Rent Tow Vehicle for 13’ Scamp?

[Lady Darilyn]

I have a 2010 13’ Scamp but currently no tow vehicle... Is it possible to rent a tow vehicle for the occasional weekend that would be compatible with the 7 blade wiring? Maybe a pickup truck from uhaul or enterprise? FYI - I’m in Philly suburbs...
I would be SO grateful for any advice...
Thanks in advance -
D

[Borrego Dave]

I know of a couple folks that rented uhaul p/u's to tow utility/car trailers but have no idea if they have a 7 pin setup on them. Probably best to give the local rental companies a call for the particulars of what you need.

[Glenn Baglo]

I thought, from reading the forum, that U-Haul uses surge brakes on their trailers so they don't have to deal with brake controllers etc, so the wiring would be 4-pin. No need to charge a cargo trailer battery either.
etrailer.com sells adapters.
https://www.etrailer.com/search/4+Pin+To+7+Pin+Adapter

[Lady Darilyn]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I thought, from reading the forum, that U-Haul uses surge brakes on their trailers so they don't have to deal with brake controllers etc, so the wiring would be 4-pin. No need to charge a cargo trailer battery either.
etrailer.com sells adapters.
https://www.etrailer.com/search/4+Pin+To+7+Pin+Adapter

Thank you!

[gordon2]

Im sure it is.. the Toyota Tacoma I rented a few months ago had both 7 and 4 pin trailer connections. However it had no brake controller.

Brakes
Does your Scamp 13 have brakes? If not, you don't need a TV with a brake controller. If it does have brakes then I would recommend using them but you might get away for a while without using them, esp if the TV was a big bad truck. Of course you won't be doing any mods and adding a after-market brake controller to a rental vehicle so you would need to shop for one with an built-in, integrated (OEM) brake controller. (I don't think that a wireless brake controller will work but it depends on what is actually connected on the 7-way in a TV without a brake controller).

Rental Agreement
The other question that comes to mind is does the rental agreement allow you to tow a trailer. Best to check to avoid expensive surprises.

[Alex Adams]

If you are planning to do this long term, you should consider the Autowbrake system. Everything mounts in the trailer so that any tow vehicle can use the trailer brakes. I'm installing it on my boler when the weather gets warmer since hacking the wiring on my TV will void my warranty. It also means I can tow with any vehicle and still have brakes. It is more expensive than a standard or other wireless brake controllers.

https://getautowbrake.com/

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

If you are planning to do this long term, you should consider the Autowbrake system. Everything mounts in the trailer so that any tow vehicle can use the trailer brakes. I'm installing it on my boler when the weather gets warmer since hacking the wiring on my TV will void my warranty. It also means I can tow with any vehicle and still have brakes. It is more expensive than a standard or other wireless brake controllers.

https://getautowbrake.com/

But you still need the brake power wire from the TV to the 7 pin. Thats that part I was referring to. If brake power is not connected then it wont work. You will need a 12 volt wire from the tow vehicle if you only have a 4 way flat (so you can't tow with brakes if the TV only has a four way).

And personally, I would put more faith in the Tekonsha wireless brake controller.

[Alex Adams]

So you can make your own 4 to 7-pin adapter with a marine bullet connector for TV power. You then get a length of 10 gauge wire, put in a 30 amp inline fuse, attach one end to the battery and connect the other end to the adapter using the marine bullet connector. The dirty part would be temporarily attaching the wire to the underside of the TV with something like zip ties. When you need to take the rental back, cut the zip ties and detach the wire from the battery.

I read the reviews on the Tekonsha wireless brake controller, a lot of complaints about pairing issues due to newer car electronics. Besides the Autowbrake is triggered by the same brake circuit as the Tekonsha. In addition, the Autowbrake can get power from the house battery so if, for some reason, you lose power from the TV you don't lose your brakes.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

So you can make your own 4 to 7-pin adapter with a marine bullet connector for TV power. You then get a length of 10 gauge wire, put in a 30 amp inline fuse, attach one end to the battery and connect the other end to the adapter using the marine bullet connector. The dirty part would be temporarily attaching the wire to the underside of the TV with something like zip ties. When you need to take the rental back, cut the zip ties and detach the wire from the battery.

Yes you can always jury-rig something, but who wants to do that on a weekend rental for only a few days-long trip? (For anyone who does, fuse as close to the battery as possible).

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

...in addition, the Autowbrake can get power from the house battery so if, for some reason, you lose power from the TV you don't lose your brakes.

You could. I think its safe to say that its not recommended or reliable.

[Jon in AZ]

Post deleted.

[thrifty bill]

Do some favors for a friend with a TV.

[Randy701]

All good ideas about renting a tow vehicle. However, the last time I tried that in order to tow a boat it was a no go. Rental companies will not (legally) allow you to rent a small car or pickup and tow something with it. Larger trucks for moving, yes.
Has anyone on this forum rented a pickup/car and towed legally recently?