Long Trip Tips???

[jerseyrunner5]

Hi All,
My semester ends next Tuesday and plan on driving from Miami to Jersey. I figured since i'm leaving around 5 pm I am just going to drive to Jacksonville on the first night, and then Jacksonville to Richmond VA, then Richmond to NJ the next morning. I am taking my 5th gen and it currently has only 3k on it so I don't think I need to get serviced before I leave, just need to top off washer fluid. The one big factor is I have a 8 week old puppy so I am going to have to stop every 2 hours or so. Does anybody have any tips for someone doing a long trip by himself? I figure I will need gas every 300 miles or so.

Anything I should know about driving the Runner long distances?
Should I use regular fuel or will I get more mpgs with Premium?
Any area to be careful in regards to speeding?

Thanks in advanced.

 

[4Surfin]

Step 1 - enter the 4runner
Step 2 - turn it on
Step 3 - drive

that should cover it

 

[1engineer]

No. I drove 611 miles one way a few weeks ago in 10 hours. Then I drove back a few days later. Stop a few times, pee, eat, stretch and go again. No big deal and nothing special with the 4Runner.
You should be able to get into NC before you stop first night and then NJ the next evening.

 

[st8rocks]

Any area to be careful in regards to speeding?

Not speeding helps with this:

I figure I will need gas every 300 miles or so.

But to each his own. I get 450 miles/tank no problem.

 

[bimrunner]

Dog crate, good music, good snacks, lots of patience... all which are not car specific. Long hauls on your own can be fun and they can be a challenge. Don't be afraid to pull into a rest stop and nap or walk around if you need to. Not worth falling asleep at the wheel.

Have a great trip!

 

[philsey]

Good advice so far.

NO to premium.

I just completed a 3500 mi road trip to FL and back. The 4R is an excellent road trip vehicle. FL traffic sux, FL drivers are insane, and the FHP is ubiquitous, but you probably knew all that, eh?

Be safe. Have a good trip.

 

[jicko]

Redbulls or Monsters, whatever you preferred.... at the end, they all taste the same....

Audio books, an interesting one will definitely keep you awake.....

The Waze app can help you with speed traps.

 

[Cheers!]

You probably should avoid the tail of the dragon route.

 

[WakeDreams]

Dog crate, portable bowls for water when you stop, a bone to occupy it's mind and things to clean up vomit if it gets car sick. Keep an eye on where the crate is in the back and where the sun is to keep it in the shade. Use the "Waze" app to keep an eye out for traffic, construction and police locations. If you are planning on leaving Richmond in the morning, keep in mind our traffic is the 2nd worst in the nation. Plan to sit in rush hour traffic like you have possibly never seen by the time you reach Quantico VA northbound 95. To make it worse when you get on to 495, the traffic will continue until you are north of Baltimore. Personally if it were me I would either wait until about 9am to leave RVA or plan to try to get north of Baltimore from Jacksonville. Safe travels!

 

[RESQLAB]

1.) Radar Detector.. enough said!

I dont crate my dogs... but I learned a few of the tricks below from my dear old dad who was an avid hunter and long distant driver:

1.) Use an old milk jug and fill it with water (sits perfectly in a stainless bowl).
2.) Lots of towels.. you'll need them.
3.) Throw in a an extra leash.
4.) I found carrying a flea comb to be helpful (my dog got heavily infested during a simple 10 min. pit stop).


I bought a neat waterproof seat cover from a company called Mud River last year. I used to have it in the back seat of my F150, but now it lines the floor of my 4Runner. I had a few metal eyelets punched into it and zip tied it down (works awesome and better than using a tarp!) http://mudriverdogproducts.com/product/two-barrel-double-seat-cover/

Lastly, maybe ear plugs if the puppy crys the whole time!!!!



* Sorry, pictures seem to get spun on this site sometimes.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

1. Try staying on the road between the lines
2. fill up your gas tank when it gets to E
3. don't let the dog drive

That should pretty much cover most long trips in any 4 runner

 

[hangman]

• Windows down, including the back and the moonroof if you have it--we've got one of a very few vehicles where you can do that.
• Grab some great music--you're going to need it.
• Use pace rabbits--you never want to be the only vehicle going fast. Take turns if you find someone else on the road that wants to do 70s/80s.
• Absolutely avoid the DC Metro Area during any time anywhere near a peak hour. Sentiments above are 100% accurate.
• Take pics and have fun.

Enjoy it!

 

[Friggin Idiot]

The less water you give the dog during the day, the less unscheduled stops you'll have. Let it have all the water it wants at the hotel at night. Let it out every time you stop so it has a chance to pee and sniff around. You'd be surprised just how much more tolerable 2 hour blocks are if you just let the dog sniff around for 5 mins at a stop.
Calming collars and pheromone sprays are worth the cost if your pet constantly whines while in the car.
Use a full/queen fitted sheet to cover the seatbacks or folded up seats. It will keep dog hair off, and instead of spending hours vacuuming your truck, you can just wash the sheet instead.
LaQuinta is one of the best national chains for traveling with pets, and isn't all that expensive.

