U-Haul’s New Toy Hauler Trailer Is Rated To Pull Bigger And Heavier Loads

Weekend warriors rejoice, for it is time for the new U-Haul Toy Hauler to make its debut and change our lives, hopefully for the better. The new flat-bed full-width trailer is lighter and more versatile, reports The Drive, allowing for heavier and wider loads than the standard bearer Auto Transport. After decades of service, U-Haul was able to figure out which niche hauling jobs the Auto Transport wasn’t really capable of, and fixed their mistakes with this long-awaited redesign. 

At eight feet two inches wide, the new trailer was benchmarked to haul even the widest of pickups, like a Ford F-150 Raptor, and instead of a pair of tire-track rails to hold the vehicle, it has a flat deck allowing for hauling three-wheelers. The new lighter-weight trailer even has a maximum capacity about 1,500 pounds above what the Auto Transport can handle. The first 1,000 Toy Haulers will roll out to U-Haul rental sites around the country this summer, and the rental company says it will have 5,000 units in service by the end of the year. 

While the Toy Hauler was built with auto enthusiasts in mind, it can handle all kinds of loads. By making this trailer a flat bed, U-Haul has found a bunch more uses for it than the old Auto Transport, which is pretty much only used for hauling cars. With dozens of potential tie-down points, the new trailer can load up side-by-sides, multiple motorcycles, farm tractors, bales of hay, or U-Haul’s proprietary moving containers. U-Haul says the Toy Hauler weighs 3,165 pounds with nothing on it, and is capable of loading up to 6,834 pounds. That’s a big jump over the old trailer, but it’s still not brawny enough to haul something like a GMC Hummer EV. 

“Customer response has been fantastic,” said Jasmine Spencer, U-Haul Towing Program manager. “With more people needing to move large items like side-by-sides, tractors, building supplies and even hot tubs, the Toy Hauler is a game-changer. Looking at the number of SUVs and trucks that families own, we saw a clear need for trailers that can handle these bigger loads.”

The Toy Hauler is a little more expensive to rent than the Auto Transport, with in-town rental rates starting at $89.95 per day. Crucially, the $54.99 per day Auto Transport will remain available to rent and will continue on in the U-Haul fleet for hopefully decades to come. I love the frugal nature of the Auto Transport, in fact I used one to haul my Cadillac Allante to a repair shop just last week, but it’s nice to know that the Toy Hauler exists for the kinds of enthusiasts who need it. I might have to just try to rent one in the near future to see how much better and easier to use it is, and to figure out if it’s worth the extra $35 per day.