Need advice for towing from Virginia to San Diego

[Bajaahh]

Well, I finally pulled the trigger on a nice GW 208!
Now comes the hard part, Im flying out to VA in 2 weeks to rent a U-Haul and tow her home. I already have a pretty good list of what tools Im bringing and extra parts I will have delivered as head of time.
I have a week off work to drive nice and slow. What I need is a little advice on what you all think would be the safest route to take this time of year? I have 3 routes from Mapquest, but of course that doesn't take weather into account...
So I need aroute with the best chance of missing snow/ice, yet trying to miss the most traffic as possible. I don't need to "see the sights" or anything like that, just the safest and quickest route.
Thanks in advance!
-Scott

 

[TUNAHUNTER197]

Make sure all wheels and hubs are pretty new on the trailer. Purchase spare hubs and tires (even if you don't use them on your voyage you have them for home), purchase a temp gun to check your hub temps when you stop. My suggestion for a route is to head south to 10 and take that all the way across to SD. This time of year I would not want to mess around with any of the mountain ranges. Good luck with your journey, hope it is uneventful.

 

[Sea Shift]

I would agree with staying away from the northern routes. 20 should work though. It avoids the mountains but does skirt Dallas

 

[Tuna Man]

I can't offer too much advise except the southern route makes the most sense this time of year.

I just towed a new to me 209 from the Myrtle Beach area to NJ. I contemplated flying there and renting a Uhaul to tow the boat back to NJ. I decided to drive both ways and use our Expedition to tow the boat back. I brought a full complement of hand tools, tire gauges, blocks of wood, ratchet straps, tow strap, bungee cords, paper maps (printed Map-quest directions), gps, phone charger, etc. The reason I brought paper directions was just in case the gps failed and my phone battery ran low. I also brought a small 12 volt air compressor in case I needed to fill the tires.

Check the truck tires and the trailer tires before you start your journey. I strongly recommend you bring a spare tire for the truck and trailer. Make sure there is a jack that will work with the truck or the trailer. Make sure you have tools to change a flat tire, tighten a hitch ball, etc. I guess a spare quart or two of oil and maybe transmission fluid are a good idea. Brake fluid and windshield washer fluid could also be helpful.

Just as a reference, I did 65-75mph on my ride south (no trailer) and averaged 17.5mpg. Towing the boat on my way home, I averaged 10.5mpg doing 55-65mph. Based on what I read, the Uhaul will be a little worse, probably about 8mpg towing the boat.

 

[Meanwhile]

Great topic. I'm thinking of driving to the east coast and hauling back my first GW. There is a greater selection on the east coast. Please report your experiences along the route.

I plan on using my Dodge 3500 SRW with air bags to bring back a 30 Marlin. Now how do I go about getting all the necessary wide load permits? Is there a one stop web page or each state on the route? It seems that most boats do not have trailers, so I'll have a good used or a new trailer to pick up on the way. Spring cannot get here fast enough.

 

[Parthery]

Congratulations on the purchase....

I too would get south as soon as you can and then cross the country. The miserable winter will end eventually, but maybe not soon enough to not impact your trip.

64 to 81 to 40 would be my recommendation. If you have concerns about 40 still being too far north, then 95 to 85 to Atlanta and then take 20 across the country. I would definitely have the trailer serviced before you leave, and if there are any concerns about the condition of the tires, I'd replace them as well. I'd carry at least one spare, if not two.

I'vw done long hauls on several occasions....plan to stop every 200 miles or so to fuel, stretch and check everything. Don't push it.

Take pics and keep us posted.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I tow a few thousand miles every year and I 40 is part of my drive in the mountains. I have 228 and tow it with a Tundra. Though the 208 is lighter I would likely take 20 over or maybe even I 10. The fuel consumption will eat you alive towing through the mountains here and again out west especially using an U Haul truck. The flatter the route the better in my opinion. I would also bring a couple of fully assembled hubs, two spare tires, either a floor jack or bottle jack, a jack stand or two and some wood to put under the jack in soft earth. Sounds like a fun adventure.

There is the guy who is buying the 30 footer. If it was me and I could afford it i would have a trucking company haul it for you. Let them deal with the permits and so forth.

 

[Bajaahh]

Thanks for all the good advice! I feel pretty well equipped except for a few things which I will buy when I land in VA(floor jack, spare tire and hubs). I went to talk to my local U-Haul dealership today and they gave me a good piece of advice. He told me to try and rent the truck from a U-Haul "hub", not a mom and pop place that rents u-hauls as a side business. He said the trucks will be in better shape and I'll get better service.
Another thing I learned is that Sea-Tow will offer reimbursement for any trailer breakdowns. My boat insurance offers trailer coverage as well.
I researched having it shipped home, but the average quote on U-ship was about $3500-$3800 to tow it, or bleed out $8k to put it on a flatbed and ship it. Crazy, that would be 25% of the cost of the boat!!!
Anyway, I feel more comfortable towing it myself, sleeping in the cuddy, and repairing it the way I see fit if(when) it has a break-down. I figured I'll save about $1k and get to see a good part of the U.S.

I appreciate the information, I look forward to the road trip and I'll post any positives or negatives when I get back on the 20th...
-Scott
2005 Grady-White 208

 

[Daman858]

Head south on I-95 to Jacksonville, FL, then take I-10 west, No chance of snow or ice. 208 is an easy tow.

 

[TUNAHUNTER197]

how do I go about getting all the necessary wide load permits? Is there a one stop web page or each state on the route?

I was planning on driving my 265 from FL to CA. Talked with http://www.mercurypermits.net/boatus-members regarding permits. Decided to have a professional do it instead. If your looking for a great trailer company check out sea-tech trailers out of Miami. Drive safe, enjoy your Marlin!

