Longest Round Trip Tow

[RWilson2526]

So whats the longest round trip tow you guys have made? We rented a house for first week in August in Florida (Little Gasparilla Island). Boat access only. Had pretty much made up my mind we would rent a boat for the week but as the prices and types of boats available start to become more clear its getting harder and harder to stroke that check when I have a perfectly functional boat and trailer sitting in the driveway.

With the reasonable cost of gas it is a net add of about $250 in fuel. Trailer is in great shape although it is a single axle. Truck is new (new to me, 2012 V8 Silverado) so that part is not an issue.

Did tow it once to Charleston SC which some of you guys know with a much lesser truck and didn't bother me.....

Not that I'll let any single one of you make up my mind I am curious as to how many varying opinions I will get.

[THEFERMANATOR]

I would say your estimate of only an extra $250 in fuel is pretty low. Alos keep in mind wear and tear and such on your trailer and boat need to be factored in. If you had a tandem I would say it would be a safer bet, a single axle with a V on it going across the roads between Jersey and Florida is BEGGING for trouble. I've done the trip now several times with our travel trailer in tow, and it costs us close to $500 or more extra to tow it. I know it's an apples to oranges comparison, but it gives you an idea. We spend well over $1200 in fuel and costs for just the drive with my diesel BURb getting 11-12 MPG. I know you can rent a skiff down here for a week for $1250 on craigslist, and then you don't have to worry about losing a tire on those wonderful DC roads or the likes. If your going to make the trip, I would ssay step up to a tandem axle trailer just for the safety factor towing, and having less strain on the tires getting pummelled across all of them concrete roads.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Found this one on CL, $900 a week and they are local to the area.

http://sarasota.craigslist.org/boa/5052208082.html

Or this one isn't far away either.

http://sarasota.craigslist.org/boa/5042809262.html

[Destroyer]

I used to make the trip to my aunts house in Naples, Fla every year. 1600 miles one way. Gas was about 10 mpg on my Jeep Cherokee 4.0L engine. So the cost was about $50 one way in gas. But gas is a dollar cheaper now, so knock off about a hundred from that cost. Single axle Load Rite trailer. Never really had a problem. Never really noticed the boat back there except when braking hard in traffic. Just make sure you carry an extra set of bearings, a spare tire, a tire repair kit, an air compressor and a grease gun. I know several people that have a complete hub, pre-assembled with bearings, that they carry for good measure. It's completely do-able Rob, choice is yours though.

[bradford]

Ferm has it right. Will make the trip A LOT faster and easier with A LOT less driver fatigue.

Besides, who wants to play with wheel bearings in a truck stop parking lot in south Georgia in the middle of summer when you're supposed to be on vacation.

Lots of flats down that way too. Rent a boat and tear up someone else's lower unit.

[inaforty]

subscribed.........
We plan on towing down next spring.

[SkunkBoat]

never towed the V far but towed the original Skunkboat 16' Sylvan/ single axel to Key West from Jersey, twice!

First time with a 84 Dodge Ramcharger 4x4. Looked just like this :sand:

A million gallons of gas, 1 alternator in NC on the way down, Front Driver side wheel bearing in a parking lot in Delaware on the way back. Had a blast, caught my first ever grouper,cuda,snapper. Jammed to the Out'a'hand Band in Sloppy Joe's. Camped at Boyd's.

Did it again the next year, towed with my brother's Chevy van, Non-stop except for gas....peed out the gap in the back door while driving 80mph...

I know, none of this helps you but I got lost in yester-year
:beer:

[smokeonthewater]

I have never even flinched at 2000 mile round trip tows.... I regularly travel between Indiana and Texas for work and the only reason I don't tow a boat every trip is I don't think I could get away with it... I am already towing a 38' tri axle fifth wheel and a jeep wrangler... 30,600 lbs with room for 70 more gallons of fuel and 78' long (over legal length in every state)... pretty sure if I added another 24' for a boat behind the jeep I'd get popped pretty quick.......

[phatdaddy]

i've towed my V to the keys 4 or 5 times, 1500 miles ,round trip. i have also met friends down there who rented boats. i think i'd rather have my own boat. i like my boat and i like boating in my boat, so if i'm more comfortable in my boat, that's what i want to be in. just do your prep work and it shouldn't be a problem.

as far as tandem vs single, i have a tandem and love it. i tow with a tahoe w 5.3 and get bout 10 mpg and i know it's back there.
i take spare hubs, 2 of them, already packed with grease. just take off the castle nut, slide the old one off and new one on. take 2 spare tires, because if you need one, then you feel naked without one for the rest of the trip.
if you have a good gps, running aground can be avoided, blue is good, white go slow, brown, turn around.

is it worth it, up to you. i'd rather spend the money on my boat and rig. plus it's kinda cool to take the old girl to some new places every now and then

[the daydreamer]

We have towed the v 4 or 5 times down to key west. 2100 miles round trip. If hubs and bearings have been done go for it. Its not that bad. Or even carry a spare hub so if you have a problem just stick new assy on and keep trucking. We tow with a 95 burb. Mph 9 to 10 any way you do it. I have thought about renting a boat also but just cant get over the cost. Have not put a pen to it (cost of towing less mpg) but i like having my own boat there!!!!!!

