Long Trip Tips???

[jerseyrunner5]

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.

The dog is a 8 week old Catahoula/Lab mix. I also have a 6 month old German Shepherd but she is already in NJ. I have a Passport Max hardwired in under the rearview with the mute button hidden in the little box thing next to usb/aux plug. I am going to use Waze and set it to alerts only. I planned on keeping the pup in the front passenger seat with a towel on it and a bed for the pup. I am already dreading DC traffic. Going to use Spotify and XM for the drive. Packed a case of water in the back, a little worried about parking in hotel lots at night since I have a lot of UHaul boxes in the back packed with clothes and other crap. I will be happy if I can get close to 20 mpg, better than the 14 I'm averaging right now. Guess i will use regular like you guys said.

 

[Mikey01]

On highways I get about 22ish

 

[MSinDC]

Leave Richmond around 9 and you should miss DC rush "hours". Starts to lighten up around 10.

 

[blacksheep4]

The dog is a 8 week old Catahoula/Lab mix. I also have a 6 month old German Shepherd but she is already in NJ.

Great looking dog, I have a Catahoula/ black and tan mix. Something about the back of the 4runner puts him right to sleep, I've had him on a couple of 10 hour trips. I crate him for long drives but he's well behaved even when loose in the back for short trips. Good luck with your trip and especially 95 in NOVA. An EZ pass is well worth it, they just opened an EZ pass only express lane near DC that could save you a lotttt of time.

 

[mace.]

We picked up our puppy in Ohio and drove him back to CT in one day. The breeder suggested not letting a young puppy near the grassy areas at rest stops that are marked for dogs. The concern is that they are more likely to pick up worms or parasites in these spots since a high number of dogs are using a small area.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

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!

I wasn't insinuating that you shouldn't give the dog any water, just that you shouldn't let it have free access to water during the drive. Also be mindful of how much you do give it. It wouldn't be smart to let it guzzle half a gallon before leaving Richmond and then it has to go when you're sitting in the DC crawl. I usually don't let my 55lb dalmatian have more than about 1/3 of a bottle (20oz are usually what I have with me) at any stop unless it's with food, or I'm stopping again in an hour. Of course an 8wk old puppy needs less than that.
Not feeding a dog is just cruel no matter the circumstances. Mine gets fed when I stop for dinner, before I eat. That way I can let her do her business before and after getting my meal in the restaurant. I save chew bones for the hotel room where she's less like to get stabbed in the mouth when I hit a pothole or a possum.

Also check the times on the HOV's in DC. They've changed everything since I was there a couple years back. Check out ExpressLanes for the new info. I disagree with the charge during non-peak hours, but what do you want out of an elitist area head to the central hot air bureaucracy?

 

[jerseyrunner5]

I will leave Richmond around 9. That sounds reasonable. I bought a large nylabone for the pup that he can't choke on or anything. I won't give him too much water since but he will have food at the hotel and when we stop for lunch. Also, i will not let him in the play areas, too risky.

 

[jerseyrunner5]

The dog is a 8 week old Catahoula/Lab mix. I also have a 6 month old German Shepherd but she is already in NJ.

Great looking dog, I have a Catahoula/ black and tan mix. Something about the back of the 4runner puts him right to sleep, I've had him on a couple of 10 hour trips. I crate him for long drives but he's well behaved even when loose in the back for short trips. Good luck with your trip and especially 95 in NOVA. An EZ pass is well worth it, they just opened an EZ pass only express lane near DC that could save you a lotttt of time.

You got a really good looking dog. I have an ezpass since I'm from NJ and I don't wanna crate him unless he is out of control. My shepherd never needs to be crated in the car, she goes right to sleep. Hoping it is the same with this one.

 

[RESQLAB]

I wasn't insinuating that you shouldn't give the dog any water, just that you shouldn't let it have free access to water during the drive.

LOL.... thank you for the clarification.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

1) Avoid Taco Bell at all costs while on the road and for the love of God and all things good, do NOT feed your puppy half a left over Taco Bell Burrito Supreme if you care about your vehicle in the slightest way.

2) If you are crapping in a rest stop and a hand comes under the stall wall you have a problem.

3) Carry a gun. Reference point #2

4) Passport 8500

5) iTunes. Lots and lots of iTunes.

 

[JayceeP]

5pm might not be the best time to hit the highway in South Florida but other than that you should be fine. Just drive and keep track of your mpg for fun... and then come on here and create a thread about it so we all have another 10+ page mpg thread we can post in . Tip: 20+mpg is possible at 75-80mph in flat and calm conditions.

 

[4FL]

Try to get on past DC on your second day in order to avoid wasting your time the next morning, unless you do not care about wasting time so much.

I am a dog crate person, if anything, so if there is a wreck, I do not have to worry about the dog (in my case my cats) getting loose.

I have made this trip several times, I live in Miami but often drive up to DC and back.

