LOOOONG TOW question/ PREP?

[04OUTBACK]

SO, if I dont sell my Supra prior to the move to Portland, I'll be towing her 2500 miles..
Any suggestions for PREP before that long of a trip?
Bleed/check brake lines.
Tire air pressure
Jack, spare tire.
My 2011 d/a trailer has sealed hubs.. there is no maint to them, Correct?

My 2014 GMC Sierra has tow pkg. I hope she's up to that long of a tow! might be some hills between Louisiana and Portland!
I'm toying with "WANT" for an F250... sure would make the tow much better!

What's the longest you have towed?

[sivs1]

Longest I have towed is 1,100 miles round trip. Things I did to prepare were all focused on the trailer. Your tires should be good, even if original since it's a 2011. My boatmate trailer has the vault system, which they say is sealed but still needs maintenance, meaning changing the oil, the seals and even bearings within the hub. Find your owners manual to see what it says. With me on the trip I had extra oil, seals and bearings for each hub and all the tool needed to repair a hub if it blew up on me in the middle of no where. The last thing I wanted to do was leave my boat on the side of the interstate while I went and searched for parts or a tow.

As far as tow vehicle, I have a diesel, so didn't really worry about that, I would think your Sierra would be just fine, just get a fresh fluid change.

[Cigars n scotch]

SO, if I dont sell my Supra prior to the move to Portland, I'll be towing her 2500 miles..
Any suggestions for PREP before that long of a trip?
Bleed/check brake lines.
Tire air pressure
Jack, spare tire.
My 2011 d/a trailer has sealed hubs.. there is no maint to them, Correct?

My 2014 GMC Sierra has tow pkg. I hope she's up to that long of a tow! might be some hills between Louisiana and Portland!
I'm toying with "WANT" for an F250... sure would make the tow much better!

What's the longest you have towed?

2200 miles

You will be fine. Just take your time and whenever you stop check tire pressure and hubs. We bought our Supra in Utah when I was living in New Jersey, drove out in my old '06 Tundra and towed it back home Utah and Wyoming, and Nebraska have some serious hills, even Iowa. I'd consider getting it shrink wrapped for the trip rather than towing with a cover. I towed home with a snap cover and had some minor, light black scuff marks on the bow.

Check your vault hubs to see if they need to be repacked. Make sure your brakes are engaging. Bring extra fluids, tools you "may" need and you'll be good to go.

Have fun with it, you're going to see some pretty cool scenery so enjoy the ride even though it's a long one!

[parrothd]

The number one thing you need is boat us premium tow assist insurance, think it's a $38?

Your regular insurance isn't going to cover towing a boat and very few towing companies will tow a boat, they need a special hitch and bond/insurance.

When my truck died on the highway I called boatus and they took care of finding someone too tow my boat back home. I only had the basic plan so they only covered $50 of the $600 tow fees. They'll cover towing 100 miles..

[liquid_acid]

Is it a single axle trailer? If so, you might want a jack stand as well. That way you can jack up the frame, put a stand under it, then jack the axle to change the tire. Also a hammer might be necessary to bash your fender back in if the tire wraps and pulls it in. Couple things I've ran into unfortunately.

[Woody929]

I would make sure your tires are balanced as well. Last year on the way back from the Jam we had a blowout on a tire that had become unbalanced. I knew it was a matter of time because I could see it bouncing at highway speeds. It decided to let go about an hour away from the house.

[mark540]

I towed my 21v from Califodnia to Ohio with a 2008 Sequoia with the 5.7l, screamed in the mountains through CO, but otherwise uneventful. Pulled a short distance with the cover on, and the straps were rubbing the boat, so trailered uncovered unless i was stopped at the hotel. If i did it again today i would shrink wrap the boat as mentioned above. Check oil in the bearings and brake booster, tire pressures at 50 psi, good jack and spare and let her rip.

[996scott]

Just a thought, but have you looked into having it shipped instead of the long haul? I wouldn't really worry too much about towing, but it might be worth looking into having a shipping company pick it up and relieve you of the extra time and stress of towing.

[parrothd]

Use some old towels and wrap it around the straps if it's rubbing, that will stop the marks. I kinda ball it up and use tape to hold it in place so it holds the straps of the boat. I upgraded too strap protectors when I towed often..

[trayson]

SO, if I dont sell my Supra prior to the move to Portland, I'll be towing her 2500 miles..
Any suggestions for PREP before that long of a trip?
Bleed/check brake lines.
Tire air pressure
Jack, spare tire.
My 2011 d/a trailer has sealed hubs.. there is no maint to them, Correct?

My 2014 GMC Sierra has tow pkg. I hope she's up to that long of a tow! might be some hills between Louisiana and Portland!
I'm toying with "WANT" for an F250... sure would make the tow much better!

What's the longest you have towed?

My boat was towed 2300 miles from Indiana to Washington. I didn't do it, but it had brand new tires and we took the cargo bimini off and propped it up on pads and cushions in the boat. We definitely towed with the cover on, but mine's a towing cover that goes tight and doesn't rub at all. Worked fantastic.