[mawshj]

I've towed my v20 for thousands of miles on a single axle ez load with big 10 ply tires and only had tire trouble after the tires were 14 years old. always carried spare tire and wheel bearings always serviced bearings yearly always checked wheels for heat whenever we stopped for gas etc. trailer has surge brakes , these need service yearly particular if kept outside . traveled Md to key west and would do it. I like to have my own boat, then I know what I can trust

[inaforty]

Interesting comments.
Our plans are to spend two weeks in the Port Charlotte area.
Doesn't make sense to try to rent a boat for that length of time.

[captpete13]

I say go for it Rob. There's nothing like having the bragging rights about taking your boat that far. The only cooler thing would be if you actually drove the boat by water to Florida. Just do your bearings before you go. Bring a spare tire. When I trailer that far I check my bearings every time I get gas. Just give the trailer a little wiggle to check for sloppiness and put your hand on each hub to see how hot they are.

[phatdaddy]

capt pete, i have one of those lasar temp guns. every stop i go back and shoot the hubs checking temp.

also use it to know when the grease is ready when we fry fish down there

[bradford]

Y'all are changing my mind, lol. I say go for it.

The only thing that concerns me really is the single axle. Is the trailer set up right with the proper tongue weight etc., makes a huge difference when towing, especially that far. Too much tongue weight is bad, and not enough is a whole lot worse. Got good heavy duty tires and springs? Loosing one on a single is a whole lot worse than on a tandem. Could you justify trading up to a tandem? Then again a tandem has more weight, more rolling resistance, twice the maintainence. I would rather have a good heavy duty, properly set up, single axle than a cheap flimsy tandem. Just thinking off the top of my head.

If you like to read check out some Randy Wayne White novels from the library, especially the Doc Ford series, all take place in that area. John D. MacDonald and James W. Hall novels are excellent as well.

[RWilson2526]

Great information guys....I must say I am surprised there were more Yay's than Nays. Even "Captain Cautious" (AKA Destroyer) was saying go for it :fam:

I've gone back and forth at least three times....Ferm...great info on the craigslist ad. I am going to call them today. Those are much better boats and much better prices than what I was seeing at local marina's down there. I'm sure I'll spend more in gas than what I am estimating but below is a spreadsheet I put together to calculate differential cost....havent towed enough with the new truck to get a good number but ran it at 10,11,12, 13 mpg.

$/gal miles mpg w/ mpg w/o Gal w/ $ w/ Gal w/o $ w/o $ diff
$2.62 2674 10 18 267.40 $700.59 148.56 $389.22 $311.37
$2.62 2674 11 18 243.09 $636.90 148.56 $389.22 $247.68
$2.62 2674 12 18 222.83 $583.82 148.56 $389.22 $194.61
$2.62 2674 13 18 205.69 $538.91 148.56 $389.22 $149.70

With the money I'll spend in gas and what I'll probably spend making sure the trailer is completely perfect I dont think it will come down too much to a money thing....I do like the comment about putting money into my own rig if I have to spend it. Would need to be done anyway sooner or later.

I am also spending 3-4 days on the east cost visiting my family so could get some boating in on that side too which would be fun.

Will keep you guys updated.

[smokeonthewater]

Also keep in mind the possibility of problems w a strange boat..

You drive 1000 miles and pick up someone else's boat... The motor blows, they double book a weekend, for whatever reason they bail...

Do they try to blame you for the engine prob?.... Do they refund your money right away? Do they have another boat? Is all of their safety gear up to USCG standards?
Is your vacation ruined because you counted on a stranger and a strange boat? Do you WISH you had brought your own boat?????


On the mpg.... Possibly if you slow down 5 mph you will make up for towing the boat.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Having spent most of yesterday running around gasparilla island, another thing to keep in mind is the actual boating on the water. Are you prepared to lose a prop or lower unit? There is alot of boating to be done down that way, but there are also ALOT of water hazards down there as well. There is also a ferry that does non stop trips all day long from ELDRIDS marina to GASPARILLA ISLAND. Also on another note, it is just plain STOOPID that they have a ferry to bring your car over to the north side of the island, but no roads to connect it to the southside of the island because they decided to make the middle of the island part of Don Pedro Island State Park. Also if you do come down here to boat, I STRONGLY reccomend you have a hand held GPS or something with accurate charts in it. This area can go from deep water of 10-12 feet in the channels, to nothing in less than 3 feet. The ICW isn't marked the best in all areas anymore, and it is sandbars on either side of the channel through much of it.

