First long trip. Need Tips and advice from the Jayco pros.

[Studiovette]

Hey guys we are embarking on our first real trip with our Jayflight tomorrow. NJ to Jupiter area of FL. I have done the drive many times without towing but this will be the first time towing.
I have a reservation mid way in NC at a KOA where we plan to stay the night and do the next half on Saturday morning.
We have done two practice runs and for the most part they have been fine. Some minor issues but was able to learn from the mistakes and correct going fwd.
Any tips and advice that you can give as we head out on our first journey would be greatly appreciated. And yes I do plan on running my propane while on the road [emoji12]. Ooh and I do have roadside assistance.

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[Doug]

If winds are forecast, leave early.
Winds tend to pick up as the day goes on.
Keep it between the lines :-)

Don't be ashamed to stay in right hand lane and 55-60mph.

Safe travels,
Doug

[wanderlust]

Drive slow (60mph), stop often ( I typically fill up at 1/2 full), and enjoy!

[ttavasc]

I like to plan my fuel stops ahead of time as much as possible. Allow for plenty of reserve as 10mpg doesn't get you too far down the road when you hit 1/4 tank or less. If in doubt fill up early.....

[oldmanAZ]

My first thoughts...

I'd say 500+ miles for your first trip is TOO far. It will take 2 LONG days; about 8hrs on the road if you AVERAGE 65mph, which is unlikely towing espically for the first time. So, for the trip down, divide it into 3 parts and see how that goes.

You will need multiple fuel stops along the way. It can be a challenge getting in and out with the trailer attached. I usually plan fueling at truck stops and, whenever possible, fuel when stopped for the night and the trailer isn't attached.

[JFlightRisk]

At the very first sign of fatigue, stop for the night, switch drivers, or at least hit a rest area for a couple of hours. Enjoy the journey.

[Stingray75]

Start early / stop early
Your larger than most vehicles sharing the road with you and most of them expect that you'll be slower than they are, don't disappoint them
Plan fuel at about 1/2 tank
If you don't carry weather in the tank, put a couple 1 gal jugs in the bathroom to flush the toilet. We do this regardless of how much water is in the tank
Keep day 1 at about 6 hours for sanity and conditioning.

Have fun - the adventure is as important as the destination

[MrNiceGuy]

I agree with oldmanAZ. When you get between 300 and 400 miles that you've towed you will be tired. Adding one more stop can make for a much more enjoyable trip. If you find a campsite with pull through sites you might even get by without unhitching. I've found truck stops the easiest to get in and out of when getting fuel. There should be plenty on your route, Pilot, Flying J, Loves, etc. One last tip is keep an eye on your tires. Nothing can ruin a trip faster than a blowout.

[FiverForUs]

Maybe an obvious point but make sure you have the right socket/tire iron for both trailer and tow vehicle. A bottle jack is also handy. I always plan to arrive at stopping points during daylight. After a long drive, getting into a dark spot is just asking for trouble.

[jasum]

Watch for "speed traps" in the Carolinas.........

[farnik78]

I hate to pass up a fuel station if it looks l can easily get in and out. Sometimes the next town might be a pain in the a$$ to get fuel and if you passed up the earlier one you might not have a choice.


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[Studiovette]

Thanks everyone. Great tips. I checked tires today and inflated to proper psi. Have various tools and gadgets too.
My Jay has the upgraded Goodyear's so hopefully they keep us safe.
I will stop frequently and take it easy. If needed will plan another overnight stay to break the driving up even more.

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[Greg&Nancy]

T.S. Eliot — 'The journey, not the destination matters...'

Also, check your lug torque before departing.

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[ctbailey]

Have fun and take it easy.

We haul a lot for weekend warriors, and after about 3 years of hauling this big rig I still can really only handle about two tanks of fuel in a day... or about 550 miles. We've got enough truck and all, but for some reason the DW falls asleep real fast, and the kids are are pretty much buried in their tablets.

I usually plan on about 2 potty stops per tank, so thats almost 4 potty stops per day! If you're lucky you can get the kids to wait until a fuel stop for about half the potty breaks.

Working folk like us don't exactly have the "luxury" of taking our sweet time. We need to tough it out sometimes, but an 8-hour tow day is an accomplishment that you shouldn't scoff at.

Some highway rest areas actually have dump stations. So don't worry about using the grey & black tank during transit. getting anxious about filling tanks should be the last thing to worry about. THATS WHY YOU BOUGHT A "TRAVEL" TRAILER. LOL (or maybe a fiver.)

My kids are 6 & 3. an 8-hour day is just about the max I expect nowadays. Older kids might have more stamina, I'm not sure yet. But its' usually the DW that "calls it." (if you know what I mean.)

We've done plenty of nights at a rest area. If you can find the ideal spot where slides can go out, feel free. (like the edge of the parking lot, or adjacent to an island) But if you need to thread the needle in semi truck lanes... keep the slides in. The family will actually think its an adventure to layover in a professional truck stop... and the idling diesels will eventually lull you to sleep.

Tires... I've been running the OEM "Tow Maxx" since I picked the unit in October 2014. With proper air pressures you'll be fine.

Knock on wood... it can be somewhat anxious, but its just a road trip.

Bring Money.

Be Insured.

what could go wrong?

[Studiovette]

Hey everyone made it safely to the KOA in Lumberton NC as planned. Total time 12hrs! I Would have made great time but hit about 2.5hrs worth of traffic in VA. Smooth sailing with the exception of a couple things. Stopped for refueling 4xs at 1/2 tank. That's where my first grip comes in. How come My home state of NJ is the only one with fully functioning rest stops! I can't believe I did not see not one other rest stop pull off on I95 with fuel. My 2nd fuel stop was at between 1/2 -1/4 tank and got off in a suburb in VA and got rerouted for like 15 mins. It was a bit nerve-racking but just took it easy and finally found a station. I can really see how some would find this lifestyle or means of vacationing a hassle.

