Moving and have a question about moutain hauling

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Brenden Allen

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You could Uhaul dolly tow that FWD Impala and would be cheaper and even easier on your truck, just don't get into a position where you need to back up, ain't gonna happen with a dolly.
I thought about going with the smaller dolly but was unsure if it would be wise since it is such a long distance and the route hazard of the moutains.
 

Docpaulo

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I would love to ship it but my budget for the move is about 1000$ total
Understood... but it will cost more if you dont make it there...

Weigh your rig... if overloaded you can fall off the mountain at a curvy downhill run...

While ive towed overweight it was always on flat terrain...

If there is a flat route, take it... may add a day to your trip but better than not making it...

I suspect yourre loading up your bed with your stuff... youll be easily above payload capacity if not careful. The advice to weigh at a scale is not optional... it may save your life... reweigh is only a few bucks

Put heavy items in the cab.. some in passenger seat if possible...

Put some items in the impala to balance the load and tongue weight...

And dont go over 65.. heck go 55... towing isnt a problem going up and going fast


... its going down and stopping that can get you into an accident
 

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The more bulky Auto Transport that Uhaul rents has surge breaks but the small tow dolly has nothing


ugh....not much for choices....have you checked penske or other national rental places ?.......


Another possible option, would be to flat tow the impala.....but you'd have to check the owners manual to see if it is ok, and possibly modify the impalas front bumper area to connect the tow bar. cars can't be flat towed. Some vehicles can't be safely flat towed. You'd also have to leave the steering wheel unlocked so the front tires can move as they need to when turning.

It's not hard to do, is get a tow bar and flat tow the car. You'd have to check with every state you'll be going thru to see what their laws are on it, and you may have to modify the cars front end to attach the tow bar.

I flat towed a 6000 lb 4x4 from upstate new york to the SE corner of VA with a tow bar........and I towed it with the truck in my avatar on 40" swampers no less.

I used a towing harness extension to connect the towed trucks lights to the running truck (parking, brake and hazard, NOT headlights) so that when I put on the turn signal or hit the brakes, the same lights on the towed vehicle came on. I also wrote IN TOW on the back glass in huge white letters.

While I could have just put the t-case in neutral (NP205) in the towed truck, I instead opted to remove both front & rear driveshafts to make sure there were no problems.

I had no issues other than REAL lousy MPG (the truck only got 10-11 mpg at best not towing), but what do ya expect from a ~6000 lb truck with ~500 hp engine, 40" tires, and all the aerodynamics of a barn ?!?

The benefit of this method, is you do not have to worry about tongue weight cutting into cargo weight.......but you do have to still meet the tow capacity of the truck, and don't exceed the capacity of the tow bar either (shouldn't be a problem with the impala).

Should even be cheaper than renting the big auto transport dolly or smaller dolly too.

Backing can be tricky, but it's doable if you go slow and use your head, and you do have to consider where and when you park if not in an area designed for such rigs.

BUT, you also don't have the benefit of any extra brakes (electric or surge) when in the mountains. If I had any issues like that, my plan was to just drop it in 4 low and creep using the engine braking supplemented by the regular brakes, but I had no issues at all.
 
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Brenden Allen

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ugh....not much for choices....have you checked penske or other national rental places ?.......
I checked with penske and they only rent Tow dolly/flat beds if you rent their moving trucks( Which i dont need becuase everything im moving with can fit in to the truck all im really moving with is the truck a duffle bag of clothes and the Impala)
 

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I checked with penske and they only rent Tow dolly/flat beds if you rent their moving trucks( Which i dont need becuase everything im moving with can fit in to the truck all im really moving with is the truck a duffle bag of clothes and the Impala)


Can you flat tow it like I mentioned above ??
 

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Take the southern route and avoid most of the mountains if you're concerned. Thats how we did in when we went from Omaha to Fl.
 

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I’ve pulled a Ford Taurus from Tampa to Chicago going thru the mountains of Tennessee/Kentucky, no an issue with a tow dolly.
This maybe be easier for your truck since it’s about 1500 less it has to move.

