Am I Nuts? (Shakedown II)

[keylime]

Hey Gang;

Happy Holidays to everyone. I posted a number of weeks ago Shakedown Run and got a great response from the forum. Thanks all who replied. Well, it is getting down to the wire, I'm supposed to be leaving Brooklyn on Thursday, headed for Tennessee to pick up the Tradewind.

I took as much of the advise as possible. Extra spring on the Toyota PU (93, 4x4, V6), wiring completed, a general "once-over", new battery etc. But, I have a dilema...

This is all very last-minute, but someone from the mechanics shop said that I was nuts to try towing that thing from TN to NY. Suggested that I was just asking for trouble, and it has made me a bit nervous. I understand that the Toyota is a bit undersized, not by capacity ratings, but just in terms of a preferred tow vehicle. I am planning the flattest route from point A to B, just to avoid any big dips along the way. The owner and I spoke a little while ago, he assures me that the brakes are in good working order. Bearings packed, stabizing hitch comes with the rig, everything seems to be in good working order. He and I will spend the coming Sunday tweaking the lights (just to make sure the wiring is correct), adjusting the brake control and hitch. He's been great so-far.

Question is this. Gut level response, would you do such a trip under the conditions I have laid out? Plan is to make between 150 and 200 miles a day. The owner said that he wouldn't hesitate, he would even get some Interstate miles on the way. My guess is that, as long as the conditions are fair (wind, rain and snow), I should be OK.

The nervousness comes because the stakes are high. I'll be travelling with my 12 year-old daughter and trusty Jack Russell sidekick Mango. I suppose that, after a day or so, if it feels uncomfortable, I could always look for a place to leave her (the trailer, not my daughter), head home, and then make further arrangments to have her flatbedded or try and get the services of another vehicle. There just isn't enough time to do that right now.

So, yeah or nay? What does your intuition tell you?

Best regards, and Happy Holidays to everyone out there.

Keylime Steve

p.s. The decision to go ahead and make the trip would not constitute me as "being nuts", that fact has long-ago been proven.

[3Ms75Argosy]

Steve, I know your fear. We have a 26ft Argosy TT towed with a Chev Astro. Everything I read was that we need a big truck. Well, we do, but mostly from the point of getting up the STEEP hill just before our favorite camping ground. I was a nervous wreck the first time I towed with my 3 and 7 yr old daughters on board. I found 55 fine, and 60 just perfect. I could keep up with traffic fine, and practiced some firm stops when no-one was around. The combo did fine. As more time went by, I'm more relaxed and am finding my rhythm. Some "secrets" of travel with the Astro
1) Give yourself plenty of braking distance. I'd do this anyway with any vehicle. The Argosy actually tows a bit better then my boat.
2) Anticipate the trucks going by. You will feel a bit of a push, but at 60, I really didn't feel much of anything.
3) You can enjoy life much easier at 60 - I didn't realize how much time I've spent driving the mirrors when "keeping up with traffic" pre-trailer. I'm pretty relaxed at this speed.
4) When you pull into stops, go slow and anticipate where you are going to exit and/or turn around. If you have to back up, go slow, maybe have your wife (not your daughter) outside to help guide you, or, backup a few feet and look for yourself. Don't ask me why I believe this to be SO IMPORTANT!! And no, this was with the boat, not the Argosy.
5) Make sure you have mirrors big enough to look around the trailer. There are plenty of clip on's that will work. You may want to make sure you can see the wheels in the mirrors - helps with trailer placement and verify's that nothings blown.
6) Breath deep, count to ten. Nothing blows a childs enjoyment more than a parent yelling because they're nervous. I see this frequently at the launch ramp.
You will probably want a bigger truck (I do) but should be fine for the drive home!
Marc

[3Ms75Argosy]

Steve,
Also lighten your load, empty the water tanks as much as possible (unless you'll be using the water on the trip). Black and grey tanks can be emptied. Conversely, if it is windy, maybe sand bags in the truck bed will help hold everything down? I don't have a truck, but my van is well planted.
Marc

[Pahaska]

3Ms75Argosy said about all that needs be said.

Take it easy speed wise and all will be OK. Go fast enough, though, that some idiot doesn't get frustrated and pass you when/where he/she shouldn't. 55 to 60 is a nice speed to pull a trailer.

150 to 200 miles a day should be a snap. I'm betting you end up doing a lot more than that before all is done.

So long as the weather cooperates, I can't see anything to stop you.

