I've got to transport my 07 toyota avalon via car carrier pulled by a rental 16 foot box truck cross country. I've been told by the person over the phone from the rental agency that my car will not fit on the carrier due to the rim size, 17". I've used these rental carriers in the past and am familiar with them. I find it extremely difficult to understand why my car won't fit on this trailer. Solely due to the rim size is what I'm being told. Those two inch web straps have plenty of slack on them.

I also visited another rental agency and spoke to the guy in the garage getting his hands dirty. He said that its not normal practice but it will fit.

I'm more inclined to believe the garage dude.

Any input or past experiences from anyone?

Thanks

 

I think the rental person needs to put down the crack pipe.

 

I think they have a database of vehicles they allow on their car hauler trailers and ones they don't.

I had the same problem at UHaul with our Honda minivan, though it was because the front air dam is too low and will get damaged loading it on if you don't compensate for it. I just called back later and told them I was loading a different car that I knew was unlikely to be blacklisted and they would rent the trailer no problem.

I suppose it's possible that they are now requiring a registration/VIN for the car you are towing, but that wasn't the case when I did this.

 

By car carrier, are you referring to a tow-dolly, rather than a trailer? Both qualify as a car carrier. Given a choice, I'd tow it wheels up.

I always thought that the disqualifications would be either due to weight or interference fit, and never thought about wheel diameter. Wheel diameter shouldn't be an issue as long as the tire size isn't oversize. Did Toyota ever sell an Avalon with 16's? If the tires are the same size, and the rental place will accept those wheels, thats what I would tell them.

Maybe they've taken a hit on liability claims in the past from folks claiming that the cheap tow dolly's ruined those thousand dollar rims and ended up paying out some big bucks. I dunno.

I've rented a u-haul car trailer twice in the last 9 months and I was never asked for a VIN etc. The first time was for moving a Mustang, and the second was for moving a corsica. I reserved a tow-dolly for the corsica but ended up using a trailer because it was available, albeit for a little more money.

 

Thanks for all those answers. I was able to load my car onto the carrier today. There were no issues at all for it to fit. Nothing rubbed going up the ramp, nothing bottomed out, wheel straps fit around the front wheels with no fuss and I was well within the boundries of the trailer weight limits. All my stressing for nothing.

 

I sold a 97 Talon dropped to the ground with 18 inch wheels., which I actually delivered 12 hours away to the buyer. U-haul never batted an eye. It was a full flatbed trailer. I had no clearance, and no wheel issues. The only problem I had was that the car so low that the front bumper scraped loading and unload.

 

It has something to do with weight too...

I have in the past gone and picked up lowered imports for friends because they dont fit on rollbacks because they are so low

 

lmfao. haven't herd that one in awhile