I just purchased a 1992 Sentra SE-R with a shot engine as a project car, and I need to tow it to it's new home. What's the best way to do that? My truck is a '98 Ranger Supercab 4x4 with the 3.0L and 5spd manual trans. The car weighs 2426 pounds? Do I have enough grunt to pull it? It'll be a distance of about five miles. On the rear bumper of my truck it reads something like "max tongue weight 200lbs", and max trailer weight 2000lbs which to me doesn't sound like I got enough get up and go. Any comments/ideas?

 

when ya say pulling it are ya just hooking chain to it and pulling it while someone steers and brakes in the tow car. Ill say yes 3.0 should, but not sure bout the manual tranny but may not be legal or safe to do so. probly be better to call a tow truck should not cost to much. but its your truck (disclaimer Im not responsible for your actions)

I pulled a 4 door neon like that bout 2 miles with a 92 caravan w/3.0L scaried to death a cop was going to pull us over.

 

if you know someone with a car trailer that you can borrow, I happen to have a brother in law with a F150 there in Boise... I could put you in touch with him and you could work something out with him... he may even know where he can get a trailer... another option is to go to a u-haul and rent a tow dolly. In that city, five miles is a big deal, and it is best to do it right and safe. Out here in the sticks i could get away with a tow strap or such, just don't think I would try it there...

 

As you should know, towing a car can be dangerous, in many places it is also illegal if you do not have the proper equipment, a rope or chain will not do, check with your local authorities, the fine can be more than the tow.

 

1- Many Uhauls will rent to dollys
2- Having a tow truck do it may be just as cheap as renting the tow dolly
3- Check with yor car insurance company, some include free, or towing discounts (had a fuel pump go out in my van, only cost me $50)

 

Around here, for a short pull, a tow truck is cheaper than renting a tow dolly, and much easier.

I have one of those A-type tow bars, like Ryder used to rent. I use it in emergencies, but only off the highways--back roads, or maybe a short distance on streets. Like Fellro said, in little towns and back roads, you can do a lot of things that would not be legal or safe in larger cities.

 

A tow dolly would be the best way to go, but U-haul won't rent you one if you're driving the Ranger. They say that according to their list, the Ranger is too small a truck to use for towing. Same with the small locally owned rental company here, I could not get a tow dolly to haul an '89 Sable behind my Ranger anywhere in my area. I guess they all get the same list from the insurance companies. And it doesn't matter what kind of vehicle you planto tow. Just for the heck of it I told 'em I was planning to tow an MG Midget, but it still didn't matter. Got a Ranger, no tow dolly!

Tow bars are tough to mount on a newer car with a plastic nose, you need to remove it just to hook up the tow bar. A PITA, especially if you're only going a few miles.

Chain, rope or tow strap? Only if it's legal to do so in your state, and both people in the 2 vehicles better have some experience doing so. If the car has power brakes and the engine won't run, it's decidedly NOT a good idea.

That leaves you with a trailer, but again you'll need a bigger truck, unless you can borrow a smaller trailer (or a bigger truck, and then the tow dolly option becomes viable again.)

 

Power-wise I think you'd be perfectly fine towing a small car 5 miles. Heck, about 6 years back I towed my wife's Ford Tempo with my '84 Fiero that had a 2.5L engine and a 4-speed manual. No problem at all going just a few miles through a smaller town. But the other folks here have an excellent point that towing might be more trouble than it's worth in a larger city.

 

call AAA

because I work there.

 

Uhaul rented me a tow dolly to pull a taurus, at the time I had '94 Ranger 2wd with the little 4 banger/ 5 speed, it was also a 140 mile tow. They said I needed a class 3 hitch, but recomended using somthing bigger than the Ranger, which is what I ended up doing. I think I would of killed that truck, and possibly someone else.

 

Just tell them you are using a F150 to tow it with...but are just using the Ranger to pick up the dolly and take it back home. It might be worth a shot.

 

I would not lie about what you're pulling it with. If you get into a wreck, they will sure find out, and then you will not only be dealing with the other folks in the accident but also U-Haul, possibly the police, and perhaps your own insurance.

 

Yeah, I tried that too...no good. They said they wanted to see the truck that would be towing it, and they wanted to do the hook-up themselves. I've towed many, many vehicles over the years, and I know what my Ranger can and can't do. Can it pull a Taurus/Sable 18 miles, with one decent hill to pull up? On a tow dolly, yes...barely. On a trailer, probably not. Would I try to use it to tow something bigger? No, I think not.

It does have a Class III reciever hitch.

I understand their liabilty issues, it's just A PITA when I know I can do that particular job safely, but they won't rent me the equipment I need to do it. The needs to be moved agin, I'll have to have my bro-in-law do it...with his Chevy. (Oh, the shame!)

 

i lied about my trucvk to uhaul... they let me pick up a 6x 12 trailer with my s10. I did pull it with my moms 3/4 ton burb tho

 

Tie a rope from youre rear bumper, to something on the nissan, and have someone steer it. It's only five miles anyways. Once, my truck ran out of gas, and my dad had a little 80's ranger, 4 banger, with a manual tranny, and he tied a rope from his bumper to something on the front of my truck, I'm not sure what it was, I was mad and not paying attention. I put it in neutral and steered. He pulled me a few miles to the body shop he works at. We passed one of the local cops, and they didn't pull us over. Just remember, the person you're pulling has to stop you, because if you stop your self, the rope will become loose and probobly fall off, and the towed vehicle will be sitting in the middle of the road. I'm not sure if this was legal, but the cop didn't pull us over. If you decide to do this, you might just want to wait till about 2 in the morning, and have a buddy drive around being the "look out".

Or find a buddy with a half-ton or bigger truck and find a buddy with a trailer.