My 'ol dad's wanting to feel young again,so he borrowed a little of his 401k and bought him a 1966 VW Beetle.It's in Birmingham Alabama and he wanted me to go and get it for him with his 2000 4.0L Ranger.

Now,I don't mind going to get it,seeing that I went to Tullahoma and fetched my 1992 Ranger with a U-Haul Tow Dolly and his truck,but I do have a few questions before I get on my way.

I'm probably going to get a U-Haul Auto Transport Trailer this time in Birmingham and then turn it in here in Tennessee.That way,I don't have to wag that 2,000lb. trailer all the way down there and back.Now,when I get to Birmingham and get the Beetle on the trailer,I'll start on my way back.

His Ranger has the 3.55 gear ratio in the rear and I believe that it's advised tow rating was somewhere around 4,300lbs.It towed my Ranger and the tow dolly back just fine with no brakes.Of course,I did not have to make any quick stops or whatever.

Now,the U-Haul Auto Trailer does have Automatic Hydraulic Surge Brakes on it,according to their website.This is not like the standard electric brakes seen on most trailers is it?The state law in both Alabama and Tennessee is 3,000lbs.+ when trailer brakes are required.I don't really feel like getting pulled over by a Tennessee Bear and getting a ticket for no brakes.Plus,I believe that it will be safer for both my part and the people on the roads with me.

So,which box do I need?If anyone knows where I can get them off the internet,please let me know.Are they easy to install?I won't have to make the trip for 1-2 weeks,but I want to prepare beforehand.Know what I mean?The only braking system on trailers that I am anywhere close to familiar with is electric and air brakes.Of course,air brakes are usually only seen on big rig trailers.

I've pulled trailers in the past,so I've got some experience on that part.All that I need to know is on the Hydraulic Surge Brakes of the U-Haul Trailer and how the control module for it will install on the Ranger.

Also,will the Overdrive need to be turned off?It's mostly going to be flat interstate highways for 90% of the trip.I don't want to burn the Overdrive up though.I turned it off when I had my Ranger hanging off the tail end of it.

Any insight is appreciated.

BTW,I know that this is better suited for the Towing Forum.I just wanted to know if anyone had one of those Hydraulic Surge Brake modules in their Rangers and a little info on how to install one.Plus,you guys just know these Rangers better than anything lol.

Nightrain

 

i've had a few beetles over the years "67 68 70 71 74" i'd check with a local vw club to see if you can get a vw tow bar and towing lights cause a beetle is under 3000 lbs just check the local laws if you can go that way

 

surge brakes arent engaged by your truck or any box on your truck I beleieve, someone correct me if Im wrong, but they are built into the tongue of the trailer and when it lurches forward on the ball it actuates a lever that engages the brakes on the trailer, kind of cheesy as there is no variation in these brakes, either on or off, the one I rented to pick up my truck (significantly heavier) had em...I could feel it pulling my suburban back pretty good, bottom line....... effective and legal

 

Thanks for that.I knew that I was thinking of something different than a trailer,but I couldn't get my mouth to say it.Tow bar lol.I'm gonna check eBay for one of these,since it will probably be cheaper than the $120 rental for the U-Haul Trailer and since the Beetle has new tires on it,flats won't be a big worry.



Ahh...I see now.That would be great.You are right...Effective and legal.They don't just lock down though,do they?I mean...They give the correct amount of braking for the amount of force exerted on the tounge of the trailer?

Nightrain

 

Here's a thought for you. GVW with a trailer is large. With a tow bar it's less. If you buy a tow bar, you can keep it in case the bug needs to be towed again.
Is the bug a manual trans?

 

Right on.That's what I was thinking with the tow bar.Yeah,it's a manual.That's the only thing that I'm worried about when leaving the rear wheels on the ground.I probably won't have time to remove the axle shafts lol.

Nightrain

 

Would it hurt the Beetle's manual transmission to tow it in neutral as it is?

Nightrain

 

No, you should be able to tow it from the north pole to the south pole and back without worries.
That's what a VW guy told me 30 years ago.

 

Good piece of advice.I'll keep that in mind .I might just start looking for a tow bar at this point so we won't have to worry about a trailer.

Nightrain

 

Guess that was a stupid question to ask on a Ford Truck Enthusiast's site lol.

Anyway...

I reckon that I've decided to either get a Beetle Tow Bar or rent a U-Haul Tow Dolly.He didn't buy the 1966 Beetle in Birmingham,but he bought a 1970 in Knoxville lol.Changes his mind more than a woman...

I found out that it won't hurt the manual to pull it with the rears on the ground in neutral.Won't even hurt the Autostick.That suprised me.I just don't see any use in getting the trailer.I'll probably end up getting a dolly instead of the tow bar because most of the bars have a mount that has to be bolted onto the bumper and I don't have the time to do the work to put one of those on when I get there lol.

I found this on JCW.It's an adjustable tow bar that hooks onto the bumper with it's own adjustable mounts.It's universal anyway lol.I don't know if the link will come up or not.If it doesn't,here's what the ad says:

ADJUSTABLE BUMPER-MOUNT TOW BAR
Arms adjust to 42" wide
U-joints at ends of arms ensure smooth towing, even over rough roads
Bolts directly to bumper of towed vehicle—needs no base plate. Perfect for towing vehicles with flat or other type of bumper. 5,000-lb. towing capacity. Heavy-duty coupler fits 2" hitch ball (sold separately). Quick-disconnect brackets allow easy installation and removal. Folds for convenient, compact storage. Hardware included.

Look to be worth $100?I wonder if it will work with that Beetle's bumper?Hopefully it will.

Thanks for the help everyone.It looks like I'll be making the trip this Saturday with my step-mom.She wants to tag along to handle the funds because she evidently doesn't trust me ...

Nightrain

 

I've not trailered a VW, But I have pulled one across country many times with a tow bar with no trouble. We would just hook the Bug up to the car, fill it to the roof with stuff and be on our way. As a matter of fact, the fastest my bug ever went was behind my Dodge 440 Coupe, I looked at the speedo and I was doing 100, slowed down quick. I haven't had a Bug in years, but I still have the tow bar - too bad you are not near, I would gladly give it to you. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the tip.Since you're experienced,it doesn't hurt the transaxles or gearbox any on the Beetle that you know of?

Nightrain

 

still check out your local vw club someone may have the tow bar that you can buy or borrow plus the old man may want to join em lol

 

They might do it.He'll probably want to join,no doubt lol.I'll have to look for a local club.I'm not sure if there is one in my area or not.I'll probably just go ahead and reserve the dolly.I've been talking with a "Beetle Mechanic" and he said that it should be okay to tow it with all wheels on the ground @ 70 MPH.Still,I'll probably just get the dolly and put the rears up on it to be safe.It's probably okay,but I just don't want something else to worry about lol.

He said that if it didn't have a lockable steering column,I could take a 2x4,cut a "V" in it,and then wedge it between the bottom of the steering wheel and the floor pan.You know,cut it a hair too long to put some force on the wheel.Then,open both of the doors,take some nylon rope,tie 1 piece to each of the spokes on the steering wheel,then run one out the driver's side as tight as I can and shut the door on it.Same on the passenger's side.Then,the wheel won't be able to turn with the steers on the ground while it's being towed lol.Sounds crazy,but it should work.

I'm looking forward to this weekend.It's gonna be fun,no doubt.Probably going to get started around 6:00 a.m.That'll put us getting back a little after dark.

Thanks again for all of the help and advice.I'll get back with ya'll once we make the trip lol.

Nightrain

 

Get a second opinion on the Autostick.
I stand to be corrected, but that's not the way I remember it.