Anyone use a 'Tracker Bar' in lieu of a full trailer?

buying is out of the question for me now, no place to securely store it for extended periods.

Fortunately the subaru is paid off, so I recently bought a new daily driver/tow/service/recce vehicle that's reliably up to the task. I'm not too proud to admit a low-interest parental loan helped me out with that.

anyway, between this tracker bar being pretty cheap, and Uhaul locations pretty available, I think I'm covered.

I'm sure I could find a trailer to 'borrow' here in NorCal once or twice, but didn't want to make a habit of it.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2009 11:39PM by Jon Burke.

Put a post on your local craigslist to get a few guys who will loan you a trailer for a weekend. Sandrail, track day, and serious autocross guys are a good target. Build a few relationships and that will keep you in good shape in case one of the guys uses it the weekend you need. NASIOC even maybe?

That way you dont have to store it and you dont have to deal with uHaul, who, last time I checked, will not rent for more than 24 hours. But then again, every uHaul you talk to will say something different. Dont bother with a dolly as you will regret buying it - especially when you are worrying about whether or not you will lose a wheel on the way home.

gilbrock Wrote:
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>
> That way you dont have to store it and you dont
> have to deal with uHaul, who, last time I checked,
> will not rent for more than 24 hours. But then
> again, every uHaul you talk to will say something
> different. Dont bother with a dolly as you will
> regret buying it - especially when you are
> worrying about whether or not you will lose a
> wheel on the way home.

I rent trailers for multiple days from U-Haul all the time, but conflicting info from U-Haul doesn't surprise me... Dealing with U-Haul sucks in general, but for $50/day it's a good deal. Just make sure to check out the trailer before you drive off the lot.

"Just make sure to check out the trailer before you drive off the lot. " Hell yes! I had to rewire the lights on the last trailer I rented from them.

Robert.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

I rent UHaul all the time even going to rallyx. (2 years ago fuel pump went at the event so rented since) I too have storage issues. Even though sometimes they fawk up with the reservation I always am able to at least pick up a dolly from them. Not a big fan of the dolly = if windy and doing 85-90 on I95 or I87 not fun!

if i had storage i would buy this:
http://www.econotrailer.com/Open.html

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!

As said. CHECK THE U-HEIL TRAILER CLOSELY. It's good value but check the wheel bearings, check the brake fluid, even check the structure. These things are maintained by half trained monkeys. But I'm SO glad I havn't bought a trailer yet, it wouldn't have magically paid itself off even after renting trailers regularly.

dave

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Gone fishing

Erik Christiansen Wrote:
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>
> I rent trailers for multiple days from U-Haul all
> the time, but conflicting info from U-Haul doesn't
> surprise me... \
>

I need to find a new Uhaul place(s)! Every one I called is only 24 hours, but honestly the area I called in was limited. There are SO many I'm sure I could easily find one that would. T

ok, guys here is what I've learned after using Uhaul for years:

1) You MUST always use a UHaul Service Center. These are the hub locations which generally will rent trucks, trailers, sell packing supplies, etc. I bet much of the contradictory Uhaul info out there comes from the independent Uhaul places which generally do their own thing, usually theres are mechanics or gas stations that will also rent Uhauls. Avoid the indpendent places unless you know the people personally.

2) Always call your local Uhaul center direct to make reservations, don't use the 1800 number.

3) Even if you have a reservation to pickup a trailer at the local center, don't assume it will be there when its time to pickup. Often times the trailer you reserved being available is contigent on someone else bringing it back on time. So, its not too uncommon if trailers are in short supply that there won't be one at your site. In that case you will have to drive to another local Uhaul center to get it. In populated areas this generally is not a big deal. Call first to make sure your trailer is at your location before you leave!

4) Inspect the trailer before taking it, e.g. check the brake fluid. I once found that the trailer they were trying to give me had no brake fluid..not a good thing.

