Rent a Tow Vehicle

[dgrah[_2_]]

I need to tow a trailer from Washington state to Central California
and trying to figure out the most cost effective and time efficient
way to do it. It is a long damn drive up and back and I am wondering
if flying commercially one way and then renting a tow vehicle for the
return would be viable. I am having a hard time identifying rental
companies. Does anyone have any insights or suggestions about this?
Thanks much!

David Grah
Bishop, California

[BT]

a lot of car rental companies specifically prohibit towing.
some car rental companies now have pick up trucks..
it would be good to call and ask about towing a light weight (2000# trailer)
they may require a "premium fee" for towing along with the one way charge

Budget, Alamo, Hertz, National

BT

"dgrah" > wrote in message
...
>I need to tow a trailer from Washington state to Central California
> and trying to figure out the most cost effective and time efficient
> way to do it. It is a long damn drive up and back and I am wondering
> if flying commercially one way and then renting a tow vehicle for the
> return would be viable. I am having a hard time identifying rental
> companies. Does anyone have any insights or suggestions about this?
> Thanks much!
>
> David Grah
> Bishop, California

[Barny]

David,
Yes, Rental companies prohibit towing and also limit crossing some
state lines, but many people still do it......yearly....for soaring
vacations. The trick is to request a vehicle that is sold 100% with a
hitch receiver as standard, like a Chevy Trailblazer. Then purchase
the wire adapter, $15 at any parts store. Rental is $500 extra if you
drive it one-way only. Calculate cost with gas and hotels and compare
to options 2 and 3 below:
Option two is to post here asking for someone to deliver it for you
for a fair price, or even part way to get close enough for you to meet
them.
Option three is to use a shipping auction site like uship.com to list
your request. There are post on RAS about this already.
I evaluated the cost of all three options, tried option 3, then got
lucky that Option 2 worked out.
~Barny

[chris]

Instead of a rental car, what about a rental moving van/moving truck?
U-haul rents lots of vans/trucks that have tow hitches on them for
towing U-haul trailers.
I was wondering if U-haul, Penske or one of their competitors would
offer something that would work? Has anyone tried that?

Chris

[sisu1a]

> Instead of a rental car, what about a rental moving van/moving truck?
> U-haul rents lots of vans/trucks that have tow hitches on them for
> towing U-haul trailers.
> I was wondering if U-haul, Penske or one of their competitors would
> offer something that would work? *Has anyone tried that?
>
> Chris

Add $.79-$1.49/mile to the cost of fuel + rental/ins fee and airfare/
moties. It quickly becomes more spendy than it's worth, although it
technically can be done that way...Best to keep posting here for
someone willing to tow it south for you if you are not in a position
to easily get it yourself (meaning a suitable vehicle already on
hand).

-Paul

[Steve Leonard[_2_]]

Option 4. Not quite so easy ending in California, though. Fly up, buy a
cheap car, drive it home, sell the cheap car. Many dealerships take cars
on trade that will go straight to the auction to be sold for about scrap.
All you are really looking for is a car that has 2000 miles left in it
(some margin for after you get it home!).

Knew you could count on a different approach from me, didn't you?

Steve Leonard

[ZZ]

Is this a glider purchase? If so, consider negotiating a meeting at the
half way point.

Paul
ZZ



dgrah wrote:
> I need to tow a trailer from Washington state to Central California
> and trying to figure out the most cost effective and time efficient
> way to do it. It is a long damn drive up and back and I am wondering
> if flying commercially one way and then renting a tow vehicle for the
> return would be viable. I am having a hard time identifying rental
> companies. Does anyone have any insights or suggestions about this?
> Thanks much!
>
> David Grah
> Bishop, California

[01-- Zero One]

"sisu1a" > wrote in message
:

> > Instead of a rental car, what about a rental moving van/moving truck?
> > U-haul rents lots of vans/trucks that have tow hitches on them for
> > towing U-haul trailers.
> > I was wondering if U-haul, Penske or one of their competitors would
> > offer something that would work? Has anyone tried that?
> >
> > Chris
>
> Add $.79-$1.49/mile to the cost of fuel + rental/ins fee and airfare/
> moties. It quickly becomes more spendy than it's worth, although it
> technically can be done that way...Best to keep posting here for
> someone willing to tow it south for you if you are not in a position
> to easily get it yourself (meaning a suitable vehicle already on
> hand).
>
> -Paul




Rent the truck with a trailer hitch on it, take your sleeping bag along
and sleep in the back. Plenty of room, and you sleep nearer the glider.

