Hello Gentlemen, First off, let me say you guys are an awesome group! Very helpful & great info, in the process of buying a 308 and this site has been a huge help. I'm considering picking up the 308 I'm working with. Would a flat bed trailer from UHaul be good for the job? Anyone have experience with a 308 with a uhaul trailer? I remember the front being a little high where the front tire stops, a bit concerned that the front spoiler my be a bit low for it. But then I found these photos and looks like people have towed other low sports cars with no issues, NSX, Vipers, Lotus, etc. Anything else to consider? It would be about a 1000 mile drive which I'm not too worried about and have friends along the way where I can park safely. My Jeep tows 7500lbs so from what I can tell the trailer & 308 are well below that. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for all the help! Veso Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Paying a qualified shipping company is well worth the peace of mind, IMO. I've seen a few 3x8's go on a flatbed and there is an art getting it on and off properly.
When I sold my previous 308, the guy picked it up with one of these. The only issue he had was you can't open the doors much because of the tire fenders. You could take a couple towels or blankets to put on them while you are getting in or out of the car just as a precaution.
I don't have any specific experience with a 308 on a U-Haul trailer, but I recently help load a 70's 911 on a U-Haul trailer. The Ferrari front spoiler would probably hit the front of the trailer, but you can use some 2x8's or similar under the front tires to raise the nose. The Ferrari has a lower spoiler than the 911, but I think we used one level of boards to allow the spoiler of the 911 to clear. If you had to use more than one level of boards, I would suggest screwing them together to prevent them from separating. I trailered our 328 650 miles to bring it home when we bought it, but we were using the open car trailer we use for the track car. There weren't any height issues other than almost not being able open the driver's door to get out due to the trailer fender. Good luck!
I had to do this once with a u-haul trailer and the mondial. suggestion, is to back it on. more clearance at the rear and the engine weight will sit further forward on those trailers.
It was a long time ago...but my GT4 made the trip on a UHAUL trailer from Portland Ore. to San Jose Ca. with no issues at all...it worked OK pulling it on forward, even with the lower profile tires I had on the GT4...but maybe backing it on would be better(???)... Yes the trailer was quite heavy...I had a Jeep Cherokee Sport at the time, but as I remember we ended up pulling the trailer with a UHAUL truck, I believe....
When I bought my 308, 15 years ago, I used a U-haul trailer to haul it 250 miles home. I didn't have a truck with sufficient hauling capacity so I pulled with a U-Haul tuck. I pulled straight on and don't remember any real problems.
You guys are awesome! Very good points and I hadn't considered backing it in. I got the Jeep in sep last year, 4x4 diesel with 420 lbs of torque so not only fun but it does haul pretty good!!
I too am interested in hearing how it goes. I am considering renting the exact standard UHaul trailer if/when I take my 308 for a HPDE day. (Not sure I'll ever do it considering I have a designated crap-can track car.) A concern I would have towing it backward is a hood opening and ripping itself from the car. The single latch Euros would be of particular concern.
Considering this too for the Houston to Phoenix relo (I get a lump sum and keep excess). Trailer brakes would be useful here.
When pulling the car (backwards ! Prevents a lot of "trailer-swing"!!) on the trailer do so with the trailer disconnected from the towing vehicle. (Put the trailer "handbrake" on !!) At a given time the trailer will "tilt" down on the back side/not being horizontal any more, and will make pulling the car up on the trailer very easy. My 308 sits low, really low. (It doesn't have a "deep spoiler") Getting it on and off the trailer this way is easy, no hassle whatsoever. Should you not be able to open the doors in the process, turning/adjusting/grabbing a wheel with your hands is easy too !
I used one last year to move mine from LA to SF. No problems really with the GT4 except the clearance going on the trailer because of the ramp angle. We had to adjust the slope a little so the bottom middle of the car didn't scrape as it went from the ramp on the trailer. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I towed my 328 on a similar trailer, no issues other than getting in and out. Make sure to strap it down. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
IF you mention the word 'Ferrari', Uhaul nor Penke either one, will rent to you. I recently found..... Of course it WILL fit so they have no idea what they are talking about, but "the computer says".... I used a Ranch King utility trailer from my brother's ranch and some long 2 x 12"s....good luck!
