Towing a barge with an XC wagon

[volvolugnut]

Didi you check U Haul, Penske, or Ryder for a truck/van with hitch? They seem more likely to be in truck rental business.
volvolugnut

[BlackBart]

Not thoroughly yet. Uhaul only has trucks for in-town use. You'd have to pay for an empty cargo van that would bounce down the road - but maybe that's ok with a heavy trailer canceling that out. Most pickup suppliers want you to bring it back to the original location or pay a huge premium.

I almost bought the factory hitch a couple of years ago for another small trailer. I like it because it's engineered by Volvo and fits up inside the bumper cover, not hanging down like the aftermarket ones (although they all bolt into the same factory-provided holes). Now they're NLA apparently, and hit or miss at salvage yards. We have a nice hitch on the 850 and used that car.

Volvo factory hitch # 30682087.jpg (55.99 KiB) Viewed 277 times

Volvo_trailer-hitch.jpg (66.88 KiB) Viewed 277 times

Volvo trailer harness.jpg (294.9 KiB) Viewed 277 times

I've learned that all factory or aftermarket P2 hitches are Class II, 1 1/4" receivers. No 2", no Class III, although the Class II is rated for 3500 lbs and 300 lbs tongue weight. A Class II is not designed for a weight distribution / sway-reducing hitch set up, so the load has to be balanced correctly. The owner has been towing this boat with an older Honda Odyssey with 200k miles.

[850 LPT]

Don't do it. It's not worth the risk of overheating your transmission. We towed a pop up camper weighing about 2500lbs with our 99' XC twice a year. Not even very far away, basically in Southern New England. At 52k the transmission went and had to be replaced.
Mind you, we talked to the dealer before we started towing. They told us not to worry about a trans. cooler or anything.

[BlackBart]

Didi you check U Haul, Penske, or Ryder for a truck/van with hitch? They seem more likely to be in truck rental business.
volvolugnut

U Haul no. (pickups for in-town only) If you rent an empty box van it can tow, but they don't allow anything other than their dollies or car haulers.
Penske no.
Ryder no.
Enterprise 3/4 ton pickups - $80 + per day, 600 miles included, plus $25/day to tow with, and the renting location has to decide if they'll allow a one-way rental. Looks like they want to keep it in the LA area. Can't reach a human.

Also, commercial account only?

"Towing is available on 3/4 ton and 1 ton pickup trucks in accordance with manufacturer specifications. An additional towing charge of $25 per day may apply. Towing is not permitted for Non-Commercial Renters and Drivers under the age of 25."

<EDIT> SoCal Enterprise guy says they don't allow any pickups out of the area one-way. They want to keep their trucks.

Enterprise Trucks.jpeg (113.84 KiB) Viewed 263 times

[BlackBart]

My local Enterprise guy will rent me a 3/4 ton 4-door for a week - drive it down there and back, for about $810-850.

[volvolugnut]

Rental places do not seem to like towed trailers. Too many accidents with inexperienced tow drivers?
Got a friend with a truck? Guy road trip adventure?
volvolugnut

[BlackBart]

That would be fun.

[BlackBart]

Europeans run lower tongue weights for one simple reason, they drive slower.

I learned this is true - Most European countries by law limit towing vehicles to 80 kph / 50 mph. Period.

They use an average 5% tongue weight, which at freeway speeds is very unstable. Very interesting. Most lighter weight trailers there have electric brakes.

[BlackBart]

Useful post here, very similar weights on the Canadian trip...... winter, no trailer brakes.

viewtopic.php?t=80188

[850 LPT]

Europeans run lower tongue weights for one simple reason, they drive slower.

I learned this is true - Most European countries by law limit towing vehicles to 80 kph / 50 mph. Period.

They use an average 5% tongue weight, which at freeway speeds is very unstable. Very interesting. Most lighter weight trailers there have electric brakes.

Of course my dad would completely ignore this. Years ago he got pulled over doing 100 kph on the Autobahn towing a horse trailer, fully loaded with their household belongings.... with a Ford Focus