[Silver Bullet]

All the above is excellent advice,

My input will be, in bad weather (northeast winter), 4 wheel drive is NOT 4 wheel stop, pulling or not! Take your time and get home safely. If you have to pull over 50 miles down the road and spend New Years in a roadside rest area, just chalk it up to " The Adventures in Airstreaming " Most of all, enjoy the drive home, there will be many more to come! (In my expierence, I was ready to turn around and go right back out! ) Oscar

[davidz71]

I also made that long drive to pick up a trailer. I drove from TN. to AZ. but a friend was supposed to go with me to help with driving. I was scheduled to leave on a Wed. evening but my friend could not go at the last moment. I got a good night's rest and left at 6 a.m. Thurs. morning. I stopped at a truck stop in Amarillo, TX. around 2 a.m. the next morning during a flash flood watch. I slept for 2 hrs. in my truck and then headed out. I made Springerville, AZ. by 10 a.m. but did not leave until 6 p.m. due to hitch incompatibility and a vacuum brake hose problem. I remember making it to a rest stop in N.M. because I couldn't go any farther. I slept for 7 hrs. and left there by 8 a.m. Sat. morning. I blew a tire 45 miles west of Amarillo, TX. so I limped in to a Discount Tire store to have them replace all 4 tires. I left Amarillo sometime around 3 p.m. best I remember and arrived in Tullahoma, TN. 10:30 p.m. Sunday night exhausted. I made the 3200 mile trip in 3 1/2 days and it almost drove me nuts.

Moral of this story is plan for the unexpected. I bought books on rest stops and what resources were available at all exits. This helped greatly. I also pulled up travel info on the internet for my planned route as well as laws of the states regarding towing, emergency equipment, how long you could stay at a rest stop, etc. I travelled with a portable propane stove to heat water for coffee/oatmeal as well as brought honeybuns for breakfast. I brought soups and sandwiches to deep the cost down. Why didn't I use the stove in the camper? I had not arranged for the tanks to be filled and needed the stove on the way out there. I kept food in a cooler and brought a 5 gal. jug of fresh water. Bring a hammer, screwdrivers and a lugwrench with the various size heads. When I blew the tire, I needed both to beat sheetmetal back into place just to get the tire off and limp into Amarillo. Thank goodness it was a dual axle trailer and I knew it could travel with one tire off if you took it easy. I'm sure that you are well prepared but I just wanted to give you my experience. Also, bring a camera to take pictures of the states you will be going through. I didn't and regret it.

When these big truck pass you, it will sway you. So you need to learn, when you start swaying to accelerate just a little to pull you out of it. Most drivers make the mistake to let off. The best is to set the cruise on about 55 and you find the cruise will know how much to accelerate.

[53flyingcloud]

keylime

Man, I wished I was going along..That's got to be a great trip~
Your first rig..<g> Be sure to take pictues~!!
I might offer this, when you go to 'gassup'. look for service centers like the "Flying J"..They're RV friendly~~
55mph is really about all the legal speed you're allowed in many states. I'm not positive but, in some for a towed vehicle, it's even lower..You shouldn't have a problem with it tho, as the state police almost never stop you for going faster. Point abt leaving space in front of you..Is well worth remembering~!
My "honest opion" is to stop early enough, where ever, so as not to be caught driving at night..It's just so much more relaxing~!
Good Luck~and Happy Holidays to you and the family~
ciao

[3Ms75Argosy]

Keylime, how did the trip go?
Marc

[keylime]

Marc;

Thanks for the nudge, I should have written sooner. but returning to my business and a death in the family has kept me focused in other areas.

All in all, the trip went EXTREMELY well, and my thanks to all on this forum for the initial tips and for the encouragement. On Thursday afternoon (December 26th), as I was running around to do everything needed to leave the business for over a week, I decided to stop at a local U-Haul dealer, just to have the existing hitch looked over. My mechanic has insisted that we leave it on, because it "appeared" to be a stronger hitch, based on two diagonal welds. Well, thank goodness for intuition, I spent the next few hours on my back removing the Class-II hitch and installing the Class-III. By Friday morning, Mango (the dog) and Sakura (the daughter) were on our way.



We arrived in Tennessee Sunday morning. The TradeWind was everything I was expecting, since my expectations were never too high. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but I know I was buying something 37 years old. Original interior, fully intact and seemingly operational, but I have not yet hooked her up to AC, there is no furnace and the wiring needs to be gone through (waiting for a warm-spell).

