Upcoming Road trip-need advice
- Thread starter AndyDe
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First, I'd recommend that if you're looking at a trailer that small, to consider trying to either get a rooftop carrier or a hitch-mounted carrier. If you're planning to make stops along the way, a trailer will be a pain because of finding places to park that will accomodate the extra length of your vehicle plus trailer. Simple things like going to a restaurant will be more of a pain as you have to find a deserted spot out of the way to park in their parking lot.
A smaller trailer will have little tires in most cases, and the idea of those little tires (and the hub bearings) spinning at those speeds for thousands of miles somewhat scares me. The cost you'll spend to buy/rent a small trailer will be just as much as the additional fuel you'll burn from the attachment of a rooftop carrier.
If you are carrying so much extra stuff that a rooftop carrier isn't big enough, then consider either a) packing lighter, or b) leaving the dogs behind and boarding them at a local facility while you're gone, or c) using both the rooftop carrier AND a hitch-mounted carrier. The hitch-mounted ones are only about $40.
That's what I'd do if I needed to carry just marginally more than my vehicle has space for.
Ricky
A smaller trailer will have little tires in most cases, and the idea of those little tires (and the hub bearings) spinning at those speeds for thousands of miles somewhat scares me. The cost you'll spend to buy/rent a small trailer will be just as much as the additional fuel you'll burn from the attachment of a rooftop carrier.
If you are carrying so much extra stuff that a rooftop carrier isn't big enough, then consider either a) packing lighter, or b) leaving the dogs behind and boarding them at a local facility while you're gone, or c) using both the rooftop carrier AND a hitch-mounted carrier. The hitch-mounted ones are only about $40.
That's what I'd do if I needed to carry just marginally more than my vehicle has space for.
Ricky
Jeff Kleb
New member
You will be fine, sir. I took my V6 SR5 to upstate NY and back -- and then to Michigan and back last year. I have been back and forth to PA twice since then, and will be driving to Michigan & back at the end of this month.
My 4Runner is bone-stock, I use Mobil-1 5w30 synthetic and it does just fine. Keep your tires rotated (front to rear) every 6000 miles, be sure that your air pressure is at the proper level (spare tire too!) and keep an eye on your fluids. Change your oil and filter before you leave, so that will be one less thing you need to concern yourself with during the journey. Any good synthetic oil will be "heavy duty" enough, especially one like Amsoil, Mobil-1 or Castrol Syntec.
I have the stock Bridgestone Dueler H/T tires and now have 13,000 miles on my truck......and they still look brand new. Unless you are going 500 miles on the Rubicon Trail, I would not expect trouble. Even at 75 to 80 mph on the Interstate, the 4Runner's tires hardly heat up at all.
Good luck and be safe!!
P.S. I never drove a personal vehicle with a trailer, but have driven a Mack semi with a 48-foot trailer behind it.
:awais:
I am a truck driver by trade, but usually just drive a large straight truck. I only take the tractor-trailer as a "fill in" when the boss needs me.
:bigok:
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ksneubec
New member
Here's my two cents on your situation:
1.Stock tires should be fine.
2.I don't think pulling such a small trailer would require upgrading the oil, especially since the truck is designed to pull trailers.
3. I agree with RickyCRX in that a hitch mounted carrier might be easier. The problem is that unless you spend big bucks for a unit that swings away from the rear gate, you probably won't be able to access whatever you have in the back. I think you may want to go back to the trailer option. Doesn't U-Haul rent relatively small trailers?
4. From what I've read on this board, auto bras are bad news. They ruin the paint and leave marks underneath the bra. Ideally that 3M clearcoat protective stuff would be ideal, but with 12,000 miles on the truck already, you may have enough dings on it to make it too late. A bug guard may be a better option, epecially those that do not mount to the hood itself, so it won't leave marks.
1.Stock tires should be fine.
2.I don't think pulling such a small trailer would require upgrading the oil, especially since the truck is designed to pull trailers.
3. I agree with RickyCRX in that a hitch mounted carrier might be easier. The problem is that unless you spend big bucks for a unit that swings away from the rear gate, you probably won't be able to access whatever you have in the back. I think you may want to go back to the trailer option. Doesn't U-Haul rent relatively small trailers?
