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

I don't have any concealed carry permits. My gun is registered here in SD County. I'm not worried about the gun. It'll be fine for one trip across country. I'll figure everything out in FL regarding that.

Maybe that's slightly ignorant but I don't have time to figure all that out on the very outside chance I get searched.

 

You do realize that you're contradicting yourself right ? If it's only registered in SD county,and you take it cross country,you can't use it even in self defense right ? It's the same as having an unregistered gun ( federal charges ).

 

No federal registration.

It's registered with the state of California and that's all that's required for him at this point.

CCW is a county by county basis, but he doesn't have one.

Carrying concealed without a license?

In California, that's a misdemeanor 1st offense, unless in the progress of committing a crime, then it's a felony.
Also, in ANY state in the country, possession of an unsecured firearm within 1000ft of any K-12 school without being in possession of a CCW issued by THAT STATE (no reciprocity) is a violation of the Federal Gun Free School Zone act. This is rarely enforced, but encounter a cop that feels like being an asshole, it could be a problem.

Okay.. so he's clear carrying concealed w/o license in AZ and Texas.
New Mexico is an (unloaded) open-carry state.
East of Texas with California plates on the vehicles? Taking your life into your hands. It MAY be a felony... I don't know.

Likelyhood of being searched?

Towing a car dolly loaded to 3000lbs with a truck that weighs 4500lbs and no trailer brakes?
There's a pretty good chance of being pulled over and questioned.

There are border patrol checkpoints in AZ, NM, and TX, and they do use x-ray technology... they may or may not care, may assume you are licensed, but they will know about the gun before you even get to the booth.

 

My guess is he ditches the car dolly and GF is driving by the time they leave Yuma.

 

It's registered with the state of CA.

If and when the time comes where I'm forced to pull a firearm to use in self defense ie my or my GF's life is in danger, I couldnt give less of a shit about federal charges. I will let a jury decide the penalty for a fireman who was trying to defend himself.

This whole gun thing is such a red herring discussion. I appreciate the opinions but it's the last thing on my mind.

 

The truck has a GVWR, which would include the tongue weight (insignificant with a car dolly, you can lift that tongue by hand), and GCVWR, which is the total combined weight of the truck and trailer.

The V6 Tacoma with towing package has a GCVWR of a little over 11,000 pounds. If it does not have the tow package, it's down around 8300 pounds.

The tow package consists of:
Hitch
7-pin electrical connector
Transmission cooler
Provision for trailer brakes.

That last item is the most important. Towing over 2500 pounds without trailer brakes is stupid, and in many states, illegal.

 

If its such a crazy thing then why are thousands of people towing cars using this dolly all across the country every single day. That dolly has never had trailer brakes, not in San Diego, not in any city. Uhaul is über paranoid about risk and liability...the 626 spells the end of the world tow scenario yet they'll let me have it for a corrolla no questions asked.

X-ray machines, misdemeanors, border patrol agents, no trailer brakes, bad gas mileage, searches, 6000 ft passes.....ets etc etc.

I get it. There's risk. 3/4 people on this very forum in this very thread who are towing stuff everyday have also weighed in. They are all good with it. I've seen pictures of tacomas towing many things larger than this car, trailor brakes or not. And many people have chimed in saying they've been in this exact scenario and did the tow with no problems.

Ok, gonna start smiling, agreeing and doing what the F I was gonna do anyways now.

Just made the uhaul reservation for a corrolla. The next time I post I'll be underway or there.

Peace.

 

SMDH

 

I know I'm a little late to the party, but good luck to you and hopefully we'll hear some positive feedback on the trip later on.

 

I think it's bullshit. Mazda 626, right? Won't be a problem.

 

A 16ft long 4-door?

626... not the 323 (Ford Escort), and not a Corolla.

May as well hook up to a Taurus.

 

Good luck on your trip. I'm weighing in way late (2 puns in one sentence!) but last weekend I rented a small (18' single axle, 3200# listed dry wt) travel trailer and pulled it 100 miles each way to a music festival. I'll never do it again!

My mileage went from 22 down to 11mgp and I could almost feel it eating up my transmission and brakes. It was fairly level ground most of the way but even on the most modest hills it pulled me down to 55 mph or slower even with a good run at them. Also my right foot was numb from holding the accelerator pedal on the floor the whole way. The trailer was a lifesaver at the festival but I was glad to get rid of it. My friends who tow trailers with their big trucks told me that that little 200 mile tow probably put 5000 miles wear on my transmission and clutch.

Once again, good luck with your move. I'm glad I'm not in your shoes.

 

He should've arrived by now...

 

Let's hope.

He apparently made it.... somewhere.
Posted 3 days ago about bleeding his brakes:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1s...brake-line-install-questions.html#post5395618

 

Made it, but despite all my questions and effort from this thread, I decided at the last minute not to tow.

Not because of the safety of it but because of the timing. To do it safe, I would have taken my time, gone slow and done it with caution. However because of the scheduling and nature of some of our stops, towing would've been a way bigger headache. We stayed in the French Quarter in New Orleans, having the dolly wouldv'e made it impossible to keep our cars safe (especially when her Mazda was packed with our $2K tv. Also towing would have added probably 20-30% extra time on each leg.

So in the end, I won't be able to speak towards this tow. But at least there's some good info herein for anybody who decides to do it.

PS, The entire trip was very smooth. Never got pulled over, there was 1 border patrol checkpoint where they waved us through. There was one 4000ft pass in west texas but it s minor...no sharp turns, 70mph the whole way. No issues with the firearms.

 

Glad that you folks made it safely! Did you decide to drive both vehicles?

 

Thank you. Yeah she followed me and I led the way. Long ass drive. West Texas sucked! Florida panhandle was very green and lush. Fredricksberg Texas was probably the most interesting town we drove through. Now here we are in our new home in Sarasota, FL. Time to find work now