[Subemaniac]

I'm planning on driving from Colorado to Maine with my 08 OBXT. I don't have much, but it will not all fit in the wagon. More of an issue of size, not weight. Anyway, I originally thought I could use a UHaul Sport Trailer, but they are near impossible to find and are apparently being phased out. So, I think that will bump me to the next smallest UHaul, which is a 4x8. I'm aware of the weight limitations for towing, since my car is rated at 1000lbs without trailer brakes and the 4x8 is 850 lbs empty. Since brakes are my concern, I'm planning on upgrading to Hawk HPS all the way around. Other than that, I was wondering if weight limitations for towing are calculated based on the car being at max weight allowed, which on mine is 900 lbs including driver. If so, I would be well under that, so I would hope that I could maybe go a little heavier on the trailer weight... safely. I figure I will only load about 250 - 300 lbs max in the nose of the trailer and won't come close to filling it up anyway. Any thoughts? I'm kind of in a bind, since UHaul doesn't have any other options. BTW, they do have a 5x10 with trailer brakes, but they don't have any of those around either and that would really be over kill for what I need. I've never towed before, so any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Seabass]

Id be more worried about the trailer brakes than anything else. If you can find a 5x10, go with that. I towed a filled to the brim 6x12 trailer across country. The first few hundred miles, the trailer brakes were ceased up and not working. I wouldn't feel comfortable going over the 1000lb mark without trailer brakes.

I dont know how the towing limits are calculated, but the exact same vehicle in europe is rated for towing around 4300lbs. Worry more about tongue weight and brakes more than the tow limit.

Search for my cross country trip thread. I went over a lot of stuff that i learned as i was doing the trip. Good luck!

 

[AWDFTW]

Look into adding a transmission cooler for your AT's sake.
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...tall-b-m-supercooler-transmission-cooler.html

Keep an eye on your oil level, it might consume a bit more if it is under heavy load.

Check this thread too
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/98-trip-reports/31435-x-country-uhaul-yea-im-insane.html

 

[Subemaniac]

Id be more worried about the trailer brakes than anything else. If you can find a 5x10, go with that. I towed a filled to the brim 6x12 trailer across country. The first few hundred miles, the trailer brakes were ceased up and not working. I wouldn't feel comfortable going over the 1000lb mark without trailer brakes.

I dont know how the towing limits are calculated, but the exact same vehicle in europe is rated for towing around 4300lbs. Worry more about tongue weight and brakes more than the tow limit.

Search for my cross country trip thread. I went over a lot of stuff that i learned as i was doing the trip. Good luck!

Hi Seabass-

Yes, I've seen and enjoyed your thread about your trip. Pretty amazing. I don't think I'll be able to find a 5x10, so looks like I'll be stuck with the 4x8. Since I think I'll be around 400 lbs in the vehicle, hopefully that will buy me a little extra for the trailer weight.

 

[Subemaniac]

Look into adding a transmission cooler for your AT's sake.
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...tall-b-m-supercooler-transmission-cooler.html

Keep an eye on your oil level, it might consume a bit more if it is under heavy load.

Check this thread too
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/98-trip-reports/31435-x-country-uhaul-yea-im-insane.html

Yes, I just sorted out a possible issue with a Derale tranny cooler that was installed for the trip in another forum http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...ance/40377-tranny-cooler-causing-shudder.html. Thanks

 

[John E Davies]

I think that this is a [email protected] shoot. Your car won't have any problem pulling that trailer, but the brake issue worries me. Since you are headed east, you won't have any serious high altitude passes to negotiate, but you will still have some sizable downgrades.

How do you feel about risk? What if you need to slam on your brakes to avoid an accident? Are you a gambler?

I have an '07 XT and I wouldn't even consider doing your trip without trailer brakes. Locally at city speeds, sure. Thousands of miles on the freeway? No way. The Sport Trailer wouldn't be a problem IMHO.

I would be willing to bet your stuff weighs a lot more than you think. Have you actually weighed it on a scale? Maybe you need to think harder about options like shipping your bulky lightweight stuff, or renting a cargo van and car hauler. How about buying a roof cargo pod?

