Finding a way to transport your vehicle to your new residence is a need if you are relocating a long distance and intend to maintain it. You can drive your car across the country if you’ve hired expert movers like towing247 to move your stuff, or you can pay an auto transport company to do it for you (and fly to your new city).
However, if you’re moving alone, you’ll have to be the one operating the rented moving truck, so you can’t take your car with you. If you’re not going to shell out the cash for professional movers, it’s quite doubtful that you’ll shell out the cash for expert auto transporters.
You can either have someone else (a relative, friend, hired driver, etc.) drive your car, or you can tow it behind your rented truck.
Towing an automobile with a moving truck is an excellent choice because it saves time and money. You won’t need a second person to drive you and your belongings to your new place. In addition, towing a car over long distances is the most cost-effective option for transporting an automobile over international borders.
You should be fully informed and prepared before setting off on your cross-country relocation excursion with your car in tow. If you want to tow a car behind a truck, here’s everything you need to know to do it safely.
Which of these two vehicle hauling options is best for you?
Obviously, you’ll need car towing equipment if you plan to transport your vehicle by towing it to your new residence. Towing accessories that allow you to attach your automobile to a truck and move it behind the rented truck are often available for rent from truck rental agencies.
Trailers can be divided into two broad categories: tow dollies and car carriers.
Exactly what is a car dolly?
Vehicle front wheels are supported by a vehicle dolly, a two-wheel trailer. The car’s back wheels stay planted in the pavement and move along the road just as they would if you were behind the wheel.
Some rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and four-wheel-drive vehicles can also be towed with a car dolly (depending on the make and model of the car, its weight and weight distribution, and its ground clearance). A car dolly’s weight limit prevents it from being used to haul automobiles that weigh more than that (a tow dolly can support up to 3,511–3,911 lbs.).
You can’t use the emergency brake to keep the car in place when towing it with a tow dolly, so you need to make sure the drive wheels are safely attached using tyre straps and safety chains.
Overall, it can be difficult to attach your vehicle to a tow dolly.
- Rear-wheel drive vehicles often require removal of the drive shaft to protect the transmission.
- It will be extremely challenging, if not impossible, to drive your vehicle up the ramp if its front end is particularly low or if it has a front air dam.
You can’t back up with a tow dolly (vehicle dollies shouldn’t be driven in reverse), therefore be cautious when backing up, turning, parking (try to find a pull-through area), etc.
There is an increased risk of tyre wear and tear when using a tow dolly since the rear wheels remain on the ground while the front wheels are raised. Furthermore, if your vehicle is too low to the ground or too long in the front, there may be clearance concerns; some of the car components may be dragged, potentially damaging the car’s body, bumpers, and underside.
Just what is a “vehicle carrier” anyway?
Car carriers, also known as auto transport trailers, are four-wheeled trailers that raise the vehicle off the ground so that all four tyres can rest on the trailer. Any vehicle with a curb weight under 5,111 pounds can be transported.
When compared to vehicle dollys, car trailers are more secure due to their supplementary braking system. Vehicle wear and tear is decreased and road damage is avoided because the car is safely secured to the trailer and the tyres never touch the road. And some of your stuff can even be stored securely in the trunk of your car!
Auto transporter or vehicle trailer?
If you need to transport your vehicle during your relocation, should you use a tow dolly or a car carrier? The sort of vehicle you have, the distance you’ll be travelling, and your individual tastes will all play a role in determining the best method of auto towing for you.
- Front-wheel drive vehicles and other compact automobiles are ideal for car dollies. For relocations within the same county or to neighbouring counties, they are a cost-effective choice;
- Heavy vehicles, rear-wheel-drives, all-wheel-drives, four-wheel-drives, and luxury automobiles benefit from the increased safety and stability provided by auto transport trailers. Towing a car across the nation is a breeze with a car trailer.
In conclusion, a car carrier is the preferable option if you have a larger automobile or want to provide the maximum security for your vehicle. However, renting a car transfer trailer will cost you more than using a tow dolly.
Towing a car, how much does it cost?
The cost of renting car towing equipment will likely be included in the total for renting a truck from the same company.
How far you have to drive, when you move, how much liability insurance you want, and what kind of towing equipment you rent will all play a role in determining how much you will pay to have your vehicle towed.
Tow dolly rentals range from €91 to €251 (or up to €511 for transfers over 2,111 miles), making them the more inexpensive alternative. The average cost to rent a trailer to transport a car is between €211 and €511 (or up to €1,111 for trips further than 2,111 miles). In the low season, prices tend to be reduced (from October to April).
A tow protection plan can be purchased for an additional €61-€151.
Towing a vehicle behind a leased moving truck may drastically reduce your gas mileage, so be sure to factor it into your budget when planning your DIY move. The increased frequency with which you must refuel when towing a vehicle also increases the cost of doing so.
Using a car dolly to transport a vehicle over a long distance is the most cost-effective option, but it is not without its dangers.
Tips for safely towing a vehicle behind a truck
How about towing an automobile behind a moving truck? The answer is yes. Is a car simple to pull behind a moving truck? Really, it’s not that bad.
In order to successfully complete the task at hand, please review the following information:
- Manoeuvrability decreases significantly while towing a car behind a moving truck (due to the combined vehicle’s length and the weak connection between the truck and the trailer), making it hard to make sharp turns, find parking, and reverse.
- It also takes longer for the moving truck to come to a complete halt because of the additional weight.
- Trailer sway, or the fishtailing movement that happens at greater speeds, is something to be mindful of when towing. If you need to swerve to avoid an obstacle on the road, your trailer will start to swing and careen out of control because of the pull and sway created between the two vehicles. This creates a dangerous environment and is a leading cause of accidents during towing. The less distance there is between the trailer’s centre of gravity and the hitch, the less wobble there will be, so load your automobile as near to the front as feasible.
- To reduce trailer sway and assure safety (at a lower speed, you’ll have better control over the vehicle and more time to respond in a risky scenario), you should drive at slower-than-average speeds (up to 55 miles per hour) when towing your automobile behind your rental truck. However, if you drive more slowly, your trip will take longer.
- Your vehicle is vulnerable to road debris, insects, and other hazards while being towed (as well as to adverse weather conditions). You can expect that your car will get dusty and possibly chipped, scratched, or even damaged in some way during the journey. (However, it’s not a good idea to use a car cover while driving; it’ll act like a parachute and could lead to swaying and swerving.)
- During the journey, it is imperative that you routinely check the security of the hitch, coupler, tyre straps, safety chains, etc.
Your auto-hauling relocation should go off without a hitch now that you know how to pull a car securely and efficiently behind a moving truck (even though you have a hitch attached to your truck). We wish you the best of luck in your do-it-yourself relocation.