 

[GreatWhite23]

Hey, I have towed my gulf stream with a one ton duramax from NC to southern Fl, NC to Delaware and a few four hour trips to NC coast. She now resides in beaufort NC and will be glad to leave her there. I hired a driver to pull it back from FL at the cost of 800. Plans changed and was not able to return to FL in the Spring as planed. I would estimate it cost about one hundred dollars more in fuel for every 8 hours of driving. I have also towed my 34 ft sea ray from atlanta to bristle TN. I would not care to tow a boat that size again for ten hours in a truck again. My biggest issue I found with transporting boats long distance was hotels. Parking was not there so you were deemed for not so nice hotels in not the greatest part of town. Sleeping in the boat was not a bad option. With a shot gun of coarse. I always made sure I had boat ins. before I left. I will tow the Gulfstream with out hesitation. As far as the larger boats. maybe with a bigger truck. I would think after renting a u haul and fuel you could hire a transporter. It sounds like you are going on a adventure enjoy seeing the country.

 

[SC Adventure 208]

Unless you're really short, sleeping in the 208 cuddy is no picnic. Get some good pillows and a good sleeping bag.

 

[GW VOYAGER]

Lots of good advice given! Only thing I can add is make sure your tires are inflated to max.
Under inflated tires are the culprit of many bad journeys.

 

[wrxhoon]

Thats a fair trip, I would say at least 2500-3000 miles, Whilst I don't have much experience driving in snow covered roads I have driven extensively in USA. Your roads are good so I can't see any problems unless you get snowed in.
I have a lot of experience towing boats here in AU, sometimes I tow long distance chasing tuna, marlin etc.. so towing up to 1200 miles there and back. I tow my 228G on aluminum Ace built trailer with a 200 series Landcruiser diesel mostly sitting on 110-120 kmh ( 68-75 mph)on freeways and about 100 kmh (60mph) on other roads.
Before a long trip , I check my wheel bearings, brakes, axles and generally all trailer x-members for cracks , loose bolts etc. I carry 2 spare wheels ( new tyres) on the long trips, air compressor is fitted on the truck, tubless tyre repair kit, extra jack for the trailer, 2 stands, 2 rubber wheel blocks, toolbox with heaps of hand tools , grease, 2 sets of bearings and seals, 2 extra bearing buddies and 2 hubs, one is always on the trailer ( the spare wheel fitted to it).
I never rely on the winchpost strap and safety chain alone, I have another chain from the boat hook to the trailer pulling back with a turnbuckle to make it tight and I use an extra strap at the rear of the boat.
If the trailer you are using is not rusty, no rusting springs, axles or torsion axles and you check bearings and brakes you should be fine.
Good luck with it, not many GWs in San Diego.
Interesting to see how you go..

 

[zimm]

I've done the drive with a big uhaul trailer. Take southern route- 95 to 85 through Atlanta, then 20 across. I'd go for hotels, you'll freeze in the cabin and the shower will be worth it.

Buy a hub loaded with bearings. Tools needed to swap, and a jack. After the first 10-20 miles on highway, pull over and put a hand on each hub. They should be warm, but not burn you. If it's hot, get it fixed before you get too far way. Make sure you have a spare tire. Cell phone charger for truck.

How about a trailer tongue lock in case you have to,leave trailer somewhere and run for parts.

Ask uhaul for their newest truck. They usually let the long distance runs have the newer/reliable trucks. The local ones are the beat up POS ones.

Good luck!

 

[Bajaahh]

Well, I made it!
After a hellish trip out to Virginia(2 cancelled flights, one delayed flight and then having to fly into another airport to rent a car and drive to my final destination)! We made it from Virginia to San Diego in 7 days. Average of 65mph.
The only real problem was our U-haul truck tranny went out in BFE Texas. U-Haul was awesome in taking good care of us. We limped into Pecos Texas and they put us up for the night and got us a new truck. Cant say enough good things about their service...

Heres a small list of the things I highly recommend if you plan to do a long distance haul.

1. Get a M-Y wedge or a transom saver. I would also get the hydraulic steering clips. The roads in many of the eastern and southern states SUCKED!!! Worst roads I have ever experienced. Even driving 60mph, I saw my trailer wheels get off the ground twice. I guess it has to do with the weather changes. I think my outcome would have been MUCH different without the M-Y Wedge(and why not do the most you can to protect your boat?).
2. TAKE OFF YOUR PROP! A couple areas were a little sketchy, why lose a $500 prop to a crackhead?
3. Heat sensor gun. Worked great and was a good piece of mind(instead of guessing the temp with your hand). It gave us a good indication of which tire/hub to keep an eye on.
4. Locks. One for the U-Haul door, one for the coupler, and an extra trailer ball style incase we had to leave the boat for parts.
5. Duct tape. No explanation needed.
6. Get an FM Modulator for you phone/iPOD. Or get a portable Sirius/XM player. It was great to listen to Pandora music/comedy the whole way home.
7. Bailing wire.
8. Good ratchet straps for the transom to trailer. Also got one for the bow to trailer to keep the bow from bouncing(bad roads remember).
9. We took a bunch of tools, gloves, bought a spare tire/rim and 2 extra hubs. Also got a floor jack, 5 gallon gas can, bearing grease, grease gun, flashlights and a few extra things that we thought would be necessary for our boat.
10. Give yourself and extra day(or two) on each end. Just because you think you can make so many miles a day doesn't mean you can. Some days we did 5 hours, some 8, and one 10 hour day. Not to mention travel delays and breakdowns.

It was an easy trip overall. 11 states in 7 days. Not something I really want to do again, but it saved me some cash to pay California's sales tax :jaw

 

[Parthery]

Glad you made it safely. Which route did you end up taking?