I had bad luck with UHaul too. I reserved a truck via their website and, a week later, hadn’t gotten the call telling me I could pick it up. Finally, I called the customer service line for the area and, when I connected, I heard lots of loud rap music blasting and what sounded like a party(!)…I decided to run down and grab a Ryder instead. It was a little more expensive, but the truck worked.
I enjoyed driving the truck, but it’s gonna suck to tow without someone to help you. If it’s going to be lots of Interstate driving, then it probably won’t be so bad, but if you’re going to be in lots of city traffic, ye gods it’ll suck. My advice would be: find out the major traffic times in the area and don’t be there for rush hour or any heavy traffic periods.
A correction. I had reserved a 12-foot truck from Ryder, but I am unfamiliar with truck rental. I didn’t know that after reserving online, I still had to phone them to confirm; so I made the online reservation and then just showed up on the day I needed it. They didn’t have a 12-foot truck, so I got a 14-footer. And they let me have it for the 10-foot price.
Anyway, it was 14 feet; not 12 feet. (Not that it makes any difference.)
Uhh, nope. I just brought myself, my car, and my things over with a Budget truck, and I’d still be in Arizona if that was the case. I’ve had the rig up to 80 mph, and there were Penske, and U-haul rigs on the road going just as fast.
Also, I’ve seen 10 foot trucks pulling vehicles, but a 14 or 15’ is generally the recommended size. When I moved from Oregon to New Mexico (1,800 miles), I put my car on a full platform trailer, which was great, but added length to the rig. It was maneuverable for backing up, though I have experience hauling horse trailers, and wouldn’t recommend much backing to inexperienced people. My recent move was from New Mexico to California (about 1,000 miles), and I decided to save $100 by renting a tow dolly instead of a full car trailer. It worked OK, but it made me nervous not being able to see my car, and it’s also far from ideal for backing up. One of the straps got wrenched loose when I had to back up on an arc at a gas station, and I ended up with a small dent in my car from the wheel fender of the tow dolly hitting it.
If you decide to go for it, just plan your trip very carefully in advance. When you get gas, try to do so at truck stops, which have lots of room so you won’t have to back up. Also, allow plenty of time. 10 hours in a car could turn into 12 or 14 in a truck, especially if you’ll be going over any hills/mountains. Take it slow, remember to make wide turns, and when in doubt, stay in the right lane.
A note on backing: as has been mentioned, avoid this if possible. However, if you are forced to try it, the advice cited by Cheesesteak neglects to mention the cardinal rule. If your trailer starts to jacknife on you, stop. Pull forward till you’re straight. Try again. There’s no rush. Trying to un-jacknife yourself by steering sharper and continuing to go backwards will virtually never work. The advice also assumes a single pivot point at the trailer hitch. If you have a dolly that pivots at the hitch and at the car as described by jackelope, you have to reverse the direction of steering in relation to where you want the ass end of your outfit to go again, and it’s next to impossible to avoid jacknifing unless you’ve had a lot of experience. I’ll back a regular trailer no problem, and I don’t have a ton of experience, but I’d hesitate to try backing with two pivot points behind me. If all this talk worries you, feel free to find an empty parking lot somewhere and back up a short distance a couple times to get a feel for what goes where when you turn the wheel this way or that. Just never, ever forget the cardinal rule.
I had an experience similar to neutron star. I had reserved a 14 footer and when I got there, they only had a 28 footer which they rented to me for the lesser price. The rental center was located in a fairly dense urban area and manuvering the vehicle out of the lot was very intimidating–I remember how much I perspired. I think the rig had at least six speeds–one just for starting.
But I pulled it off without any tangible problems and felt a kind of pride afterward. I guess the lesson is that you may have to be prepared for a larger truck than you originally ordered.
I want to throw out one warning about this drive. The last 10-20 miles will be the hardest iif you’re actually moving into DC.
If at all possible scout out your arrival location before the trip. If you’re tired when you get in, you might want to take a break before unloading. Find a place near your new home where you can park. Figure out the best place to put the truck for unloading. Know where the truch return point is, and get rid of the thing the moment you’re able to.
A truck like that on big cty streets is ten times the hassle it is on the highway.
I just did this two months ago. It was a breeze. Of course, I drove straight from Charleston, SC to Baltimore (566 miles) and only stopped for gas, food, and to check on my cats, who were in my sister’s car. I would recommend having someone follow you if you’re nervous about it. I was petrified, but somehow knowing that my sister was following me made me feel better.
I had a 15 foot truck, and I towed my car behind it. The biggest thing I had ever driven before was a small moving truck, and I had never towed anything before in my life. Follow all the suggestions given here. The biggest thing to me was to make sure I used the truck gas stations. They have the bigger bays, which made me a lot less nervous about getting in and out. Also, I put a post-it note on the dash which told me which side the gas tank was on. Made things a lot easier in the long run.
Good luck! If I can do it, being the big chicken that I am, you can, too!
Oh yeah. I used a tow dolly. Much cheaper, but you have to be careful. I used Budget, and they don’t put your car on the dolly. You have to do it yourself. But the guy taught me how to do it, and by the end of the journey, I was a pro.
And, most tow things now won’t allow you to back up. They are on a swivel base, so you have to drive around instead of turning around. I recommend this over backing up, anyways. Much, much easier!
If you read my post, you’ll notice I said “ordinarily.” Thus “Uhh, nope” is an incorrect answer.
Governors are put on engines to prevent the renter from placing unnecessary stress on the engine, such as driving 80 mph or higher.
If you didn’t have such a gadget on your particular truck’s engine, then good for you. This does not mean it is true for every truck by every manufacturer.
I think I hold the thread record; 3300 miles from Greenwich, CT to Seattle, WA in six days.
My 20-footer was towing a Honda Civic on a trailer, not a dolly. I think I got it up to 65 downhill with a tailwind in Montana. The truck was U-Haul, an Isuzu diesel cabover without AC or cruise control. I stayed in the smallest towns along the highway that I could find, as they involved less driving around.
I was driving with my girlfriend (it was her stuff) so I had a spotter. A spotter for your right side is pretty handy.
It’s said that if you can drive for a week with your beloved, you have a strong relationship. She nearly left me forever the only time I tried to help her back up the truck. Never, never, never back up the truck when the dolly is attached. Never detach the dolly. Can you see where we’re going here ?
If you can scout your arrival location, do so. I can’t imagine trying to pull into my current neighborhood with such a rig, but I knew where the long parking zones were.
Trucks will be far more expensive than you realize; count on $1 per mile.