Can't haul a car in a rental truck?

[bmyers]

I am in the process of moving and I rented a 26 foot truck. I was planning on putting a '70 Triumph Spitfire in the back of the truck somehow. But there is a sticker in the back of the truck that says it's illegal to do so? Is this true? Anyone else ever done this? How did you do it?


Thanks,
Bill

[TheRic]

Don't know about if it's legal (probably varies from state to state). There are other means that will allow you to move the car. There are trailers that the whole car sits on. There are trailers were only the front (back) sits on the trailer. You can also have a car transporter move the car for you.

[LinuxRandal]

IANAL (if your not a groklawer, "I am not a lawyer").

Can't say one way or another, but a thought. How much does the spitfire weigh? What is the max load of the truck?

[bmyers]

I am already going to tow a car on a carrier. I want to be able to move 2 cars. Yes, in addition to the woodworking, I like to have project cars. Call me crazy.

The Spit I would say is about 1500 -1700 lbs. Couldn't be much more than that, it a 1500 CC motor, 2 door soft top. It's really a glorified go-cart as much as it is a car..

I was think I could get a flat-bed car carrier to take it off the ground, level it off and hopefully end up at around 40" off the ground. That would about line up with the bed of the truck. Roll it into the truck.

Thanks,
Bill

[Tom Slick]

most rental trucks I've seen don't have proper tie down points for a car.

[cabinetman]

You might have problems getting the car into and out of a regular box truck. And, as Tom pointed out, they aren't designed to restrain a vehicle. Believe it or not, the inertia forces in driving situations can be immense. I towed a race car on a dual axel car trailer for years and have experienced too many "close" calls.

For a single car, a flatbed truck, or a car trailer works good. There are car dollies, that will carry one axel, that hook up like a trailer. There are also tow bars for flat towing of a vehicle. It might be possible to rent one of those "more than one car" carrier trucks.

Or, have two drivers with whatever combination it takes to move two vehicles. Are either of the vehicles drivable?

[Stytooner]

Just some thoughts. The flooring in most of the moving vans are minimal. Not as rugged as you might find on a flat bed trailer. All of the cars weight is placed on just four points. The weight increases as you go over bumps and things because of the springs. This is the type of forces that could even bend the sides of the truck if the flooring were to give some. The lack of tie downs is also a deal killer.
However, if you were to mount the car on a skid, that would spread the weight over a much larger area. You could then load it with a mid sized fork lift. It could be tied down easier as well. Then what you are hauling would be considered a crate or at least a pallet and you probably wouldn't be breaking a law them. These suggestions are only because its such a small vehicle. Anything larger would simply be to much for the truck.
Remember, if there is a sticker there, someone has caused some real damage hauling a vehicle like this. Enough to pass a law somewhere against it. I think I would find an alternate method. Insurance most likely would not pay were something to go awry.
You could make two trips with a car dragger or a flat bed. You could check into hot shots. Mid sized trucks that could haul two vehicles.
Staying within the constraints and restrictions of the law is always your best bet.

A buddy of mine had a spitfire that was having some electrical trouble. He asked me to fix it for him. This was my first taste of a positive grounding system. Once you wrap your head around the concept, its not too bad, but a lot of the normal rules do not apply. Good luck with this one.

[gsmittle]

I'll be happy to drive it wherever you need to go.... as long as you pay the tickets...

g.

[footprintsinconc]

i would agree with lee about the crate deal because of tie-downs. the moving companies dont allow car inside their trucks. they say that is the intend of the truck. secondly, when i was moving from CA to AZ, i had a conversion van, they wouldnt let me haul a conversion van on a car trailer (all four wheels off the ground) that i pulled behind the truck. they said i was only allowed to pull my car not the conversion van. so i ended up shipping the van and pull the car behind the truck.

are you moving out of AZ or just out of chandler?

good luck!

[Russianwolf]

two options. Rent a Rollback (one car goes on a flatbed and the other is towed behind), or see if you can rent a two car trailer (yes they do make them).