Trailer Advice

Hey all, I'm looking for some advice on trailers. What's the maximum amount i can pull on my 2005 LGT Wagon?

My options for trailer are

Uhaul Trailer

5x8

5x10

6x12

What were your experiences towing these trailers? any advice/recommendations would be helpful.

thanks

I'm a U-Haul dealer so I should be able to help a bit.

The most you'd want to tow would be the 5x8 (aka the AV). It's light enough that I pick it up and move it around the lot by hand even though it says it weighs 900 lbs.

The 6x12 (aka RV) is too heavy for the LGT to tow. It's 2000 lbs empty and is a BEAST for a car other than something like a Grand Marquis to tow.

Make sure you've got a receiver hitch with a 1 7/8th to 2 1/8th inch ball and you should be fine. You'll also need a standard 4-pin wiring harness for the lights.

I'm a U-Haul dealer so I should be able to help a bit.

 

The most you'd want to tow would be the 5x8 (aka the AV). It's light enough that I pick it up and move it around the lot by hand even though it says it weighs 900 lbs.

 

The 6x12 (aka RV) is too heavy for the LGT to tow. It's 2000 lbs empty and is a BEAST for a car other than something like a Grand Marquis to tow.

 

Make sure you've got a receiver hitch with a 1 7/8th to 2 1/8th inch ball and you should be fine. You'll also need a standard 4-pin wiring harness for the lights.

John:

I must be an idiot for listening to a uhaul dealer or something. The Uhaul dealer i went to says that i should be able to haul a 6x12 easily.... but now that you said that I won't be able to makes me think twice if I should or not. I know for a fact that for me the 5x8 will be too small for my move so my bet would ideally be the 5x10 as my next best option. I assume the 5x10 won't be too big and dangerous for me to in a 20 hour haul across country. Please tell it is or it isn't.

Also since you work at uhaul and I assume you own a LGT of your own, as far as wiring goes, are there any aftermarket T-one available for the LGT other than Subaru's OEM wiring Harness? The one i got the 4way Flat piggback seems like i gotta tap into my car which i'm not really willing to do. What do you recommend as far as T-one wiring Harness that will fit both Uhaul and LGT wagons?

Thanks for your time

There is no way to be nice about the inexperienced/unskilled performing overweight towing. Its freaking dangerous.

I assume the 5x10 won't be too big and dangerous for me to in a 20 hour haul across country. Please tell it is or it isn't.

John told you its a problem and unlike the UHaul vendor you are going to, JOHN HAS NOTHING TO LOSE BY TELLING YOU WHATS WHAT. Extra tow weight is not just "oh im sure it will be fine". You are going to to damage to your car and endanger EVERYONE in the car and around you for a thousand miles. On top of all the other mechanical issues, THE FRAME is not reinforced for towing. I am in the process of box-welding the rear of my Durango to increase its towing ability from a CHASSIS STRENGTH standpoint and it is made to tow. I can upgrade brakes, drop gearing and add all the power I want but the chassis needs to be able to handle the stresses/ torque. The brakes need to be able to stop it. The suspension needs to be able to control it. If you think overloading a vehicle never meant to tow for a 20 hour haul accross country with no towing experience is going to end well I wish you the best.

EDIT: I say rent a truck. Find a one way. Pay the money. Save the wear and tear on the car towing long distance (YES 20 HOURS IS LONG DISTANCE). Even if you are doing it alone, a one way plane ticket for a buddy is cheaper than a tranny service and brakes.

Why don't you rent a truck and not put your LGT through the stress of towing?

It would cost me more to rent a truck than to tow it myself. Plus, i would need the hitch for later use anyway so i don't see why renting a truck would do me any better.

rent the truck, put the LGT on a car trailer behind it. I own a 06 F250 Turbo Diesel for towing. That's a tow vehicle. The old F150 was kinda shakey even but a 3/4 with trailer brake controller etc is meant for towing. A passenger car may make it but your really risking it.

There are lots of things that might work but aren't worth it. Like this guy:

http://www.freewayfurniture.com/images/lumber_car.bmp

I've never had a 5x10 (aka the MV) in stock -- I think it may be a new mdoel -- but it's my experience that the dual axle trailers are simply too big for a unibody car to tow. With a 1200lb empty weight you wouldn't be able to load much into it before being over your car's capacity.

