New York to Oregon, relocation

Aloha all!
I would like some help trip planning and I thank you for your time and input in advance =o)

I am leaving from north of Syracuse, NY to Portland, OR in a Toyota Yaris and max weight trailer. Averaging 52mph I am expecting 60 hours of driving or 3,000 miles. I am hoping to complete the trek in under 100 hours with few to no hotel stops.

I plan to set out March 9/10 and must arrive by the 15th in Portland.

Please help, where should I cross the Rockies? I-90 and I-84 look relatively flat, but it's March and farther south may be better. If those, take I-90 or I-94, or further south and take I-80?

Thank you,
AeN

Hello and welcome to RTA !

This is simply a trip that can not be counted in hours and is one that will require 5 overnight stops to be comfortable and an absolute minimum of 4, with either you need to get some decent sleep in a hotel room in a comfy bed. Where are you planning to sleep if not in a hotel ? You will not get proper rest in any car that you have spent all day in, [especially day after day] let alone something as small as a Yaris and you will be fatigued by day 2 and a danger to yourself and others that you share the road with.

Keep safe and plan accordingly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChibiPegaCorn

... with few to no hotel stops.

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Really?

Why would you not want to stop in a hotel? Driving all day pulling a trailer is exhausting. Only a good night's rest will revive you sufficiently to tackle the next exhausting day of driving. That means a full night's sleep in a comfortable bed. Planning to sleep in the car would be most unwise, especially in March. There is no insulation in a car, and leaving the heater on at night is extremely dangerous, and can be deadly.

Is budget a problem?

Making this journey on your own I highly recommend that you schedule a stop at least every two hours, stretch you legs and get the blood circulating again. Even walking around a rest area for 8 - 10 minutes is enough to keep you alert and safe on the road.

Drink plenty of water. Avoid too much caffeine.

As for crossing the Rockies in March.... the best you can do is keep an eye on the long term weather forecast. In wintery conditions, and especially pulling a trailer, your best bet is to take the shortest all interstate route. However, if the forecast shows possible weather issues on your chosen route, have an alternative in mind. Watch the weather for this route as well.

As already mentioned, plan for at least five nights on the road.

Another thing you should do is have a day to spare, just in case you do strike adverse weather. Be prepared to check into a comfortable warm hotel until the storm passes and the roads are cleared.

Above all, limit your driving to daylight hours. It is no fun on unfamiliar roads, pulling a trailer, in the dark.

I would strongly suggest you reconsider you plans to tow across country with a Toyota Yaris, or any subcompact car. They simply are not built for towing, especially across mountains - which are unavoidable on a cross country trip.

When you throw in that you are planning "Max Weight," it actually has a high potential to become a very dangerous trip. It will not take much weight at all for you to have the potential of having the "tail wag the dog" where the trailer will be controling the car, and not other way around. A subcompact car also just doesn't have brakes designed to properly stop that kind of weight. These dangers will increase significantly as you deal with the elevation of the mountains, and the high winds of the plains. Even in your best case situation, you are going to be putting an extreme amount of strain on your vehicles drivetrain, and this trip could cost you significantly in the long term with major car repairs being needed much sooner than they otherwise would have been.

Again, I would strongly recommend you find another way to move your stuff than with pulling a trailer with your Yaris, but if you do continue with your plan, then your expectations have to change significantly. 52 mph can not be your average speed, it will need to be close to your top speed. I would never attempt to drive even 65 mph with this set up, as it will be far too difficult to control at those speeds. It also means you will have to have shorter driving days and hotel stays are not optional, as operating your car in this fashion will require you to be at your absolute best at all times. Unlike if you were just driving a car by itself, you will have no margin for error, and having your attention drift from the road for even a few seconds could very easily result in a situation you can not recover from. While you could do this trip in 5 days in a car, trying to tow with this setup, will take you at least a full week to do it safely.

Hotels are the only practical way for you to get a proper amount of rest for this trip. Sleeping inside a subcompact car, in March, where temperatures will likely be at or below freezing overnight for much of the trip, just isn't practical, especially when you are again in a situation where you'd have to be in peak condition every minute you are behind the wheel.

