Advice for Long Distance Towing

ChristyFord wrote:
My husband, toddler, 2 dogs, and I will be taking a 2 week road trip cross-country (Augusta, GA to Seattle, WA) with an SUV and TT. I've read mentions of how this kind of trip should be handled differently than a weekend trip to the lake. What kind of things do we need to know and keep in mind in this case?
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Note: my husband and I have no experience towing a TT yet, so lay it on me!

Hmmm looking at your recent posts you don't or are just now getting your TT. Hopefully, the final TT choice is a great match for your TV since you really don't have the best vehicle for long distance TT towing to start with. By this I mean the more overmatched your TV is to your TT the eaiser it is to safely tow long distances for multiple days at a time. It just takes extra viligence and attentiveness when towing vs. just traveling solo in a vehicle and that can become exhausting very quickly and the last thing you want to do is to be towing and not be 100% at the top of your game so to speak. Over the last 40+ years I have routinely made 1000 t0 1300 mile one way jaunts (probably will in excess of 50) along with about 10 or so coast to coast trips along with a 60day 11,000 mile grand circle of the U.S from boarder to boarder and coast to coast so I think I speak with some experience in what I would call road trips. All the coast to coast and most of the 1000/1300 mile jaunts have been with two small dogs and two sons from toddler thru HS age. As basically your maiden trip you're going 2800mi with TWO DOGS (hopefully they aren't German Sheppard sized:E), and a Toddler with most likely not the best matched TV/TT combo. If any of those three are not superb travellers you are going to be in for some interesting days :E. There is a world of difference in a 50 or 100 mi hour or two weekend trip vs. several hundred miles per day for multiple days across country.

About the only advice I have is to not plan on averaging much more than around 300 to 350 mi/day initially and to plan on a non driving day about every 4th day (i.e 3 days driving and one day resting). I can easily see it taking you almost your entire 2 weeks to drive with close to no or maybe only one or two sightseeing side trips at most.

Larry