The number one thing you need is boat us premium tow assist insurance, think it's a $38?

Your regular insurance isn't going to cover towing a boat and very few towing companies will tow a boat, they need a special hitch and bond/insurance.

When my truck died on the highway I called boatus and they took care of finding someone too tow my boat back home. I only had the basic plan so they only covered $50 of the $600 tow fees. They'll cover towing 100 miles..

I have AAA premier + RV, which gets you basically the same thing. I can have an issue with the tow rig or the trailer and the AAA will pick it up and it gives me a 200 mile free tow radius and covers some incidentals (like if your repair made you have to get a hotel for the night).


Just a thought, but have you looked into having it shipped instead of the long haul? I wouldn't really worry too much about towing, but it might be worth looking into having a shipping company pick it up and relieve you of the extra time and stress of towing.

I had my boat "shipped" from Indiana to WA. You're not going to find a shipper that's going to load you trailer on a trailer. So basically you'd be paying someone else to haul your boat on it's trailer behind their truck. so the boat trailer is going to need all the same prep regardless of who is towing it.

Obviously make sure you have a lug wrench that fits the TRAILER lugs! LOL. As far as the jack, I'd recommend just grabbing an aluminum floor jack and bringing that along. The last time I had a "little" tire trouble, we had the floor jack with us and that made it a lot easier... Also test your jack on the trailer. When we had our blowout, my buddy was towing it for me and had started in on jacking the wheel with his bottle jack. we found out that his bottle jack didn't go low enough. Go figure.

I think we could have patched this one:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7BF0rEjn60w/VAVSczb9JfI/AAAAAAAAT9k/0GQFOvVwJBk/s800/20140829_182900.jpg

[sandm]

boise to green bay.

best advice, spend the $300 for a shrinkwrapped shipping/towing cover and have them wrap down the nose of the boat(not the standard winter shrinkwrap some do). would also recommend wrapping the sides of the trailer with shrinkwrap. if you are towing relatively quickly, wash the trailer off when you get past colorado to get any salt residue off the metal.

advantage to buying a tow cover rather than shrinkwrapping... I removed mine carefully and have now used it for 2 additional seasons to cover the boat in the winter storage building and keep the dust off it. probably got 2-3 more years left to do that if I take care of it. towed mine with the tower stowed down in the boat with the metal shipping brackets from tige. better than towing up and advertising the speakers on the tower as you stop each night. tried to park next to the front hotel entrance each night and never had any flack from it.

[Ian Brantford]

For your truck:
1. Change out any fluids and do other routine maintenance that's anywhere nearly due. By "nearly due", use the manual's harsh service interval.
2. Check tire condition and inflate to the upper end of the normal range to maximise handling stability under load.
3. Carry a small supply for every consumeable item: fluids, light bulbs.
4. Keep your roadside maintenance gear accessible so that you don't have to unload large items to get to it.
5. Check the spare tire's condition.
6. If you don't routinely use your parking brake, have that checked and test it yourself for holding ability AND full release. First test with just the truck, then with the trailer on a slope. Check both uphill and downhill hold.
7. Bring extra cargo straps. You'll find ways to need them.
8. Bring towels. Same reason as 7. They work as dropcloths, cushions, protective covers, and actual towels.
9. In your tool kit, pack nitrile gloves, shop glasses, and a headlamp.
10. Whatever mobile phone carrier you use, get a cheap prepaid phone for some other carrier with a different network with good coverage on your route.

For your boat/trailer:
1. Bring some wood levelling blocks and wheel blocks in case you have to jack it up on a hill and/or uneven road shoulder.
2. In addition to hub maintenance in other posts, check tires between treads for dry rot.
3. Check the spare tire's condition.
4. Lubricate the surge brake mechanism in the trailer tongue.
5. Get a lockset (one kit with same key for all pieces) for hitch latch, hitch ball (when it's not on the truck) and hitch receiver/ball mount. In lieu of this, you can use a Kryptonite bicycle lock through the tongue hinge if your trailer has a swingaway tongue.
6. Assuming that you are not travelling alone, your companion should be carrying a spare of each key (truck, boat, trailer locks) on his/her person so that you never get stranded by losing yours.
7. If your swim platform has any play in its mounts, secure it in place with a ratcheting cargo strap (or an extra screw into the mount's slot where the play is).
8. Use an extra cargo strap to secure the bow to the trailer. Some people prefer to use a rear tie-down here.

Most importantly, do any planned vehicle or trailer maintenance well before the travel time (say, two weeks), and do some local towing to test it. The worst time to do any maintenance is immediately before the trip. Something as simple as an oil change can strand you if the mechanic (or most likely a trainee) strips the plug threads.

[04OUTBACK]

Great info all. Thanks.
$2000 is cheapest tow quote I've gotten.


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[Cigars n scotch]

you'll be fine dude! It's not a big, just takes preparation. Like I said enjoy it if you can. If you're not a hurry, drop the boat in a couple of bodies of water along the way like we did, if even to just take a cruise.

[newty]

So when will you have it delivered to my house?

