Cross Country Towing Advice?

Hi all!

Well, crossing one off the bucket list and planning on driving from Southern California to Epping, New Hampshire to race my slow Honda next month.

Right now my 02 sits at 181xxx miles. It tows to my "local" tracks well, but I have yet to exceed more than 200 miles on a single tow. Now, I'm facing 3200 miles one way lol.

Advice, experiences, things to look for from any of you that have done similar trips in your Tundra? Any input is greatly appreciated. I know an oil change, coolant flush, trans flush are in order, anything else?


Thank you!
Joe

 

I would check ball joints, perhaps change the rear diff fluid, check/charge A/C, inspect tires, check battery and alternator, inspect/service brakes, inspect trailer wiring, inspect any critical plastic components in the engine bay (radiator barbs, connectors etc.) and what you said. Also, might want to stock up on fluids to take with you. Make sure to have a road safety/emergency kit as well.

Oh, consider signing up for AAA or other roadside assistance programs as well if you aren't already. It will be good piece of mind knowing someone will be available to help you no matter where you are or who you know.

 

I assume you have trailer brakes? I'd make sure your truck brakes are up to snuff too. I'd also have a way to monitor transmission temps but that's just me. It may not be a big deal. Make sure you turn overdrive off. Have at least 1 spare tire on hand for that trailer. Aside from that, I would just make sure the truck is up to date on all maintenance, even the things you've not listed.

Looks like you have some decent ass sagging going on there but I don't do any towing so maybe it's not that big of deal..?

 

Yup keep o/d off. Although, when driving with o/d off your sitting at a whopping 2400 rpms UNLOADED. So i reckon he will be at about 3,000 rpms, is that too high for our engines or is it nothing to worry about?

 

#1. Be safe, #2. Change your some fluids, your not changing them cause your truck is going to fail, your changing them so a few months down the road tour truck doesnt even remember doing all of that work cause she had fresh fluids, thats the main thing. Check your psi, trailer condition. Ya know the simple things. Bring some good muzik

 

What's the deal with that eg? AutoX? And if you're by chance on I-40 and pass through Amarillo you're more than welcome to stop here and stretch and let me see that civic.

 

I think you've had some great advice.

My only add-on is making sure you have some funds available in case something happens.

 

Your brain is usually where mine is. My first thought was drive the Honda.

 

Spare tire aired up. Jack operational. Tire drop lever accessible.

E-Rated tires?

Brake Fluid Bleed?

 

You've done the most important thing already; that is to have towed multiple times with it before and know its good to go.

Get a scangauge2 before you go so you can watch your coolant and tranny fluid temps to get a sense of what is normal. That setup doesn't look too punishing - I'm guessing about 5k lbs rolling? O/D off, leave plenty of time and watch tranny temps (do you have factory trans cooler only?).

 

Take plenty of breaks. 3200 miles is a long trip.
My wife and I have done a couple of 2000 mile trips and we stopped every 200 miles or so whether we needed to or not. Just getting out of the truck and moving around refreshes you.
Be safe. Don't be in a rush to get there. Save the race for the track

 

Are you headed to Epping Dragway? I'm not to far from there. Have you been up this way before? Good luck on your trip..

 

Check tires and wheels bearings on the trailer, probably should have extras on hand and tools to change them. Torque the lugs to spec.

 

Id buy a couple oem spark plugs and maybe an ignition coil. Cause why not?

 

Precisely where I'm going. Right now the event is a go, but I'm worried with things closing up again here in SoCal I may face the same fate. Care to keep me updated? haha. Never been! Any recommendations on where to find a good AirBnB or hotel up by the track?

 

@Pucks18 I was thinking about that yesterday, good call!

@GravityGear GF has AAA thank goodness. Balljoints have never been done on the truck, is this an expensive service item? I've actually never done balljoints on anything before lol

@FirstGenVol It has a "leveling" kit but that Southern California lean could get better if I played with the weight distro more on the trailer, I think

@Pucks18 On flat I should I be about there, you guys think that's fine? Is there ever a time I could keep OD on whilst towing?

@bmf4069 Are you a Honda guy too!? I'll keep you in mind would love to pass through Amarillo

@Darkness If I had registration on it I would totally do it lol

@Professional Hand Model I had a blowout last year with that trailer, I'll look into the tires once more. Copy on the brake fluid!

@noahrexion I don't think mine came with a Tranny cooler. My coworkers are advising I install one for the trip. Advice on which way to go?

@Netmonkey Great quote! We plan on leaving Tuesday to get there by Friday at 4pm. Taking time and stopping places we want to check out briefly.

 

Just inspect them. You may not need to replace them. If you need to replace them, it's easier to replace the arms. I'm really only familiar with aftermarket performance parts for the 1st gen, so I can't give you much advice on replacing them, but just looking on RockAuto, it looks to be about $100 each for upper and lower arms. Replacing all 4 is probably less than a day's work if you're experienced working on vehicles. Basically, just make sure there's no rips in the boots, no play in the joints, etc.

