CharlieBucket Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 what's up guys, i have a small problem. so i bought a 1974 620 last saturday {$100) and went to rent the car dolley and they won't give it to me. i have a 1998 frontier with a tow ball on the bumper. they said they can't rent with a 2000 lb bumper. so i really don't have any friends that drive a truck so i don't know what to do. they would rent if i had a hitch, but that is out of my budget at the moment. so basically how do i cheaply tow this thing. is there a tow bar that would work, or should i just get a hitch? i can barely afford to buy one, much less have it installed. i would install myself if it's just a matter of bolting it on, but i don't know yet. dude had a VW tow bar but it wouldn't fit. thanks. Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 lie to the rental company :rolleyes: its more of a liability for them if something happend. will it tow flat? u a welder? make a tow bar that attaches to your 620 bumper mounts and use the VW tow bar. thats how i got my last 510 home. (w/ a 4runner, cuz hertz wouldnt rent me a trailer) Quote Link to comment
CharlieBucket Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 i'm not a welder, and i would have to return the tow bar, so i couldn't modify it. of course it will tow flat. i think i will just try a bunch of uhauls/hertz till someone screws up or believes my lie! it's just the the 2 companys did a inspection of my truck and said the computer wouldn't let them do it. Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 I've run into this too... unless you have a reciever hitch they simply won't let you. And lying doesn't help when they physically inspect the vehicle you're picking it up with. You don't have a single solitary friend or relative with a reciever hitch on a fullsize pickup? Or SUV? That you could borrow just to pick up and return the dolly? Quote Link to comment
Bleach Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 steal the dolly... and then return it at night the next day? :D lol Quote Link to comment
Guest DatsuNoob Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Dude, just go buy a $20 tow strap, make an "In Tow" sign, and get a buddy to coast the 620. Mine's already got that eye shackle thing with the bolt, (like what jeep guys use) in the front. Just keep that strap tight so you dont bend anything if it jerks on ya. Atleast that's what I'd do, assuming you dont have to go super far. In that case I'd advise going to your local home depot. Alot of times they have full size trucks available for rent for home projects for around $40 a day I think, or they may have some kind of hourly rate. They just may come with a hitch as well, it may be something to check into. Good luck. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 That's totally illegal up here!!!! Check and make sure first. Two vehicles tethered together going down the highway is insane. Way too many things to fuck up. Damn, be careful!!!! Quote Link to comment
CharlieBucket Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 well i do know where to borrow a vechicle but it's a big hassle. got to go way across town to get the vechicle, whereas the datsun isn't to far away. i guess i has hoping that there was like a universal datsun towbar that i could buy and hopefully use many times in the future! i am going to get my own tow dolley soon. i buy/sell nissan altima at least once a month. Quote Link to comment
Guest DatsuNoob Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 That's totally illegal up here!!!! Check and make sure first. Two vehicles tethered together going down the highway is insane. Way too many things to fuck up. Damn, be careful!!!! I wasn't sure if he was just going a few miles through town, or down the freeway a couple hours. I wouldn't tow strap a vehicle down the freeway either, but I would check into the Home Depot thing if all else fails. Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Just went through this getting my 521. But I don't have a vehicle with any hitch at all! Get u-haul to rent you one of their trucks to hook their dolly up to. Sometimes they have pickups but I actually had to use a 14 foot empty box truck! I did a one way, but you might be able to do a local which will be cheaper. Also the difference between the two wheel dolly and the full tow trailer was only $8. So I went for the full size. What a waste of gas that big truck was! But I got it home. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Maybe you could load it in the back if it's running? Screw the trailer. Quote Link to comment
kiznook Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 the other problem is that they usually have to tell the computer what vehicle you're towing and what you're towing it with. The computer will tell them if the tow vehicle can "handle" it safely. This is an easy one to lie on though, just tell them you're towing a triumph spitfire :D I'd say just rent a truck and dolly. Or flat tow it like 'Noob said, make sure the "new" truck has good brakes!! and keep the strap TIGHT...get a buddy thats done it before Quote Link to comment
tnip Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 how far exactly is the 620 from where you're towing it to? Quote Link to comment