You could buy a Harbor Freight open utilty trailer for $300, add a half inch plywood deck, cover your stuff with tarps, and sell the trailer when you get to Maine. .. http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...tility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html

Be safe.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[subiesailor]

I'm planning on driving from Colorado to Maine with my 08 OBXT. I don't have much, but it will not all fit in the wagon. More of an issue of size, not weight. Anyway, I originally thought I could use a UHaul Sport Trailer, but they are near impossible to find and are apparently being phased out. So, I think that will bump me to the next smallest UHaul, which is a 4x8. I'm aware of the weight limitations for towing, since my car is rated at 1000lbs without trailer brakes and the 4x8 is 850 lbs empty. Since brakes are my concern, I'm planning on upgrading to Hawk HPS all the way around. Other than that, I was wondering if weight limitations for towing are calculated based on the car being at max weight allowed, which on mine is 900 lbs including driver. If so, I would be well under that, so I would hope that I could maybe go a little heavier on the trailer weight... safely. I figure I will only load about 250 - 300 lbs max in the nose of the trailer and won't come close to filling it up anyway. Any thoughts? I'm kind of in a bind, since UHaul doesn't have any other options. BTW, they do have a 5x10 with trailer brakes, but they don't have any of those around either and that would really be over kill for what I need. I've never towed before, so any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thats a tough position the 4X8's are setup to take a queen bed standing on its side so they are very tall and slab sided not exactly ideal if all your hauling are items that don't need the height etc. Also I always caution people on aftermarket brake pads given I have had far more issues messing with aftermarket pads than the zero issues with the stock OEM pads. Just helped my cousin pull ceramic pads off his work truck the pad material was cracking and chipping off the pad- we put the stock OEM pads back on it. One of a few examples I've come across regarding messing about with aftermarket pads.

I've become a master of packing crap over the years LOL.

Would it be possible to haul your gear if you had a roof box added to the subaru storage ability? The roof box will double your usable storage capacity and since we bought ours way back in 2003 hands down it has been one of the best things we have ever bought for the car's. We don't have it on the car till we need it easy to install takes just a few minutes. We pack everything from golf clubs, karts - camping crap - snow ski's and boots - kids stroller and playpen etc etc. 150lb limit but you can sure pack a **** of alot of light bulky stuff in the box.

I'm not a big fan of running long distances with the cheap little Harbor Freight trailers which are like $400 but! If you got one of those and put your stuff in big plastic bins and secured them well you wouldn't even notice the trailer back there and a new trailer plus a spare tire or two will do your trip easily. With no stress or worry from you given you won't hardly notice it behind you. Though keep in mind many states have restrictions on trailers regarding max speeds and which lanes you can drive in. Example CA all trailer towing vehicles must be in the first two lanes only and have a set max 55mph speed limit. On a long trip that could be very annoying especially if you could get away with a nice box on the roof and set the cruise at 70mph!

Trailer rentals for long distances one way are not exactly cheap so for the cost of a trailer you could possibly add a nice functional rack box which you can use whenever you need it vs just writing a check for a trailer rental.

The little harbor freight trailers sell fast on craigs list especially if you post them around active yacht clubs given the small boat sailors build them into boat transports for the small boats. You could get one use it for the trip and easily sell it at the other end to recoup your costs.

 

[Seabass]

And don't expect the Hawk HPS pads to do much of anything. They will still overheat. Their heat tolerance is not much better than stock. The scariest parts of my trip all involved going over the top of a very steep hill only to find a red light and busy intersection at the base of the other side. Downshifting and smoking the **** out of the brakes stopped the car, but holy **** it scared the crap out of me! I doubt I could have stopped in time without trailer brakes.

