Roadmaster heater issue

U-Haul has a strange, dangerous, formula for what they will and will not allow when it comes to towing. They will rent any trailer that, when loaded, is no heavier than the tow vehicle. They don't know or care from factory ratings. If the hitch is rated for it, then that is enough. I had to fight with them when I needed a big enclosed trailer to tow behind the 89. Factory tow rating was 6,000 pounds, but they wouldn't rent me anything that weighed more than 4,000 laden. Of course, the guy ahead of me in line had no problem renting a 4,000 pound trailer to tow behind a Windstar mini-van. Yeah, right, sure. A Windstar, with no tow package is rated for 1,000 pounds! Tell them that the roadie you are towing is a body shell, only, no drive train. Also, if you can, get the 4 wheel car trailer. It tows much easier than a car on a dolly. Oh, and with the factory tow package, and the LT-1 you should have a tow rating of either 6,000 or 7,000 pounds, so you have plenty of room there. The wagon, plus the trailer, will be about 5,500 pounds.

 

You will be lucky to make it to the state border before you get stopped. The braking system on the Roadmaster isn't designed to stop that much weight, and there is no doubt in my mind that a State Trooper will pull you over, and make you disconnect the cars, and then he will probably make you have the vehicle towed off the highway. If you make it as far as Massachusetts, the towed vehicle has to have a valid registration plate on it, if any of its wheels are on the pavement. What you are thinking of doing is extremely dangerous, and you might get yourself or someone else killed in the process.

 

To tow that much you need an equalizing hitch and tow package on the car for sure, disconnect the auto level control. Just rent a big truck then back it up to a real steep driveway and drive the car right into the back?
I worked for U-Haul and after a few major lawsuits they lost they had to change the policy to cover their butts, they're documented like airplanes when you do any axle or frame work on them by law now too. Before that we'd rent bulldozer trailers to anybody, as long as you could bolt a temporary hitch to their bumper it was their problem, and they had them too. I rescued many a trailer back in the day, one weird problem was that the driveshaft yoke would pull right out of the trans under heavy braking or accelerating, the rear would stay put and the rest of the vehicle would keep going I guess?

 

Sounds like I better go with plan b. fly back and drive home.

Thanks for the advice. If I didn't have this forum, who knows what dumb things I might do.

 

Just so you know, a Class iV hitch is good to 7,000 pounds, and are, or at least were, available for the Roady. Thing is you HAVE to have the factory towing package to get the rating. It changes many things about the car, not just the obvious. The U-Haul trailers, not dollies, weigh about 1,500 pounds empty, so as long as your towed vehicle comes in under 4,500 pounds, you are just within the rating for the tow vehicle if it does have the tow package. Unfortunately, many people thought they could save money and 'make up' a tow package of their own. Silly folks ended up spending MORE money and still not getting a car that was rated to tow! No need to worry over much about brakes with the U-Haul tandem axle trailers. They are fitted with surge brakes that engage automatically. There is no electrical connection to the car. I agree, though, it would likely be safer, especially if you are not used to towing, to fly back and drive the new one home. Towing that much weight when you are not used to it can be more than exciting.