My winch rig for when moving non-running car

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Every so often I go out and buy cars, or help friends pick up cars, but the ones that don't run presented an issue. I wasn't going to pay a tow truck a million dollars to go hundreds of miles, and dealing with the auto transport companies willing to take a non-runner was always a pain. So I put together this system.

Harbor Freight Multi Use Ball Mount and Hitch Receiver Item # 66966
HF Hitch Receiver Mount for Winches Item #69106
HF 12000 LB. OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ELECTRIC WINCH WITH AUTOMATIC LOAD-HOLDING BRAKE Item #61256

Put it all together, and all one has to do is rent a Uhaul trailer for $62 (unlimited miles), and one has the perfect setup for loading and transporting non-runners when they want it. Don't need it? Slide the assembly out of the receiver, and give the trailer back to Uhaul.

I immediately figured out that since the Uhaul trailer runs the emergency brake chain directly over the trailer tongue, one must cut a 90° section off the bottom of the winch mount or it will strike the hoop over the brake chain. Also, the placement or removal of the winch/mount to the receiver needs to be done while the trailer is at an angle to the truck.

The dead vehicle in question is an 89 convertible Dodge Dakota. The only thing that made it a non-runner was 1 bad tire and simply having no idea if it would start. Turns out it runs perfectly after getting it back home and putting a new battery in.

This would probably also be aces for those who occasionally haul a race vehicle, 4-wheelers, off-road truck, and don't want to invest in buying a trailer with a mounted winch.

Dunno if this helps anyone, but if it does, there it is.
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It's a nice rig. We bought one of those Uhaul tow rigs at auction a long time ago. Man are they built right! Ours weighs almost 3500 pounds with nothing on it!

Our winch isn't nearly as badarse as yours though, but it gets the job done...
 
I've used a $15 HF come-along, emergency roadside tow strap, and tow dolly. Slow, but it works. Winch a couple feet, set e-brake, reset rope (double up, use tow vehicle's axle instead of ball hitch, etc).

That looks faster. Pretty soon you'll be repo'ing cars and have your own show on basic cable.
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Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
It's a nice rig. We bought one of those Uhaul tow rigs at auction a long time ago. Man are they built right! Ours weighs almost 3500 pounds with nothing on it!

Our winch isn't nearly as badarse as yours though, but it gets the job done...


Those U-Haul trailers sure are stout. I rented a 5x9 utility trailer from them a few months ago and the trailer itself weighed 1,250 lbs!
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
It's a nice rig. We bought one of those Uhaul tow rigs at auction a long time ago. Man are they built right! Ours weighs almost 3500 pounds with nothing on it!

Our winch isn't nearly as badarse as yours though, but it gets the job done...


WOW!? Are they really that heavy?

Makes a bit more sense as to why the truck was struggling towing my Cherokee (weighs 4500 pounds with winch, bumpers, etc) through the hills of PA.

The brakes on those are no joke. I didn't have much increase in stopping distance.
 
I would suggest buying a used flat bed trailer. I bought a 12k GVW trailer for $1200. Just needed a few lights fixed up.

U-Haul seems to have their trucks and trailers in poor condition. They also may tell you where you need to pick up a truck or trailer, which may not be the closest U-Haul place.

And I assume their trailers have surge brakes, if you bought your own it would probably be electric brakes. Much better.

Been disappointed every time I have used U-Haul.
 
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Ive always heard u-haul's policy is not to sell their trailers. If they retire them they're destroyed.
I know a guy that claims he holds the title for his but often if one is for sale its likely stolen.
 
Uhaul around here has two huge corporate depots, and I have never got one in bad shape.

Brakes appear to be surge, and I have zero complaints.

I rent Uhaul because I don't want to own a car trailer. Sometimes, I can head out empty and not haul a trailer until I rent on location. Then it's out of my face. No storage, maintenance, nothing.

I use a regular deep cycle battery to power the winch.

Uhaul guy told me they do auction them off, but it's rare.
 
Very nice! I had to move a non-running Fox Mustang earlier this year and used one of those UHaul Trailers. It was great. Good condition, LED lights all around, Brakes worked great.

To load it on the trailer, I used a come along and a tow rope. The Uhaul trailer had a convienient D-Ring right at where the frame Y's into the tongue. I don't know if thats on purpose or not but thats where I hooked to.
I did have to stop and reset the pull three times because of cable length, but it worked. Just took a little longer.

I could rent a 12k tandem tilt from work for less money but I only have a 1500 Silverado available to me and I was already pushing it with the Uhaul trailer and Mustang. A 12k tilt is another 1k lbs over the Uhaul trailer. Technically we are not even supposed to let a tandem tilt leave behind a 1/2 ton.

Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Is that some sort of inertia-hydraulic brake system I see in the first pic? Looks like a fluid reservoir of some sort on top.

Yeah, those are 'surge' brakes. When you hit the brakes the trailer tries to push the truck but the tongue collapses a small amount and pushes on a brake master cylinder, essentially the same as hitting a brake pedal.
It takes a little bit more thought to run them because ex. if you drag your brakes all the way down hill they may not actuate enough to do anything. You'd want to coast until you hit a speed you are conmfortable with then dump 10mph, and let it coast again.
 
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I'm okay with surge brakes. The F350 doesn't have a brake controller. But on longer downhill sections, the manual is able to hold the truck back enough for the surge brakes to occasionally activate. But I never had a problem on longer hills running in 4th gear downhill to maintain speed.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Been disappointed every time I have used U-Haul.


I could not disagree with that at all.

But I bought it at auction for SO cheap, and it is incredibly heavy duty built for abuse...
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994

Uhaul transport trailer weigh 2,210 pounds


That thing doesn't even look like ours. I think we got the HD version...
 
I've thought about something like this, but I don't think it'd worth with a tilt bed that's about that size. A set of winch rollers where the cable goes up and over the front of the decking perhaps?
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I've thought about something like this, but I don't think it'd worth with a tilt bed that's about that size. A set of winch rollers where the cable goes up and over the front of the decking perhaps?

Might work if its a hydro tilt, but if its just a buffered tilt that you push down, the winch would pull the deck back down until you got weight on the tail. Would have to mount it to the actual tilt deck itself, or prop the deck up.

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Nick1994

Uhaul transport trailer weigh 2,210 pounds


That thing doesn't even look like ours. I think we got the HD version...


Whats the GVW tag on yours? 10k? The one pictured is 7500.
 
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