Securing to Rental Trailer for Multi-Day Trip

[Some Random Guy]

So, we messed up splitting up our stuff and now it looks like I need to have my wife tow my Jeep instead of putting it behind my Penske truck. She has experience moving small utility trailers cross country, and shorter moves with much bigger equipment from a previous job in NorCal. However, I want to make this as easy as possible on her. I'll be approaching my non-CDL limit with just the box truck and our stuff.
We're towing through the Cascades, Rocky's, and Appalachian's moving from Seattle to Richmond.
I'm already dropping down to Rubi sized tires, so the front axle will be secured with tire straps. I have axle straps for the rear to secure that axle. The trailer comes with axle chains that will be used as well.

So from here is where I get into unfamiliar territory. I've identified the following additional options:
1) Use chain binders to pull down rear end to minimize sway.
2) Also use winch to pull front end down to minimize sway.
3) Take out rear springs, then use chain binder on rear to firmly secure the rear of the Jeep to the trailer.

The tow vehicle has a towing capacity of 7,500 lbs and is a long wheel base diesel. My Jeep is a 2 door Sport, M/T, soft-top, but has some heavier sliders on it. Am I overthinking this out of concern for my wife? If this was a sedan or my Mustang, this would be a total non-issue for her. I've just never towed a lifted Jeep through the mountains on a trailer. It has a lot more suspension movement than any of our other vehicles.
I'm still toying with the idea of just putting it behind my Penske truck. It has a GCWR of 33,000 pounds that I'd be under by 2-5k, but I don't have a CDL (so 26k limit). Getting that heavy without a CDL, I'd be looking at similar mitigation of Jeep movement on the trailer.

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[Gregj]

IMO pull it with the Penske truck, the commercial enforcement folks won’t give you a second look as you are a private party. I drove a Budget truck loaded to the gills with our stuff and a car hauler across the country and nobody cared.

As to securing the Jeep just use the tie downs on the trailer, the suspension movement won’t matter to the truck compared to the other tow vehicle.
Gregj

 

[gsbrockman]

IMO pull it with the Penske truck, the commercial enforcement folks won’t give you a second look as you are a private party.

This.......

I run commercially, and the OP would be hard pressed to find himself engaged with any Commercial Vehicle Enforcement folks.

At the end of the day...the OP is not engaged in commerce, so don’t overthink the gross combined weight ratings and the CDL requirements.

 

[Some Random Guy]

Thanks @Gregj and @gsbrockman .
I'm going to tow it with the Penske truck. Upon further review the tow vehicle would need a weight distribution hitch, which won't play nice with the rental trailer (if it even hooks up at all).
I've been diverted before when moving cross country. The one time I was over it was by less than 2,000 lbs and they did just wave me through. This time it might be closer to 5,000 over so I was getting gun shy. Hopefully if I do get stopped for that they believe me when I say it's safer this way than on my wife's truck.

 

[Gregj]

Don’t even pull into the weigh stations, you are not a commercial vehicle.
Gregj

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

Don’t even pull into the weigh stations, you are not a commercial vehicle.
Gregj

Some states require rental trucks to pull in to the weigh stations...

 

[Jimac]

Some states require rental trucks to pull in to the weigh stations...

Google the states that require rental trucks that are towing a trailer to pull into weight stations ( surprisingly many do) and map out route destination to destination. Route as required to miss these states.

 

[BigMaCro]

Manufacturers require all new vehicles to be transported using tire straps only. Keep the tires on the trailer and let the suspension do it's thing.

 

[Some Random Guy]

Google the states that require rental trucks that are towing a trailer to pull into weight stations ( surprisingly many do) and map out route destination to destination. Route as required to miss these states.

Searches say all vehicles over 14k need to stop, but their signs on I-90 say only commercial or over 26k. I have just been going by them, but I think all but 1 were closed anyway. If I get stopped after today I’ll try convince them I already cleared the Cascades and Rocky Mountains so the worst is over.

Manufacturers require all new vehicles to be transported using tire straps only. Keep the tires on the trailer and let the suspension do it's thing.

I ended up just adding axle straps to the rear. I bought into the idea tying down the frame is useless unless you crib it with wood or something. It can “bounce out” of your setup otherwise. This jives with old experiences loading F-250/350/450’s into airframes back in my Search and Rescue days.
If my rig was stock I wouldn’t have cared. But with a lift pushing the already high CoG up and a softer suspension I was worried it would be too much movement. Slapping it behind a 26k truck made all that a non-issue though.

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