 

[Subemaniac]

I very much appreciate all the comments and thoughts. Basically, I was initially wondering if I could possible get about 300 lbs in a 4x8 safely if I don't overload the car. That's about another person or so standing in the trailer. This is assuming:

1. A sport trailer is not available
2. A 5x10 (smallest UHaul with trailer brakes) is not available.

I considered a roof cargo box, but I believe you are limited to 100 lbs with the stock rack and most of the cargo boxes I looked at of any decent size were around 50 lbs empty. That means that I would be spending around $500 - $600 for 50 lbs of limited space cargo carrying. As for the brakes, I've never been impressed with the stock pads and have recently had issues with grit causing brake grinding. I was looking to go with a better pad anyway and have read good things about the Hawk HPS. I don't believe they are a ceramic, which I would never put on my car anyway. Buying a trailer and modifying it is an idea, but I don't really the facilities to build one up, especially right now with winter and where we are living. The cost of the UHaul one-way will be about $200 for 8 days.

So, that's about it. I'll need to take a closer look and see what can be eliminated. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a sport trailer. That buys me about 300 lbs less in weight than a 4x8.

 

[subiesailor]

You can get standard rack rail grab feet and bars and a box - I know my box is no where near 50lbs more like 15lbs Thule. The 300lbs weight is not the issue its the boxy shape and weight of the trailer which is not going to be all that fun to pull for that long of a trip for just 300lbs of stuff.

No possible way to re think your packing and get some of that 300lbs in the car and the lighter stuff in a roof box?

Also the Harbor Freight trailer with large plastic bins would be the cheapest approach compared to the rack box or trailer rental.

Harbor Freight nice trailer with the larger tires $209 on sale!
40-1/2" x 48" Small Utility Trailer - 1090 Lb. Capacity

Sheet of 3/4 plywood from Home Depot $16 - They will even cut it for you! Give them the exact size edge to edge for the trailer deck - they cut it - even have them help you carry it out to the trailer in the parking lot. LOL - Bring your drill bolt it down right there in the parking lot and Bang your set. If you want to get fancy - get a 2X4 and bolt it to the plywood deck in a manner that lets the boxes you end up buying to sit between the 2X4's to keep them from sliding strap them down and your good go.

Plastic tough bin $15
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...alogId=10053&R=202522825&catEntryId=202522825

Ratchet Tie down straps $40

For less than $350 you have your hauling needs met at a weight that would be zero issue or even noticed. This is what I would do.

 

[subiesailor]

You get where your going and you could probably sell the trailer for $300 on Craigs list easily unless you become attached to the trailer and like having the added utility. LOL

 

[Subemaniac]

Yeah, when in doubt build it yourself!

 

[subiesailor]

If your worried about security while on the trip. Which no doubt is one I worry about on a multi day trip with all my junk in plain view. LOL - Uhaul for some stupid reason does not have locking hitches on their trailers which really ticks me off every time I rent one. So a savy thief could just pop the trailer off hook it up to his car and simply drive off with all your belongings.

The Harbor Freight trailer idea - you can lock them with a hitch lock which makes it annoying and not as easily removed from your car. As for your gear on the trailer for the price of a few cheap bolts and some basic sheet metal straps you could drill holes in the bottom of the boxes use the sheet metal straps with pre drilled holes as backing plates to hold the boxes in place. I would still strap them down given the plastic over the miles might fail if that were the only thing holding the boxes on the trailer. But having them bolted down would sure keep the thieves from pulling up and tossing the boxes in to their truck. Most of the heavier plastic bins have a spot for a lock. Not 100% safe but far safer than stuff in full view in the back of the car next to a glass window easily smashed out with a rock etc.

For the price of these little trailers and what it would take to rig it up and the cost of a one way trailer these days it wouldn't even be a question as to what I would do. Harbor Freight - plywood a box or two couple of bolts and a 2x4 shoot maybe take an hour at most to set it up once the trailer is bolted together.

 

[John E Davies]

For less than $350 you have your hauling needs met at a weight that would be zero issue or even noticed. This is what I would do.

I agree, but he would perhaps have to add the cost of a temporary tag to get him to Maine. I don't know how much that would be in Colorado, if they even license trailers.... most states do. I sure wouldn't apply for a Colorado plate if the trailer were going out of state permanently.

