That's why you call first with a fake name and phone # and ask questions. If they say No, then you call back and make reservations and tell then you're towing something that is they claim safe for their trailer, like a Ford Escape. Gotta even be careful saying something like Honda Civi, if they feel you'll damage the oil pan loading it, they won't allow the rental.
In Mean Green, back in '98 I rented a man lift that weighed 10,000 pounds. They didn't even question it. The truck had the single master cylinder, drum brakes, but it hauled it just fine. Stopping, I had to allow extra room and I wasn't going over 50-55 mph the whole way home and also to return it. Had a big tree that needed pruning and I tried climbing it first and said no freaking way. The lowest branches were 15 feet off the ground, and it stretched almost as high as that lift would go. Filled the backyard, except where the lift was, with branches to about 6 feet high. Got a cord of wood from the branches.
In '03-'04 I went to U-Haul to rent a car dolly to tow my Cherokee. Not even a trailer, just the dolly. They wouldn't rent it to me because of the bumper. The same bumper that hauled that heavy man lift without issue, the bumper that grandpa welded to the frame and is also bolted. No go.
About a year later I was helping my brother stab an engine in his Blazer. We used Mean Green to get the engine hoist. They wouldn't rent it with a split ball installed. I told them about hauling the 10,000 pound man lift with the same setup, but they made me buy a ball and install it right there.
When I was looking into buying that '66 from ******** Tom Craigslist up in Elk Grove, the guy that backed out on me while I was waiting for funds to hit my account, I was calling around to figure out how to tow that truck home. I discovered that the tow vehicle has to be a heavier duty rig than the vehicle being towed. I had a 3/4 ton, and the truck I was trying to buy was also 3/4 ton. No go. I'd have to rent one of their moving trucks to tow it. I was going to to lie when I drove up to rent the trailer. Luckily DH Tom backed out and I found a '65 locally.
Having this past knowledge under my belt, when I got married in 2017 and had to tow her car home with us, knowing Crusty Biscuit having a bolt-on bumper and no Class III hitch, we took her dad's truck to get the dolly, and I had to wire up the trailer wiring plug into my system. Towed that car home without issue. Bumper didn't fall off, nothing happened. When I took it back to U-Haul I used my jeep because it has a hitch on it and I didn't want to get questioned about it.
I understand the liability part, but it is a pain. And for
@Frankenchevy to go in with 1 ton and they wouldn't let his rig tow a chipper, that's ridiculous.