Towing With A 1/2 Ton

Buddy67Lincoln · March 3, 2009

I have a 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 ext. cab. It has a 5.3 L33 with towing package. 3.73 gears, trans cooler, etc. I am picking up a huge '66 Lincoln from NY and need to drive it home 6 1/2 hours to Pittsburgh through some mountains when going through the PA Appalachians.

I have towed an exact car before but only 30 minutes. The truck did great. This is a little more serious of a travel with a 5,000lb car, me and a passenger. I have good tire tread on 17" GM wheels on Fuzion (Bridgestone) tires. I do not have a trailer brake system and will be using a full Uhaul car carrier trailer. Is this going to be a safe trip??? I trust the truck, just not the uhaul trailer and no trailer brakes built into the truck. I am not sure if the uhauls have it hooked for that or not. Anyone have any horror or success stories?

The Appalachians can get steep for a few miles at a time. I will have it tow/haul and in 3rd taking my sweet old time; wish I had a 2500. Thanks for any tips/help/suggestions. Take care

Buddy67Lincoln · March 3, 2009

I have a 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 ext. cab. It has a 5.3 L33 with towing package. 3.73 gears, trans cooler, etc. I am picking up a huge '66 Lincoln from NY and need to drive it home 6 1/2 hours to Pittsburgh through some mountains when going through the PA Appalachians.

I have towed the exact same kind of car before but only 30 minutes. The truck did great. This is a little more serious of a travel with a 5,000lb car, me and a passenger. I have good tire tread on 17" GM wheels on Fuzion (Bridgestone) tires not the 20s in the photos. I do not have a trailer brake system and will be using a full Uhaul car carrier trailer. Is this going to be a safe trip??? I trust the truck, just not the uhaul trailer and no trailer brakes built into the truck. I am not sure if the uhauls have it hooked for that or not. Anyone have any horror or success stories? I think I might be over weight 1,000 lbs. 5,000 lb truck+2,000 lbs trailer+5,000 lb car+400 lbs of humans=12,500 and some change. I am more worried about the trailer and no electronic trailer brakes.

The Appalachians can get steep for a few miles at a time. I will have it tow/haul and in 3rd taking my sweet old time; wish I had a 2500. Thanks for any tips/help/suggestions. Take care

Here are some photos from the other one I towed. I put it on backwards to distribute the weight better so I was pulling rather than carrying. The car I am picking up is complete unlike this one so more weight.

mr_bots · March 3, 2009

Uhaul Car trailers have their own surge brakes which are better than nothing, but their trailers are also rated to a maximum load of 4000lbs.

Buddy67Lincoln · March 3, 2009

Uhaul Car trailers have their own surge brakes which are better than nothing, but their trailers are also rated to a maximum load of 4000lbs.

Thats the other part...I'm 1,000 over according to the uhaul rating as well. I am trying to get the one in the photos but thats a long haul to be asking a friend of a friend to let me use it! We will see though. Then I will want the brake controller since his has brakes

pm26 · March 3, 2009

I am pretty sure that U Haul car trailers have surge brakes which do not need electrical hookup.

DofD · March 3, 2009

Checking the UHaul site, their full car hauler has these advisories.

- Must not weigh in excess of 4,000 lbs.

- Must have a maximum outside-to-outside tire width of 79.25"

Note: outside tire width over 75" must use late-model U-Haul Auto Transport (identifiable by silver galvanized color).

- Must have a maximum wheelbase (distance from front axle to rear axle, usually posted on the driver's side door jamb) of 133 inches.

The trailer you're going to use may be different from what's on their site. Also, their website doesn't list the trailers having electrical brakes or the towing vehicle needing to have that capability, so they are probably surge brakes.

Buddy67Lincoln · March 4, 2009

Checking the UHaul site, their full car hauler has these advisories.
- Must not weigh in excess of 4,000 lbs.