[trayson]

So when will you have it delivered to my house?

You've got the bad boy truck. go get it yourself!

[zabooda]

Wait as long as you can to tow to give road crews a chance to clean the roads.

[kaneboats]

Way too dangerous. Just park her in my driveway and sleep like a baby. Order your new boat at AWS.

[Ian Brantford]

3. Carry a small supply for every consumeable item: fluids, light bulbs.

and windshield wipers

[04OUTBACK]

So when will you have it delivered to my house?

Newty... end of April...

Stand by... there is good chance that I may have an upgraded to the tow vehicle. I have wavered a few times on wanting a Ford F250.. deals are good right now and got a solid trade offer on my GMC.. may go get one Saturday..

That will at least help me feel good about towing.. just will need to make sure the trailer is 100%

[sivs1]

I have wavered a few times on wanting a Ford F250.. deals are good right now and got a solid trade offer on my GMC.. may go get one Saturday..

Look at RAM 2500. can't beat the Cummins Engine. I love mine and have had zero issues with it. Bought it with 35 miles on it and am now to almost 24,000. If the deal I got is any indication, I was also looking at a F250, Ram was more loaded up and about 10k cheaper.

[Blueliner]

I have two spares. I take both if I am going a long ways, works for this worry wart, that way I don't have to detour to get the spare fixed. A real jack is a great idea. Also I have a really big ratchet with proper lug-nut socket. Good idea on the hub rebuild parts, will need to get that and the tools as well. My hubs are oil bearings with the clear covers, I keep a good eye on the oil level and touch them for temperature when I stop for breaks.

Blueliner

[mmandley]

Newty... end of April...

Stand by... there is good chance that I may have an upgraded to the tow vehicle. I have wavered a few times on wanting a Ford F250.. deals are good right now and got a solid trade offer on my GMC.. may go get one Saturday..

That will at least help me feel good about towing.. just will need to make sure the trailer is 100%

I have to also urge you to look into Ram.

I have always been a Ford man but the F250 gets pretty crappy mileage. The body hasn't changed in a long time and you don't get as many newer options. You can get HID lights on them.

2500 Ram, you get standard exhaust brake, you get the 1 ton frame in the 3/4 ton, interiors are on par now.
Also my favorite feature the Auto Leveling Air suspension.

Plus the average Ram loaded the same is going to be 10K cheaper.

The 14 2500 got a full remake and they are the shizz now man. This is coming from a Ford guy since I was 16.

[kaneboats]

You gonna start drinking Bud Light lime now too?

[viking]

I like the looks of the RAM and on paper should be a great reliable tow rig.
But best buddy bought a brand new 14 mid last year and tranny lasted 4 months if that. Covered under warranty so got a new one. But He's owned everything, powerstrokes, tacoma gasser, duramax, and wanted to try cummins. Needless to say he's pretty angry and will be moving on soon!

[newty]

You gonna start drinking Bud Light lime now too?
He has been for a while, he just won't admit it.:D

I love my dodge, it's been a great truck.
I paid 37k 2.5 years ago and the bank just said it books for 38k.
Haven't lost a dime on it.

[mmandley]

He has been for a while, he just won't admit it.:D

I love my dodge, it's been a great truck.
I paid 37k 2.5 years ago and the bank just said it books for 38k.
Haven't lost a dime on it.

I do drink it on occasion just like Newty drinks Coors Light. When beer is free there is no complaints.

[newty]

I do drink it on occasion just like Newty drinks Coors Light. When beer is free there is no complaints.
You got that right. Free is my favorite price!

[bergermaister]

You got that right. Free is my favorite price!

Flavor I think you meant....

[kaneboats]

Mmmm. Cold is good too. But free is the best. Cold and free-- well then you need to wake up and go to work cuz you're just dreaming.

[04OUTBACK]

I'm pretty jazzed that my towing thread turned to a beer thread.
Think I'll have another before dessert.


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[mmandley]

I'm pretty jazzed that my towing thread turned to a beer thread.
Think I'll have another before dessert.


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Hahahaha better then what the Stereo threads turn into...

[bergermaister]

I dunno - I kind of like the direction of the Jack thread with Newty's detour.

[pdhj1990]

I'm a big fan of the IPA's when trowing back a few at home or the pub. However, out on the lake, a cold bud light lime works well;)


You gonna start drinking Bud Light lime now too?

[rdlangston13]

Instead of bringing spare bearings and seal and such you can buy the trailing arm spindle assembly already assembled. Its like $200 bucks but it is much easier to change out than repacking bearings. Also if you bearings go and you dont notice it quickly the chances are the spindle and rotor/hub will be shot too so might as well buy one or two of the complete assemblies ready to go. There is one bolt/nut that holds the trailing arm on the axle and then you can hammer is off (it's splined on there pretty tight). The new assembly will also have a brake caliper with it but if the current caliper is not damaged you may be better off just unbolting it and using it on the new setup so you dont have to worry about bleeding brakes on the side of the road. This is what I would do as far as spare parts. A little more expensive but a lot less head ache.