Seems like a good plan to me!


Larry

[sisu1a]

> Rent the truck with a trailer hitch on it, take your sleeping bag along
> and sleep in the back. *Plenty of room, and you sleep nearer the glider..
>
> Seems like a good plan to me!
>
> Larry

Hmmm, @~1000mi (estimated trip distance, Seattle to Bishop...) just
the milage fee alone adds $1000-$1500, regardless of where you sleep
(not to mention U-haul's/etc typically get <10mpg...).

Personally, I'm a tried and true rubbertramp/gliderbum and almost
always sleep in my vehicle while traveling/soaring, regardless of
season/location. I'm just way too cheap to cough up that kind of loot
with nothing to show (one way milage fees OR motels!). If there's no
one to drive it down I would go the Steve Leonard route and buy a
local beater long before handing ANY of the box truck companies that
kind of cash to haul something a Honda Accord could tug... (I tug with
a Chevy Astro FWIW. It's somewhat economical ~ 20mpg on tow and with
all the back seats out it's quite roomy for me and the dog... ;-)

-Paul

[Colin Appleyard]

At 04:07 28 September 2008, Steve Leonard wrote:
>Option 4. Not quite so easy ending in California, though. Fly up, buy
a
>cheap car, drive it home, sell the cheap car. Many dealerships take
cars
>on trade that will go straight to the auction to be sold for about scrap.

>All you are really looking for is a car that has 2000 miles left in it
>(some margin for after you get it home!).
>
>Knew you could count on a different approach from me, didn't you?
>
>Steve Leonard
>

Thats what I did when I had my car stolen when working near Fayence in
southern France. I live near London and I had taken my glider for weekend
soaring. After the theft, I put an email around my place of work looking
for a cheap car with a tow hitch. I bought an old Alfa which took me home
and survived long enough to find a permanent replacement. Nobody noticed
the mismatch of car and trailer registrations!

Colin Appleyard

[JJ Sinclair]

David,
Does this mean your selling the H-301 Libelle?
JJ

dgrah wrote:
> I need to tow a trailer from Washington state to Central California
> and trying to figure out the most cost effective and time efficient
> way to do it. It is a long damn drive up and back and I am wondering
> if flying commercially one way and then renting a tow vehicle for the
> return would be viable. I am having a hard time identifying rental
> companies. Does anyone have any insights or suggestions about this?
> Thanks much!
>
> David Grah
> Bishop, California

[Eric Greenwell]

dgrah wrote:
> I need to tow a trailer from Washington state to Central California
> and trying to figure out the most cost effective and time efficient
> way to do it. It is a long damn drive up and back and I am wondering
> if flying commercially one way and then renting a tow vehicle for the
> return would be viable. I am having a hard time identifying rental
> companies. Does anyone have any insights or suggestions about this?
> Thanks much!

Perhaps you know a reliable person that could share the driving in your
own car. Drive continously, stopping only for gas and a quick meal, and
1600 miles and 24 hours later, you are back in Seattle in your own bed.

To do it safely requires changing drivers as soon as the current driver
is tired or sleepy, even if that driver has been driving only an hour or
two; and pulling over to sleep if both drivers are too tired. No
exceptions, unless where you have to stop isn't safe.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* Updated! "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* New Jan '08 - sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[[email protected]]

On Sep 28, 3:03*pm, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
> dgrah wrote:
> > I need to tow a trailer from Washington state to Central California
> > and trying to figure out the most cost effective and time efficient
> > way to do it. *It is a long damn drive up and back and I am wondering
> > if flying commercially one way and then renting a tow vehicle for the
> > return would be viable. *I am having a hard time identifying rental
> > companies. *Does anyone have any insights or suggestions about this?
> > Thanks much!
>
> Perhaps you know a reliable person that could share the driving in your
> own car. Drive continously, stopping only for gas and a quick meal, and
> 1600 miles and 24 hours later, you are back in Seattle in your own bed.
>
> To do it safely requires changing drivers as soon as the current driver
> is tired or sleepy, even if that driver has been driving only an hour or
> two; and pulling over to sleep if both drivers are too tired. No
> exceptions, unless where you have to stop isn't safe.
>
> --
> Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
> * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> * Updated! "Transponders in Sailplanes"http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
> * * * New Jan '08 - sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more
>
> * "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" atwww.motorglider.org

Driving with a buddy is by far the least expensive way. I drove a 5600
round trip to pick up a trailer and with two of us and no motel stops
did the trip in 96 hours. Lynn Wyman

[gen]

When I bought my glider from Arizona, I flew down there on an airliner
one way, rented a truck from Uhaul, and towed it back to Bay Area. A
caveat is that their pick-up truck doesn't have a hitch, so I had to
rent a cargo truck even though I had nothing to put in the cargo box.
But overall, it was cheaper and faster than any other method.

