ANZ

Hi gang,

I am moving to another state. I will be picking up a rental truck with a car carrier (Penske) and I have a few questions:
1. Do I have enough ground clearance to drive the RX8 onto the car carrier? Or do I need to do anything special such as to find an incline to make the ramps flatter?
2. Why is there a limit on the wheel size at Penske? The website says the 18" wheels won't work but I went to the Penske pick up location and I could not tell from a visual inspection why the 18" would not work.
3. When towing do I need to have the car in gear (which one?) and the parking brake applied?
4. Is there anything else I need to know? Any useful tricks?

Thanks,
ANZ

Tim Tim Tim

is it a full car trailer, as in no wheels will be on the ground? I hope it is.. if it is, just as a safety thing, I would have it in gear with the ebrake on. I dont know why 18's wouldnt work, maybe there straps arent long enough?

xsnipersgox

e brake, put it in reverse, strap down all 4 wheels, if u have trouble with clearance issue going up, 2x4's are ur friends.

j67345

You can drive it right on the Penske flatbed car carrier. I made the drive from Los Angeles to Connecticut a couple years ago with the PEnske truck/car trailer no problem.
My car is the stock suspension, and it didn't rub at all...and the wheel clamp-down thingies worked no problem on my 18's (they were stock tires).
You shouldn't have any problem at all...I put it in gear and put the e-brake on.
And don't forget to pull through all of the weigh stations (we had to...it was a 26' moving truck though, so maybe smaller ones wouldn't have to)
My wife will probably kill me, but it's the only pic I can find of the car on the carrier...

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Let me tell your wife about this .... LOL !

xsnipersgox

post it in hot wife section =D

j67345

This is the closest I'll ever get to having her 'pose' with my car

tiggerlee

I would strongly recommend a car cover if you're going with hauling it on a trailer. or at least something to protect the front of the 8 from debris being thrown back from the truck tires. The last two I used didn't have mud flaps and one time we ended up with a couple nicks on the front when we came back from Florida. Not to mention it'll keep the 8 alot cleaner.



Just my .02

j67345

I was planning on putting a bra on my car before I moved, but they didn't ship it until after I left...I didn't end up with any chips on my ~3,300 mile trip though.
I'd be fraid of putting a full covere on it...dirt is going to get under it from the road, and I'd think the wind blowing the cover around would end up turning the dirt to sandpaper, no?

ANZ

Cool. Thanks for all your replies.

Yes, it is a 26" truck with a flat bed carrier. I am moving from IL to CT, about 1000 miles. I did not realize I would have to stop at weigh stations.

ANZ

j67345

where in CT are you moving?

tiggerlee

Penske should have told you about the weigh stations. Chances are you'll be underweight but it's always a good idea to roll through them just in case.

mike73737

If you're going to use a cover I'd be concerned about it staying on the car too. Probably need to strap over it in addition to tying it down. At the very least keep an eye on it for the first several hundred miles.

j67345

Check the straps over the wheels on the trailer, too. Mine came loose on one side, and they came to the hotel to replace it. It didn't end up being a problem at all, but check them when you stop to make sure they are still tight.
And you'll just roll through the weigh stations, but you definitely do have to go through them.

DCVroom

favorite part of this thread is the hot wife.

trailers blah, hot wifes? yeah!

ANZ

Thanks for the tips, j67345. I have noticed your location is in CT as well. We are moving to West Hartford, CT. I may run into you (not literally) in CT twisties somewhere

One more question: did you attach the chains to the Mazda supplied towing hooks? I was at the Penske pick up location right before they were closing so I just attached the chains to something on the bottom of the car. We are taking off in two days so I will have time to make adjustments tomorrow.

ANZ

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My observations for those who want to use Penske car carriers in the future:
1. Park the trailer on an incline to make the ramps flatter. Depending on the terrain, you may not have enough ground clearance even with the stock suspension.
2. The 18" tires/wheels seem OK on the car carrier I have rented. I do not know why Penske has the size limit on the tires/wheels. Maybe they don't work with other trailer models?

architect

I'm sure they're referring to wheel width when they mention wheel size. For instance, a 315 tire would not fit the track.

stingthieves

This is a great thread! I was thinking of flying out to Ft Drum and driving my son's truck back - but now I think Ill drive out and tow back!

The darn thing should be out of the body shop by then to drive! Or Ill have a new 09

PS

His mom looked that good ==== 30 odd years ago

Techsan

Has anyone towed their 8 with an SUV and tow dolly? I've towed previous cars with a U-Haul and flatbed car carrier, and was quite easy. Is it even possible to tow a car with an SUV with all 4 wheels off the ground?

If anyone has used a tow dolly (not all 4 off the ground), how did the trip go? I''ll be moving soon from CA to NJ & would rather not waste gas/miles by driving both vehicles all the way across the country!