I know it would cost a lot more but my honest recommendation for such a long distance move would be to get a 10ft or a 14ft (DC) truck for your belongings and an auto transport (AT) to put the Legacy on. That way you can easily load everything you want to move and have an easy and uneventful trip with the LGT in tow. You can get a price quote at uhaul.com to see if it's something you would be interested in.

A 20 hour trip in comfort is a lot better than 20 hours of white-knuckle driving hoping you can keep everything on the road and in your lane.

I never used my LGT for towing so I can't help with firsthand experience. I have a Dodge Ram I use for that purpose, including towing the LGT!

http://moojohn.com/truck/towlgt2.jpg

John:

 

I must be an idiot for listening to a uhaul dealer or something. The Uhaul dealer i went to says that i should be able to haul a 6x12 easily.... but now that you said that I won't be able to makes me think twice if I should or not. I know for a fact that for me the 5x8 will be too small for my move so my bet would ideally be the 5x10 as my next best option. I assume the 5x10 won't be too big and dangerous for me to in a 20 hour haul across country. Please tell it is or it isn't.

 

Also since you work at uhaul and I assume you own a LGT of your own, as far as wiring goes, are there any aftermarket T-one available for the LGT other than Subaru's OEM wiring Harness? The one i got the 4way Flat piggback seems like i gotta tap into my car which i'm not really willing to do. What do you recommend as far as T-one wiring Harness that will fit both Uhaul and LGT wagons?

 

Thanks for your time

I looked for weeks for a decent alternative to the OEM harness.

No luck, and the cost ends up comparible to DIY if you wire it yourself since you need relays.

Get the Subie oem. It is plug and play.

A 20 hour trip in comfort is a lot better than 20 hours of white-knuckle driving hoping you can keep everything on the road and in your lane.

That is the single most important sentence in this whole thread. Get a truck for towing a huge load, not a sports car! Another thing your not calculating $$ wise is how much gas your going to burn towing that and the wear and tear on your car. As LALGT said, renting a truck is cheaper than new brakes/tranny/what have you.

Ok thanks for all your advice. They have been useful and wonder. I've given it some good thoughts and i have decided that I won't be using my LGT to tow a trailer. Instead, I've got my brother coming down with his Truck to haul my trailer for me.

I've learned a lot from this thread. Thanks for all of your inputs. It's great to have such a community like this. Greatly appreciated it.

It would cost me more to rent a truck than to tow it myself. Plus, i would need the hitch for later use anyway so i don't see why renting a truck would do me any better.

Did you plan your route with no inclines? You will need to service both your tranny and your brakes after a 2000lb, 1000 mile tow in the LGT. Thats hardly cheaper. Going with your bothers truck is a GREAT idea. Load up both the truck and toss on whatever trailer size you need.

Hope you read the MULTIPLE expose on UHaul about how they rent trailers much to big for the tow vehicles resulting in many many accidents and deaths. Its been on nightline, NYTimes, LATimes, etc... GENUINELY SCARY STUFF! Your brother's truck may save your life.

Glad you went with safety!!! GLwithyourmove

I'd like to see such an expose on U-Haul trailer rental policies. They are very strict as to what vehicle is allowed to tow which load. It's all done by computer so you can't fudge the numbers, and their vehicle database goes back to the 50s. They know the exact weight and dimensions of the tow vehicle and the item being towed.

I suppose an unscrupulous dealer could just input false information but that's the individual and not the company. I turn people away all the time if their vehicle isn't prepared properly, they're missing the trailer wiring, or just can't tow the load.

I'd like to see such an expose on U-Haul trailer rental policies. They are very strict as to what vehicle is allowed to tow which load. It's all done by computer so you can't fudge the numbers, and their vehicle database goes back to the 50s. They know the exact weight and dimensions of the tow vehicle and the item being towed.

 

I suppose an unscrupulous dealer could just input false information but that's the individual and not the company. I turn people away all the time if their vehicle isn't prepared properly, they're missing the trailer wiring, or just can't tow the load.

John,

I must say you take your job quite seriously off and on duty. I'm glad there are people out like yourself. We need more people out there like yourself so that it doesn't put anyone else in danger. I appreciate you giving me your advice and inputs on my decision making. I appreciate it much.

I'll let you all know how the move goes as soon as i get to my final destination.

Thanks all!

What's the maximum amount i can pull on my 2005 LGT Wagon?

2,700 lbs.