If you do bring your boat with you, I would strongly suggest stepping up to a tandem axle trailer. Yes the tolls through the socialist north will eat you alive, but the safety factor is nice in having 2 tires on each side in case of a blowout. And when you come down, let us know, I may be able to break away and take the wife and kids to the inlaws in Port Charlotte and bring the skiff with me. Still trying to learn how and where to fish in the area as it is COMPLETELY different than what I am used to up to the north.

[phatdaddy]

don't know if that area is as bad as the keys (remember, that chain of islands was founded by people who took advantage of stranded travlers in peril), but trailer storage can be costly as well.

we rented a house in key colony(marathon) and had to pay a $50 a week storage fee to the key colony police force to store a trailer in their yard, other option was a $25 a day fine for keeepin it at the rental house.


apparently their attitude has not changed in 300 years

[THEFERMANATOR]

Check with ELDRED'S MARINA. They are located right at the bridge to BOCA GRANDE, and do long term storage. The ferry boat to GASPARILLA ISLAND runs from that marina over. They have an older ramp(but still good) along with a large parking lot and several boat slips to park at.

[SkunkBoat]

First off, go for it. An adventure is an adventure even if (especially if) something goes wrong.:party:

All this talk about trailers and no one has mentioned sh#$ brakes and f#$%@& lights...

You'll probably be driving in the dark so make sure your brake lights work with your running lights on. clean & tighten light bolts so they get a good connection. same with the white wire on your truck & trailer. make sure all your little side lights work and your license plate is lit.

I hate trailer lights...
I hate trailer brakes and don't have them but I would if I were driving I95 to Florida with my V20 baby loaded with 2 weeks of crap

[Destroyer]

If you do bring your boat with you, I would strongly suggest stepping up to a tandem axle trailer. Yes the tolls through the socialist north will eat you alive, but the safety factor is nice in having 2 tires on each side in case of a blowout.

Actually, if he has EasyPass there is NO charge for a trailer, single or tandem. If he goes thru the normal toll lanes you're right, they charge by the axle and he'll pay thru the nose. But the Easypass lanes just charge by the vehicle. Just read the info on their site. I've had Easypass for many years and I love the ease and the reduced fees. Well worth getting.

we rented a house in key colony(marathon) and had to pay a $50 a week storage fee to the key colony police force to store a trailer in their yard, other option was a $25 a day fine for keeping it at the rental house.

You have got to be kidding me. They fine you for keeping a trailer in your driveway????? It's a legally registered vehicle according to law and should not be subject to any fines. And the people down there let the police get away with that crap? That's nothing less than extortion.

Even "Captain Cautious" (AKA Destroyer) was saying go for it

There's a reason I reached my 71st birthday Rob. :party: I've never said don't have fun. I just say be careful you don't kill yourself while doing it.

[steplift20]

From parsippany nj to Atlantic highlands nj with my 94 pick up it would be ok but them friggin tolls nj is robbing the working man can't afford to tow it longer, can't afford the nj tolls

[THEFERMANATOR]

Actually, if he has EasyPass there is NO charge for a trailer, single or tandem. If he goes thru the normal toll lanes you're right, they charge by the axle and he'll pay thru the nose. But the Easypass lanes just charge by the vehicle. Just read the info on their site. I've had Easypass for many years and I love the ease and the reduced fees. Well worth getting.



You have got to be kidding me. They fine you for keeping a trailer in your driveway????? It's a legally registered vehicle according to law and should not be subject to any fines. And the people down there let the police get away with that crap? That's nothing less than extortion.



There's a reason I reached my 71st birthday Rob. :party: I've never said don't have fun. I just say be careful you don't kill yourself while doing it.
We don't have easypass down here, and it isn't retroactive with the sunpass we have, so no point in me getting one or even really knowing about one with as little as I go up nawth(you guys can keep that area. My wife has family up there, so we only go OCCASIONALLY to visit). As to the fine, many areas down here are VERY congested, and if they allowed you to park your trailer, the whole area would back up. Or it could have been a deed restricted community like my inlaws live in where everybody is from up nawth where they like being told what they can and can't do. They already know they will have a notice in the mail next week about my boat being parked in front of the house Wednesday and Thursday night, and Friday(only allowed to park your boat here Friday night to Sunday afternoon). Most of the people who live here are from Jersey and New York, and love it like this.

[Destroyer]

We don't have easypass down here, and it isn't retroactive with the sunpass we have, so no point in me getting one or even really knowing about one with as little as I go up nawth(you guys can keep that area. My wife has family up there, so we only go OCCASIONALLY to visit). As to the fine, many areas down here are VERY congested, and if they allowed you to park your trailer, the whole area would back up. Or it could have been a deed restricted community like my inlaws live in where everybody is from up nawth where they like being told what they can and can't do. They already know they will have a notice in the mail next week about my boat being parked in front of the house Wednesday and Thursday night, and Friday(only allowed to park your boat here Friday night to Sunday afternoon). Most of the people who live here are from Jersey and New York, and love it like this.

