Advice for Long Distance Towing

Get the RVPARKY app too. It uses GPS to locate you on the road and shows campgrounds near your location. It gives all the info you need to determine if its a suitable stop for you, from amenities to phone number. We start calling about 3pm to a CG an hour or so ahead to check availability. Never been shut out not being able to find an open spot. Don't try to make reservations along the way, meaning days ahead, unless it somewhere you want to stay more than 2 days or so.

2 weeks one way is plenty of time to see the sights and not exhaust yourself driving. Take advantage of it. Stop where and when you want and don't push so hard that you would regret not seeing something along the way.

If you are pulling the trailer up the ALCAN then have 2 spare tires with you. Batten down things inside the trailer too. Friends had their refrigerator tip out of its opening on their trip. The road can be a bit rough they said. They also said it was a trip of a life time and LOVED it. Good luck on your move.

DutchmenSport wrote:

Speed? You do not want to tow any faster than what your trailer tires are rated for.

Plan on lots of stops so the dirver(s) don't get fatigued.

Plan your route out well before you leave. Anticipate the distances you can travel between fill ups. Adjust your "pit stops" accordingly and your overnights too.

Do spend your overnights in an established campground where you can plug into electricity, get a good shower and a good meal. Driving long distances, you can become very irritable very fast by the second day if you are not well fed and clean! ....GoodSam campgrounds (they both have apps for your cell phone).

Get the app, "Gas Buddy" on your phone.

Every time you stop somewhere, do a quick walk around your entire "rig" and make sure everything is still OK.

Bring along easy to fix meals and keep that in the camper, like sandwiches and Jello cups and such. Works great, and save a LOT of money eating at McDonalds along the way.

If you park for the night, you do not necessarily need to unhitch the tow vehicle from the trailer. Just unplug the trailer pig-tail from the tow vehicle and plug the trailer into shore power. If you have slides, follow your camper's manufacturer advise if you should lower the stabilizer jacks or not first. If so, then do it. It only takes a minute to lower them and makes for more stable experience inside the camper.

Most of all, have fun! Make the entire experience a fun experience for everyone.

Wow, DutchmenSport pretty much nailed it all. Great job.

I'll add just a little based on my experience from last summer traveling from Illinois through Wyoming and back.

I'm a Good Sam member. The trip planning tool on the Good Sam web site works pretty well. I used it to review campgrounds along the way, checked out user comments, and made my reservations accordingly. For my single night, on-the-way, stops they set me up with pull-thru sites to make in and out easy. Good Sam membership saved me 10% at each campground as well.

Definitely plan to use camp grounds where you can set up in quiet surroundings so you and the little one can get a full, comfortable nights' sleep. Walmart is okay in a pinch, but the lights and sounds along with unfamiliar surroundings makes for poor rest.

Get the Pilot/Flying J app on your phone too. I tend to really like Flying J for refueling. They always have dedicated RV lanes and since the OP isn't terribly experienced pulling a TT that will be a big benefit. Also, if you're a Good Sam member you will save 8 cents/gallon at Flying J. That adds up pretty quick.

As Dutchmen said, plan plenty of stops. I've found 3 hours in a single stretch is about my limit. That's pretty much time to top off the tank, empty my 'tank', and give the legs/back a chance to move and flex.

KJ

Everyone has given really good advice & tips for your trip. I will add that each day traveling you will get more & more fatiqed to the point of near exhaustion. You might plan on a one day rest stop somewhere.

:) seriously. A properly adjusted brake controller will stop the trailer with or fractionally before the tow vehicle. No pushing or dragging on the tow vehicle by the trailer, both stop as a unit.

If you approach the down grade in the right gear you should be able to go down most grades without using your brakes. However, if you need to use the brake, do not try to feather the pedal and slow down gradually. Push down hard and get the excess speed off quickly and then release the brakes to let them cool. AS STBretired explained slow down 10-15 below what ever is a safe speed.

BTW: a safe speed for your rig going down hill, may not be as fast as the semi behind you is trying to go. Just let him go by, it is not a race to the bottom.

If you have your brake controller set correctly. the trailer brakes will take care of the trailer and your tow vehicle brakes take care of your tow vehicle. NMDriver did not mean to imply that you stand on the brake pedal, but rather that you apply significant pressure so that you slow down quickly, not a panic stop. Remember to downshift at the beginning of the downslope, not after you start to gain speed. I usually will firmly brake t slow my rig down 10 - 15 MPH then let off and let it build the speed back up again, then repeat the process. That gives the brakes some ime to cool off between applications.

NMDriver wrote:
Take a spare, spare tire. Buying tires that fit in a small town can be difficult and expensive. Finding a shop to mount a tire is pretty easy.

If you are not familiar with the western states and the distance between services, you should use Gas Buddy, as a previous poster mentioned, to plan your fuel stops. Fuel can get pretty costly when the only station for 50 miles is setting the price.

Deer, elk, critters in general, can make driving around sunset and sunrise an eye straining experience. If you are tired from a long day of driving it may be best to just stop a hour or so before sunset.

You may be tempted to let the dogs run loose somewhere along the way. I would advise against it. Spending hours waiting for them to come back from a rabbit chase can be worrisome.

I do not know which route you are planning but take it easy on the down slopes and if you do need to use your brake pedal hit it hard, let off and hit it hard again to slow down. Over heating is the danger. No riding the brake or trying to slow down slowly on a down grade.

You will be going through some beautiful country and pass some great places. Hope you enjoy the trip and enjoy Alaska.

Hitting the brake hard while towing a trailer sounds terrible! I think that goes against what I've read so far (which I understand isn't the same as experience). Seriously?!

Take a spare, spare tire. Buying tires that fit in a small town can be difficult and expensive. Finding a shop to mount a tire is pretty easy.

If you are not familiar with the western states and the distance between services, you should use Gas Buddy, as a previous poster mentioned, to plan your fuel stops. Fuel can get pretty costly when the only station for 50 miles is setting the price.

Deer, elk, critters in general, can make driving around sunset and sunrise an eye straining experience. If you are tired from a long day of driving it may be best to just stop a hour or so before sunset.

You may be tempted to let the dogs run loose somewhere along the way. I would advise against it. Spending hours waiting for them to come back from a rabbit chase can be worrisome.

I do not know which route you are planning but take it easy on the down slopes and if you do need to use your brake pedal hit it hard, let off and hit it hard again to slow down. Over heating is the danger. No riding the brake or trying to slow down slowly on a down grade.

You will be going through some beautiful country and pass some great places. Hope you enjoy the trip and enjoy Alaska.

ChristyFord wrote:
To clarify, it's a one-way trip so 2 weeks should be leisurely enough. We're moving to Alaska, which is why we're bringing our dogs along.

Since you aren't in a hurry, take some time to visit attractions along the way. Allow extra time to get through the mountains. If you are taking the rig from your other post, your GC will be working pretty hard to make the climbs. Weather can be pretty iffy from Tennessee on if you are leaving now. You can get stranded for days on SD and MT if the weather gets bad.

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
You will average what you will average on covering distance. Some trips we average as low as 45mph, my last trip from WI to FL I was over 60mph average. It depends on your driving stamina, your crew, traffic, weather, etc...

Exactly. I'm not sure why some are wanting to assume OP will travel the same way they do - there are many factors at play.

To clarify, it's a one-way trip so 2 weeks should be leisurely enough. We're moving to Alaska, which is why we're bringing our dogs along.