Towing an 83

[Loco83]

Want to know if you can tow an 83 Silverado behind a UHaul, has the 305 and 700R4, or trailer it, planning stages on a move from Cali to Nev next year.

[mongocanfly]

i wouldnt tow it...put it on a trailer
you can get away with a short tow...but not a long one,,,if your wanting to use a dolley i would disconnect the driveshaft from the diff and tie it up under the truck,,leaving the slip in the trans....but itd be better on a trailer..

[Matt Man]

First off congrats on planning to get out of California I escaped last year. I also would advise to put your 83 on a trailer and tow it. Where in Nevada are you looking at?

[Loco83]

Looking at Pahrump and Laughlin, i'm open to suggestions if you have any.

[kipps]

Disconnecting the driveshaft from the rear takes a box end wrench(7/16"?), a small crowbar, a hammer, and about five minutes(assuming it's not lowered). Do that and use a dolly. The truck's own tires and wheel bearings will handle the drive better than a trailer axle will.

If both vehicles have trailer connectors, it should be possible to make a double-male pigtail to connect them together, giving turn, brake, reverse, and tail lights.

You didn't say if it was 4wd or 2wd. If 4wd, put the transfer case in neutral and go. Don't worry about the driveshaft.

Flat towing is another option. Google "flat tow bar" to see pics of the setup needed. If you're handy with a welder, there's almost nothing to it. It would eliminate the need for even a tow dolly. You'd be removing the front bumper and bolting a tow bar in its place. Would need to keep the steering wheel unlocked. Possibly disconnect the battery and leave the key switch on. Farmers are all the time flat towing pickups and atv's for one way transportation. Not usually interstate, but there should be no problem doing so.

[cadillac_al]

Those Uhaul trailers work very nice and are worth the cost of rental.

[95 S_Trucker]

A car trailer will have working brakes on it. Flat towing or dolly towing won’t. Here in pa, every trailer over 3,000 pounds needs its own brakes. Towing a full-size truck without brakes is no good, no matter what the tow vehicle is.

[Palf70Step]

I have done all 3 variations of towing. Personally I would put it on a trailer. As mentioned with a tow dolly and tow bar you do not have the extra brakes. Also, you cannot backup with a dolly or tow bar. It seems every long haul I got put in a situation where I had to back up the U-Haul to get around something at a rest stop or gas stop. Very big pain. You truck looks super nice so I would do the trailer. Also check on the rules with U-Haul on whether they insure with tow bar/tow dolly for that long a distance.

[Loco83]

Thanks guys.

[tucsonjwt]

Just a thought, a co-worker of mine bought a car hauler trailer and moved his truck when he moved out of state, then sold the trailer when he got to his destination. You might compare that to the cost of a one way trailer rental. I agree that a trailer is way better than a tow dolly or four flat tow.

However, when he rented a Uhaul box truck to make the move he found out that the 20 foot box truck he rented did not have a trailer hitch and they would not put one on for him. So, he had to scout around for another company to rent him a box truck with a hitch.

An odd aspect of his trip was that the engine blew on the new Ford box truck he rented about 800 miles into his trip. It was a Ford. They sent out two guys with a replacement truck and transferred all of his belongings from the first truck into the second truck, and they re-hooked his trailer and truck to the second box truck.