Another thing is Uhaul still has some old junk out there. When I pulled a Uhaul trailer to Vegas, the thing looked like a reject from the 70’s. (Tires had plugs in them, deck had rust holes in it, ramp came out going down 80 because the latch broke.)
I rent a car hauler from them 7-8 times a year to bring parts cars home, I have yet to see one that didn’t have surge brakes. (Just further reinforces my need to just build one)

Also reserve that trailer a few weeks in advance. Now it could just be my area, but they either go quick or don’t have them in stock.
 
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MT Hillbilly

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Are there any mountains between Nebraska and Florida?!!
 

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All the tow dollys from Uhaul I have ever used had surge brakes, going back at least 10 years and as recently as last year. Not sure where that bad info is coming from...

IMO, u-haul tow dolly FTW. Buy the additional insurance they uhaul offers if your policy doesn't cover towed items (mine does). Total should still be less than renting the car hauler by itself.

It puts very minimal tongue weight on your truck so no worries about payload.

EDIT: The u-haul dolly comes with its own taillights, but you should mount additional temporary brake/turn lights (can get at wally) on the trunk of the Impala as some states require that.
 

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All the tow dollys from Uhaul I have ever used had surge brakes, going back at least 10 years and as recently as last year. Not sure where that bad info is coming from...

IMO, u-haul tow dolly FTW. Buy the additional insurance they uhaul offers if your policy doesn't cover towed items (mine does). Total should still be less than renting the car hauler by itself.

It puts very minimal tongue weight on your truck so no worries about payload.

EDIT: The u-haul dolly comes with its own taillights, but you should mount additional temporary brake/turn lights (can get at wally) on the trunk of the Impala as some states require that.


or you can do as I did, and use an extension harness, and tie into the towed vehicles actual lights if you want, but it will require disconnecting the lights in the rear of the towed car while you are using them that way.
 

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Your truck will be fine towing that weight. I kinda stopped reading when someone suggested you not travel in the bad winter weather. Just take the trip nice and easy, break it up over 2 days.
 
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Brenden Allen

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Your truck will be fine towing that weight. I kinda stopped reading when someone suggested you not travel in the bad winter weather. Just take the trip nice and easy, break it up over 2 days.
Yeah i think ill take it to Cadiz KY or across in to Kentucky and stop for the Day/night and take the rest of the 9ish hours the next day.
 

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Sorry if I am being obtuse, but why wouldn't you skip the dolly and rent a fully enclosed car hauler and throw all your **** in it? You get all the storage you're likely going to need to haul your stuff, protection for the car, and electric brakes and all the necessary stuff to make the addition of a TBC worth it. You're truck would handle one fairly easily. Although I do agree with the advice to plan a possibly more indirect route to avoid some of the mountain driving if you can.
 
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Brenden Allen

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Sorry if I am being obtuse, but why wouldn't you skip the dolly and rent a fully enclosed car hauler and throw all your **** in it? You get all the storage you're likely going to need to haul your stuff, protection for the car, and electric brakes and all the necessary stuff to make the addition of a TBC worth it. You're truck would handle one fairly easily. Although I do agree with the advice to plan a possibly more indirect route to avoid some of the mountain driving if you can.
I really dont have alot of stuff to bring everything im taking with me can fit in the cab of the truck so thats why i was more wondering about car dollys or the flat bed trailers.
 

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I don't recall seeing this mentioned but the weak link as far as load on the truck is usually the tires. Are they in good condition? Check their load rating. Make sure they can handle the axle load listed on your door jamb sticker along with weight of passengers, fuel, cargo, and tongue weight added by the trailer.
 

usaf2006

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No option to sell the impala? Lol I drove from Michigan to Maryland when I was 16 hauling an empty 10' enclosed trailer and back with a crotch rocket. Next summer we drove with the same trailer from Michigan to san Diego loaded with an apartment full of stuff. Drive slow and make sure your brakes are good. An impala doesn't weigh much but those steep grades can get you moving quick. Good luck!
 
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