U-Haul and the Model T

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: U-Haul and the Model T
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 10:27 am:

Is there any truth to the rumor I heard about U-Haul changing its policy of not allowing Model T Fords on their trailers?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By G.R.Cheshire on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 10:35 am:

How would they enforce that? you rent the trailer leave their lot and load it, they would have no liability because they are not loading the trailer and you are certainly not overloading the trailer!:-(


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Doug Wilson on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 10:46 am:

They will ask up front what you are trailering, as they want to be sure your tow vehicle will handle the weight of the trailer and the car. I have rented various trailers from them, and they always have inspected my tow vehicle before they would rent to me. I rented a U-Haul car trailer from very good local store. They spent 30 to 40 minutes reworking the corroded wiring plug on the F-150 I borrowed with no extra charge. Keep in mind they are liable to some extent to what their trailers are used for. People are crazy, how often have you seen a small SUV pulling a trailer and a load that had to out weight the tow vehicle. The car trailer they rent you can be quite heavy alone, with out a car on it.
Tell them you are hauling a Model A, they do have that in their computer.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Richmond, Texas on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 11:31 am:

Rumors are like ex-criminals; some can be trusted, some cannot. The last T that I hauled on a U Haul trailer was a 27 coupe. I told the U Haul people when I was asked, that I was hauling a 64 Falcon and that was the end of that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 11:51 am:

I just checked the Uhaul website and they list Model T fords as an option when you are filling out the "vehicle to be towed info"


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Hjortnaes, Men Falls, WI on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 12:27 pm:

I was told that UHaul will not allow me to rent a car trailer because I drive an Explorer. I believe it was Ralph that suggested using a UHaul utility trailer instead. Some come with ramps. That will be my next try - cheaper than renting a car hauler anyway. I do not have to tell them what I am hauling either. I will tell them a friend is moving and I am helping him to move.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 01:01 pm:

Dave,

The Explorer exclusion is true. It applies to certain year Explorers only. It goes back to the whole "rollover" fiasco of many years ago.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Kriegel Mishawaka Indiana on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 01:37 pm:

I rented a car trailer from U haul a week ago to drive 7 hours to pick up a T I was honest, and took out the insurance in the event the car or trailer was damaged


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 06:59 pm:

I went on the U-Haul site, chose the car trailer option, with a V-6 2002 Jeep liberty, hauling a 1925 Model T and it said it was fine.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Chochole on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 07:04 pm:

I also was honest and hauled several Model T's with a Chrysler Town & Country minivan – not a problem nor an issue. I also took out the insurance just in case.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - 08:26 pm:

This was before the change in U-Haul policy, when it had to be Model A or later.


I told the local U-Haul guy 1923 Ford. He put it down as a Model A and I didn't argue.
:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George Clipner-Los Angeles on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 04:00 am:

I heard the same story about Ts so I said it was a 34 ford sedan and they were happy. Guess the rural folks didn't care much since I was using one of there vans, Just be careful if steve Jelf is around wirh a camera, he's sneaky. lol
6am no coffee yet !!!
brushing teeth before breakfast.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 06:09 am:

I have moved several times (thank you Air Force). And have used the u-haul car trailers and like them (much heavier duty than I needed -- but not designed just to move a light car).

With the later cars and the wider tires, I have never had their wheel strap slip off the front wheel. But with the Ts that have the more narrow and higher tires compared to modern tires I have had the single strap that is ratched down slide sideways off the tire and at that point the T is no longer properly tied down. Yes it was on there tight and centered on the tire to begin with. So I also use my own ratchet tie down straps to make sure the car is properly secured on the trailer.

See the posting at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/279933.html?1333754594 for similar comments. Also Gus in that thread did successfully use the U-haul straps but put them around the axle rather than over the top of the wheels.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Kriegel Mishawaka Indiana on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 07:54 am:

Of CAUTION I have used the UHAUL trailers many times BUT I bring along plenty of extra ratchet straps. The front wheel straps are too short to safely secure the car Note both chained and 4 wide yellow straps both front and back


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Dufault on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 08:25 am:

Many things in life escape my understanding...

