Some of you probably know that I'm acquiring Vernon/nonrev321's 1985 F250 - and a ton of parts. But, the truck is in Florida and I'm in Okiehoma, and there's about 1,000 mile betwixt and between. So, I'm planning a trip and want all y'all's input.

The truck isn't running so I'll tow it back. But, that raises the question of how. I see three possibilities:

1. Trailer from OK: Brandon/Bruno2 has graciously offered to let me borrow his 18' car hauler, which has good tires as well as a spare. I've done the math and, assuming I'd get 17 MPG w/o a trailer and 13 MPG with an unloaded trailer (I got 11 with our 5,000 lb boat) the difference in gas is $45.
2. Trailer from FL: I'm not sure why, but U-Haul's web site says they don't recommend towing that truck on their trailer behind my 2015. So, it worries me a bit that they wouldn't let me have it when I get there. And, they want $223 to rent it for 5 days.
3. Dolly from FL: Or, I could rent a dolly from U-Haul for about $100. That has the advantage of easier loading as well as keeping the truck low so the wind resistance is less. But, the U-Haul site doesn't say if the dolly has brakes, and I would think brakes would be a necessity when towing something that probably weighs as much as the tow vehicle. And, this would be turning the F250's rear axle the whole way, although I could either pull the driveshaft and wire it up or put the t-case in Neutral.

So, please tell me your thoughts.

 

Uhaul is such a hassle, but it does take care of the wear and tear issue. I don't think their trailers handle a full size 1/2 ton very well.

A couple years back, I was hauling a Ranger on a Uhaul trailer in BC. Highways vehicle enforcement gave me a good going over because they did not believe the Uhaul trailer was up to capacity, despite what Uhaul's computer said. Really not impressed with either agency.

Dolly is probably the worst scenario. These are really not up to a 1/2 ton. If you want to forego the empty trailer, consider flat towing the truck with a towbar. Taking off the front bumper makes it pretty easy to pull a full size Ford with a towbar. I hauled an E350 with a bus body on it for about 200 miles with an F150, worked well.

All things aside, bringing the trailer from OK sounds the safest and easiest. Of course, check the laws to make sure you are legal.

 

I would *call* the U-Haul guys nearest Vernon and see what they can offer you, and wouldn't rely on a national, corporate web site for this. They will want to know length, width & weight of his truck, some of their equipment isn't designed for full-size vehicles like this and some other stuff can handle it OK (according to the local U-Haul shop I go to on occasion).

Cost-wise I imagine it'll be close to a wash with all options being reasonably close to each other so time required will be a determining factor. IOW you could fly down there, rent something and drive back, or drive down there & back (which will double the time required).

But TALK to the U-Hail guys and see what they can offer.

 

I have hauled a lot of trucks including my '81 350 grain truck on an 18' car hauler. Borrow or rent a good trailer with brakes, check local equipment rental places for trailers (http://greencountrytrailers.com/). I doubt U-haul has anything heavy enough or long enough. If you aren't comfortable borrowing a trailer (although I've never met the man who wasn't lol) look at local trailer rentals. An 18' tandem 3500lbs (7000 lbs total gvw) should be big enough. They weigh about 1200 lbs empty and shouldn't affect mileage much, leaving ~5800lbs payload. Of course brake controller, and consider a weight distributing hitch (if you don't have one already). I find these trucks are very front heavy and long (especially 4wd, and/or super cab) and can have a ton of tongue weight. And props for saving his project, as always your dedication to these trucks shows.

 

I'm not sure who this Dolly is, but I know if I was in this situation, my wife would not like me traveling halfway across the country with some woman she's never met.


All seriousness aside, if you go with the dolly option, don't put the T-case in neutral. I'm not familiar with the version on this truck, but on all the other transfer cases I've dealt with, oil is distributed by a low-pressure geroter doohickey on the input shaft. If the input shaft isn't turning, some of the bearings will eventually starve for oil. I think you'd be better off leaving the t-case in gear and putting the transmission in neutral, but I'm not even positive about that. Disconnecting the driveshaft is what I'd recommend if towing with a dolly.

 

I would not flat tow or use a dolly with a regular pickup. I did flat tow my 80 with a u-haul box truck and it did ok, but you have to be careful. Being careful for 1000 miles is tiring.

You are right, pulling a vehicle that weighs just as much or more than the towing vehicle doesn't work well. The only way it works is to have some tongue weight on the towing vehicle, especially a pickup which is light in the rearend anyway. That puts some the weight of the vehicle being towed plus the trailer onto the towing vehicle/truck.

A f250 is no ligthtweight either, especially with a 460 and 4x4. At least it's going to be flat most of the way correct?

 

How about u-ship? I did a google search for it and a bunch of other car shippers came up also.

I just did a quick check, tampa fl to woodward ok, $1200-$1300.

 

U-Haul wants the tow vehicle to be a lot heavier that the trailer, so even trailering a half ton I think you need to have a medium duty truck (bigger than a 1 ton). And they won't let you hook up if you don't meet their safety standards. So even if the truck will fit on the trailer you'll need to lie to them and tell them you're towing a Pinto or something, otherwise they won't rent you the trailer. That wouldn't be an option for me (or I'm sure you either), but people have done it that way.

Same issues with a dolly, I don't think U-Haul will let you tow a 3/4 ton truck with anything lighter than one of their moving trucks. And again that's if it fits. There are wider tow dollies that fit full-size trucks, but I don't think U-Haul has them, and it's a really tight fit (at best) getting the trucks tires between the dolly fenders. Again I think you'd need to lie to them about what you were planning to tow, and I wouldn't recommend that.

Although the tow dolly will have surge brakes, so I don't think you'd need to worry about that.