 

Well so far NH is staying open an hasn't seen as bad of spiking as other parts of the country but who knows what the future will hold.. I don't know of any Airbnb recommendations, there are a couple of your standard hotels in Epping. Epping itself is a pretty small town an the track is right off the highway an sort of on its own. You will be close to our seacoast area which is charming an I'm sure has BNB type places to stay but at a premium cost. If I hear about any shutdowns I'll let you know

 

Engine load has nothing to do with RPMs. Unloaded and loaded RPMs will be the exact same, especially on the highway.




As someone who’s towed HEAVY with these trucks for long distances, here’s what I recommend.


Be up to date on your maintenance. Sounds like you’ve got that in order.

turn O/D off on any sort of grade, or when the trans has to downshift frequently. That civic is probably pretty light, so you’re probably towing what, 5500lbs? You may need O/D off just from a power standpoint.

get a cheap Bluetooth OBD2 scanner and Torque pro to monitor coolant and trans temps. You’ll be just fine on the highway, it’s in the city where things get toasty.

make sure your spare Tire is in good shape and inflated.

have a great trip! You’ll do just fine.

 

There’s already a lot of good advice here so I won’t repeat it. I would make sure your trailer axle bearings are greased and in good shape. Pack the night before and dial in your tongue weight. If you get tired pull over and take a break. Don’t try and shake off the nods. It may only take 30secs of walking around wake-up your body but it’s something you can’t do while driving. Towing a trailer will add some strain/ stress to your drive. Account for it and don’t set your expectations too high, it’s a marathon not a sprint. The goal is to get there safely

 

Dang dude, that’s motoring at a pretty good clip!

Be safe and enjoy the ride! It’s awesome.

 

wow.... 800+ miles a day is alot especially when towing. On our 2000 mile trips, we were pulling a uhaul trailer and we did 500 miles per day (~8 hours of driving + 1-2 hours of rest stops). After 4 days of it, we were beat and we were not able to share in the driving. We were moving from one state to another so we each had our own vehicles. I suppose if you have someone who can share the driving, it will be easier

 

About 3000 miles. Among all the other good advice above I'd consider the path to avoid substantial grade inclines, not as exciting views but so much easier on the equipment. Luck and Stay Safe!

 

@JoeMac492 absolutley. I've loved hondas since the import scene started. I remember reading about the first import in the 10s (a 1g eclipse iirc). Had a y-49 89 crx si in high school. Haven't had another one since but would love an 80s or early 90s hatch.

 

Echo the above advice on maintenance before you head out, emphasis on frequent stops for fatigue and sanity's sake.
Use those to inspect tire pressure on the truck and trailer. Tire failure is most often a result of incorrect tire pressure. A patch kit and a can of fix a flat or a compressor is a good idea.
Also, when loading the car on the trailer, load it so that you have 12-15% of the weight on the tongue of the trailer. That is going to cause you to have rear end squat on these trucks, but ensures that the load will behave when pulling it down the highway.
If the trailer does not have brakes, be mindful of your stopping distance. These trucks have weak brakes.
Not sure if the 02 got the planetary gear upgrade or not, but I can't see the scenario where you will be able to pull with the truck in OD. It will be constantly kicking out of OD into 3rd, causing heat to buildup in the transmission. That heat and pressure buildup can cause a hose to fail, or the fluid to burn and become less effective, increasing wear on the trans. Keep it out of OD. Scan gauge is a good idea to monitor trans temps.
The extra plugs and coil are probably overkill. I've never experienced failure of these, is this common for others?
Extra fluids are a good idea.
I've driven 2400 miles across country twice with my truck towing a Uhaul once and a car on a dolly the second time. Never had any issues with the truck. Took the better part of 3 full days with stops at speeds of 60-65mph tops. It's gonna take longer than you think, not sure how much sight seeing you'll be able to fit into this trip.
Your gas mileage will suck. Big time. maybe 8.5mpg. Fill up well before empty. Maybe bring a couple 5 gallon cans of gas. Gas money is gonna be $1600 or so for the round trip at current prices.
AAA is cool, but much of your trip will be remote areas. Long time to get help.
Best of luck and check into quarantine requirements before you head out. A lot of the Northeast is mandating 14 day quarantine upon arriving into the state. They'll see your out of state plates. They will pull you over and make you fill out a form stating that you will obey the quarantine and stay at a specified location for the entire 14 days. You get pulled over again with your out off state plates and they can fine you. Crazy.

 

When I did my cross country trip from Florida to the rockies, San Francisco, Sn Diego and back to Florida. 190k, I went ahead and did a timing belt, water pump, radiator and spark plug change and brakes. I hit 200k when I was leaving San Diego to head back to Florida.

Plan your trip with minimal elevation changes. I know it's hard avoid that once you get to Pennsylvania and upstate NY. Borrowing a lighter trailer will be less of a toll with your truck driving up the mountains. But, the 4.7 can handle it with your tandem and Honda.

Remember, heat is the enemy! Keep those brakes cool along with oil and water.

Good luck!

 

Ever so slightly imitated now. 8.5??? Thoughts on renting a diesel from Enterprise truck instead? lol

 

I got 13mpg towing 9-10,000 lbs. 8.5 is a bit extreme.

 

Make sure you’re insured properly for that. Additional layers of responsibility

 

I believe many states require trailer brakes for loads greater than 3500lbs. At 5K lbs +, I imagine all states do.