Find Rental Trucks For Towing Travel Trailer or Fifth Wheel
Not everyone has one. There will be times when you run across people who have a towable RV yet do not own a vehicle to tow it. It happens more often than not. Or their tow vehicle has broken down and need to know where they can get one to tow their trailer.
One company that does rent out pick-up trucks big enough to tow travel trailers is Enterprise. On one of their web pages, they clearly state that the rental agreement must permit towing before you can use their truck to move your travel trailer.
Here is the list of companies that will rent trucks for towing:
- Enterprise Truck Rental
- U-Haul
- Penske Truck Rentals
- Budget Truck rentals
- Hertz
To learn more about renting a truck and where o get one for towing just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to get the pick-up truck to handle your task. Take a few minutes and see how this information can help you or a friend.
Rental Trucks for Towing 101
Can I Rent a Truck to Tow My RV?
It is possible to rent a truck to tow your travel trailer or 5th wheel. But that search may not be as easy as you would expect as not every truck rental company has trucks large enough to handle that job.
Once you find the company that will, you should expect to pay between $100 to $150 per day for the rental, including the hitch.
Or to save some money, you can buy your hitch for around $200 and cut your daily expenses down. Most likely, you will need the hitch again when you don't rent from the same company.
Some people suggest that if the truck rental companies do not have a vehicle large enough to tow an RV, you should contact your local moving companies to see what they have available and if they are willing to rent it to you.
Then you can try the different companies that move RVs across the country for a living. It is possible to hire them when they are not busy to help move your rig.
Do Rental Trucks Have Tow Hitches?
Most do not come with a tow hitch. The reason for that is that most rental agencies do not rent vehicles out for towing. They may have select models of trucks that are set aside for towing but in general rental usage, their trucks don't have tow hitches.
The same will go for cars, SUVs, and other vehicles they rent. U-haul does have trucks with hitches but those hitches are designed to tow their trailers, not RVs. The key to this topic is that you may have to follow some strict company rules to tow with their trucks.
Some companies, like Hertz, will insist that they install the towing equipment before you are allowed to do any towing. You would have to check the individual rental agencies to see what their policies are.
Also, while companies may allow towing, they may not have towing travel trailers or 5th wheels in mind. They may only have normal towing in mind using car carriers and small cargo trailers that do not hold a lot of weight.
Rental Trucks for Towing a Travel Trailer
As we said, this is a difficult task to do as more companies prohibit towing with their rental vehicles than there are those that do. One reason is that the insurance offered by the company or even your policy only covers the car, not the trailer.
But the news is not all bad. Even though many car rental agencies don't allow towing, some will set aside a few bigger trucks to meet that small demand. They also want you to use their towing packages on their vehicles.
Then some companies do but their concept of towing may not include travel trailers or 5th wheels. Many of these companies are thinking of moving construction equipment and supplies not trailers made for personal or family use.
If you need to tow a travel trailer or 5th wheel, you would need a 2/2, 3/4, or 1-ton pick-up truck to handle the weight. Some companies that offer these trucks for rent require that you remain within the manufacturer’s towing guidelines.
For example, if you rent a Ford, then you follow Ford’s guidelines. If you rent a Chevy truck, then you stay within their weight limits and regulations.
Truck Rental to Tow a Fifth Wheel
In this situation, you would need either a 3/4 or 1-ton truck and make sure it is equipped to handle a 5th wheel trailer. To find this size of truck and a company willing to rent it to you will take some doing.
We know of one regular car rental agency that sets aside a few trucks for this purpose but your rental agreement must permit towing in order to use the truck that way. The best advice we can give you is to not go to most car rental agencies as they do not allow towing with their vehicles, even if they rent large enough trucks.
You will have to do some good research to find a company that will and then, that company may not be in your area if you live in rural areas or small towns. The inconvenience factor may make some people hesitate to rent a truck.
It is possible to contact Ryder, U-Haul, or other truck rental companies and see what they have to say. But the tow capacities may be limited on most trucks they rent.
Does Enterprise Rent Trucks for Towing?
This is one of the few companies that set aside trucks for towing travel trailers. However, your rental agreement must not prohibit towing for you to hook up a hitch and tow your rig.
The web page we linked to above provides some of the details that are required. It also lists links to the different truck manufacturers and their towing guides. For example, the web page says that Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 trucks can only tow up to 10,000 pounds.
