U-Haul trailer questions

[alan H]

I’m currently looking at a 1984 uhaul 13’ trailer.... I’m hoping someone will chime in on what to look for ( ie weak frame spots etc) besides the usual soft flooring.. along with actual weight( not the mfg dry weight)
And lastly I’ve seen but currently can not locate the site dedicated to uhaul
So if someone has a link that would be greatly appreciated
Also do did most of these come w/elec brakes/roof ac and small solar unit
Thanks in advance

I’ve had a scamp/perris pacer (all 13’ ) and recently sold a 17’ freedom deluxe casitas before moving from calif to Colorado... wife and I are looking into getting back into camping

[mary and bob]

There is a good Facebook group for Uhauls. It has a "files" section with all kinds of good info, including a common problems list. Some parts of the frame are steel tubes and they are known to rust through. The 13's generally weigh around 1400 lb, although the advertised weight was 1250. They did not have brakes, and can not easily be retrofitted with brakes. The brake options are replace the axle, adapt Uhauls surge brake setup from their cargo trailers, or machine new parts to adapt electric brakes. Uhaul did make 59 larger 16 foot campers that had the surge brakes and a roof top A/C unit. Of course those trailers are very hard to find. The 13's did not have A/C, some had a swamp cooler. The solar panel was only to keep the battery charge up when the trailers sat on the rental lots. The big issue is the side windows leak and direct fit replacements are not available. Many parts are unique to the Uhauls and no longer available. As with any old trailer, it's hard to know what a previous owner has fixed, good or bad. Condition will vary greatly, as will price.

[groys02]

Alan,
I'm hardly an expert, but I do have a U-Haul, and have monitored a lot of conversations over on the Facebook U-Haul page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/UHaulCamper/

If you lift the plywood covers under the cushions, you can look for signs of water leakage and/or existing puddles. A number of people have had some serious rust-out on the tubular steel perimeter frame that the body's bolted down to... and while looking the frame over, you can look for the 15-20[?] 1/4" bolts holding the body to the frame; on mine, all 4 of the ones across the front of the camper were missing in action. [they're not hard to replace; if what you see under there is rusty bolts/nuts, they're probably in need of replacing]

Soft spots in the floor, if not too big can be replaced piece-meal... if a lot of the floor is soft, that's a pretty big job. Do-able, but big.

Wiring's likely to be sketchy, but it's simple enough to rewire, generally speaking. The tail-light lenses may be in rough shape, and the rubber bucket behind them that the sockets mount in as well. There are a few work-arounds for that, as the factory lenses haven't been made in ages. [though a member both here & on Facebook has started making reproduction ones, and a fiberglass adapter to accept more-standard lenses is available]

Windows are something of a PITA to rebuild, and expensive to have custom-made. If the current owner has already rebuilt or replaced, that'd be a real blessing... as the old ones are a frequent source of leaks.

Others will probably add more info......... good luck.
Gary

[alan H]

Thanks for the quick response (Mary&Bob)
I see you are from NY
I’m originally from a small town ( Deposit my) not far from Binghamton ... no reason to go there now...
Like many small bergs dying quickly

[keekers]

Hi Alan, yes my camper is still available. message me if you are interested and I'll give you my phone number.
Thanks, Patti

[Pete Hein]

I have a 1986 13' U-Haul, and it's equipped with a roof-mounted A/C - I don't know if it's factory-original, or was installed by a previous owner. It works really well, but it's rather noisy. The original propane regulator apparently failed, and one of the two P.O.'s replaced it with a tank-mounted regulator like you see on a barbeque grill. Works fine. Stove and gas furnace are more than adequate. (I rarely cook inside, preferring to use a 2-burner propane campstove outside.)

The levelling jacks are a bit of a PITA but they do work. Pays to keep them lubricated - I've been using one of the PTFE "dry-lube" sprays.

I haven't seen any evidence of rust-and-rot on the frame, but I'll be keeping a closer watch, having read some of the posts about that.

One problem I had was with the water heater, which is an "on-demand" electric unit. I didn't flush it adequately before Winter set in, and the expanding ice broke the mounting tab on the heating element. They're available - the company is in CT - and not horrendously expensive, but are a major pain to install. I had to disassemble about half of the counter, including taking out part of the icebox, just to get to it. BTW, that revealed another weakness - stripped screw-holes in the plastic of the icebox surround.

This is my first "egg" and so far (5 years in), I'm very happy with it. it's plenty roomy for the two of us, it's DRY - a big improvement over even the best tent - and it gets a lot of attention, especially when parked among a group of 40-foot "fifth wheels".

[USDM]

Originally Posted by alan H

I’m currently looking at a 1984 uhaul 13’ trailer.... I’m hoping someone will chime in on what to look for ( ie weak frame spots etc) besides the usual soft flooring.. along with actual weight( not the mfg dry weight)
And lastly I’ve seen but currently can not locate the site dedicated to uhaul
So if someone has a link that would be greatly appreciated
Also do did most of these come w/elec brakes/roof ac and small solar unit
Thanks in advance

I’ve had a scamp/perris pacer (all 13’ ) and recently sold a 17’ freedom deluxe casitas before moving from calif to Colorado... wife and I are looking into getting back into camping

Hey Alan,

You gave me the lead on the Uhaul ct13 a couple years ago in Orange County. +1 on joining the Uhaul group on facebook.

[alan H]

Wow you have a great memory
Did it work out for you
I’m still on he fence about this one I’ve also got a scamp and casitas that I’m thinking about

[USDM]

I love my Ct13! Just recently had the opportunity to purchase a super rare vt16!

[alan H]

Both look very nice

[keekers]

Alan H, look at my camper this weekend or it will be gone soon.

[alan H]

Sorry we can’t make it this weekend

[thrifty bill]

I'd check with the UHaul page, but the roofs of most trailers from that era were not designed to support roof AC. Some do it, but you decide.

As far as weight, check weights in the real world. Most people underestimate the weight of molded FG trailers.