Which Car-Like Vehicles Can Tow a Model A?

shew01

shew01

Well-known member
My wife is petite; so, she doesn’t care to drive a full size pickup truck like a Ford F-150 (because it is difficult for her to see how to drive it).

Which car-like vehicles can tow a Model A using an open carrier like the ones available for rent at U-Haul?

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Auto-Transport-Rental/AT/

What would be the combined weight of such a trailer and a Model A? My Honda Odyssey is rated for towing 3500 pounds, but I’m guessing a trailer loaded with a Model A will weigh more than that.


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Best check with U-Haul. They have a list of approved vehicles, and if yours is not on it they will refuse to rent a trailer to you!
 
the odyssey would be fine with a regular car hauler. they generally weigh around 1500 ibs. The ones at uhaul are pretty beefed up. the avg A is just over 2000 IBS, so yes, possible to use the odyssey, Jeep, Ranger with v6 etc.
 
I towed all over the country with these two combinations.
The 30 2 door has 4W disc brakes.
The other tow car was a Mustang Cobra.
The trailer had electric brakes.
 

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Son had Ford Explorer with independent rear axle, towing boat approx 3000# above
40 mph swayed all over road, if you have class 1 hitch on vehicle limited as what you can tow. Some rental agencies will not rent trailer if you have indenpendent suspension
in rear as some vehicles flipped over.
bob f
 
Pete said:
I towed all over the country with these two combinations.
The 30 2 door has 4W disc brakes.
The other tow car was a Mustang Cobra.
The trailer had electric brakes.
Click to expand...


Both of those tow combinations are quite unique. :-)


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A lot depends on the weight of the trailer. U Hauls, for exampleare about 2000 lbs. My flat bed wood deck 16 ft weighs only 1200 with dual axels and electric brakes. The other factor is weight of the vehicle to be trailered. Roadsters are in the neighvorhood of 2200 lbs and fordors are 2600 plus. ( dont now off hand exact numbers.)


My 31 coupe and trailer combined weigh n a 3460. My just finished Woody weighs in at 2865. Coupled with the 1200 fo the trailer, thats 4065 lbs. I will be towing woody to Texas Tour this Thursday with a Ford F150 short bed single cab with a little V-6 engine. Pulling over 4000 lbs at highway speeds ,60 plus mph, the engine does juz fine. BUT transmission wants to overheat. Solution is to not drive over 50 mph. ****** stays cool, it just take an extra 15 minutes to get there. ken



Other solution is to install auxillary transmission cooler. I can install for about $200 but voids the factory warranty. Ford dealer can install and keep the warranty,but cost is over $700.
 
Too often, people under estimate the weight of a car/trailer combo and get into trouble or have mechanical issues. I suspect that the Honda will have a maximum tongue weight of 350 pounds and that will not work with a U-Haul. A tow dolly is about the only option I can see. For piece of mind, I would look into the cost of a U-Haul pick up and trailer.
 
friend of mine who trailers Buicks and Caddys cross-country a lot, wisely told me "use the biggest vehicle possible to tow".
I'd never consider anything smaller than a 1/2 ton truck. We had a 3/4 ton longbed Dodge diesel that was a killer tow vehicle.
As mentioned above, the U-haul approved vehicle list is a safe bet for this decision- it is a very conservative, lawyer-driven list.
Another friend was shopping for a tow vehicle and had a similar wife situation- she did not want a truck. He was considering a new Accura MDX and started quoting me the stats that the salesman gave him for reassurance. I reminded him that the salesman would be nowhere around if he found himself in a ditch in the rain someday......
Get you wife a car she likes (happy wife) and get yourself a good used 3/4 ton diesel truck for towing (happy life).
As also mentioned here, if your towing needs are infrequent, just rent a truck......j.m.h.o.
 
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1952 Buick or Hudson... Don't use a two wheel dolly to tow an "A". Why put the rear end spinning for many miles when there are trailers available. Just my opinion! Chap
 
How offen and how far would you be towing ! If only once or twice a year, rent a u-haul truck or van with their trailer. If you consider the price of tags insurance etc, it doesn't make scents to own a tow vehicle only to tow once or twice a year.
 
denis4x4 said:
Too often, people under estimate the weight of a car/trailer combo and get into trouble or have mechanical issues. I suspect that the Honda will have a maximum tongue weight of 350 pounds and that will not work with a U-Haul. A tow dolly is about the only option I can see. For piece of mind, I would look into the cost of a U-Haul pick up and trailer.
Click to expand...


I hadn’t thought of renting a truck and trailer from U-Haul. Thanks for the idea.


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Big hammer said:
How offen and how far would you be towing ! If only once or twice a year, rent a u-haul truck or van with their trailer. If you consider the price of tags insurance etc, it doesn't make scents to own a tow vehicle only to tow once or twice a year.
Click to expand...


I’d probably be towing once or twice a year. Dearborn, MI, is about a 1000 mile round trip for us.

I’ll be replacing the Odyssey at some point, which is why I’m researching vehicles at the moment.


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I chose a Porsche Cayenne Diesel to use as my car trailer tow vehicle several years ago. Tows right at 9000 pounds. I get 26 mpg pulling my car/trailer cross country... open top/flat trailer.
 
Spot On

40 Deluxe said:
Best check with U-Haul. They have a list of approved vehicles, and if yours is not on it they will refuse to rent a trailer to you!
Click to expand...

Exactly

The Uhaul insurance and your personal automobile policy can and will
deny coverage if you falsify either/or the tow vehicle used to pull
the rental trailer an/or the vehicle placed on the trailer.


Jim
 
Not Recommended

Ray64 said:
Ford Flex with towing package Plenty of power
Click to expand...

" How much will a Ford Flex tow?

Flex Towing Capacity

The Flex can tow up to 4,500 pounds when properly equipped "


No way in hell would I pull a tandem axle car trailer with a car
on it with a Ford Flex or any similar vehicle.

Towing is not the issue - controlling what you are towing
under emergency conditions safely - is what matters.


Jim
 
shew01 said:
My wife is petite; so, she doesn’t care to drive a full size pickup truck like a Ford F-150 (because it is difficult for her to see how to drive it).

Which car-like vehicles can tow a Model A using an open carrier like the ones available for rent at U-Haul?

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Auto-Transport-Rental/AT/

What would be the combined weight of such a trailer and a Model A? My Honda Odyssey is rated for towing 3500 pounds, but I’m guessing a trailer loaded with a Model A will weigh more than that.


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Click to expand...


The advantage of a pickup tow vehicle is you can haul tools, parts, whatever in the bed. Anyway, the U-Haul site you linked gives specs for both trailer and tow vehicle. They say the trailer weighs 2210 pounds. Model A weight varies with body style but 3000 pounds should cover any passenger car (AA trucks generally are heavier). So you're looking at around 2-1/2 tons. Websites for specific makes give towing capacities for their models. Here is a link that gives specs for midsize crossover/SUV:

https://www.tflcar.com/2019/10/i-want-a-midsize-suv-that-can-tow-what-should-i-buy-2019-2020-update/

Course too much towing capacity is better than not enough.
 
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