The Chevy Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles are only allowed to tow 9200 pounds, while the Ford 250 & 350 trucks can go as high as 12,000 pounds. Remaining within the restrictions is vital when renting a truck.
We cannot speak for Enterprise and say what they will and won’t do. But, the ability to rent one of their trucks reserved for towing depends on availability as well. That web page does not talk about hitches, tow packages, or other needed towing equipment.
Before you rent, you should talk to the company about their requirements, hitches, and so on. Also, you should check to make sure there is an in-cab brake controller or your towing will be that much harder.
Enterprise 5th Wheel Truck Rental
According to one non-Enterprise source, this company can rent you a 5th wheel capable truck. However, there is a catch to that possibility. The rental has to be for 6 months or more.
What the financial terms will be will depend on the length of the rental, the equipment used, and the company. Some people say that you should be prepared to pay $100 to $150 per day. Others have said you can get the rentals for as low as $350 per week.
To save money on the rental costs, and since it is going to be more than 6 months, you should consider buying your own 5th wheel hitch. That way you will know the quality of the hitch and that it is a top-quality product that should not break down on you at the wrong moment.
Keep in mind that if you rent a large enough truck from Enterprise you may not be able to use it to tow a 5th wheel. The company only has a few trucks they have selected to do towing and not all are equipped to handle 5th wheel trailers.
Also, if the rental agreement doesn't say you can tow, then you cannot tow. Doesn’t matter the size of the trailer or if you are providing your own hitch.
Can You Tow With a Uhaul Pickup?
The operative word there is ‘tow’. Yes, you can tow with a U-Haul truck but usually, you are only allowed to tow their trailers, not your travel trailer or 5th wheel. We went through their towing web page and no reference or allowance was made for towing those rigs.
The company does rent pick up trucks for towing but the limit on those trucks is 6,000 pounds and the towing is reserved for local activity not long-distance with a recreational trailer attached.
Other non U-haul sources state that you can use one of their trucks to tow a camper or small trailer but those options may not be permitted by U-Haul itself and you still may have to use their equipment.
That source gives you a breakdown of towing capacities and other important information. We suggest that you talk to U-Haul directly and find out their policy of what you can and cannot tow.
Can You Rent a Truck On Turo.com for Towing?
This rental site has some fine vehicles to rent. Some are fairly cost reasonable while others are a little out of the normal retiree’s price range. Their truck selection starts from this year and goes back at least 10 years approx.
However, and this is the bad news concerning this truck rental option. They do have a prohibition page that tells you exactly what cannot be done when you rent one of their trucks. We quote-- “to tow or push anything.”
They take those prohibited activities very seriously and lead into their list with a very strongly worded paragraph warning you of the consequences. Click on this link to read that warning and find out about all of their prohibited uses.
As you can see, the wording on their towing restriction does not allow for any loopholes to be considered. Nor does it allow for towing packages as an exception. At the bottom of that web page, Turo also states that they have to approve you before you can rent one of their vehicles.
Where Can I Rent a Truck With a Fifth-Wheel Hitch?
The best advice we can give you is to tell you to contact the companies that say they rent trucks for towing and see what packages they have available. Enterprise does advertise they rent trucks for towing but does not mention they have 5th wheel options available as well.
Again, here is the list of companies that will rent trucks for towing. It is short:
- Enterprise Truck Rental
- Bullet Point 2
- U-Haul
- Penske Truck Rentals
- Budget Truck rentals
- Hertz
We cannot speak to their policies as those can change at any time. The companies that do not rent trucks for towing is about 3 times as long:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget Rent-a-car
- Dollar Rent-a-Car
- Enterprise Rent-a-Car
- Fox Rent-a-Car
- National Car rental
- Payless Car Rental
- Rent-a-Wreck
- Silvercar5
- Sixt Rent-a-Car
- Thrifty Car Rental
- Turo
- U-Save Car & Truck Rental
Also, those companies that do hourly car-sharing do not allow towing
Some Final Words
Finding a truck to haul your travel trailer or 5th wheel is going to be a difficult task. Not many companies are willing to subject their vehicles to the rigors that come with that task. They may not have the insurance coverage to allow it either.
There are plenty of other options, like those companies that move RVs across the nation. They will have the equipment and the trucks to handle the job. You just have to contact and do some negotiating.