4. From what I've read on this board, auto bras are bad news. They ruin the paint and leave marks underneath the bra. Ideally that 3M clearcoat protective stuff would be ideal, but with 12,000 miles on the truck already, you may have enough dings on it to make it too late. A bug guard may be a better option, epecially those that do not mount to the hood itself, so it won't leave marks.
AndyDe
New member
I appreciate the feed back, I am looking into buying a roof cargo units similar to what Yakima and Thule carries. In addition, I think the hitch mount carrier will also be a must in order to accomodate all our stuff.
I think I'll spend the money I had allocated into possible buying new tires to get me a Garmin GPS unit:biggrin2:
Are the Yakima roof carriers compatible witht he stock roof rack? Any opinions as to which model to choose?
This site rocks...
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I think I'll spend the money I had allocated into possible buying new tires to get me a Garmin GPS unit:biggrin2:
Are the Yakima roof carriers compatible witht he stock roof rack? Any opinions as to which model to choose?
This site rocks...
:guitar2:
Koz
New member
Your tires will be OK. Mobil 1 is one of the best oils on the market so don't even give it a second thought. As far as luggage I would stay away from a trailer, for luggage, if possible. Take advantage of the roof rack. You can always use a basket with an air deflector. Also it is removable and you can use it on future vehicles. I use a carrier box that attaches directly to the roof rack.
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gonzo
New member
you could drive down to lima, then up to vancouver and still not have to worry about anything!
i would recommend a roof top carrier. i have a sears' sports 20v. it has tons of space, fits perfectly, is made by thule, and is one fifth the price of a thule. you can still use your sunroof, you won't hear any noise, and it is very accessible from both sides and the back. they are on sale every other week or so.
i would recommend a roof top carrier. i have a sears' sports 20v. it has tons of space, fits perfectly, is made by thule, and is one fifth the price of a thule. you can still use your sunroof, you won't hear any noise, and it is very accessible from both sides and the back. they are on sale every other week or so.
So everyone really thinks he's going to be OK with the stock 'floppies and 2WD?
I live in CO where the snow is much drier and it took me a couple tries last winter to get into my garage (slightly inclined driveway) with 4WD. If NY gets one of those wet Atlantic storms that drops like 6 inches, I wouldn't be so confident in that setup, but that's just my opinion. I don't have any experience driving in NY snow with 2WD and crappy tires.
That being said, the money on the Garmin GPS is well spent. I bought the top of the line GPSMAP 60CSx. It rocks!! I bought the US Navigation and US Topo maps for it along with a half-gig memory card and it works great! The only complaint I have is that in the city it takes a couple minutes to locate itself. I took it on vacation down at Lake Navajo over the 4th of July and we were on some oil field roads that didn't even show up on the map, no problem, just trace the path using GPS and I was able to find my way out (~15 miles) no problem. Last year I got lost on the very same roads! I then proceeded to finish the ~1000 mile road trip and everything went off without a hitch using the Garmin. If you plan on buying GPS/Navigation check out GPScity.com they had the best prices I could find.
Anyway, I digress. I would definitely go with some sort of rooftop carrier vs. a small trailer, for all the reasons mentioned above. The fuel economy hit in drag vs. pull for the trailer will be negligible. Just be careful of low hanging objects and parking garages. And don't buy a bra. Get 3M clearbra or some other type of deflector.
Good Luck!
I live in CO where the snow is much drier and it took me a couple tries last winter to get into my garage (slightly inclined driveway) with 4WD. If NY gets one of those wet Atlantic storms that drops like 6 inches, I wouldn't be so confident in that setup, but that's just my opinion. I don't have any experience driving in NY snow with 2WD and crappy tires.
That being said, the money on the Garmin GPS is well spent. I bought the top of the line GPSMAP 60CSx. It rocks!! I bought the US Navigation and US Topo maps for it along with a half-gig memory card and it works great! The only complaint I have is that in the city it takes a couple minutes to locate itself. I took it on vacation down at Lake Navajo over the 4th of July and we were on some oil field roads that didn't even show up on the map, no problem, just trace the path using GPS and I was able to find my way out (~15 miles) no problem. Last year I got lost on the very same roads! I then proceeded to finish the ~1000 mile road trip and everything went off without a hitch using the Garmin. If you plan on buying GPS/Navigation check out GPScity.com they had the best prices I could find.
