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TR4/4A Best way to transport a bare tub? U-haul utility trailer?

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Popeye

Popeye

Obi Wan
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Hi all,

The body on my TR4A is completely disassembled, and I need to transport the tub and body panels to the painter (~70 miles). My other cars are small, i.e. no towing hitches, so I plan to rent from U-Haul.

What is the collective experience?

One thought is renting a truck plus a utility trailer; truck for the body panels and the trailer for the tub (https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/6x12-Utility-Trailer-with-Ramp-Rental/HO/). However, I'm not sure the tub will fit on the utility trailer. The tub is 12' 3" (give or take) long, and the trailer is 12' long. Any insight into how feasible it would be to lift the front of the tub to clear the rails of the trailer?

The other option is to rent a long truck, and put it all inside. The downside is I would need to lift the tub into the truck, vs. simply rolling up the ramps on the utility trailer. (The tub is on a dolly with wheels.)

The third option, not my favorite, is to reassemble the body on the frame and get a car trailer. But this is a lot of extra work, as the frame and suspension are currently disassembled...

Has anyone transported via rental trucks?
 
Hi Mike,

I have done it both ways. To take the car to a paint shop, there is less worry about scratching etc, so I put it inside a uhaul truck.



When I picked it up, I decided to go with a truck and trailer as there was less chance of scratching. Note that the trailer I got was a little short and we had to devise a way to keep the tail ramps from coming up all the way. We ended up using some bent conduit piping to accomplish this.


Cheers
Tush
 
Thanks for the pictures - I forgot about the intruding wheel wells on the truck...
 
When I moved mine I used the 12' Uhaul enclosed trailer. You can't close the trailer door but since it's a roll-up it doesn't matter. Just make sure the tub is securely strapped inside the trailer.
 
Mike,
Have you got AAA or towing on your insurance? If so, AAA will flatbed your car to the shop, but you need to have their premium level of service.
Rut
 
Great idea BL50! (Although it seems some trailers have roll up doors and others swinging doors. I suspect the swinging door would be a bit more tricky to keep open.)

Rut, unfortunately I do not have AAA, thus no towing benefit. (Does the coverage cover towing of car parts? It was in an accident, honest! I swear all the parts just fell off like that!!:wink-new:smile:
 
Mike,
Yes, they will have a non running car towed to or from your residence to a shop. I had my MGB delivered by AAA when I bought it since it was not running and I've used them several times since for similar circumstances.
Rut
 
Thanks for the input and ideas!

I'm off to the body shop on Saturday; 10' U-Haul for the body panels plus a 12' trailer for the tub.

(Don't tell the machismo / manly folks, but I confess to being nervous about backing the truck/trailer into our driveway. We live on a busy street and have a narrow driveway; light posts on one side and stone wall on the other. I may do the maneuvering early Saturday morning, when there is less traffic and "audience" :wink-new:. I've backed a big truck plus car hauler, without much difficulty. But I've also tried - and gave up - to back a 6' enclosed trailer on the back of a Volvo station wagon... something about the short coupling made it quite difficult, and I disconnecting the trailer and pushed it by hand. We'll see where this one falls.)
 
Popeye said:
(Don't tell the machismo / manly folks, but I confess to being nervous about backing the truck/trailer into our driveway. We live on a busy street and have a narrow driveway; light posts on one side and stone wall on the other. I may do the maneuvering early Saturday morning, when there is less traffic and "audience" :wink-new:. I've backed a big truck plus car hauler, without much difficulty. But I've also tried - and gave up - to back a 6' enclosed trailer on the back of a Volvo station wagon... something about the short coupling made it quite difficult, and I disconnecting the trailer and pushed it by hand. We'll see where this one falls.)
Click to expand...

Had to do this recently with just tow dolly in a narrow driveway with walls on both side and up a slight hill and on a narrow street (almost only 1 car width at the point in front of my old house). I can guarantee that no matter what time you pick to do this, you will get more cars wanting to go in both directions that you see during the busy times! :(

Scott
 
Success!

Next is the engine to the mechanic.

IMG_7995.jpg
 
Rut said:
Mike,
Yes, they will have a non running car towed to or from your residence to a shop. I had my MGB delivered by AAA when I bought it since it was not running and I've used them several times since for similar circumstances.
Rut
Click to expand...

Mike,

It kind of depends on what you consider "not running". For instance they may have towed yours if it was all together, but not running. They would not tow my car down without the engine in it and the fenders off. Supposedly, the car has to be able to drive for them to tow it. In his instance...I doubt they would as his is all torn apart. At least here where I live or I got a driver that didn't want to do it.
 
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