CharlieBucket Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 it's just about 4-5 miles, not highways, but the roads are pretty busy and the police around here are are very bitchy. i wouldn't risk just pulling it home. i wany to but they might impound it or something crazy like that. Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Maybe you could load it in the back if it's running? Screw the trailer. It would just about fit! I bet it would with a 24 footer. The problem would be muscling it up the ramp if it weren't running. A wench would be good. The problem I had was that my 521 wasn't running, and it had no brakes! when it hit the ramp, no pushing helped. Thankfully the e brake worked. So me and the older owner loaded it by prying it one inch at a time (using 4" round tree trunks) with my wife in the truck pulling the ebrake every little smidge we gained. And it was raining! That was an adventure! I look forward to seeing your $100 truck. Post some pics in a new thread! Quote Link to comment
Icehouse Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 I hate that rule.... We use Franks nissan truck all the time for towing. It only has a bumper hitch, which looks just as tuff as those cheesy hitches they sell. Quote Link to comment
CharlieBucket Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 so uhaul would except a bumper hitch? cause those are much cheaper! Quote Link to comment
1lo620 Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 I have rented a truck and a trailer/tow dolly to move trucks several times. I did it through Penske, but UHaul same differnce. the truck will cost probly $25-$30 a day and the tow dolly probly about $10-$15 plus gas and if you dont want insurance it will probly run ya $50 after all said and done...Safe, legal, and not have to bother anyone to help. And maybe if you hit them at the right time and in a good mood maybe they will let you have it at a better price for only a few hours....And look around I know up here we have discount and rent a wreck places that are about half of what Uhaul is...good luck............ Quote Link to comment
lynchfourtwenty Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 use your current truck to push the datsun home.. as long as it has brakes an they're bumpers match up.. no one will ever know! hahaha!.. i've rented a tow dolly from uhaul.. $80 we used a chevy 2500 an said we were towing a honda civic cvcc or some crap the truck had the towing thing.. not the bumper kind tho Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 i guess i has hoping that there was like a universal datsun towbar that i could buy and hopefully use many times in the future! There is, I own one but it was purchased about 20 years ago...it was bought from Sears, so....I dunno...maybe a google search is in order:confused: Two vehicles tethered together going down the highway is insane. But it's so much more fun that way :D Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 It would just about fit! I bet it would with a 24 footer. The problem would be muscling it up the ramp if it weren't running. A wench would be good. A wench would be good, running or not! Quote Link to comment
flyerdan Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Wouldn't something like this work? Earlier this summer I whipped up a quick towbar during lunch at work to haul off a junk car, then modified it to fit my parts pickup, they really are handy to have. Quote Link to comment
mklotz70 Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 I made a tow bar and a couple of adapters...I can put the 320's, 510's, and 521 now. ...but as you said, you're not a welder. That HF tow bar is pretty similar to what's avail at the parts stores. The tow bar should be available from several different places. For the money....renting the Uhaul truck/dolly combo would be the fastest/easiest and possibly cheapest way to go. My wife's '96 Grand Caravan has the factory tow package on it and Uhaul said it was rated for anything they had. So...they rent me the dolly or even the tandem axle trailer with no prob. I only use the big trailer for hauling wood. Putting a vehicle in it would put it past the limits. Works awesome towing the big trailer with a cord of wood or the dolly with a datsun on it :) The tow bar works fine too and for short hauls, is fast and cheap :) Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 A wench would be good, running or not! HA! You know I caught that spelling mistake but left it in to see who would capitalize on it! Yeah we could all use a good wench! Quote Link to comment
CharlieBucket Posted October 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Wouldn't something like this work? Earlier this summer I whipped up a quick towbar during lunch at work to haul off a junk car, then modified it to fit my parts pickup, they really are handy to have. that my be the way to go seeing i could re-use in the future. thanks for all the ideas guys, very helpful. the tow dolley rental around me was 40 bucks for a day. so way not buy something like this. seems like there trying to rip me off anyway, when you guys are renting trucks and dolly's for 50 total. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.