Just wondering if you guys can give me tips on towing for my first time. I just bought a 2011 F150 3.7. It has trailer sway control but no trailer brake controller. I'm towing a vw jetta which weighs 3100 lbs. I'll be renting a trailer from u-haul as I only plan on towing this car a couple of times and after that I'll probably never tow again.

Do you guys suggest I get a dolly or flat deck trailer? Would towing with either one be easier or more difficult? It's a somewhat long drive, about 1.5 hours on the highway.

 

Flat deck should tow easier and backs better. If towing round trip an unloaded dolly bounces an awful lot on less than smooth pavement.

Greatly increase your following distance.
Keep your speed down.
Check trailer in mirrors often.
Keep in mind you'll be longer, (especially for lane changes).
Stop within first 25 miles and at minimum check:
Trailer hookup and re-adjust tie downs as necessary.
Tire temperature-maybe warm but equal & not too hot to touch.
Trailer axle bearings-maybe warm but not too hot to touch.
I use the back of my hand. For axle hubs start on the rim and move in
as a hot bearing can burn. Re-check in a couple hours or if stopping.
Tire & bearing temps vary with ambient temp & load, cool on a cool
morning and may be pretty warm on a hot afternoon.
A safe speed will probably impede traffic, don't let that get to you but be courteous to fellow travelers.

When placing a vehicle on a trailer it needs to be positioned for proper hitch weight, generally 10-15% of total. Most people just eyeball looking to see there is some more weight forward and not overloading the tow vehicle.

There's lots of helpful info on the web. Try http://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx

 

If u don't plan on towing in the future, u can skip the brake controller as the uhaul trailers have surge brakes, so the controller won't be necessary. They aren't the greatest but do okay. Double check with uhaul, but I am pretty sure they have basically built-in brakes that won't need the controller.

 

Thanks for the help, that was really informative. Should I inflate the tires to max psi?

 

On the trailer, yes.
Tire inflation can be tricky. It is personal preference IMO.
I like the tires firmer when towing.
8 to 12 lbs above normal pressures.
You are not going to have a heavy load IN the truck so max inflation is not necessary.

 

If the center you are renting from is doing its job, the tire pressure on the trailer should already be checked. DON'T go to max PSI on the tires. All U-Haul equipment (trucks and trailers) have a sticker just above each tire with the correct PSI written on it. Policy is that all equipment be checked once a week or when it's received from another location (one-way rentals).

The store staff may or may not be allowed to assist you in loading your vehicle. This policy has recently changed stateside but I'm not sure about Canada. That said, they should be able to give you a quick tutorial and will give you a detailed user's guide.

As for the braking system, only tandem axle trailers have them. It doesn't require a brake controller of any kind. The tow dolly relies entirely on your vehicle brakes. While a tow dolly is fine, the auto transport is generally easier to deal with on long trips. The downside is that depending on the trip, the AT can run up to twice the cost of the TD.

The other thing to consider when thinking tow dolly vs auto transport is whether the towed vehicle is FWD or not. On most RWD and AWD vehicles with automatic transmissions, you would need to disconnect the drive shaft in order to avoid damaging the transmission. The Jetta should be FWD so no worries there.

You didn't mention if you had a receiver hitch. If you plan on mounting a ball on the bumper, please make sure you buy one that will fit properly. In case you haven't guessed by now, I've worked for U-Haul. I can tell you that if you show up with a unsafe setup or a tow system that doesn't have the necessary ratings, they will not let you take the trailer. Most stores will carry a wide variety of *****, including one with an extra long shank for bumpers. I've seen a lot of bull****, mostly dudes mounting a ball with a 3/4" shank in a 1" hole. Or the the shank will be too short and held on be three threads on the nut, Or the ball will be rated too low. Or, more often that not, all three.

Trailer towing, especially when you are pulling another vehicle, is worth a few extra bucks to be done safely. Sure there's liability and possible damage/loss of the load. More important is that no one gets injured or killed. I'm not saying that to try to get you to buy stuff from the store. I don't care where you buy your parts (though for the love of all that is holy, will people stop buying those universal Walmart hitches...). I've seen things go wrong. Met a few people who got lucky and a few people that didn't.

 

I'm not sure how wide this particular trailer is but the last one I pulled from uhual was too narrow for my taste. I like to be able to see where my trailer is tracking which is difficult when the vehicle is wider than the trailer (I don't use my review mirror, just the side mirrors). It pulled alright, I dragged it about 550 miles and the only small issue was that the hubs were getting a little warmer than they should've been but not warm enough to cause serious alarm.

Having confidence in you ability to drive while dragging a trailer is very important. If your not comfortable dragging a trailer down the highway at 75 - 80 mph (or I guess I should say at the speed limit) then back it down 5 or 10 until your more comfortable. If you have a long downhill grade, gear down to keep you around the speed limit without riding your brakes.

The biggest advice I could give anyone, just be comfortable and stay in your comfort zone.

 

Thanks again for the help. The flat deck trailer form U-haul only costs $15 more over the dolly. I was thinking dolly because it's much lighter. It weighs 750 lbs as opposed to 2200 lbs for the flat deck. But if the flat deck is easier to tow with, I'll rent that instead. I'm not paying for any of the towing/gas as it's not my car, doing it for my brother.

As for the hitch. I do have the bar. When I bought my truck I included the max tow package. All I need is the ball and mount which I'll be getting from U-haul. I figure they would know best about what I need since I'm using their trailer. Plus they are the cheapest locally.

My co worker tows our 16 ft trailer daily for work. I use to carpool with him every day so I have a good idea about how to handle the vehicle on the road. I'm quite confident there. I don't think I'll be doing 70+ mph though, I'd probably stay around 55. My truck has trailer sway contol which will definitley help as well

 

Great info above, but i'd like to add since its your first time towing stay away from the cruise control. And for first time 55 is fast enough for sure. Don't let the sway control lure you into a false sense of security. Yes they are awesome, but try to drive in a way where it won't need to be used. And it its really windy careful cause your pickup isnt gonna steer near as good as unloaded, riding with someone towing isnt the same as actually driving it.

 

Ya I plan to be very cautious and take my time. Why do you say no to cruise control? I figured it would make things easier. The route I'm taking has little to no traffic.