Long trip ahead

[kark0202]

Hello. I am towing from minnesota to michigan in august. 12 hr drive and the longest i have ever towed is 3. 5 other passengers so we can switch off but the are all rookies to pulling a 30' tt.

Any tips or tricks of what i should look out for on such a long trip?

[Ian Walker]

Hi
My best advice is change drivers at least every two hours. Would presume you will be travelling on good roads. Make sure whomever
is driving is familiar with gas stations. Pick large gas stations with
lots of room around the pumps. Then always pick the outside pumps
& think ahead how you will get out. Expect EVERYONE will get in your
way. Then "crawl" into the pumps as slow as you can & ALWAYS
have someone watching ahead for low objects. The driver will have
his/her hands full just getting to the pumps.
Also DON'T go by way of Chicago. Go north through the Upper
Peninsula and then down into Michigan. The UP has good roads however no Interstates. With inexperienced
drivers you don't want the added traffic around Chicago plus there's
tolls to deal with etc.. Not sure if this would be a longer drive but
if you get into traffic the savings will be negligible.
Hope This Helps
Ian Walker

[larryo]

Going through Chicago is fine if you plan ahead. From 10pm to 5am you will fly through Chicago. The most experienced driver should be driving at that point. Just get on 94 and go!

[pudgybear]

like they said max 2 hours, stop to stretch and make sure the driver (s) have lots of water to drink, stop at the welcome centers they have tons of info on Michigans sites, If you plan to drive over the MAC bridge stay to the right on the pavement side if you can ( 45 MPH ) I just crossed it 2 days ago - vehicle with 2 axle trailer $8.00

[todd172]

IMO, stopping every two hours is a bit over the top. If you need to switch drivers do it on gas stops. I'd not switch at all if somebody has zero experience towing. Just pull over and rest instead of switching.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by todd172

IMO, stopping every two hours is a bit over the top. If you need to switch drivers do it on gas stops. I'd not switch at all if somebody has zero experience towing. Just pull over and rest instead of switching.

I agree ~~ I generally like to stop about every 3 hours +/- while fueling. At 6 hours the stop is a little longer for something to eat. I generally prefer no more than 9 hours but 12 is OK if the weather, traffic, and etc is good.

[gspot01]

I'm going to depart from the previous advice a little and say don't worry too much about it. My second-ever excursion was a three-week, 4750-mile trip to the Southwest this summer, and I drove every dang mile myself because I don't trust my wife to pilot a go-cart, much less a 12k-lb rig. It's my truck and my TT, and since she refuses to help me pay for it, I don't want her driving it. She can sleep in it and clean a little, but that's it. Before that trip, I had only ever towed three hours to a state park. My point in saying this is, you got this man, by yourself if need be. But if it were me, I'd probably try to split the drive into two days.

My biggest advice is, make sure your lugs are torqued to spec every couple hundred miles, as well as all the nuts & bolts on your hitch, your cold tire pressure is on point, and if you don't have one already, get a TPMS for peace of mind. Other than that, kick back, munch on some sunflower seeds, and enjoy the miles blurring by.

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[head gamez]

Hopefully the OP made it!

Most of the advice on this thread seems way overkill. I would just do the usual rig checks and hit the road. Stop when you need fuel, need supplies, need to stretch or need a bio break. Less stops equals shorter duration trip. Hammer down, start early, and arrive before dark!


2016 Sandpiper 376BHOK
2500HD Chevrolet

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[timfromma]

My first trip EVER with a TT was hauling a 35 footer 1800 miles from MA to FL. I did all the driving only taking breaks for meals, gas, bathroom and 1 overnight at a Walmart in VA. Trip went off without a hitch.

[JustB_Rad]

My wife and I just got back about a month ago from our longest trip with our 1 year old. 650 miles each way...it took us 13.5 hrs there and 11.75 on the way back. I drove the entire way (except 20 min on the way down...needed a quick cat nap and then I was good!). My wife had only towed the trailer for about 20 min before that just in case of an emergency, so she had no experience.

Advice would be:
1 -Stop when you need to.
2 -Fill up with gas at every opportunity until you know you can make it the rest of the way. This way if you get on a good stretch of no potty breaks or snack breaks you can just haul the mail.
3 - Leave early after a good nights sleep
4 - Take snacks with you so you don't have to stop often.
5 - Dress comfortably
6 - Take your time and have fun!

[gspot01]

Originally Posted by JustB_Rad

2 -Fill up with gas at every opportunity until you know you can make it the rest of the way.

This reminds me of another good strategy: on the way out west this summer I intentionally ran the gas out until the fuel empty light came on. I learned that my range while towing is around 220 miles. I got in the habit of setting the trip odometer to zero at every fill up so i would always know at a glance whether I needed to start sweating. Made the drive through the unpopulated areas of Northern New Mexico and Arizona a lot easier and safer, and I still do this today.

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[timfromma]

I carry 10 gallons of gas with me for both generator fuel and as an emergency back up.

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