Do Rental Trucks Have Hitches? (Enterprise, Hertz, U-Haul, Etc.) (2024)

If you need to move or bring along your trailer or your motorcycle rack with you, the first thing that comes to mind is a pick up truck. While you can attach hitches to any car, pulling anything bigger than the smallest sized trailer will need a pick up truck.

And if you don’t have a pick up truck, you need to rent one. You will need a hitch installed on the pickup truck to be able to attach your trailer.

But do any rental trucks have hitches?

Let’s find out.

While most of the truck companies offer towing services and equipment, they are bound by their own set of policies. Some companies offer hitches only if the trailer is from their rental service and some offer hitches only with a select few pickup trucks.

However, there are some truck rental companies who offer hitches with most of their trucks. So, don’t worry, you will get a good pickup truck with hitches without too much hassle.

In the rest of this article I will go into more specific on which rental trucks you can expect to have hitches on them.

Can You Tow With A Budget Rental Truck?

Theoretically and ability wise, it is very much possible to tow with a Budget rental truck. But not all rental companies allow towing with their vehicles.

Budget offers towing with most of their rental trucks as long as you rent the trailer from them. Any of their rental trucks that have a lift gate won’t have hitches.

So, if you are using a Budget truck to be able to haul with it you will need to use one of their own trailers not your own.

Can You Tow With An Enterprise Or Hertz Truck?

Most of the rental companies offer some form of towing abilities for their pick up trucks.

Rent a car companies like Enterprise and Hertz do not usually allow hitches on any of their traditional rental cars. However, they offer towing on some of their trucks at select truck rental outlets.

While Enterprise allows you to attach your trailer with their towing allowed cars, Hertz only allows hitches if the trailer is also from their car rental service. Otherwise any warranty is void and you will need to pay huge penalties for damages.

Things You Need To Know Before Renting A Truck With A Hitch

Most of the truck rentals do not have a flat rate of rental. They differ with location, distance and any other specialised needs.

That’s why first you need to contact the truck rental company with your requirements and they will give you a quote according to your requirements.

Now, before you contact the truck rental service, you need to understand how you are going to tow.

First note down what you need to tow, how far you need to tow and whether you need any specialised equipment.

Then have a discussion with the truck rental company with all this information, ask them questions and ask whether they have any other equipment that can ease your towing experience.

Can You Tow With A U-Haul Pickup Truck?

The most popular rental truck company that offers towing hitches is U-Haul. They offer the maximum range of pickup trucks that can pull motorcycle racks to large trailers.

They also install specialised hitches and other equipment according to your requirement.

U-Haul allows towing with most of their pickup trucks. You can select any pickup truck from their website and rent it with hitches installed.

U-Haul is one of the very few companies that allow you to attach your own trailer with their rental truck.

Before you go out and rent a pickup truck from U-Haul, talk to one of their representatives and discuss how much you want to move and the distance to get an estimate and suggestion on the pickup truck requirement.

Remember not to exceed the towing capacity of the vehicle.

Do All U-Haul Trucks Have Hitches?

If you are getting a U-Haul truck and are unsure which one you will get you might be wondering if all of them have hitches on them.

All of the U-Haul trucks have a hitch installed on them. So no matter which U-Haul truck you get it will have a hitch on it.

If you rent any pickup truck from U-haul, you will be able to tow your motorcycle by hitching the motorcycle trailer, your car by hitching the car tow dolly and even tow a boat.

They can be used while you are moving into another apartment, bringing in new large appliances or going on a trailer adventure.

Does A U-Haul Hitch Void Your Vehicle’s Warranty?

Most U-Haul locations will offer a hitch installation service. If you are looking to get a hitch installed on your personal vehicle but aren’t sure if it will void your car’s warranty then you are in the right place.

Putting a hitch onto your vehicle doesn’t void the warranty on it. However, if you haul far more than the recommended load or if the hitch is installed improperly and damages your vehicle that would void the warranty.

Do U-Haul Trucks Have Trailer Brake Controllers?

Although U-Haul trucks allow towing of private trailers, they are not equipped with all the modern hitch facilities. For example, the U-haul trucks usually do not have trailer brake controllers.

Whether your pickup truck has a trailer brake controller, can be easily seen and verified by you. You just need to check if the 7 way connector is there on the truck. If the 7 way connector is functional and the 12 volt circuit is active in the 7 way, you can easily equip the trailer brake controllers of your private trailer.

Does U-Haul Install Hitches On Private Pickup Trucks?

U-Haul has their own equipment service division and most of the full service U-Haul locations will be happy to install hitches and other specialized towing equipment on your pickup truck.

They will also help you decide the appropriate equipment for your pickup truck. And as their service is high quality and certified, you will be able to install the hitch without affecting your warranty of the car.

Do I Need Wiring For A Hitch?

You will not always need wiring for your hitch, but if you need to power the lights on the trailer, you will need a separate wiring harness.

The 4-Flat harness allows you to operate brake lights, running lights and turn signals on your trailer but does not support electric brakes. The trailers that have electric brakes, will need a 7 way connector to function.

Wiring harnesses are generally specific to a single vehicle, but there are some wiring harnesses that work with more than 1 model of vehicle.

Final Thoughts

Not all rental pickup trucks ofer hitches, so before you rent one make sure it comes with a hitch. Also, talk to the rental company’s representative before renting to know about any special conditions, policies and penalties.

Also do follow their advice on the size and capacity of appropriate pickup trucks according to your needs.