I guess this is the reason, lowness of the car vs. ramp angle...like they have never heard of bricks!
I hauled my GT4 on my trailer many times. The biggest problem, as others have indicated, is the nose hitting the ramps as you drive on. Depending on the trailer, the frame may drag mid car at the ramp/bed junction. The easiest way to correct that is to use the trailer tongue jack to raise the nose of the trailer (and the rear of the tow vehicle, you will keep it hitched). This will in effect lower the ramp angle and flatten the ramp/bed transition somewhat. Bring along a few wood blocks to put under the jack to gain extra lift if necessary. Tie it down good, leaving it in gear with the parking brake on will not work, I have seen it done that way.
If you put the car on backwards, make sure all doors and lids are shutting and latching properly. One blowing open, and backwards, at 65 mph would be quite a catastrophe! Cars are designed to go forward. And my avatar is my 308 coming to its new home on my 16 foot trailer that I normally use to haul the farm equipment... Good luck with yours, Veso, these are exciting times! Jeff
Exciting indeed! Won't be getting much sleep or work done until its in my garage! If I do go the towing route I'm thinking I need a good cover on the car, don't want any debris or rocks flying on it. Any suggestions? Should be pretty snug I assume?
towed mine a few times on an open trailer. backed it on, better weight distribution never a cover. too many possibilities for disaster. you don't drive with a cover so why trailer that way.
However you tow it, tie it down good (ratchet straps through the wheels are great). Set the emergency brake and do NOT leave it in gear, use neutral.
BACK IT ON. I've had my car flatbeded twice in the past year, once each forward and backward. Backward is superior because the rear valence has a higher clearance than the front. Silly question: If you've had a PPI and bought this for dad, and presumably it runs and drives, why not just drive it home? Or surprise dad with a trip to wherever it's located, then have a father-son drive home? Also, given the sensitivity toward delivery condition as the ultimate gift, I'd recommend having a pro do it. I paid someone $800 to transport a Porsche 928 that far for me. Given what you're already paying for the car...
Hi Justin, Very good points, looks like backing up is a good way. I'm not 100% set on getting it my self, waiting on the shipping quote to come back and compare. However I'm a sucker for a good road trip and love going to Detroit so there's a couple of excuses plus I work for myself so time off is never an issue. Dad however would have a hard time getting off work that long and I'd like to have it down for his big party. Another good point on the car cover, just me being ocd. So the uhaul trailers have the straps that come over the entire wheels, those pretty effective? I've seen the trailers where it goes tru the rim spokes but that's not what the uhauls have. Again, thank you to everyone for your input, super helpful!!
I've had straps through AND over the wheels, but make sure they're quality straps without exposed tieback chains that could rub the rim. The wheels on the car are expensive to refinish, the 16" OEM ones rare and pricey to replace. If you insist on a car cover, get one with eyelets on the bottom to tie the sides together with bungee cords. No driver I've ever used on ANY car would allow me to put on a cover because of the supposed liability of it blowing off in traffic and causing havoc for other drivers. Perhaps if you can secure it through the eyelets, they'll cave in.
I always have used "over the tire" straps. I got a couple of sets of them from my late brother who was the safety manager for a company that had hundreds of trucks that hauled new cars to dealers. They used them for their "special deliveries" of high dollar cars. The straps let the car ride on it's suspension. Almost all new cars were chained down at factory supplied holes that are somewhat industry standard today. The chains are cranked down very tight to gain enough height for more cars overhead and to keep the cars from moving vertically at all. You wouldn't believe how many new cars suffer roof damage from hitting the rack supporting the car above. The next time you pass a car carrier note just how close the cars are packed together. There is a real science of how the loads are built by model and position on the trailer to get the maximum amount of cars on the trailer. I would never use a car cover on an open trailer, the wind will move the cover around and scratch the paint.
