Towing My Vehicle: Tow Dolly or Auto Transport?
About to embark on a cross-country move or a summer road trip? You might be wondering how to bring your vehicle with you because the price for shipping or renting a car has made you rethink if you even need it. Let’s introduce you to a car trailer. This trailer allows you to tow your vehicle behind your personal vehicle or moving truck rental and bring it along any adventure.
How to Tow a Car
Trying to understand how to properly tow a car can be overwhelming at first. To start, you’ll need to go through the towing equipment requirements for your vehicle:
- Hitch system
- External mirrors on both sides of vehicle
- Fully operational lighting
A full list of vehicle requirements for the tow dolly and auto transport are listed on their product information pages and user instruction manuals.
If you are planning on towing a car with your personal vehicle and need a hitch, U-Haul is North America's #1 hitch installer. With over 1,500 install locations, we can guarantee you'll find a location near you. Tell us your vehicle year, make, and model and we will show you available trailer hitches and related towing components. You get to choose a hitch from leading brands like: Curt, Draw-Tite, B&W, REESE, and Hidden Hitch.
The next step in the process is choosing to use a tow dolly or an auto transport.
What is the Difference Between a Tow Dolly and Auto Transport?
A tow dolly and an auto transport have a lot in common, especially when it comes to loading. Regardless of the car trailer that you are using, you’ll be able to use ratchet straps, security, and safety chains to secure your vehicle while on the road. If you’re a visual learner, there are plenty of videos showing how to load either a tow dolly or an auto transport. When it comes to the differences between a tow dolly and an auto transport, most of them are based on the car you're pulling.
Regardless of which one you decide to choose each comes with these benefits as well:
- Towing instead of driving will protect your vehicle from wear and tear, reduce fuel costs and eliminate the necessity of a second driver
- Three out of four U-Haul customers say it takes 15 minutes or less to load a Tow Dolly and Auto Transport
Tow Dolly
The tow dolly is designed for more lightweight cars that use front-wheel drive transmissions. When using a tow dolly, the rear wheels of the towed vehicle are left on the ground to help take part of the load off your own vehicle. Four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drives can be used on a tow dolly as well, but the driveshaft must be disconnected. For a better understanding, you can find the tow dolly user guide here.
It’s also important to note the weight of your own vehicle and the towing capacity of the tow dolly. Generally, it’s required that your tow vehicle weighs around 750 lbs. more than the vehicle being towed. It’s okay to not know all of this and turn to the pros. Using U-Haul’s online reservation tool, inputting the year, make, model, features (all-wheel drive, four cylinder engine), and hitch system of both the vehicle used for towing and the vehicle being towed, will tell you if the tow dolly works for you. If you need assistance finding your hitch system rating, U-Haul can help.
Auto Transport
Unlike a tow dolly, an auto transport puts the entire vehicle on the trailer. This permits the car trailer to handle a larger vehicle. U-Haul’s auto transport is built to handle a max load of 5,290 lbs. The dual-axle trailer lets you forget all about whether your car is four- or two-wheel drive because it does all the heavy lifting. Don’t forget that when loading your vehicle on an auto transport to engage the parking brake, raise the side fenders, and to slide the ramps back into the latched position before setting off with your vehicle on the auto transport.
How Much is a U-Haul Car Dolly?
To rent a car trailer from U-Haul, you can visit a U-Haul location in your area, call our reservation phone line, or use U-Haul’s online reservation tool to get a rate quote for your local or long-distance moves. All towing equipment rentals come with a free vehicle pre-tow inspection provided at a U-Haul location prior to the rental.
Can You Tow with a Rental Truck?
Yes, you can tow with a rental truck. Only U-Haul rents towing equipment behind your own personal tow vehicle, but if you find yourself unable to meet the vehicle requirements for towing or don’t want to put strain on your personal vehicle, U-Haul has you covered. When getting a rate for a tow dolly or an auto transport, you can also add a truck to your reservation. Next time you search “where can I rent a car dolly,” consider the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers at your nearest U-Haul location.