Anyway, I digress. I would definitely go with some sort of rooftop carrier vs. a small trailer, for all the reasons mentioned above. The fuel economy hit in drag vs. pull for the trailer will be negligible. Just be careful of low hanging objects and parking garages. And don't buy a bra. Get 3M clearbra or some other type of deflector.
Good Luck!
flippedman
New member
REgarding item #4 go to your local Autozone store and pick up "Duplicolor Shield" works like a charm. I used it on my truck for a 1000 mile trip to miami. Washed right off and no bugs.
AndyDe
New member
Thanks to everyone for sharing. The trailer options is deleted and currently looking into roof box and hitch mounted box.
I will definetely have a pair of emergency chains/cables just in case we encounted heavy snow.
You know, since we are in Houston and see snow every 15 years or so, I decided to not to go for 4wd. I use the runner for highway travel mostly and some city driving but it would have been a nice option now thinking about it.
Thank you !
:dancin:
I will definetely have a pair of emergency chains/cables just in case we encounted heavy snow.
You know, since we are in Houston and see snow every 15 years or so, I decided to not to go for 4wd. I use the runner for highway travel mostly and some city driving but it would have been a nice option now thinking about it.
Thank you !
:dancin:
Bah... If you're that worried about needing 4WD, rent a vehicle with 4WD for the trip... There's no reason to spend the extra several thousand dollars for a 4WD system that will never be used and will make you lose that extra 1-2mpg everywhere you go when you *MIGHT* need it once every three years.
Ricky
Ricky
Baba Booey
New member
I have lived in northeastern PA all of my life, and I believe you will be fine with the 2WD. I wouldn't waste my money on the chains/cables for this one trip unless you think you may need them for something else.
I can't recall the last time I have seen a vehicle on the road with chains (excluding plow trucks), except perhaps the U.S. mail trucks in severe snow storms.
You will look pretty weird traveling down the highway at 25 mph with chains on (and a Texas license plate) while practically everyone else on the highway is passing you out on the wet, salted highway doing 70 mph.
If you stick to the highways, most of the roads are maintained well enough that chains will be of no use. That's not to say that you will not encounter some slippery roads, but common sense is usually enough to get you through.
My dad has driven various full size 2WD vans since the early 1970s and nothing but rear-wheel drive cars before that. He gets a kick out of people who think that they "need" 4WD to get through a northeast winter. He hasn't had an accident in all those years and he never missed work because he couldn't make it through the snow.
I can't recall the last time I have seen a vehicle on the road with chains (excluding plow trucks), except perhaps the U.S. mail trucks in severe snow storms.
You will look pretty weird traveling down the highway at 25 mph with chains on (and a Texas license plate) while practically everyone else on the highway is passing you out on the wet, salted highway doing 70 mph.
If you stick to the highways, most of the roads are maintained well enough that chains will be of no use. That's not to say that you will not encounter some slippery roads, but common sense is usually enough to get you through.
My dad has driven various full size 2WD vans since the early 1970s and nothing but rear-wheel drive cars before that. He gets a kick out of people who think that they "need" 4WD to get through a northeast winter. He hasn't had an accident in all those years and he never missed work because he couldn't make it through the snow.
Ricky makes a great point about packing lighter that you shouldn't ignore.RickyCRX said:
As a point of reference, I have done as much as 3 weeks, transoceanic travel, covering both the northern and southern hemispheres (in one it waswinter, in the other summer) in a bag that was airline accepted as a carry-on bag. Rick Steves has some great tips ( http://www.ricksteves.com ) about packing light, as do other web sites. The point is, the less you carry, then the less hassle you will have with every stop you make.
Generally, packing light is mostly a matter of convincing yourself to do it. It's not hard to do, and you really gain in comfort.
Good luck on the road trip!
Although not nearly as sexy as the new Garmin Nuvo, the C330 is a decent little GPS, and it's sticker price just came down to around $400 if you shop around. Got one for my BDay in July, and have used it all over the North Georgia mountains. Works like a champ!
Although not nearly as sexy as the new Garmin Nuvo, the C330 is a decent little GPS, and it's sticker price just came down to around $400 if you shop around. Got one for my BDay in July, and have used it all over the North Georgia mountains. Works like a champ!