If you are renting a trailer, why not just rent a truck for your stuff and tow the car? You'll still be slow, but the wear-and-tear on your Yaris will be a LOT less than it would be trying to pull something it was never meant to pull. Get a 4-up trailer for the car (rather than a tow dolly, which means you disconnect every time you need to back up) as well as the truck -- prices are reasonable.

You can stay at a budget motel very cheaply if you know where to look. Don't stay in the big cities. The suburbs, or even the small towns along the freeways, have less expensive lodgings to offer. Look for coupon booklets at truck stops and rest areas. In March, you should be able to find a place $40-50 for the night, if not less than that.

For weather, start watching the weather patterns along the two or three routes that are possibilities. Make a decision on the day before you go to leave, but keep an open mind that you may need to change plans in the middle if something "whips up". High winds mentioned by MidwestMichael, above, would not be easy in a high-profile U-Haul/Penske truck, either.

Do plan on at least 6 days to do the drive, and definitely, don't try to tow a trailer with a Yaris. That's an accident waiting to happen. Years ago, we towed a small 16' trailer with a Ford Maverick. It was at its towing weight limit with that trailer, and it was slow-going. I would never do that again!!!!!


Donna

I hear you all, and thank you for the advice. Budget depends on what I can muster. I have looked into getting a 10' truck and tow the car, but the problem is the motorcycle. I have seen videos of people loading their bike into the back of a uhaul, but I just don't believe the wood bars can hold the bike and you can't bolt to the bottom of the truck. Has anyone tried this before?
Looks like the best option was to buy a cheap mattress for between the wall and bike and ratchet it to the wall...

If the bike is firmly secured to the bars in the truck then there should not be a problem in it being held in place, it's only when you get lots of sharp movement from it not being secured properly that anything is likely to give. With the bike in gear it shouldn't roll back and forth, but if you can I would secure the bike across the truck bed [width way's behind the cab] as it's likely to get less rolling force from turning left and right then it is accelerating and braking. You could also put the front wheel against one side and strap it there. A few old cushions might help in making sure the bike doesn't rub against the sides of the truck, or the fastening straps and cause damage to paint work.

It's always advisable to stop a few miles down the road and check and re-tighten the straps once everything has settled in place.

How big is this bike ?

I'd get a quote for crating the bike up and loading it into the back of the truck.

Is the bike the only reason you need to trailer ? If so by the time you have rented a truck and trailer and added the additional fuel and one way fee's etc it could be worth getting a quote to ship your bike across country and you drive your Yaris. If the bike isn't urgent you could get a good deal by getting it sent as a part load with someone like uShip ? No idea of cost might would be worth comparing.

Thank you all!


The bike is a 700cc cruiser (1984 VF700c Magna). I have a few things I want to take, like a mattress, clothes and knickknacks, so even if I shipped the bike, I would still need 4x8 cargo trailer as the dog and I would still like a little bit of space in the car.


The bids for the shipping estimates will take a few days (uShip), but here are the costs as I can determine. Please note that I have used the first two trailer combinations before as well as used uShip. The one I have never done before is the large truck + trailer (though I have done an in city move with a 16' truck before). SO, I know how my car can handle all but the Rocky Mountain passes.


~~Cheapest: Yaris and motorcycle trailer (1,000 lb empty trailer, ~750lb load, no trailer brakes)
$0725 | 5x8 utility trailer, straps, tarps
$0525 | Gas low est, 3000 mi at 20mpg @$3.50 unleaded
($1250)


~~ Compromise: Ship the Bike, smaller lighter trailer, (850 empty trailer, 250lb load) (Preferred)
$1400 | bike ship (U-Ship high estimate)
$0562 | 4x8 cargo trailer rental
$0350 | Gas low est, 3000 mi at 30mpg @$3.50 unleaded
($2312)
~~~Safest: 10'/16' truck and auto transport trailer (surge breaks)
$2980 | truck+trailer, straps, boards etc (either Penske 16' or uHaul 10')
$1312 | Gas low est, 3000 mi at 9mpg @$3.50 unleaded
($4292)


So it depends on how much money I can scare up. My question, really concerns the passes. I've heard Cabbage Pass/Emigrant Pass is pretty rough, are there other options?
I feel like I am playing a game of Oregon Trail and weather will make the difference in the end, but all things considered, which rout would be a "best case" scenario and what other passes/roads should I keep in my book of tricks?

Thank you!
AeN