Hey guys.. havent posted in a while but have an important question...

I'm about to move from Tulsa to Houston and will probably need to tow a trailer down for all of my furniture... U-Hall's biggest trailer is a 12 foot long by 6 foot (wide?) trailer... Could my truck handle pulling this filled up with a bunch of furniture? Also, I have never towed anything in my life.. Where could I get a hitch put on my truck and also do you guys have any tips for towing with an automatic? (overdrive? turning, breaking, etc)


Buzzsaw

 

Tow it with your yukon. You can also put some stuff inside of it.

 

um, make sure you pay attention on turns because you have a trailer behind you.

make sure you stay farther away from the car in front in case you have to brake suddenly.

go to a parking lot and practice with the trailer and backing it in, cause it gets tricky if you dont know what your doing.

i dont think it would be too much for your truck to handle, just take it nice and slow, and make sure and take every precaution you can to keep you and others on the road safe.

 

does your truck have the tow package if not i would recommend a trans cooler and for your hitch any welding shop muffler shop should be able to fix you up and your truck should have no problem towing. good luck on your move.

 

I'm prob going to sell the Yukon and keep truck... or the other way around.. just trying to figure out my options before it is too late.

 

If it is a standard no problem but you will have to take your time. Be easy and your not going to go much faster than 55-60. If you have an automatic go get a tranny cooler installed if you do not have one and the rest is the same.

 

I haul a 100 bales of hay on my 16 foot trailer plus another 30 in the bed of my 98 F150 all of the time. Fords do pull well but, I do turn off the auto overdrive. Plan your stops unless you have trailer breaks, you will need a lot more space to stop depending on the weight of the trailer. If you live in Tulsa the best place to get a hitch installed is just off the expressway, down by the Cains ballroom at the U-Haul. Mine came from there, I live west of Kellyville. I would get some practice with a empty trailer before loading up and going down the highway.

 

if this is going to be the only time you tow then just get a direct bolt on hitch and you can install it yourself. its straight forward. dont even need instructions. unless you dont have a plug.

 

Here's my take on it....

Your truck will do fine with a loaded U-Haul trailer IMO.. Just make sure you have full and fresh fluids in the engine and trans. If you never plan on towing with this rig again, then you could probably get away with a ball in the bumper.... Not the ideal situation, but for a one time thing.... Any standard bolt on hitch will do the job too... No need for any fancy install if you have any tools and know which end of the wrench to use!

You should already have the flat 4 wiring. U-Hauls don't have electric brakes on any trailers that I've ever seen... If anything, it'll be the 'surge' kind and you don't really need to do anything, except know that you will need to brake sooner and it will take longer to stop! Oh, you will need to get the 'special' plug adapter for use with U-Haul trailers too.... Cost $5.00 awhile ago, so it's probably $ 10 or more now! They wire their trailers on purpose to not work with standard plugs, so you have to buy the adapter!!

As far as a trans cooler goes... If it's just a one time thing, you should be ok.... Keep it out of OD and let the trans and engine tell you what it wants and don't be in a hurry and stop and check your fluids and check the trailer tires and all at every stop.

If you have never towed anything before, then there is a learning curve, so maybe get the trailer a day or two in advance and tow it around empty for a little bit to just get the 'feel' of it and how you have to adjust your turns, and braking and what to expect on the acceleration side... It's not going to drive the same as it does towing nothing!

For the towing novice, the trick to backing up is to not back up! ha, ha! Really, it's not that hard, but it does take practice and knowing how it all works... The trick is to put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel, with the front wheels pointing straight. If you want the back of the trailer to turn to the left, then move your hand to the left. To the right, move your hand to the right. Once the trailer starts moving in that direction, start 'following' it by adjusting the wheel back. If you need more left, turn back to the left and so forth. If you wait to straighten out the trailer when the trailer gets there, it's too late, as the truck still needs to adjust too....

Good luck with the move and take it easy!

Mitch