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/legacy2005.html

Way to not bother to read the thread at all Sactojesse :applause:

John, you are a UHaul vendor. You should do some reasearch on the company you are involved with that negligently causes many deaths every year. At least to address any fears a customer might have from seeing the news. Even Wikipedia mentions U-haul's YEAR LONG expose by LA Times.

(EDIT: I am NOT slamming John, he is the homie, merely suggesting he read up on the mud that has been slung in the history of Uhaul)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Haul

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/18/business/fi-uhaul18

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/19/business/fi-uhaul19

http://www.uhaulsafetyalert.org/U-Haul_in_the_news.htm

http://www.google.com/search?q=uhaul+expose&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

Way to not bother to read the thread at all Sactojesse :applause:

 

John, you are a UHaul vendor. You should do some reasearch on the company you are involved with that negligently causes many deaths every year. At least to address any fears a customer might have from seeing the news. Even Wikipedia mentions U-haul's YEAR LONG expose by LA Times.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Haul

 

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/18/business/fi-uhaul18

 

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/19/business/fi-uhaul19

 

http://www.uhaulsafetyalert.org/U-Haul_in_the_news.htm

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=uhaul+expose&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

Most accidents involving trailers are from either A. Inexperience in driving with a trailer B. Overdriving road conditions C. Using the wrong equipment for the job or D. loading the trailer wrong.

IMHO

About the best U-Haul can do is be sure a vehicle is properly equipped to tow the trailer that they rent and make sure everything is secured before the customer leaves. They can also give them safety tips and advise them the proper way to load the trailer so the weight is situated properly. What it really comes down to is many times it is the driver's fault (most of the horror stories posted above occurred with young drivers) yet they blame someone else. I'm not saying U-Haul or any other rental place can't and shouldn't do more to ensure the safety of their customers, but ultimately I don't see how it's their fault when someone loads a trailer wrong or doesn't secure the safety chains etc.

Most accidents involving trailers are from either A. Inexperience in driving with a trailer B. Overdriving road conditions C. Using the wrong equipment for the job or D. loading the trailer wrong.

IMHO

WHATS LEFT? ACT OF GOD? Thats not an opinion, thats all the reasons a vehicle trailering would/could crash.

About the best U-Haul can do is be sure a vehicle is properly equipped to tow the trailer that they rent...

Some Uhaul vendors do not even rent equipment that is maintained or safe to use. Links clearly state that many Uhaul rented trailers were too heavy and trucks that were an accident waiting to happen. I APPLAUD JOHN FOR BEING A SOLID, HONEST UHAUL DEALER! I AM SURE HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. Uhaul has killed MANY people by renting improperly maintained equipment and equipment not meant for a given vehicle.

Some of us know better than to rent a suspect vehicle/trailer; some of us dont. Its not about age, its about experience and as a rental place it is certain that anything less than John's solid stand to be absolutely safe can and will result in catastrophy. Any statements about age or experience are merely poor excuses.

I APPLAUD JOHN FOR HIS STAND ON SAFETY > $$ (I wish the film (my) industry felt the same way.)

I'm just going through all the research about towing with my Legacy as well and the weight's you're talking need, at the least, a trailer with brakes and a brake controller on your car. While brakes are available for 3,500 lb axles rental companies don't generally put brakes on trailers weighing in the range you can tow.

Your manual probably says you can tow up to 2700 lbs WITH brakes - without brakes on the trailer your stopping distances will be something like 10-20 times more than normal and you can pretty well forget stopping on an incline.

Your limit without brakes is probably around 1000 to 1350 lbs. I towed about 1200 lbs in my brighton wagon using a u-haul 4x8 (850 lb for the trailer alone) and that was quite doable. Pulling that load up big hills wasn't much of a deal the EJ22 engine even) and stopping was good. I did notice the load on the brakes more than the load on the engine but nothing that made me uncomfortable.

Now i also tried a travel trailer that was a bit over 2000 lbs. just went a few blocks with minor inclines but I noticed two things: Load on the engine was noticable but probably quite doable but the load on the brakes was intolerable! To stop at only 10 mph took more push on the pedal than it usually does to lock all four wheels and it was still rolling stops.

Anyway, the 1200lbs(ish) trailer trip without brakes was pretty brutal for a paved road trek: from surrey BC up to Merritt BC (300 km or so) across a mountain range going from sea level to 1244 meters (4000 feet or so). The trailer wasn't hard to pull there and back at all. I had to gear down to 4th (manual) in 4-5 of the worst inclines (Great Bear Snowshed Hill etc).