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
Alone across country in March.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ChibiPegaCorn
... with few to no hotel stops.
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 wouldn't even attempt it
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.
Shouldn't be a problem if strapped tight.
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 ?
Ship it all with the bike.
Not to rub it in or anything, but as said, towing is not an option. As also mentioned it would be cheaper to buy a mattress and knickknacks when you are there than it would to rent the trailer, but I doubt it would cost significantly more to ship the mattress and all your other bits with the bike in an enclosed truck. You can't put a cost on safety.