The advantage of a HF trailer for this trip is that it gets rid of that pesky deadline. So if you are stranded somewhere with a major mechanical failure (like a turbo) or because of a nasty ice storm, you don't have to worry about the due date and extra penalty charges. I wouldn't want to do that trip in winter, loaded and with a trailer, in less than five days, and that doesn't leave a lot of cushion for a rental.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[subiesailor]

I agree, but he would perhaps have to add the cost of a temporary tag to get him to Maine. I don't know how much that would be in Colorado, if they even license trailers.... most states do. I sure wouldn't apply for a Colorado plate if the trailer were going out of state permanently.

The advantage of a HF trailer for this trip is that it gets rid of that pesky deadline. So if you are stranded somewhere with a major mechanical failure (like a turbo) or because of a nasty ice storm, you don't have to worry about the due date and extra penalty charges. I wouldn't want to do that trip in winter, loaded and with a trailer, in less than five days, and that doesn't leave a lot of cushion for a rental.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Good point about the rental time line hadn't thought about that. The tiny trailer idea would also be such a light weight that bad road conditions wouldn't really be much of an issue beyond anything that would affect the car to start with. Storms don't last for days they keep moving even in extreme winter weather you only generally need to delay or hustle on through be fore it hits for a few hours to avoid getting whacked by a bad storm etc.

 

[Subyblue]

Besides the license, I think you might want insurance on the trailer--unless your car insurance covers it and possibly on the contents. Just another cost to consider.

 

[Seabass]

I dont know if all uhaul places will be so accommodating, but when i was a week late, they didnt charge me extra. They just asked if it was due to weather. I kept them informed of when i would be arriving and had no problems.

 

[subiesailor]

Besides the license, I think you might want insurance on the trailer--unless your car insurance covers it and possibly on the contents. Just another cost to consider.

Last I checked most auto insurers will cover basic trailers up to a specified amount when notified that your towing a small trailer etc. They want to know about it ahead of time so if something does happen they know that yes infact you did have a trailer and yes you were towing it when a bus tried to mount you from behind etc. However if said trailer is hauling a hand built racing boat worth $25,000 you need to have insurance of that too for replacement cost given your car insurance is not going to cover the loss of the boat which no doubt be fiberglass dust when said greyhound bus mounts you from behind.

If you have a good insurance agent ie office they should be open to answering basic questions like this with just a random quick phone call. They may even suggest a short term coverage for the trip to cover your property ie personal belongings against lost of theft during the trip which depending on what your hauling might be wise anyway.

 

[subiesailor]

As for trailer registration many states are basically zero - even CA is like $20 for three years. Though if you do buy one make sure you have your receipt showing you paid state sales tax when you bought if - the state has sales tax. Given the DMV will charge you state tax on the price you paid on the trailer if you do not have proof you paid sales tax when you purchased it. ETC

If you buy three days before the trip even if you were stopped you could just show the trooper your receipt tell him your moving to another state and it will get registered then and your not going to get much grief if any otherwise. Just watch your trailer towing speed limits and the lane choice in states that have specific trailer restrictions given in most cases the fines can be triple that of just a standard car fine for speeding etc. Trust me when you get stopped for speeding with a trailer its green light to empty your wallet and your bank account with fines! Don't get caught!

 

[mcbrew]

You will have no problems towing a Uhaul 4x8 trailer. I have rented many of them before buying me own trailer. Most of the time, I was towing them with a subcompact car: a Scion xD with drum brakes in the rear. It had absolutely no trouble stopping safely, even with the trailer loaded to approx. 1,600 pounds and a few hundred pounds in the car. Yes, this is over the US tow rating for that car, which is ZERO pounds.

Just make sure you keep your tongue weight in the proper range and keep your speed down. Tongue weight should be relative to maximum speed. In the US, most people will tell you to keep 10% of the weight on the tongue. Too much tongue weight puts more stress on the hitch, couple, suspension, and parts of the trailer frame. In Europe, they usually recommend 4% tongue weight... but they drive slower with trailers than we do.