uHaul won't let me tow a MAZDA with a Dolly???

Rental equipment usually has "surge" brakes that don't require a controller or electricity.

 

I like this idea.

 

Don't try to rent one in Maine or NH. Guess states have different laws about towing.

 

On a tow dolly?

 

I don't buy that mileage for a second.

 

That was down hill all the way with the Civic pushing him....

 

Hah!

 

I towed a fully loaded 6X12' Uhaul trailer from San Diego to Portland with my 02 V6 Runner and got 11 MPG.

 

Look at the map.

That was all uphill.

You'd have gotten 41 the other way!

 

I'm sure I was pushing 65+ MPGs coming down some of the mountain passes since the trailer was pushing me.

 

Honestly, I've driven both the 8 and the 10 to/from Arizona, and the 8 was much easier traffic-wise. Less traffic = safer in my opinion. The two hours it takes you to get up to the 10 on the 15 could be better spent heading East on the 8. Better to test it out in the hills and see how the truck handles before you get far from home. Thunderstorms and thus stopping in rain will be bigger hazards.

I honestly think you would be happier shipping one of the vehicles. It won't necessarily cost $1000. Look into it first - might be able to get it down to $500-600. I don't have any contacts at that price. But you'd probably save that much in gas anyway, and immediately solve all your safety concerns.

 

OP, get a dolly with brakes or don't do it. My two cents.

 

Mazda 626 gets between 20 and 25mpg depending on engine and trans.
Let's toss the 25 because that's the 4 cylinder manual and not likely available in California... so 20-23 combined.

Gas is back down to less than $3.75 in California, and cheaper than that in the free states.
Moving from San Diego to Texas, depending on WHERE in Texas, could be anywhere from 750 to 1750 miles.
At 20mpg that's 38-88 gallons.
Somewhere between $143 and $350 in gas.

 

Say, it occurs to me that the total payload weight for the truck may be a factor in their rule-making. For example, if the truck can tow 5000 lbs, that may be with the bed empty and only the driver in the truck. If you add additional weight and people to the truck, that weight also needs to go into the calculation for braking, etc.

So, if the truck is also going to be full of furniture and other things that are being moved, you could hit the weight limit for the brakes really quickly.

 

Were going to Tampa Bay. 2,500 miles, 20mpg, $470 in fuel at 3.75/gal.

 

I leave on Wednesday. 3 out of 4 people on this forum are safe with this tow . Its gonna happen. I'll post updates and a followup when I get to Florida. I respect all of the opinions here...thank you for those. When I was deciding to remove my sway bar, I read a lot of pros and cons from people on here. The cons really made me question my doing it. But once I removed my sway bar, I realized that I am definitively in favor of removing it. I am totally comfortable driving my truck without it, haven't had an issue and feel safe. So if that example is a testament towards me personally receiving advice on this forum, then all signs point to towing with the dolly.

Route and Terrain
Looking at the topography all the way to Florida, the mountains east on the 8 are by far and away the largest range I will have to deal with the whole trip. Nothing really comes close on the route I mapped which is basically the 10 almost the whole way.

If you use the argument that better to test worse conditions sooner, I'd be better off facing traffic vs hills which means North to the 10. Also, according to Google Maps, taking the 10 Route is a 27 minute difference which to me is marginal and not a factor.

Re Wet roads and thunderstorms: Def a huge consideration here...esp once I get to the south.

Also, if the Dolly SUCKS, I can always cut my rental short halfway and turn it into a random uhaul and get the difference.

 

Still cheaper than shipping the vehicle, and a LOT safer than towing it behind the Tacoma.

I-10 has some VERY serious grades going through Texas and they'll sneak up on you.

Van Horn, TX is 4000ft, and the entire area from El Paso to San Antonio is a rollercoaster from 2000ft to, I seem to recall a few passes up at 6,000ft.


Also, towing with the Tacoma, you're going to get hammered on gas. If the 626 gets 20 and your Tacoma gets 18, that's an average of around 9mpg... towing with the Tacoma you aren't going to get better than 11 or 12 (ignore those who claim 15+ towing, they are lying).
You really are not saving much by towing, and without trailer brakes, your Tacoma's brakes are going to be toast by the time you get into Houston.

Seriously man... Reconsider simply having her follow you.

 

One other thing I saw that noone commented on...you said you'd be "strapped". You may want to check that and make sure that your carry permit is recognized by all the states that you're going to be driving through.

Check that here...

http://www.usacarry.com/concealed_carry_permit_reciprocity_maps.html

Looks to me like AZ and TX are the only states that honor your permit. So in NM and everything east of Texas it will be illegal for you to carry.

To check this click on your state and the map will change to show which states honor your carry permit.

As far as towing goes..if you're going to do this..take your time and pay VERY close attention to the road. Loaded up and towing a car on a dolly even a mild grade,if it's long enough,will push you along faster and faster. Keep an eye on this..and if you see an obvious grade,stop at the top and descend slowly. I've been a truck driver for years,and even after over 2,000,000 miles of driving the really long mild grades still sneak up on me. It doesn't really look like much..but it will surprise you. Use the engine to brake as much as you can..don't drag the brakes to maintain a lower speed....start slow..as you go above the speed you want to be going,apply the brakes and drop 5-10 miles an hour off..then release the brakes. This will give the brakes time to cool between applications when done right..and maintain your brakes to the bottom. If you drag them they'll heat up and fade until you can step on the brakes with all the pressure you want and nothing will happen.Best advice I can give.

 

Moving to Florida, I would assume that he would have a Florida Non-Resident.
It only takes Florida to open up most of the country, including his entire route. Most of the states that don't recognize non-resident permits are open-carry states (including Colorado).

And living in San Diego, even being a fireman, I seriously doubt that he has a California CCW. VERY difficult to get in that county.


AZ doesn't require a permit anymore (they still issue for reciprosity purposes), and TX does not require a permit while in the course of travel.

 

If he has a non-resident in Florida then he's set as everything except CA honors it according to the site I posted. Just wanted to make sure he was aware that he may or may not be legal all the way across.