Arkansas to New York City

[kmbrodie]

Hello all!

I'm planning a move to NYC next year. I'll be leaving from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Are there any "must-see" stops along the way? What's the best time of year to make this trip (foliage, weather, etc.)? I'll be hauling a 4x8 Uhaul trailer with my 2010 Honda Civic EX-L; Any tips? Do I really have to go 55mph the entire way or is that more of a suggestion?

Thanks!
Kyle.

[Mass Tim]

Since you don't have any specific date around when you are moving, it sounds like you have the good fortune to be able to choose on a whim when the move is going to take place. I bet a lot of people are jealous of that - usually moves have pretty firm dates around them.

As far as the speed limit - that's usually the recommendation, at the very least, for what the tires on the trailer are capable of sustaining to keep from having a blow out. Trailer tires are smaller, and therefore build up more heat the more rotations per minute they are subjected to. The same applies to "donut" spare tires.

If you want to see foliage, then sometime in October would be ideal for your trip, and the weather tends to be nice along the way as well - though keep an eye for tropical storms and the like. Weather is ultimately unpredictable this far out.

There are some places along the way that I'd recommend against simply because you are pulling a trailer. For instance, the twisty mountain roads of Appalachia would probably be quite a bit less pleasant than otherwise because of that trailer.

How much time are you planning for your trip?

[AZBuck]

The basic curb weight of the Civic EX is only a little over a ton, meaning that a fully loaded trailer - even one as small as 4x8 - could end up weighing as much as the car itself, thus resulting in a 'tail waging the dog' instability. Even if that's not the case, cross winds on the boxy trailer will make this rig inherently more difficult to control than you are used to, and while I wouldn't put an absolute numerical limit on your top speed you are not going to be able to maintain the speeds you are used to, or to keep up with traffic. Resign yourself to that fact.

As to the 'best' route, that depends on which is more important to you: safety, speed, or sight-seeing. You cannot have all three. For the fastest route, stick to the Interstates and specifically the right lane. Take it easy and slow down even further as the big rigs pass you or you will be blown off the road. But you will still need at least 2½ to 3 days for the transit. For the safest route, I would stick to the major US highways where lower speed limits, fewer trucks, and limited passing will all work in your favor. This would take 3+ days. For "must see"s along the route, most of the ones I would recommend are problematical since they are mountain locations (Great Smokies, Blue Ridge Parkway, etc) and your rig is simply not amenable to such.

If you have more than a week, or specific interests, let us know. But as things now stand your primary focus should be on getting to New York in one piece in a reasonable amount of time.

AZBuck

[Midwest Michael]

Uhaul's 55 mph restriction is very conservative, if you have a proper towing set-up. However, you won't have that because a Civic is simply not made to be a tow vehicle.

Check your manual, but at most the civic is rated to tow 1000 lbs (and I believe Honda actually says you should not tow at all with it), and an empty Uhaul 4x8 trailer alone weights 850 lbs. In other words, if you put an average sized adult in the trailer, it would already be overweight.

If you do choose to move forward with this plan, know that you will be putting a severe amount of strain on the engine, transmission, brakes, and other moving parts. You could also very well be voiding your warranty. However, because of all of these things, yes, 55 mph is the maximum speed you should consider traveling. You also should only plan to drive there directly, not taking any detours that will add more miles than needed, however I would look for a route that minimizes the hills as much as possible although I'm not sure which route across the Appalachians would be best in that regards.

I'd strongly recommend you either ship what you can't fit in your car, or look to rent an actual moving van.

[glc]

Welcome!

Even a 4x8 is a pretty hefty load for a Honda Civic - are you sure it's rated for it? Just the empty trailer weighs 850 lbs.

U-Haul strongly suggests a 55 mph limit, and some states even have a 55 mph limit while towing. The wheels/tires/axles on small trailers like that are NOT safe over 65.

[DonnaR57]

If this were me, I think I'd rent a U-Haul type truck with a car trailer. Put the car on the trailer and then you can put your HHG inside the truck. That would make it a lot safer. As has been said above, a Honda Civic is not a tow vehicle, period.

That said, we went from just west of Fort Smith AR (actually Sallisaw OK) to central NJ in 3 days. Two of those days were not particularly long days. Our stops between were in Cookeville TN (just west of Knoxville, about 600 miles from Sallisaw), and Staunton VA (432 mi) before central NJ (420 mi). We split it that way in order to have time to see the area in eastern TN and in VA. You could divide it up a little more evenly.



Donna