Illegal to Use Uhaul to Tow TT?

[RollaMo]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I think if the trucks have surge brakes, that won't help stop a trailer and if the truck is rated to be able to tow 10K lbs., any trailer over 3K lbs. needs to have brakes and these would be electric brakes and need a controller.

It's not the trucks that have surge brakes.
It is the U-Hall trailers

Several years ago, I rented one of the large box trucks for a household move.
We couldn't get everything in, so we got the biggest trailer to go with it.

No Brake controller on the truck, as the trailer had surge brakes and worked just fine.

Now with that said, this would not work pulling an RV trailer with electric trailer brakes.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I think if the trucks have surge brakes, that won't help stop a trailer and if the truck is rated to be able to tow 10K lbs., any trailer over 3K lbs. needs to have brakes and these would be electric brakes and need a controller.

The UHaul trailers over 3000 pounds GVWR have a "SELF CONTAINED HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM" that is independent of any connection to the brake system or electrical system in the tow vehicle. When the tow vehicle slows or brakes, the inertia of the trailer moving forward activates a piston that applies hydraulic pressure to the trailer brakes and slows the trailer.

There is no equipment installed in UHaul trucks for any "brake controller" to activate electric brakes on an RV trailer and there is no electrical connection via a 7 pin connector. All the UHaul trucks I've seen have a 4 pin connector, for lights only. The 12K GVWR car hauler I rented from UHaul a month ago had a 4 pin connector and surge brakes.

The UHaul braking system is "self contained on the tongue of the trailer" and activated mechanically when the tow vehicle slows or brakes. That is called a "surge brake system" and is used on most boat trailers where electric brakes would short out and become inoperable after the first "launch where the wheels are underwater"....

Here's a photo of the tongue on a typical UHaul trailer. Note the "big metal box" that contains the hydraulic actuator for the "surge brake system".... In the next photo, you can see the hydraulic cylinder with the spring loaded piston forward of it. As the tow vehicle slows, the trailer inertia pushes into the hitch ball, that applies pressure to the piston which pressurizes the cylinder and applies hydraulic pressure to the trailer brakes.

There is no need for a brake controller with an "approved for towing" 10K trailer behind a a UHaul truck. If you check with UHaul, chances are they'll tell you that you can only tow a 10K trailer IF IT HAS HYDRAULIC SURGE BRAKES. That's all their trucks are equipped to tow.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Kinda looked like a 17' truck. From the U-Haul website, it says that truck has a 10K lb. towing capacity. That kinda says it must have a brake controller and pigtail for the trailer's brakes and lights? https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/17ft-Moving-Truck/

Why would they say 10K towing capacity without a trailer brake controller or pigtail for lights also?

Sorry, looks more like a 10' truck, SRW, DRW that the 17" has. only 6,000 towing, and 2,850# max payload.

https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/10ft-Moving-Truck/

[wiredgeorge]

My point wasn't the length of the truck but the fact that towing anything OTHER than a U-Haul trailer with that surge brake set up is likely not going to work out well. If hook you bumper pull or flatbed equipped with an electrical braking system and have a panic stop with their truck, the trailer will get sideways quickly. Thanks for the explanation folks. Just a curiosity on my part.

[Weldon]

Not that it matters, but:
1) it was a 10' box truck. We were beside that disaster waiting to happen for quite a while since all lanes were crawling, which is typical for Wed before 8am within 100 miles of ATL.

2) the TT had Virginia tags on it. Hopefully they hadn't traveled over a dozen interstate hours pulling that TT with the box truck and using the uhauls breaks only

[ADQ K9]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

I'd bet $$ U Haul didn't know what they intended do with their truck. But nowadays people are so entitled that "I paid to use it can use it however I please!".
I've towed U Haul trailers of all kinds behind U Haul trucks but never a rv. Not sure I would without the proper WDH regardless of rv or U Haul size.

Recently a 15x 70 mobile home was abandoned just before the outbound scale house heading out of town here in Anchorage.
Rumor has it it was being towed by a U haul and the scales were open, probably had no permits. Needless to say the 40+ year old (Est) trailer frame was compromised and that is probably yet another reason it was abandoned.

[jamtracy]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

U-Haul does have a "side business" that installs receivers and custom hitches on PRIVATELY OWNED vehicles. They do welded and bolt on hitch installations on your vehicle. But, I can't imagine any U-Haul dealer welding a receiver on one of their rental trucks for a one time rental or even installing a brake controller for that matter.... That said, any "renter of a U-Haul" that modifies the truck will likely face one hell of a surcharge if the mods are discovered when the truck is returned after the rental....

Last year, I rented a U-Haul truck to move my son's stuff from his apartment. They went over the truck with a "fine tooth comb" when I turned it in after that 2 day rental with about 45 miles that I drove it. I couldn't imagine the inspector that processed my return would have missed something that significant. They even "balked" at some dust/dirt that I missed in a corner of the cargo area when I swept out the truck that morning. It was maybe 2"x2" in one of the front corners that nearly cost me a $150 cleaning fee. A receiver welded under the truck ????? I'd have owned a U-Haul vehicle cheaper than that "surcharge for damages"......

That person was a choad. Every U-Haul I’ve rented was a piece of crap. Dirty, scratched up, etc….
I always gave it back cleaner.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by jamtracy

That person was a choad. Every U-Haul I’ve rented was a piece of crap. Dirty, scratched up, etc….
I always gave it back cleaner.

Yep... It was cleaner when I turned it in than when I picked it up, but it is what it is. When he pointed it out, I pulled out a recently used paper towel that I'd blown my nose on, wiped up that spot and he was "happy"... I was so tempted to toss that paper towel back into the cargo bed when he was closing the ramp door, but......

[emma.nelson177]

My personal truck was down and I needed to tow my 291ubh 200 miles away Las Vegas to Lake Havasu passing by the Hoover dam. Contacted Uhaul and let them know what my intentions were. I was able to reserve a uhaul with a reciever port and 7 pin connector since their smaller trucks only had the 2” ball welded to the bumber and an adaptable 4 pin plug. I provided my own hitch with the larger ball and the Curt Bluetooth brake controller. The uhaul towed better than my own vehicle (seriously looking at upgrading now). Most of the I40 is full of ruts and potholes so no WDH was used and in my opinion not needed. I now know why I was receiving the side eye and stares at the gas station after reading this post and wanted to share my own experience.

[NMRandy]

With a full width truck box like that you have to be careful how tight you turn. The rear corner of the truck box will contact the front corner of the TT. I learned that lesson the hard way with a truck camper, and a snowmobile trailer. I damaged the trailer pretty good. I then lengthened the hitch on the trailer