Towing long distance

Im in the process of moving and will have my boat with me. It will be about an 18-20 hour drive.. My biggest concern is making it between gas stations through no-mans land of Montana due to the Tundras pea size gas tank. Anybody else have any suggestions or lessons learned from a longer trip pulling something?

 

Buy gas cans. Multiple.

 

This. Get a couple 5 gallon cans just incase.

 

Yep bring extra fuel.

 

And dear god, get the cans that have the old style spouts on them!! Trust me on this one

 

I just drove from Seattle to Boston (through Montana) pulling a 12k pound trailer with my 2008 Crewmax. It's got the rediculously inadequate 26 gallon fuel tank and I was getting about 7.5 mpg, but I never ran out of fuel between gas stations.

I just made sure that I stopped at the next gas station once I hit about 140 miles since the previous fill-up.

Here's me stopping for gas somewhere in North Dakota fully loaded.



Before anyone lights their torches and gathers a mob because of that trailer weight, I made several upgrades before the trip, monitored engine and trans temps and drove very conservative speeds in 4th gear the entire 3,200 miles. The engine never came close to overheating, but the trans didn't like it when the torque converter wasn't locked up durring acceleration and hill climbs so I just slowed down until the trans temp held at 195-205°F.

Air bags, swaybar, load range E tires, additional trans cooler, drilled and slotted rotors, ceramic pads, trailer brakes, weight distribution hitch and Water Wetter coolant additive. I was shocked by how stable it was pulling that much weight.

I wouldn't recommend anyone doing it for fun, but I was in a big pinch and Toyota doesn't make a 3/4 ton truck yet. (Sorry folks, the Tundra is great, but it's still just a half ton truck.)

 

When I had my Tacoma, I moved from MA to TX pulling a uhaul trailer. I bought 2, 5-gallon gas cans and strapped them in the bed. 9mpg with 21 gallons doesn't get you very far and I didn't want to risk running out of gas in the middle of no where. I ended up not using the extra gas, but I had piece of mind during the trip.

like others have said.... get a gas can or two

these are the cans I got... totally worth it:
https://www.amazon.com/VP-Gallon-Sq...rd_wg=8R0lq&psc=1&refRID=WS1S5CWGX1XD4JABJFKE

 

if the VP racing cans are too $$ check this out . No crappy (nanny fillers )
https://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Jerry...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=846J8MX8HH06QBC09TCY

 

fill the boat full of gas then get a gas drain hose that way you can just take it out of the boat if you run low and if you don't then you have gas to go fishing.

 

I had a 5 gallon Go Plus strapped in the bed of the truck when I had a trailer moving stuff from San Diego, Ca to San Antonio, TX. The only time I used it was when I helped a stranded motorist in Arizona on HWY 10 who had ran out of gas. I had enough gas from gas station to gas station.

 

This will work but...If you fill the boat tank you are hauling extra weight on your road trip and if you have never done it, getting fuel out of a boat tank can be a lot of trouble. (I live in a Hurricane zone and the 63 gallons in my Whaler is part of my generator fuel, so I speak from experience.) My advice is throw a 5 gallon can or two in the boat for insurance.

 

I carry a can and use the Gasbuddy app to see the next station when approaching 150 miles.

 

What kinda boat ya got there @Powder ?

 

Looks like an x star, those are nice boats!!

 

Thanks guys, made the trip in early June just fine, just annoying having to stop for gas so often...

Moto, my boat is a 20' Reinell LXI. It has a 350 HP motor on it, you know, to make sure I don't get stuck in the water......

 

Yeah, no one wants to get stuck due to low horsepower haha.

Beautiful boat!