The seller and I worked through the wiring to make sure everything was right, and with the exception of crossed (or shared) directional wires, we got it right. By Sunday afternoon, we decided to go ahead and hit the road. I had not been able to find mirrors, and initially when I looked into the Toyota mirrors, I thought we would be OK. That was when I had a farm surrounding me, not two lanes of traffic. Somehow I made my way to an RV dealer who was opened until 6:00 PM. I wish I could recall the brand on mirror I purchased, because they are terrific. Clip-on to the window opening and lower door panel and ratchet tightly into place, easy to remove and very adjustable. But I should mention that the drive to the RV center made me reconsider my idea to drive back-road America. It only took one stop at a red light on an incline to make it apparent that the clutch would get overworked. After dinner, some shopping at WalMart, we were on our way.

We hit I-65 north for just a few hours, to the first rest area, but I have to say that the interstate was a breeze. For the next three days through Kentucky, Ohio and into Pennsylvania (we arrived in Brooklyn Wednesday afternoon) we stayed on the interstate. The weight-distribution hitch did what it was supposed to, and I was pleased with the pace we were able to keep. Mostly, the 5-speed gearbox rarely saw 5th gear, and crossing some of the steeper humps in Pennsylvania get me into 3rd gear, staying steady at 4000 rpm to pull me at 50 mph up the climb. Otherwise, we cruised at between 55 and 66.

Three days of rain, and as most of you have probably experienced, way too many people drive in the rain WITHOUT headlights. I spent more than a few times composing some kind of plea to those who write the rules, to make it mandatory that vehicles be fitted (and retrofitted) with a device that turns headlights on whenever the wipers are turned on. To me, this was more distressing than any issue on the road. I was cautioned about the "push" from trucks overtaking me, but I must admit that the "pull" that precedes the push was a bit scary, especially when it came unexpected.

We stayed Sunday and Tuesday nights in the 'Wind by candle light (wiring issue). Cooked and ate New Years eve dinner and had a very cold night, but all in all, everything went quite well. On the return to Brooklyn, because the hot-wire from the truck was not connected correctly, I had to tug her around the streets on NYC for a day and a half until I could get a new battery. I was so happy to finally get her off the hitch, I pulled away without disconnecting the wiring plug. HA! I guess it is like the boating experience, forgetting to replace the drain-plug when you launch, it only happens once.

Photo is of Sakura, already decorating.

So there it is! I suspect over the next few weeks/months, I will be scouring the archives and posting a few threads looking for information that I will need in order to get her together. Once again, thanks to all on the forum, I have found an invaluable source/resource here.

Steve

[John]

Steve,

Congrat's on your first journey in your "new" A/S!! I share your feelings on headlights in the rain! Kind of spooky out there at times .

Your daughter seems to be at home in her new surroundings!!

Good Luck & keep us posted!

John

p.s. My best to you & your family.

[53flyingcloud]

KEYLIME
I echo the same sentiments as John..Congrats~!~
I, likewise, felt those moments back when we first picked up our A/S..It was a long drive from El Paso, TX., to our home in New Hampshire.
Sorta like, being cut loose and, now you're on your own..
Glad to hear that your's was a smooth trip..

Question ??
Where in the world do you "park" an Airstream in Brooklyn??
BTW, Nice picture of your daughter at work..
Again, Congrats~!!
ciao

[3Ms75Argosy]

Welcome back, best wishes to the family.
Just as an FYI, love your "keylime" site. Do you ship to Seattle WA? (I LOVE keylime pie!!) Speaking of "the plug....." I once took my daughter out on our boat for a picnic lunch. Couldn't figure out why the boat seemed to bog a bit and then take-off after being on plane for a bit. It wasn't until (about 15 minutes after leaving dock) after we sat still for a bit, eating our sandwiches, that I turned down the radio.... I kept hearing a "buzzz." Imagine my HORROR to hear the bilge pump, and look into the storage compartment to see WATER!!! I rushed back to dock (the water flowed out while on plane), and beached the boat while putting the trailer in the water. Fastest I've pulled a boat out of the lake!! P.S. - the plug was on the dash - of the VAN! I now keep it on the boat at all times.
Marc

[keylime]

53FC, good question, where does one park an A/S in Brooklyn, since I have friends who own a Cooper Mini and they have problems parking. But I have been quite fortunate in my years here, and eventually wound-up in a (once) neglected area on the Waterfront. You can see from the photo, NY Harbor and the Verrazano Narrows bridge in the background. The business is located in a Civil War era pier right on the water. My landlord own a tremendous amount of property, and I will go ahead and say that, if anyone was coming through the area, needed somewhere to park for a day or two (as long as you can stay self-contained), I could arange it.

regards...

Steve

[flyfshr]

It's been six months now since you got your A/S home. How many times have you taken her out? I'll bet you aren't as uptight as before. My experiences towing now don't even compare to what they first were. 8200 towing miles can make a big difference.

Brad