Moving to Denver... uHaul hitch?

Post by **matthew1** » 16 Oct 2007, 12:12

I think I can fit my stuff in a trailer like this:

Has anyone rented one?

Has anyone here bought/rented/installed a trailer hitch? What are the costs and procedures?

Do I need to worry about wiring my 850 for the lights?

Very off topic
Has anyone used a moving service and found that to be a cost-effective alternative to using a trailer?

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 17 Oct 2007, 15:48

Man, I wish I knew....sorry I can't be of any help.

Post by **HareBall** » 17 Oct 2007, 18:40

I have never used their trailers, but I have used their trucks. They are usually pretty slow. They govern them down so you can't run them to death.

volvoaddict007 · Post by **volvoaddict007** » 19 Oct 2007, 05:29

Matt,

There was a big write up in the Los Angeles Times about the dangers of U-Haul trailers especially while being pulled by a vehicle that weighs less than the loaded trailer itself.

U-Haul is building a poor reputation for renting equipment that is ill-suited for the situation, not giving adequate info and warnings about properly loading thier trailers, renting mechanically unsound equipment etc. As you know, your 850 weighs about 3300 lbs. + passengers etc.

I personally wouldn't risk putting my car's tranny ( and brakes etc. ) through a gruelling tow from Seattle to Denver. But then tranny replacement is beyond my desired abilities.

Moving service is beyond my budget so I would rent a U-Haul truck because they are the cheapest and tow the car with a dolly. Make sure you are getting a newer truck or go to a different facility. The main problem here is that the dolly's are kind of wide but I believe they tow better than the flat bed trailers.

If you decide to go with a trailer it is PARAMOUNT that you put 60% of the weight in front of the center of those two axles. People loading too much in the rear can cause some uncontrollable swinging. The heavier stuff near the axles is best as opposed to the very front where you are going to get stranger towing characteristics. Too much weight up front will create too much tongue weight, especially for a passenger car.

The terrain even on I-70 is treacherous through Colorado for an overworked vehicle. I don't know if it is even possible to avoid some pretty good climbs and steep grades from Seattle to Denver. I don't know if those trailers have thier own brakes but they should and then you may need a trailer brake installed on your car if you want to use them.

I moved 20 years of stuff + 2 vehicles from L.A. to K.C., ( 3 trips, one with a 16' trailer on a heavy duty Ford van, one with the Van and a car dolly ) so I have a little experience with what you are about to embark on although I was able to avoid the Rockies. Not sure about the lighting and hitch as my van had a factory tow package.

Good Luck !...

Tom

Post by **billofdurham** » 19 Oct 2007, 16:10

I can only write of UK towing as I don't know enough about US traffic law. Maybe some of the points would cover both countries.

I have been towing trailers/caravans now for about 30 years and have trained many other drivers. I have also read extensively about other peoples' experiences.

The first point that I always make is that the loaded trailer should not weigh more than the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. That is UK law. For inexperienced drivers the loaded trailer should not weigh more than 85% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. As experience increases that % can be pushed up but I would never exceed 95%. This makes a mockery of manufacturers' claims of what their vehicles will tow. They will, but not safely.

Loading of the trailer is critical. The heaviest items should be loaded over the axle or axles with the remainder of the load divided equally between the front and the rear. Heavy items should never be loaded high up as that will cause a top heavy lateral movement on cornering.

The maximum tongue weight for the 850 is 75kg (165lbs). With a twin axle trailer correctly loaded it should not be too difficult to achieve but it is not a lot of weight. It is imperative that this weight is not exceeded as it will cause steering problems if the back of the car is pushed down too far.

The owner's manual gives the max trailer weight on a 2" ball as 3300lbs. Using my guidelines this would drop to 2924lbs at 85% and 3268lbs at 95% of kerb weight. What does the empty trailer weigh? How much is left for contents?

Hitch and lighting. In the UK the hitch must be of an approved design and all car manufacturers fit suitable fixing points to their vehicles. Tow hitch manufacturers then make the hitch to match so it is an easy DIY job to fit. I don't know if the same applies in the US. Lighting is sometimes more difficult as rear, indicator, brake and license plate lights must work on the trailer. On UK Volvos there is a plug in the rear of the car which is pre-wired for the lights and, in the case of caravans, for the fridge and secondary battery charger.

It is recommended that auto box cars should have a secondary transmission fluid cooler for towing, especially for negotiating hilly/mountainous terrain. Also in that type of terrain the brakes will take heavy punishment. This is made worse with an auto box as the engine can not be used to any great degree to assist with braking as there is a possibility of overheating the box.

As I said at the start this is UK law/experience but it has evolved over the years with safety paramount. I can remember the days when a trailer was fastened on to a car, sometimes with a home made hitch, with no thought for loading, lights nor safety. Accidents were commonplace. Now that guidelines have been laid down we have fewer accidents and those that do happen are usually with units whose drivers have ignored the guidelines.

In view of all the negative aspects being raised I would go along with Tom's suggestion of hiring a truck.

Bill.

Post by **matthew1** » 19 Oct 2007, 18:10

VA7 and Bill, thanks a ton.

A truck is what I didn't want to drive... rental cost (probably $500-$800) + fuel costs + comfort + safety = no good. But I now also understand that my regular safety level will be compromised with my 850 + trailer.

For what it's worth, the trailer will not have much cargo weight. I'm guessing I have only about 1000 pounds of stuff.

And then there's the shipping possibility, where I put my stuff on a truck and retrieve it in Denver.

I'm going to do some research on prices.

Thanks again.

volvoaddict007 · Post by **volvoaddict007** » 19 Oct 2007, 22:35

Here's a link for a company that will drop off any # of 8' x 5' x 7' ( tall ) containers . Fill them at your leisure and they put them on a flatbed with other people's and ship it door to door. Several companies provide this service. Or google 'Portable Storage' for others.

http://www.doortodoor.com/moving/

This of course would be the safest way and you enjoy the drive in your own car. I have not used the service but one other person said he was satisfied. The containers lock up so you can get your new place ready rather than having to unload immediately to get the truck or trailer back to U-Haul...

Post by **stone36** » 22 Oct 2007, 10:44

Matt,
I moved all our stuff from CT to UT on afb, they drop off a tailer, we load it and they drop it off at the new place.

Upside: Only cost like $650

Downside: took 3 weeks, was a long trip though, if you can be without some stuff for a week or so, this is the way to go.

As far as renting trailers from Uhaul, I have done it and they are very specific when they rent them, they check your car before hand so if it is not rated for the size of trailer, which I am guessing it wouldn't be they probably won't rent it to you.

Install of the hitch, I know they make them for the 850's and they should be able to bolt on directly, that has been my exp with other vehicles. The wiring is the only not straight forward part, not tough, but not jsut connecting 4 bolts either. A shop will charge $350-$500 for the install with parts so factor that into the cost. And uhaul again will not rent to you if the wiring does not work.
Hope this helps.

Post by **matthew1** » 22 Oct 2007, 12:37

VA7 and Stone, thanks.

I put in a contact request at door2door, so I'm hoping to hear from them.

Thinking more about it, that is the way to do it. I don't have a lot of stuff, and it seems this would be the most economical method when balanced with safety/pain-in-the-ass quotient.

There's no way to get to Denver without crossing the Rockies, and mental images of my tranny and/or brakes getting worked over on this trip were not welcome.

Post by **matthew1** » 31 Oct 2007, 13:18

Ok, after thought and consideration, I'm going with a hitch/uHaul trailer.

I put the rest of my post here Pulling a Trailer with a Volvo 850.