-Gen

[sisu1a]

> But overall, it was cheaper and faster than any other method.
>
> -Gen

Even cheaper: Last year after realizing I couldn't afford to pay
anyone to bring my glider to CA from GA I switched tactics (before
this very audience...). I found someone that COULD afford to have me
bring out their glider (thanks Adirondack Soaring Club!) The catch
was, to get from Oakland to Atlanta I had to take a detour through
Portland OR to Saratoga NY(yummy pizza!)
Beautiful trip, 25 states in 10 days + an all expenses paid visit to
the NSM and visited Len Niemi's daughter Carol on my way through NC,
where incidentally while I was listening to the "Rick And Bubba Show"
for kicks, I actually passed a giant billboard with a closeup of a
completely toothless youngish lady smilin away with the caption "GOT
TEETH?" in ginormous white letters across the top (some sort of dental
add that was apparently not kidding...) You know your in The South
when...

-Paul

[[email protected]]

On Sep 29, 10:29*pm, sisu1a > wrote:
> > But overall, it was cheaper and faster than any other method.
>
> > -Gen
>
> Even cheaper: Last year after realizing I couldn't afford to pay
> anyone to bring my glider to CA from GA I switched tactics (before
> this very audience...). I found someone that COULD afford to have me
> bring out their glider (thanks Adirondack Soaring Club!) The catch
> was, to get from Oakland to Atlanta I had to take a detour through
> Portland OR to Saratoga NY(yummy pizza!)
> Beautiful trip, 25 states in 10 days + an all expenses paid visit to
> the NSM and visited Len Niemi's daughter Carol on my way through NC,
> where incidentally while I was listening to the "Rick And Bubba Show"
> for kicks, *I actually passed a giant billboard with a closeup of a
> completely toothless youngish lady smilin away with the caption "GOT
> TEETH?" in ginormous white letters across the top (some sort of dental
> add that was apparently not kidding...) You know your in The South
> when...
>
> -Paul

Get a U-Haul "PICK UP" truck.

Don't get a truck you can sleep in, those are too big and way too fuel
ineffecient. It's overkill for what you want.

The Uhaul pick up trucks are 4, 6, and 8 cylinder 2 seat medium size
regular pick up trucks for 19 dollars a day. The gas mileage should
be in the upper teens (15-18) mpg.

Scott

[Papa3]

On Oct 1, 8:51*am, wrote:
> On Sep 29, 10:29*pm, sisu1a > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > > But overall, it was cheaper and faster than any other method.
>
> > > -Gen
>
> > Even cheaper: Last year after realizing I couldn't afford to pay
> > anyone to bring my glider to CA from GA I switched tactics (before
> > this very audience...). I found someone that COULD afford to have me
> > bring out their glider (thanks Adirondack Soaring Club!) The catch
> > was, to get from Oakland to Atlanta I had to take a detour through
> > Portland OR to Saratoga NY(yummy pizza!)
> > Beautiful trip, 25 states in 10 days + an all expenses paid visit to
> > the NSM and visited Len Niemi's daughter Carol on my way through NC,
> > where incidentally while I was listening to the "Rick And Bubba Show"
> > for kicks, *I actually passed a giant billboard with a closeup of a
> > completely toothless youngish lady smilin away with the caption "GOT
> > TEETH?" in ginormous white letters across the top (some sort of dental
> > add that was apparently not kidding...) You know your in The South
> > when...
>
> > -Paul
>
> Get a U-Haul "PICK UP" truck.
>
> Don't get a truck you can sleep in, those are too big and way too fuel
> ineffecient. *It's overkill for what you want.
>
> The Uhaul pick up trucks are 4, 6, and 8 cylinder 2 seat medium size
> regular pick up trucks for 19 dollars a day. *The gas mileage should
> be in the upper teens (15-18) mpg.
>
> Scott- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Yeah, but they charge you 99 cents/mile, which makes it a non-starter.

[Robert Gaines[_2_]]

A bigger truck rental will work and they will have hitches but not the
common or popular sizes and the balls usually are welded in place...and
they are high off the ground so the ass end of the trailer will be low,
low. And, they are rough riding.
So, have everything well secured.