In this age of "litigation" and every "Tom, Dick and Harry" (and probably Mary, Jane & Suzie) looking for a way to blame the other party when something goes awry, folks seem to forget the underlying principle of insurance. Insurance companies charge a premium to underwrite a risk - the higher the risk, the higher the premium - usually. In most policies, buried somewhere in the "fine print" is the caveat that truth should prevail (I paraphrase).
Should an accident occur, of course the Company will investigate to assure themselves that policy terms were followed....if you have a pre-existing health condition and you don't declare that on the application and you suffer expenses (or death) due to the condition, of course the company won't pay. Likewise, if you insure a toy and make a declaration as to where/how/when it will be used, and an event occurs that causes you financial distress, should the company investigate and discover that the toy was being used in a different locale/manner/time than declared they will use that information to deny the claim.
I'm very happy that U-Haul has seen fit to change their underwriting....perhaps that will avoid a lot of chagrin in the future.
Seems like everyone - and every company - is looking for a "way out" to deny responsibility for events. An untruthful statement gives them good grounds.
IMHO


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Richmond, Texas on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 10:10 am:

I previously, towed a U Haul car trailer with a 2003 Chevy S10 4.3L V6 and even with the light weight of the towing vehicle and no trailer brakes, I had no problems. This was over a 100 mile round trip. I probably would have considered safety more if I had been making a 1000 mile round trip.

On the way to Chickasha this last March, George Clipner was driving my 2003 Ford F150 V6 at 65 to 70 MPH, pulling a 6 X 12 enclosed U Haul trailer. The nut worked loose off the ball after a couple hundred miles, despite checking it at the start of the trip. The trailer was contained to the truck only by the trailer's safety chains. The loose trailer gave both George and I, an experience that neither of us ever want to go through again, not to mention the trailer tire that also blew out at the same time and we lost three hours driving time waiting for U Haul to come replace it. Moral of this story is: 1. Check your trailer ball and nut for tightness every 250 miles or every fuel, chow, or rest stop, whichever comes first, or tighten and weld nut to ball ; and 2. make sure that you have the majority of your load's weight on the forward part of your trailer's tongue. I have towed car trailers thousands of miles in my lifetime and never had this happen, but it only takes one time to learn a lesson.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 10:52 am:

bump.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Schubert on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 12:24 pm:

If you look on the door jam tag or the owners manual you will find a GCVWR (or similar term, gross combined vehicle weight rating) for your tow vehicle. Legally you are not supposed to exceed this total weight of tow vehicle, trailer & cargo. Some jurisdictions are really "sticky" about this, some leave it up to the courts & the insurance co's and lawyers if there is a wreck
Anyway exceed this rating at your peril. Like many things in life, it is only a problem when it becomes a "problem".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike in Gruver TX on Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 10:32 pm:

I was always taught to cross the chains so it makes an x, then it makes a cradle to catch the tongue if it comes off. Luckily I have never tested that theory, but it makes sense to me.

Terry, if that's the tongue i'm thinking about with the "nut" that is for hand tightening, I always use pipe wrench with a cheater bar to tighten it. In my opinion those kind are dangerous, with a hammer blow hitch we don't even use safety chains, just a pin.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Todd on Friday, September 26, 2014 - 11:33 am:

"I was always taught to cross the chains so it makes an x, then it makes a cradle to catch the tongue if it comes off."

Ditto

IIRC the thread on a 2-5/16" ball is 1"NF, and the torque spec is something like 172 ft-lbs. You ain't gonna get it that tight w/a 12 or 15" adjustable wrench. I always tighten them to spec and have never had a problem w/one coming loose.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Richmond, Texas on Friday, September 26, 2014 - 02:19 pm:

I've got a socket that fits a 1" nut and my torque wrench. I'm going to use it to torque the nut to 170-172 ft-lbs and double nut it with some thin 'jam' nuts that I got from McMaster-Carr. If that doesn't do it, I'll weld them on.


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