- Must have a maximum outside-to-outside tire width of 79.25"

Note: outside tire width over 75" must use late-model U-Haul Auto Transport (identifiable by silver galvanized color).

- Must have a maximum wheelbase (distance from front axle to rear axle, usually posted on the driver's side door jamb) of 133 inches.

The trailer you're going to use may be different from what's on their site. Also, their website doesn't list the trailers having electrical brakes or the towing vehicle needing to have that capability, so they are probably surge brakes.

Thanks. The wheel base and width are not a problem. 126" wheel base and under 75" wide. I think the weight is going to be a problem. I know their site will not let me tow that car with their trailer. I would hate for something to happen then they find out I had a car 1,000 over weight. Insurance could be a mess because of that if something were to happen. Might just need to rent the trailer in the photo and get a brake controller. I'm looking into it right now. Thanks for the help. I know that the trailers at Uhaul can handle the weight as I am sure they under advertise the weight since they know people overload them anyways. I am more worried about an accident.

farmallcub · March 4, 2009

I used my 04 1500, 4.8, 2wd, to fetch my 71 F-100 from my wife's granddads place in Halifax, VA.

Right up over the mountains of Virginia and up through WV on 77.

The U-Haul trailer had surge brakes that made the difference. The truck pulled very well for what it was.

Stopping was not a problem at all.

Then....... Same truck, my trailer, moving to PA so I put waaaay too much stuff in the bed of the Ford, put an old cap on it to keep it dry and then ad a Cub Cadet to the bed of the truck.

A little over weight, maybe.

My trailer has electric brakes.

More of moving my stuff north.

farmallcub · March 4, 2009

Better picture of the trailer.

It was the galvanized one.

Buddy67Lincoln · March 4, 2009

I used my 04 1500, 4.8, 2wd, to fetch my 71 F-100 from my wife's granddads place in Halifax, VA.
Right up over the mountains of Virginia and up through WV on 77.

The U-Haul trailer had surge brakes that made the difference. The truck pulled very well for what it was.

Stopping was not a problem at all.

Then....... Same truck, my trailer, moving to PA so I put waaaay too much stuff in the bed of the Ford, put an old cap on it to keep it dry and then ad a Cub Cadet to the bed of the truck.

A little over weight, maybe.

My trailer has electric brakes.

More of moving my stuff north.

Thanks a lot. I don't doubt the truck at all! Its a hell of a hauler. Glad to hear the brakes will do well. They did good on my trip across Pittsburgh, ran over a shock absorber bolt, and it still did well even with a huge bolt sticking out of the tire till I could pull over at the Dairy Isle. Do you think I will have any problems with uhaul?

Ranger · March 4, 2009

The trailer and brakes can handle the load...The truck, no question as it's rated for about 7500-8000 lbs. I've pulled much more than that before and as long as you know your limits it should be fine.

MS3DALE · March 4, 2009

A U-Haul trailer worked perfect for me when I hauled my buddies '79 Corvette back from North Carolina to Pittsburgh,But it only weighs around 3,500 lbs.,so we were under the 4,000 lb. trailer weight limit,and my trucks rated to tow 8,500 lbs.

I was a little concerned about using a U-Haul,but we had no issues at all,The surge brakes worked great!

Just double check the air pressure in the tires,I found one on our trailer totally out of air!

Buddy67Lincoln · March 4, 2009

A U-Haul trailer worked perfect for me when I hauled my buddies '79 Corvette back from North Carolina to Pittsburgh,But it only weighs around 3,500 lbs.,so we were under the 4,000 lb. trailer weight limit,and my trucks rated to tow 8,500 lbs.
I was a little concerned about using a U-Haul,but we had no issues at all,The surge brakes worked great!

Just double check the air pressure in the tires,I found one on our trailer totally out of air!

Thanks for the stories. I will go the uhaul route and take er easy. Anyone know the rate for the second day of rental. Its $50 a day but this trip will take 2 days. I will have to call tomorrow. Thanks again for the help