F355 & a U-Haul trailer

I rented these often for other cars, but never for a 355. Here's my opinion:

Wide enough: Yes

Ramp angle: Not good. You will need to bring some long boards and some shorter ones to make the approach angle shallower. Otherwise try backing up the trailer into a driveway where the rear wheels of the trailer can drop below the curb height. This might allow the ramps to extend straight out.

Exiting the car once you are on the trailer will also be a pisser. The fender on the left side of the trailer swings down to allow you to open your door, but the 355 door may be too low to clear the trailer wheels. You may have to squeeze out, or alternately exit through the driver's side window and then tape a thick piece of clear plastic sheet over the window opening.

Bring your own ratchet tie downs and loops to secure the car to the trailer, fore and aft. The straps/net on the UHaul trailer are the over-the-wheel design and that probably will not work on the 355 since the body is so low.

Good luck!

 

Fly in...drive home?

 

It was my understanding that the only car towing option they offer is a dolly trailer (front wheels only). Am I mistaken?

+1 on Ricks idea

 

Tandem axle car trailers still available from Uhaul, but maybe not in all regions. One of the guys at my office just rented one a few months ago to tow his race car.

 

These guys are FerrariChat sponsors: Intercity Lines, Inc.

Alternatively, send a PM to Matt (MBFerrari), as he's pretty knowledgeable about this sort of thing and may know of other options you can consider.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Driving round trip to Indy and renting a trailer. If you are doing this to save on costs you might want to add it all up with you time, fuel, rental, hotel if you stay over, etc. I had my car shipped from Minneapolis to Chicago for the major and it cost me $600.00 insured. I did do the fly down and drive it home. I would think you could get it back to green Bay for not much more.
Just another option.

 

Something else to consider, you should load the car with the rear forward on the trailer for proper weight distribution.


Rob

 

Why not drive it home if only to break the top end in again?

 

Drive it.

 

If you can't drive it due to weather, I'd have it shipped in a closed truck. I'd be too afraid of the thing getting pummeled by rocks from the tow vehicle if towed on an open trailer. Others might have first hand experience. Only thing I've ever towed is my race bike, and I didn't care if it got hit with rocks and bugs.

 

Man...don't be cheap now after having "fixer" fix it. Just hire someone. They are less likely to damage your car than an ameteur non-regular tower. If you are used to towing things around like racecars well that is a different story. You probalby don't have the right tow vehicle, don't have a trailer, probably don't regularly tow...you are asking for trouble. Do you know the significance of tongueweights, towing in or out of gear, crossing or not crossing tow straps, electric vs. surge brakes, and body vs. suspension tie down just to name a few things? If not a ferrari is not a good car to learn on.

 

Make two days out of the drive then.

 

I just got back from the midwest and you should defnitely have it hauled by a professional in a covered truck. The weather there is too unpredictable right now - rain, wind, sun and those aggressive truckers. Plus you don't want to be driving that thing through Chicago. The Skyway has a messy section under construction right now. I was in the path too - Michigan City, IN for a week!

 

I recently had a very good experience with uship.com. $1475 Fla-SoCal in an enclosed semi carhauler. A lot less than doing it myself.

 

You sound like a careful pilot...excellent! I'm not a pilot but tell the flying story all the time. Mostly it is met with blank stares. In medicine the exact same thing happens, little problems grow. When something just doesn't go quite right it always pays to take a step back and review the situation. Most plod away and others are left to clean up the train wreck.

 

+1 on driving it home.

It's a Ferrari, there's no such thing as too long of a drive.

Worst comes to worse, I can drive it to ya

 

If you can't drive it, hire a pro. You should be able to ship it for less than you think. Make sure to go with one of the transport companies that specialize in exotics in nice enclosed trailers with the right tie downs, ramps and the knowledge to do the job.

 

I'm not pimping for Uhaul, just want to give you specific details. I spent an entire race season using Uhaul trailers to move my car up and down California, from Holtville all the way up to Sears Point (aka Infineon.)

1) Rearward weight distribution of the 355 means that you just need to make sure the car's rear wheels are as close to the rear axle of the trailer as possible. You can still put the car on the trailer nose first. Since you definitely don't want the car moving backwards and further reducing the tongue weight, chock the rear wheels with the nice plastic/rubber chocks sold at RV supply stores.

2) Uhaul trailers are pretty short. You would need to run the rear tie downs forward towards the middle of the trailer, and crossed. There won't be enough extra length on the trailer to run them at a shallow angle towards the rear. Same with the front tie downs, run them to the middle of the trailer, and crossed. Now the car is still held in tension fore and aft, and side to side.

3) Uhaul trailers are all surge braked, and don't expect much trailer brake help unless you try a panic stop. Just make sure your tow rig brakes are in top condition and don't exceed 55 while towing.

However you decide to get the car home, good luck, and make sure you post your initial feedback of how the car runs with the rebuilt heads! That's what we reaaaally want to hear about.

 

you need the older model galvanized car trailer. the newer one is not wide enough. call around to find the one u need, i had to return and swap out for the older model which was hard to locate.

 

I used Uhaul to move my 355 and what the others say is true. Be sure to get some 1x material to place under the wheels (all of them) because even when the fenders are lowered, the car is too low. I also used a couple of long 1x6s to get the car on the ramps and really took my time to find a parking lot or sufficient dip in the road to help even out the angle.

It can be done, but I won't do it again.

I've driven my car on an 800 mile round trip recently and it was a blast!!!

 

Just be VEEEEEEEEEERY careful if you decide to use one of these "uship" bidders. Before I started my company I used one of these guys too with my 308QV and I would NEVER do it again.

MB

 

drive it.