop down a bit in order for enough of the tire to rest against the front plate of the trailer. I also had to use long Race Ramps to get my car up on to the trailer.
Nose first obviously. The front straps are more than adequate to keep the car secured against the front plate. In the rear, i used my own straps instead of the single chain the the trailer comes with. I had to cross the straps in the rear in order to hook into the trailer tie down loops. I use the Fabspeed rear tie down eye hooks for this.
Just make sure you winch everything tight and check the straps after you've driven for 20 or 30 miles just to make sure.
A 3/4 ton truck will barely notice the trailer is there.
I did dry run with the trailer to figure out all the ramps and stuff before actually needing it. I didn't want to be in a rush the day I was going to the track. It took me an afternoon to get the trailer, figure it all out, load and unload the car again and return the trailer. Cost me an extra $60 but it was well worth. When the day came to head to the track, I was well prepared.
Hope this helps.
Search in the Cayenne forum for UHaul trailers and you’ll get some good advice. These are very heavy trailers and with the car loaded the way UHaul wants you to load it, you usually exceed the max tongue weight on a typical SUV tow vehicle by quite a bit. This should be no issue for you with a better tow vehicle.
Your challenges will be to get the car up the ramps, which are steep and short and the clearance of your front spoiler once the car is loaded. People drive the cars onto 2x4s in order to get more clearance in the front. The front tie downs go over your front tires but the rears are usually just some chains. I’d recommend supplementing the chains in the back with some proper tie down straps.
The Uhaul trailers weights 2210lbs. The Cayman engine sits right over the rear axle so tongue weight won't be an issue, even with a SUV as long as it has a high tow rating like a Cayenne or Taureg.
You'll be fine in that department. But I would suggest doing a trial run to figure out all the proper angles with your car. It can be tricky. And as I already mentioned, straps in the rear are recommended.
Having previously used a U-Haul transporter for my 997.1 C2S a few times, I agree with all above. Towed with large SUVs and 3/4 ton pickups. I always loaded nose first, I did not measure tongue weight but never had any sway or stability issues at interstate speeds for 2-3 hours, the car sits relatively far forward on the trailer - engine is not hanging over the back. I answered a similar question in one of the Cayenne threads too, including considerations on tie downs; in short they’re only ok, and only come with a chain for the rear, so I used fronts and added my own straps at the rear just as futurz recommends.
Wow, thanks for all the great advice, much appreciated.
Couple more questions have come up. There seems to be much disagreement on-line about whether to have the transmission in neutral or park while trailering. Car is a PDK if that matters. Also, emergency brake on or off?
My car is always in Park on the trailer. I usually forget to apply the emergency brake. Don't know if that matters. I suppose every bit of stability counts.
When I load, I pull into my trailer to my self installed front tire stops, clip the front straps to the rennnline attachment points, then back up the car to full tension on the front straps (with my system I never adjust my front straps). Then I put it in neutral, no e-brake, attach and tighten the rear straps, recheck front straps. Once car is fully tight, I then put in in gear (manual) and pull the e-brake.
I use a U-Haul car carrier to carry my 981S to the track. It is super heavy duty, and has features that make it easy to load, and safe. But, here are considerations....
* Must have a 12" x 12" board for the front at the very front so the nose will clear. I have 2 2x12s screwed together to insure I'm high enough. Note; once I had a trailer that the jack was installed incorrectly and nearly punctured my front bumper, noticed it just in time.
* You may need to use board to assist with nose lift along the way, as you begin to drive up the ramps. I usually find an inclined driveway so that boarding ramps are less inclined so I don't have to worry about raising the nose with board placement as I first get onto the trailer.
* The left fender well on the trailer is hinged, lay it down when driving forward onto the trailer.
* The front wheel straps U-haul uses work great, but will require re-tensioning after you've gone down the highway a bit.
* I run ratchet straps through my rear wheels with a rag to protect the finish, and strap them to the eyelets on inside of the trailer ramps.
* Don't over-correct the wheel when you are boarding to straighten out the car as the wheel can hit the trailer and damage the rim. Just small corrections as you board.
The U-haul trailer is more stout than anything you can buy so once you get it loaded safely, and strapped down securely, it is a safe as you can get on the highway towing a vehicle.
Note; the board used in front of tire is not necessary unless some jack*ss installs the tongue jack incorrectly.
I've towed my Miata race car to the track a few times with the Uhaul; It definitely sucks.
Race ramps and 2x8's or 10's are required on the deck to not scrape up the underside.
With the short wheelbase of the Miata the weight was waaaay far forward. The rear wheels of the Miata were over the trailer axles, so no concern with sway... a bit of concern for tongue weight.
Pros:
It's relatively cheap to rent for a weekend
It means not driving your race car to the track
Cons:
It's about the worst trailer possible to haul a race car.
The ball height of the Uhaul Auto transport is about 18.5 inches. Measure the height of your receiver and get a tow bar that compensates for the needed rise (or drop) so the trailer is level when hooked to the tow vehicle.
Also, get some boards or other items to drive the rear wheels of the tow vehicle onto to raise the rear of the truck/nose of the trailer in order to lessen the ramp angle.
As others have mentioned, Uhaul trailers are extremely strong and with a few minor modifications (wood ramps etc) can haul your car to the track with relative ease.
They do have some weaknesses though that make them harder to use. The jack on the front of the trailer is usually very weak and a complete PITA to use (A couple extra wood blocks help alleviate this) . Also the way you lock the trailer onto the trailer ball is by twisting this large locking nut which is sometimes tricky to get fully tight. Lastly, its a crap shoot in terms of the condition of the trailer. In particular the tires on some of the ones I have used have been pretty worn out.
I have used Uhaul trailer many times. As other have said, with lowered car, it's a big PITA to get the car on. Aside from building some kind of ramps, I jacked the front of the trailer as high as possible to get the rear of the trailer lowered.
11-06-2019, 03:56 PM
U-Haul Trailer Question
