Advice for Long Distance Towing

[ChristyFord]

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?

Note: my husband and I have no experience towing a TT yet, so lay it on me!

[ChristyFord]

Another quick road trip question. I'm looking at our route for our road trip and wondering about mid-day stops between campsites. What if we want to go into a city/town for lunch or something where it wouldn't be wise to haul our trailer with us... do we pass or do people temporarily park their trailers somewhere for this purpose? For example, do camp grounds allow short term without booking an overnight stay? ...Or is this a dumb question?

[Campinfan]

DutchmenSport wrote:
(I'm not going to discuss your trailer type and tow vehicle type here, and try to stay on your topic.)

First ... your speed. Regardless of how far you tow a trailer, you can expect an estimated "average" of 50 mph. The longer the distance you are traveling, the more true this is. Meaning ... you are physically traveling only 50 miles every hour. This takes into account rest stops, fuel stops, food stops, bathroom breaks, and just time to stretch.

Speed? You do not want to tow any faster than what your trailer tires are rated for. (Most) are rated at 65 mph. Different tires may have an 80 mph rating. Most likely, if your's is the original tires on your camper, they are rated at 65 mph. You do not want to travel any faster than that.

More than likely, your true highway speed will be, between 60 and 62 mph.

(but your over all average for the trip, will still be 50 miles an hour).

Plan on lots of stops so the dirver(s) don't get fatigued. And besides, with a "little one" strapped to a car seat, the toddler will become cranky. Beside, changing diapers, food, and spills will result in even more stops along the way. Do not attempt to change diapers and such in the back seat while the driver continues on so you won't loose time. Take the time and actually STOP to change those diapers. Beside, it's the law. In a moving vehicle, the child must be in a car seat. It's just too risky to NOT stop and do it right.

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! Besides, WalMart parking has it's risks, and you do have a 2 year old child to consider. So do overnight stops at real campgrounds, like KOA or GoodSam campgrounds (they both have apps for your cell phone).

Get the app, "Gas Buddy" on your phone. It's a life saver traveling to new location and looking for a gas station. Down load it now, and start using it now so you have familarity with it. It's absolutely priceless when traveling.

Every time you stop somewhere, do a quick walk around your entire "rig" and make sure everything is still OK. 99.9 percent of the time it is. But that 0.1 percent of the time, something could come loose, or find a bumper cap missing, or a plug cover wiggled loose. Also, check your turn signals and brake lights on the trailer often.

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. However, it is nice to go inside and sit down too, but not every time. You loose a lot of time this 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.

It sounds like you have a specific destination in mind, but don't forget .... traveling there is half the fun too! Don't short cut the driving experience and all that can be seen and done along the way. If you see an interesting amusement, restraunt, event, shop, or unusual site, overlook, or scenic view, take the time and stop and see it. The unknown, unexpected, unanticipated stops are often the ones you remember the most years later.

Most of all, have fun! Make the entire experience a fun experience for everyone. Please don't drive like your on a race to the moon! Enjoy every moment of the experience ... even the planning stages you are in right now. It's all part of the "adventure." Make it all meaningful. That's the MOST important thing!

Dutchman really hit the nail on the head. 50 miles in an hour is about what we get...we go 62mph but stopping for fuel and breaks equates to the 50 miles in an hour. Good post!!

[DinTulsa]

We recently travel 800 miles with a 5 month old and a 5 year old. It took us roughly 16 hours to travel 800 miles. We traveled roughly 120-150 miles between stops, I would grab fuel while the wife breast fed the baby. I would take the oldest for a walk around and let him burn energy, Each time we stopped was roughly 30-40 minutes. I would recommend no more than 400 miles a day, especially if you haven't towed a trailer before. If you only have 2 weeks to scheduled for there and back it's going to be a miserable trip.

[1320Fastback]

We did 2 500 mile days towing out to Yellowstone from San Diego as its dang near 1,000 miles and wanted to make it there and home in 2 days. Towing for 10 hours, hey what do you know 50mph average, is not hard its just not fun. After about 8 hours I was ready to stop becuase you start thinking of having to set up the trailer and whatnot.

[ktmrfs]

all I will say is that a 800 mile/day trip not towing, which we do quite often is more stress/fatique for us as than a 400 mile/day towing trip. We rarely go more than 400 miles in one day. 500 is about the most and then we plan on either a day stopover or a shorter day the next day.

And we plan our trips so we miss rush hour traffic in major cities. bumper to bumper towing through a city is NOT my idea of fun.