5) The first time you rent, make sure they are ok with your tow vehicle. I've had no problems getting trailers with my F150. They will generally require a proper tow hitch, Class III or greater (a ball in bumper is no good), and a four prong lighting plug. If your lights aren't wired up, they won't give you a trailer.

6) Avoid using big words when communicating with the hired help.

Oh, and U-Haul won't let you tow anything with a Frod Exploder anymore...something about exploding rear tires and liability. An 88 4Runner 4 cylinder to tow a car hauler? Sure! a 2003 V8 towing package Exploder? Nope.

Brilliant minds all round there.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

I'm with U-Haul regarding those Ford Exploder things. Their tires blow and people die, as seen on tv. But, I thought it was the front tires that blow.

Would U-Haul rent McRae's corpse a helicopter? ;-)

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Ted Mendham
www.rensport.net

I will never again tow to a winter event with hydraulic surge brakes. A few years ago I was towing home from a winter event that had freezing rain on and off during the day, so it was super slippery leaving the event that evening. One the way back to town there was a downhill section of gravel road with a tight left at the bottom and an exposure to the outside. It was so icy that when I touched the brakes to slow for the turn, the tires just locked up, then the trailer brakes had nothing to surge against because the truck had no traction. Nothing like 5000lbs of loaded trailer trying to push you straight off the edge of the road!! Thankfully I wasn't doing anywhere near the speed limit to begin with, so I made the corner, but after I changed my underpants I promised myself I'd buy a trailer with electric brakes.

turoc Wrote:
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> I rent UHaul all the time even going to rallyx. (2
> years ago fuel pump went at the event so rented
> since) I too have storage issues. Even though
> sometimes they fawk up with the reservation I
> always am able to at least pick up a dolly from
> them. Not a big fan of the dolly = if windy and
> doing 85-90 on I95 or I87 not fun!
>
> if i had storage i would buy this:
>
>

not too shabby for the price.

I COULD store the trailer in a couple places nearby me...I live IN the Presidio (yup, that place from the movie 'The Presidio')...anyway, LOTS of big parking lots, etc...you could park your car in some of the bigger lots for a month and no one would care, but a trailer? I'm not so sure. there's also open parking at the end of my street...which is where the rally car will live just fine...but a car on a trailer? might attract the federal po-po...guess I should re-read my lease.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

fiasco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, and U-Haul won't let you tow anything with a
> Frod Exploder anymore...something about exploding
> rear tires and liability. An 88 4Runner 4 cylinder
> to tow a car hauler? Sure! a 2003 V8 towing
> package Exploder? Nope.
>
> Brilliant minds all round there.
>
> Andrew Steere, 1973
> Lyndeborough, NH
> KB1PJY

This was U-Hauls way of "punishing" Ford because U-Haul was involved with one of the wrongful death claims from the Firestone tire thing. They don't even restrict it to the correct era of Explorers. I have a 98 that is actually one of era involved.

Just tell them that you have a Ford Expedition. A lot of the attendants don't know the difference.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2009 09:10PM by NGTD.

We flat towed with a tow bar for many seasons and never had the car so destroyed that we could not get it back. Towing was very stable but you better have a decent sized truck as you will not have any brakes on the towed car when flat towing.

Never pulled out the drivesahft (it was RWD, not AWD), but trannie was fine. Some AWD trannies have a driven oil pump that may not be driven by the output shaft when in neutral; that is the #1 thing I would check on. #2 would be to see if the center diff was effected....or just pull the center driveshaft. (And I would write to Randy Zimmer before anyone else on those topics for Subie.)

Good luck!

Mark B.

>
> Just tell them that you have a Ford Expedition. A
> lot of the attendants don't know the difference.
>

When i was renting the trailer before heading to sandblast this year, they handed me a pamphlet and if i remember correctly made me sign a waiver saying I wont be towing with a ford explorer for the first time this past february. I didnt understand why but assumed it was related to some lawsuit.

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!