That leaves towing the empty trailer down, which is what I'd do.


I agree that they only way I'd ever tow anything on its own wheels is with driveshafts pulled or hubs unlocked. It's cheap insurance against what could really ruin your trip (I met a guy who burned up his transfer case, ended up working on the side of the freeway for a while and then renting a Jeep to drive when he got to his destination).

That said, at least the '90s vintage Fords are supposed to be able to be towed with the t.case in neutral. they are lubed by an oil pump that's driven by the rear output shaft, so the pump is circulating lube any time the rear driveshaft is spinning. I think this covers both the 13-56 and the 44-07 transfer cases (I hope I remembered the correct model names).

And even with older 'cases I've heard of people flat towing with the front hubs locked, rear driveshaft in and t.case in neutral. The theory there is that the front output shaft is low enough that its gears will splash lube the entire case just like happens when the input shaft is turning.

But as I said at the start, even though people do it successfully those ways, I still agree with kr98664 and wouldn't recommend towing without dropping the rear driveshaft.


As far as spinning the rear axle, that shouldn't be a problem as long as the axle is good. But if the gears or wheel bearings are suspect that could be a concern flat towing or using a dolly.

 

I would forget uhaul. When they hear what you want to put on a trailer it will be to heavy, to long and to wide to fit between the fenders.

Dolly I don't know if it has brakes but again truck to wide to fit between fenders.

When I needed to pick up my trucks, both 81's sb & lb, told to wide & long to fit trailer or dolly.
I had a car trailer but nothing to pull it at the time.
most of uhaul trucks don't have a reciver to fit my 2 5/16 ball, they only have 2" *****. We did find 1 truck 22' box I could use my ball to pull my trailer.

Use your truck & barowed trailer and know you have what you need to get home safely.
Dave - - - -

 

The tow dolly U-Haul has is really lightweight. It does NOT have brakes on it.

That being said, my 1984 F150 did fit on the trailer, but it was maxed out for the width. We towed it about 100 miles with a 2004 Lincoln Aviator, which is rated to tow 12,500 GVWR, and it worked, but you could tell it was approaching the max limit.

As a side note: U-Haul will tell you to unhook the rear driveshaft, and we did, to be on the safe side. It worked well, but I'm not sure about a long distance tow with the dolly.

 

Ok guys, it looks like the consensus is to use Bruno's trailer. He says it'll do the job - although he recommended I check the wheel bearings and do a little wiring. Easy peasy.

I did try to follow up with U-Haul, but they didn't answer and haven't returned my call. Perhaps that's because I told them in the message that I'm towing an '85 F250 w/a 2015 F150 and they decided they aren't going to rent to me. But, I'm not going to lie to them, and from what everyone is saying they won't rent to me given the vehicles.

As for having someone bring it, as Dave suggested, that seems a bit pricey for just the vehicle, and Vernon says the parts are going to fill the rear seat and bed of my truck as well as the cab of the '85. (If you haven't looked at the pics you really need to do so.) And even then the 8' bedside trim pieces will have to go in the bed of the '85. Those pieces are apparently the last good pieces on the planet and I have to have them for Dad's truck. And since the people that brought my Super Bee here to Tulsa managed to bend it significantly, I don't feel comfortable turning this over to anyone else. But, thanks for checking on it, Dave.

And, I just realized I have friend with an electric winch he said he'd loan me. Not sure he can be without it for 3 or 4 days, but if so it'll help a lot loading the truck. But, the axles, diff's, bearings, et al have been recently rebuilt, and the tires are new, so it should load fairly well. Bruno has boomers and the trailer has straps, so it is coming together.

Thanks for the input, and don't stop now if you think of something or disagree with my approach. I want this to go well and be safe.

 

If you don't have a winch to get the truck on the trailer you can use a come-a-long and chains or long ratch straps hooked together as chains to get it on.


You can use just the straps in place of the come-a-long but man that would take for ever! Ratch it up some, set brakes on truck, let strap back out and do it all over again till on trailer.


My car trailer has a 2 speed hand winch (made for boat trailers) and enough cable to reach 15' past the end of my long ramps. If that does not reach then straps as chain but I also have a 25' pull strap!


Oh when you strap the truck down on the trailer X the straps to keep the load from walking side ways. Don't ask me how I know this
Dave ----

 

I'll second the suggestion of a come-along. I've never had an electric winch and I've used come-alongs for loading trailers, lifting engines, pulling boats and docks on shore for winter, tying cars down to trailers, even getting a 4WD truck unstuck.

I would still suggest using ratchet straps to tie the truck to the trailer once it's loaded, but if you don't already have a come-along, buy one! Just don't get the cheapest one you can find. I've had some that tend to bind up and/or not catch when they should (that can be exciting!). But except when I've gone really low-buck (or someone else has and gave me a cheap gift) I've had really good luck with the better ones. And they still aren't that expensive (maybe $50 for a good one?).

 

Will there be anything loose and heavy in the truck you are getting? If so and it will be ok if it rains, I think I would put it in your truck. Every little bit helps, the heavier you can make your truck and the lighter you can make the towed truck/trailer, the better it will handle and tow. If you had some plastic truck boxes in your truck you could store little parts out of the weather.

 

I would not worry if the trailer is heavier than the tow rig but would worry that it is balanced right.


I have pulled a 35' 2 car bumper pull trailer behind a 76 E350 van. It had a 460/C6 and we added the 2nd fuel tank.
Never had any issues pulling it. First car was backed on the 2nd pulled on so the weight (motors) were over the trailer axles (2 axles).


I would not think twice to use this setup to pull that truck 1000 miles.
Again balanced right on the trailer and all is good.

That was taken before the 12+ hour drive from OH back to CT after racing the car.
Dave ----