I know Easypass is retroactive to a lot of different states. Don't know about Fla though.
As for the trailer thing, if I park my car and trailer in my own driveway, it's no ones else's damn business. I'm not congesting any road, and if someone doesn't like looking at it they can turn their fk'ing head the other way. Not sure about the comment about people from the North liking being told what to do. Where'd you ever get that idea?.. Sounds strange coming from an area that doesn't allow people to park their trailer in their own driveway. And when I visited my aunts in Naples, I never got any hassle about parking my trailer in their driveway. So I guess maybe it's a local extortion?.

[THEFERMANATOR]

I know Easypass is retroactive to a lot of different states. Don't know about Fla though.
As for the trailer thing, if I park my car and trailer in my own driveway, it's no ones else's damn business. I'm not congesting any road, and if someone doesn't like looking at it they can turn their fk'ing head the other way. Not sure about the comment about people from the North liking being told what to do. Where'd you ever get that idea?.. Sounds strange coming from an area that doesn't allow people to park their trailer in their own driveway. And when I visited my aunts in Naples, I never got any hassle about parking my trailer in their driveway. So I guess maybe it's a local extortion?.
It's called deed restriction down here. Not very popular with the actual southerners, but very popular with our transplants.

[phatdaddy]

yep, part of the covenants of the neighborhood. no trailers in the front yard. homeowners get to park theirs free in the lot, only rental trash gets dinged.
not all neighborhoods are like that d. oh yea, $15 to launch a boat also at the "city" ramp.
people in florida figured out a long time ago, it's easier to pick tourist than to pick oranges

as far as sunpass, they count axles ,just not always accurately.

we stopped at some friends house in stuart. they lived in a gated community. we arrived about 9:00 that night, condo commando in the golf cart was banging on the door at 7 the next morning, couldn't live in a place like that.

[randlemanboater]

I have towed my V-20 to the Keys and back several times...1800 mile round trip. I pull it with my RV and don't know its there, weight wise or mpg wise...I do notice it navigating non-truckstop gas stations though.

Before I did it the first time, I bought a nice new dual axle trailer with surge brakes.

Check the reviews of the rental companies, crunch your numbers, check your rig over, and make an informed decision that suits you best.

[Redneck]

I tow my V from Whitecourt AB out to PrinceRupert BC once a year ( not the last two). It's a 1500 Km one way trip over two mountain ranges diesel truck only easier on fuel and the trany. Not sure of the fuel mileage we split the cost three ways so it not to bad think I usually pay $250 per year. I got a double axle trailer and go through it every season breaks lights bearings ect. Break downs and to the story when it's all said and done but I'd rather be fishing lol. Taking her to the coast this year with my budyy and our boys to get them hooked on salmon fishing. Kalum finally gets to see the river I named him after on this trip witch will be a special dad moment for me.

Tight lines boys

[RWilson2526]

Well we are back from Florida.....after going back and forth 2 more times at least, spending $400 on my trailer for new leaf springs, new spare and new axle (all original 1986) and assorted miscellaneous items, at pretty much the 11th hour we decided to .......................rent a boat. I think the final kicker was with the trailer pulled apart I noticed my relatively new tires had some pretty serious negative camber wear on the insides of the tires . (A function of single axle?)

That was pretty much the final straw, one trip up and back is probably 3-4 years of local travel for me. Probably would have been light on the gas estimate too.

I think if I was staying there for 2 weeks I would go for it in the future but for a week it wasn't worth the worry.

So anyway Florida was great. Got to meet up with the Ferminator one morning at our house for breakfast. Although I ate and he watched. Thanks for coming out Ferm. It was really good to meet you.

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[phatdaddy]

glad u had a good time, hope the weather was good. i like that boat with the console that far back. never saw a c skiff set up like that. what is that big box in front of the console?

[THEFERMANATOR]

It was nice meeting up with you as well. I started to come back by and see you again, but my back said get off the water, so I listened and retreated to my pain pills at the inlaws house. Let us know when you're back in the area and hopefully I'll be in better shape.

[RWilson2526]

glad u had a good time, hope the weather was good. i like that boat with the console that far back. never saw a c skiff set up like that. what is that big box in front of the console?

It was actually a glass bottom boat. I rented a deck boat but he pulled a switch on me at the last minute. It was a good size but the visibility was not conducive to viewing at all...pretty much just ate up a ton a room in the middle of the boat. Was a good place for beach towels and such though. From what I was told we had about the only good weather in about a month. Rained the morning of the first day and then again on the last day but was good in between.