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Hi there,
I'm considering moving across the country from Portland, OR to Georgia in my '06 Pontiac Vibe.
It is in great condition and has never broken down on me. I keep it maintained regularly. It has about 130,000 miles on it, most of which I put on there.
It has a towing capacity of 1500 lbs. I'm considering getting a tow hitch installed and towing the Uhaul 4x6 trailer with my mattress, musical instruments and some boxes. Nothing heavy. In the car will be me and my cat, clothes and whatever boxes I can fit. Maybe a second driver if I can round someone up who will buy their own ticket home.
When I look into towing on the Uhaul site it says i should be concerned about the condition of my car before towing a trailer.
What do I need to know about my car and towing to assess whether or not my car will make it and still be reliable?
Thanks in advance.
PS Sorry for the title, I was going to post a different question and then as I was typing it up things were starting to make sense... so I posted a different question but forgot to change the thread title.
Last edited by mayflyaway; 03-24-2016 at 10:03 PM..
Do you have any experience with a trailer? First time being a cross country drive with an underpowered car may not be the best idea.
We just moved to the Portland area from Ohio last year. Check out Amtrak shipping. By far the cheapest way to send things, cheaper even than the trailer rental. They won't send electronics but I bet you could offload most things to that and make it with your car without a trailer. https://www.amtrak.com/express-shipping
I've not personally driven a trailer but spent many, many hours in the truck with my mom towing a 4 horse slant, helping her back it from the ground into various parking spaces, hook it up, etc. She could parallel park that sucker like a boss. So I do know the basics of towing and got tow lessons from my barn manager when she hauled my horse for me (though I declined to drive as the thought of towing a giant trailer with live horse on a vehicle I've never driven was just too much). And I've driven a 30 ft bus many, many miles on band tours. Not the same, i know, but still, huge vehicle requiring wide turns, etc.
Thanks for the Amtrak stuff, I'll check it out, might be a better option. I'd imagine the gas would be pretty spendy while towing. I get excellent mileage without towing.
I've moved cross country several times. Honestly, I would either only take what will fit in the car or go the pod route. I usually do the pod thing thing and ABF is my favorite but I've also use Pods.
A trailer sounds like a great idea, until you are about halfway there and exhausted from moving already. You are also only supposed to go 55 mph with a uHaul trailer. Then there is the question of whether or not your car can handle it. 1500 pounds is not that much and that 1500 pounds includes the weight of the trailer itself.
I've moved cross country several times. Honestly, I would either only take what will fit in the car or go the pod route. I usually do the pod thing thing and ABF is my favorite but I've also use Pods.
A trailer sounds like a great idea, until you are about halfway there and exhausted from moving already. You are also only supposed to go 55 mph with a uHaul trailer. Then there is the question of whether or not your car can handle it. 1500 pounds is not that much and that 1500 pounds includes the weight of the trailer itself.
just be carefull towing, you may hit your max sooner than you think..
also, on the inside of the drivers door on your car, there is a "max payload" rating , that include the weight of the driver, and everything inside the car, and 10-15% of the trailer weight, which is the "tounge weight" counts as payload as well ..
I think you will max out the ratings sooner than you think.
Only comment I have is regarding getting someone to go with you in the car because you mentioned you hoped to find someone who would be willing to pay for their own airfare back home. You may want to reconsider and if not pay for the entire ticket, at least pay for half.
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