[Lwiddis]

“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).“

Would you rather crash into someone left turning in front of you? Or try to stop...and at least slowing you down? Properly adjusted trailer brakes with the right gain setting will stop the trailer. The proper TV won’t be wagged by the TT....don’t push the limits of the TV.

[Durb]

Make sure your trailer is appropriately sized to your SUV. Make sure your hitch is set up perfectly so the trailer does not move your tow vehicle around when towing. You should be able to get in the right hand lane of the interstate and relax while your rig effortlessly tracks straight with no fighting of the trailer. A white knuckle tow that long would be miserable and exhausting.

Make sure your mirrors are sufficient to look straight down the sides of your trailer. If not, get good mirror extensions. Trying to guess where the other traffic is can be stressful.

Sounds like a fun trip. Thorough preparation will make it enjoyable.

[Grit_dog]

jamesu wrote:

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?

Note: my husband and I have no experience towing a TT yet, so lay it on me!

2 adults with NO travel trailer experience, a toddler, and two dogs towing a TT cross country on their first outing? Since you are asking my advice: DON’T DO IT.

Get valuable experience first. At the least take two or three weekend-type trips to close by state parks or campgrounds. There is a lot more to towing and camping in a TT than just pointing it straight ahead down an Interstate. Personal experience is way more valuable to you than reading advice from experienced campers. After you have done that come back here and ask the same question.

This is more than a bit harsh of a reaction, but the takeaway is good. christyford with your guys lack of experience all around with this, it would help to do a couple dry runs for sure.
But in the excitement of moving to AK, you may not have the time. Take er easy, have good tires and a spare for both rigs. I'd even maybe bring a second bare tire for the trailer and have fun!

BTW you said driving to Seattle. Presume you're taking the ferry from there to Haines? If you have time, look at driving from Seattle to Prince Rupert and picking up the ferry there. It gets you some time in the beautiful lower BC and you skip the boring portion of the ferry ride and about half the cost compared to sailing out of Seattle.

[myredracer]

Sounds like a great adventure in the making! What's happening with BC? Unless I missed it, what time of year?

What is the length/weight and GVWR & CCC of the TT? Single or dual axle? If it's pushing the limits of the SUV it will not be a fun tow, esp. for that distance. I would def. do some local towing to make sure the WDH and BC are properly set up. Keep the TT tires inflated to the sidewall max. (check periodically) and increase psi in TV tires, avoid all hard/sudden potholes & speed bumps. It might be a good idea to go to a scale when fully loaded up. Is the TT new or older? Make sure bearings and brakes are in good working order as well as suspension. Need something for jacking up - bottle jack or plastic ramps (Trailer Aid, Blaylock).

One tool we have found that really helps on long distance trips is a laptop and Verizon mifi. You can check road conditions, road construction, traffic, weather, etc. in advance of upcoming legs of trip, book or change CG reservations, find restaurants & stores, etc., etc. An RV GPS might also help. Wildfires in the west have been bad in recent years July-Sept, if travelling then. Take some basic hand tools (wt. notwithstanding).

If heading into Seattle area on I-90 from the east, it's many miles of rolling grasslands and it can be VERY windy, enough to blow trailers over and enough sometimes to make semi truck drivers stop - slow right down if so. Unless visiting Seattle, stay east of the 405. I've towed our TT on 203 around Seattle and it's a lovely drive except rather slow and also twisty in areas. If you don't mind a more mountain-like road, hwy 2 up to Everett would be good. A day trip to the Seattle waterfront area with SUV only would be fun. Seattle has to have the worst traffic on the planet...

[jamesu]

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?

Note: my husband and I have no experience towing a TT yet, so lay it on me!

2 adults with NO travel trailer experience, a toddler, and two dogs towing a TT cross country on their first outing? Since you are asking my advice: DON’T DO IT.

Get valuable experience first. At the least take two or three weekend-type trips to close by state parks or campgrounds. There is a lot more to towing and camping in a TT than just pointing it straight ahead down an Interstate. Personal experience is way more valuable to you than reading advice from experienced campers. After you have done that come back here and ask the same question.

[RichB3125]

If the trip is anytime before April, I would seriously consider taking the southern route thru NM/AZ and then north thru CA/OR. It does not add much to the total trip distance/time. I expect that you will not want to take on the added complications of snow and cold weather RVing.

Rich

[ken56]

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.

[LIKE2BUILD]

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

[sayoung]

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.

[NMDriver]

🙂 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.