Re: U-Haul auto transport trailer weight?

[Daniel Chenault <DanielC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Your GVWR is 6400 lbs with a payload of 1770 leaving a vehicle weight of
4630; max towing is 7550. Safe towing requires the tongue weight to be
12-15% of the trailer and this goes against the payload. A 2002 M3 weighs
3415; I'll assume your '98 is close enough to that; trailer will be around
1,000 giving a tow weight of 4415 - so you'll have a tongue weight of
530-660 lbs. This leaves 1110-1240 payload (this includes you, fuel,
baggage, etc). Assuming worst case that the trailer weighs 2,000 lbs this
makes the tongue weight 650-830 and payload of 940-1120.

On all counts you're well within the manufacturer's specs.

What kind of hitch do you have? Do NOT by any means even consider using a
clamp-on hitch from U-Haul; you need a Class IV hitch which handles up to
10,000 lbs. gross weight and 1,200 lbs. hitch weight. Some would say that a
Class III would work with ratings of 5,000 and 500 but this is treading just
a bit too close to the line. Can't have too much hitch and the price delta
is minimal.

Performance won't be great; it'll be sluggish. Just how sluggish depends on
the rear-end ratio. This should show on a sticker under the hood. Expect gas
mileage of 6-8mpg. If you've never tied a vehicle down to a trailer before
get someone to help you; there's the right way and all the other ways. Let's
not have that M3 come loose on the highway.

Have you ever towed before?


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "FS" <freestat@domain.elided>
To: "Daniel Chenault" <DanielC@domain.elided>; "BMW-Internet"
<bmw@domain.elided>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 8:06 AM
Subject: RE: U-Haul auto transport trailer weight?


> '01 Durango SLT 4.7L V8 - 4WD
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daniel Chenault [mailto:DanielC@domain.elided]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 5:50 PM
> To: FS; BMW-Internet; BMW-CCA
> Subject: Re: U-Haul auto transport trailer weight?
>
>
> What truck do you have and I'll tell you.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "FS" <freestat@domain.elided>
> To: "BMW-Internet" <bmw@domain.elided>; "BMW-CCA"
<gvc-bmwcca@domain.elided>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 4:19 PM
> Subject: U-Haul auto transport trailer weight?
>
>
> > Anyone know what a U-Haul auto-transport (all four wheels supported)
> trailer
> > weighs in at? I'm trying to determine if my truck can tow a '98 M3
(>3000
> > lbs) using that trailer...
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > --
> > to be removed from bmw, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
> > or email "unsubscribe bmw" to majordomo@domain.elided

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