You're pretty much stuck with I-95 for that route, but use Waze (app for iPhone & Android). Great user driving app, see construction reports, speed traps, and traffic ahead of time. Directions from Waze are great at avoiding traffic. After several bad experiences driving through St Louis rush hour, I've learned to trust Waze more than the Toyota Nav. Around DC it's a godsend to find those little shortcuts around stuck traffic that only locals know. If it says stay on the interstate, stay on, if it says get off, then get the h3ll off right away!

Use the bluetooth connection for audio. I load a ton of mp3's on my phone so that I'm not stuck only with radio or cd. It also keeps from burning lots of data listening to streaming music via Entune. I also have a tablet with a much bigger selection of mp3's and a few of the movies I know by heart. Don't worry I don't watch, just steal an occasional glance, and recite the lines along with the movies. Action movies aren't so good for listening while driving because most of the movie is visual fight scenes etc. But comedy is a great genre to load up on. You can also grab audio books and podcasts to catch up on.

Watch you butt on speed traps between the NC/VA line and Richmond, it's a targeted zone, especially on US routes and I-95.

To avoid highway hypnotism try making up games. I like lane ping pong. In light or no traffic bounce back and forth between the lane markings, but still staying in your lane. It helps break the monotony of staring straight ahead. Try to get musical going on and off rumble strips, I've about got the mario bros theme figured out. Occasionally "Do a barrel roll!" Yea right, just checking to see if you're paying attention!

 

[aweaver65]

Hi All,
My semester ends next Tuesday and plan on driving from Miami to Jersey. I figured since i'm leaving around 5 pm I am just going to drive to Jacksonville on the first night, and then Jacksonville to Richmond VA, then Richmond to NJ the next morning. I am taking my 5th gen and it currently has only 3k on it so I don't think I need to get serviced before I leave, just need to top off washer fluid. The one big factor is I have a 8 week old puppy so I am going to have to stop every 2 hours or so. Does anybody have any tips for someone doing a long trip by himself? I figure I will need gas every 300 miles or so.

Anything I should know about driving the Runner long distances?
Should I use regular fuel or will I get more mpgs with Premium?
Any area to be careful in regards to speeding?

Thanks in advanced.

I agree with everything others have posted. In N. Florida don't venture too far from 95, there are a lot of speed traps up that way.

One thing I'll add that others haven't said is this, I've taken a fair amount of long road trips, avoiding rush hour is highly advisable. There's nothing like being worn down from hours on the road to then sit in heavy traffic for several more hours trying to make time.

I've sometimes found that driving late at night avoids a lot of traffic, driving in direct sunlight and other things. I've actually taken trips leaving out at 7PM or later and had a long relaxing drive. Good music is a must and your puppy will sleep through it too... You didn't mention what kind of pup you have but, you can give him/her a Benadryl for each 25lbs of body weight. I know this because I have a 7 month old 70 German Sheppard who's was getting car sick all the time. Our vet suggested the Benadryl and it worked like magic. He used to wake up 5 or 6 times a night and sometimes we'd give him one before bed which also worked very well.

 

[Mooney]

XM Radio, itunes connected to Blue Tooth, sun flower seeds, favorite bev.

 

[Range]

Buy a rape whistle.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

Buy a rape whistle.

Forget the whistle. Walk softly and bring a friend!



Although considering you're going to NJ, you might as well get something like a Hi-Point that doesn't hurt too much when you throw it away to cross the Delaware River.

 

[thrux]

Last year I did Orlando to Albuquerque solo, not in a 4Runner but applicable as well. Some things I did:

Sunflower seeds are awesome for road trips.

Gatorade counters the salt from the seeds.

I bought a pack of smokes even though I don't smoke. Smoked some, tossed the rest when I got there.

Watch the tire pressures and condition. Some of my tires were almost done. In fact I said I would finish the trip and get new ones the day after I arrived. I ended up busting 2 belts in 2 tires. They were slightly overpressurized, and being loaded in the car driving 12+ hours each day did them in from the heat.

Plan your stop ahead of time. Call the hotel on the way, etc. that way you're not tempted to go... "Ehhhh one more town"

Put the windows down and enjoy the free time!

 

[RESQLAB]

The less water you give the dog during the day, the less unscheduled stops you'll have. Let it have all the water it wants at the hotel at night.

Yes, let's dehydrate the dog during the day so your not at all inconvenienced. Then, let it bloat itself out at night from severe thirst.

And if you don't feed it, it wont poop as much too!

 

[Mikey01]

Every weekend I put at last 1k on my 4Runner in the western deserts, to prepare I tell the boy, dog and wife, get in the damn truck. I stop at the gas station and fill up get beer and ice. I then put the key in turn it on and depress the skinny pedal with my right foot, put the nose in the direction I would like to travel.

I have not noticed a difference with fuel or gas stations. I do like to run the no alcohol added stuff 88oct about once a month. I have 13k on the truck and will probably run a injector cleaner in it around 20 when I am planning on burning a tank with out sitting.