On Fri, 21 Feb 1997, Philip W. May wrote:
> Ladies & Gentlemen: I need some information. Last Tues., 2/18/97, I sent a
> message into the list about the possibility of trailering an MG TC from
> L.A. to Viginia with an enclosed U-Haul trailer.
>
> I thought someone out there might have either some experience doing
> something like this or a viewpoint on how it might be done- or a better
> way, even. I've checked the mail a couple of times a day and after
> sometimes getting 25-30 messages at a time, not one person even has even
> offered an opinion. I've read lots of things about wheels, MG Badges, fuel
> pumps and seat belts, Dauphines and dogs with steel balls, but nothing with
> any advice or experience to lend me a hand.
It sounds as if this is something nobody has tried. I'll venture an
opinion, based on some experience trailering horses, fwiw. I can't think
of any reason why this is not, in general, feasible. But there are a
number of caveats.
You would have to be sure you did not exceed the maximum capacity of the
trailer or hitch. In practical terms, this means you need your tow car
or truck to have a 2 inch receiver type hitch or equivalent (I think that
is class III). No bumper hitches of any sort, or 1-1/2 inch receiver
hitches. It would be best if the trailer has 4 wheels, even if you can
find two wheel trailers big enough and with high enough load capacity.
For safety sake when hauling something that weighs as much as a car and
trailer, your trailer has to have its own brakes, preferably 4 wheel
brakes. If you can find a UHaul 4 wheel trailer with brakes on all 4
wheels, and you can figure how to keep the car from bouncing around inside
and banging into the trailer walls, and you have a car or truck that is
big enough, and you have a hitch that is strong enough, I cannot see why
it would not work.
BE VERY SURE that you understand and obey the loading instructions, which
will state that something like 10% of the total weight of the trailer and
contents should be on the tow vehicle hitch. That is essential for
stability. If, for example, you were to load the TC backwards, so the
heavier end was behind the trailer wheels and the hitch was not properly
loaded, you might experience "sway" which is a snake-like side-to-side
weaving that can easily push you off the road and spoil your whole day. I
have experienced this, and very nearly soiled my armor.
Your tow vehicle is as important as the trailer. In addition to a proper
hitch, you are best off with a long wheelbase vehicle. If the wheelbase
is short, the tow will be less stable. That is especially true if the
vehicle has a long overhang in the rear, because then the trailer has a
long lever arm to push around a short wheelbase. There is a reason why
all those airstreamers tow with big Suburbans or 3/4 ton trucks.
I towed an empty UHaul car transporter (open trailer) to central New
Hampshire, using a new UHaul middle size truck as a tow vehicle, and
returned the same day with a car on it. No problem whatsoever, and while
I am generally nervous about towing, I found myself cruising at 65 in the
mountains with growing confidence. I recommend this combination; it
really works, but it is not cheap. I'm not sure if the UHaul transporter
would work with a TC, because the MG's tread may be too narrow for the
open deck car transporter. Using an enclosed UHaul trailer is something
else. It should work if you are very careful, but that is not what these
trailers are meant for.
By the way, if you tell UHaul what you plan, they may refuse to rent to
you or they may refuse to sell you their insurance.
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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