I always made sure to take a a few minutes, like ten minutes, and walk around every so often, I usually do it when getting gas and around when my tank is half empty.

Lastly, if you feel you are getting tired, trust me, it is not worth to push yourself . Just maybe try to take a nap, a long walk, or maybe call it a day early and get a hotel room. Way too many incidents happen because people think they can push through their sleepiness.

 

[NYNURSE]

Lessons learned after many New York to Florida trips:
Rest stops are about 40 miles apart and only marked 1 mile in advance. Plan ahead.
Keep water within reach. 3 hour old coffee or Coke gets nasty real fast.
When you are north of Richmond, gas up and run the dog. You don't want to do this 75 miles north or south of Washington.
Do the speed limit, not 5 over. Make sure all your lights work and signal as needed. A single occupant vehicle with out of state plates will make you a target. Just blend in with everyone else. You will have a better chance of hitting the lottery then seeing that cop before he sees you.

 

[SierraMare]

Some good advice here. For the dog's protection, best to have it in a crate if you have it on the front seat. Otherwise, a crash with airbag deployment is likely to kill it. Plus a confined puppy is not the distraction a free puppy is.

Hopefully you take some short trips first with the pup if you can to break you both in. My three Labs travel with me each summer to Alaska from Wisconsin and back again. Dogs can be great travelers for the long haul, but puppies need a little TLC.

Safe travels!

 

[uptheirons]

I did a big trip last year from Calgary down to Palm Springs a along the coast, and back through the desert...

One thing i wish i had/did was take more time and really enjoy it. I Enjoyed the hell out of it as is, but if i had an extra week or 2, it would have been even more amazing.

So my only piece of advice would be to stop, and get out of the truck once in a while, walk around and enjoy new sights and sounds.

 

[jerseyrunner5]

1) Avoid Taco Bell at all costs while on the road and for the love of God and all things good, do NOT feed your puppy half a left over Taco Bell Burrito Supreme if you care about your vehicle in the slightest way.

2) If you are crapping in a rest stop and a hand comes under the stall wall you have a problem.

3) Carry a gun. Reference point #2

4) Passport 8500

5) iTunes. Lots and lots of iTunes.

1. I never had taco bell don't plan on it, not too into Mexican food
2. That guy is in for some major issues
3. Always
4. Passport Max
5. Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, and XM


The reason I am stopping at the places I am is because I booked hotels rooms there, knowing I would rather be in a city than in some rural area. I will try the crate for the dog and see how he deals with it. I just want to be able to see what he is doing while I drive. Gas stations are a downfall for me since I'm from Jersey and can barely pump my own gas (its a 10 minutes process). I'll try to keep cruise in the 75-80 range if it gets the best mileage. I am going to keep water in the door cubby thing and in the cup holders, and almost in the console. Am actually really looking forward to it now. You guys made it seem really enjoyable. Just a little nervous about being pulled over, I am the ideal person that any highway patrol would want to pull over, (jersey plates, tint, radar, new truck, and young)

 

[jerseyrunner5]

5pm might not be the best time to hit the highway in South Florida but other than that you should be fine. Just drive and keep track of your mpg for fun... and then come on here and create a thread about it so we all have another 10+ page mpg thread we can post in . Tip: 20+mpg is possible at 75-80mph in flat and calm conditions.

Not really an option. My last final ends at 3:30ish so as soon as it ends I'm going right to the truck.

 

[4Surfin]

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

oh sur eyou just had to one up my post! lol

 

[grammatik2015]

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.

Took a few ~1200 miles non-stop (no overnight stay) trips last few years, even a couple of trips driving all night (do not recommend this). This is what works for me
1. 5-hour energy, tastes like crap but gives a nice non sugar boost plus its only 2oz....
2. Bring a cooler. For ice, freeze bottles of water, will cool and last for a couple of days plus no watery mess after it melts.
3. for puppy: paper towels, lots of paper towels, crate, something to clean crate with and remove smell, trash bags. puppy will piss and crap so be ready for it.
4. know when to stop and take a longer break. for me that is 8-12 hours behind the wheel.

 

[MSinDC]

1. I never had taco bell don't plan on it, not too into Mexican food
2. That guy is in for some major issues
3. Always
4. Passport Max
5. Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, and XM

Just a little nervous about being pulled over, I am the ideal person that any highway patrol would want to pull over, (jersey plates, tint, radar, new truck, and young)

Just a little food for thought on the carrying the gun part since you're aiming to make this a trip with no prison time - research the different state laws for carrying (in your car) handguns or whatever gun you have that you will be passing through.

I know in DC you have to have it unloaded in a locked case while transporting, ammunition in a separate compartment. I believe Maryland is similar. Seems like you can do whatever you want in Virginia short of pointing it at a cop (semi serious). I always went by DC's law b/c it was the most stringent.

Maryland is notorious for harassing gun owners - there was an article in the paper about a year or so ago about troopers pulling over out of state tags with carry permits registered to the owner.