Travel wise I probably picked the worst weekend to take a trip like this but It's been a great learning experience so far. A lot of volume on the road and it gave me some great experience. The backup Furion is a life saver and so was the passenger side ext mirror I bought for $28.

I remembered to stop before pulling up to the pump and shutting the propane off. I even took my anti sway bar off a couple times to make easier turns at gas stops.😃 I did however manage to somehow end up off I95 and going to the Baltimore tunnel which clearly had a no hazmat sign but I had no choice but to continue thru. I was expecting to get pulled over on the other end but somehow got lucky!

My 7 & 3 yr old boys were champs and we're totally thrilled when we finally arrived.

So far the hardest part by far is dealing with some of the wind gusts and trailers blowing by. It seemed like a constant struggle to keep from swaying. Eventually though at my 4th and final fill up I gave the bar an extra 1/4 turn and it really helped keep the sway down.

Thanks again for all the advice and help from everyone. Up bright and early again tomorrow for the next half which sb hopefully quicker.

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[Mountain Climber]

Good work!

[oldmanAZ]

12+hrs for your first long trip! Congratulations! Glad everything went so smoothly.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by Studiovette

Hey everyone made it safely to the KOA in Lumberton NC as planned. Total time 12hrs! I Would have made great time but hit about 2.5hrs worth of traffic in VA. Smooth sailing with the exception of a couple things. Stopped for refueling 4xs at 1/2 tank. That's where my first grip comes in. How come My home state of NJ is the only one with fully functioning rest stops! I can't believe I did not see not one other rest stop pull off on I95 with fuel. My 2nd fuel stop was at between 1/2 -1/4 tank and got off in a suburb in VA and got rerouted for like 15 mins. It was a bit nerve-racking but just took it easy and finally found a station. I can really see how some would find this lifestyle or means of vacationing a hassle.

Travel wise I probably picked the worst weekend to take a trip like this but It's been a great learning experience so far. A lot of volume on the road and it gave me some great experience. The backup Furion is a life saver and so was the passenger side ext mirror I bought for $28.

I remembered to stop before pulling up to the pump and shutting the propane off. I even took my anti sway bar off a couple times to make easier turns at gas stops.😃 I did however manage to somehow end up off I95 and going to the Baltimore tunnel which clearly had a no hazmat sign but I had no choice but to continue thru. I was expecting to get pulled over on the other end but somehow got lucky!

My 7 & 3 yr old boys were champs and we're totally thrilled when we finally arrived.

So far the hardest part by far is dealing with some of the wind gusts and trailers blowing by. It seemed like a constant struggle to keep from swaying. Eventually though at my 4th and final fill up I gave the bar an extra 1/4 turn and it really helped keep the sway down.

Thanks again for all the advice and help from everyone. Up bright and early again tomorrow for the next half which sb hopefully quicker.

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Keep good fuel records and document your mileage while towing. I use fuelly.com to track the data. This will help you plan better because you'll know how far you can comfortably go under different conditions. Then use that information to identify ahead of time ideal fuel stops along your route for future trips. Use google maps street view to see how easy it will be to get in and out of each station. While not 100% foolproof, the majority of the time this works well. If you have a GPS unit that came with route-planning software add the fuel stops to the route so they are in the GPS unit when you leave.

Looks like you are off to a good start! Our first long trip was about 1300 miles one way and we spread that out over 3 days as we had no idea what to expect. We've refined things a bit and now make the same trip in less than 2 days.

Good luck on the rest of the trip -

[RyRoRyan]

So I have to ask this. On my old bighorn 5th wheel, when I got to a gas station, and turned off the engine to the car, it would also kill the power signal going through the 7 pin connector. My dometic fridge had a sensor on this wire and when it lost power, it would turn off the gas for 15 minutes. This way I didn’t have to actually do anything on the trailer when I was fueling up. I would expect this to be a safety feature be on all towable or gas powered RV’s. I would say travel for however long you are comfortable with. I can tell already that you now know that your bladder can prob go longer than your Durango’s gas tank when towing. You will spend more time at a gas station than you think. I realize that you may be nervous pulling for the first time, but what I can tell you that helped me a lot is just to be confident in your driving. If you double checked that you have it hooked up right, then stop thinking that it will fall off. After your first 5-10 turns in a city, you know where those trailer tires are going to go when following you. Take your time, make wide turns, but know where your tires are going to go. Learn how the wind will push you around and what you need to do to adjust for it. Once you understand the dynamics of your trailer, your confidence will go up, your nervousness will go down and your body will feel better and last longer. The key here is to enjoy driving it. I also want to stress, confidence not cockiness. Confidence will get you there safely and less fatigued. Cockiness will get you in an accident.

[Studiovette]

That was our first nite at the KOA in Lumberton NC. Great convenient location. $36 with our koa discount for a fh pt. Slept so amazingly and def. recharged. ( Already booked for the return trip).
We finally arrived at our resting place for the next 5 days. What a mission!! Another near 12 hr drive. 4 gas/potty stops. Most stops were about 20 mins long as I took some extra time stretching and removing/installing my anti sway bar. We arrived at around 845pm last night. It was getting dark and had to put my backing up skills to the test as we are renting a owners spot in a resort by the beach. My intentions were to arrive earlier but I now see it just takes extra time while towing and trying to be safe.

What a relief to finally arrive and unhitch. I really do have a new appreciation for anyone who tows. It's really not easy but you guys all nailed it. Take your time, be confident and by no means be cocky cause that will get you .... My main priority was not rushing and keeping my family safe on the road. For the most part I feel that most drivers were extremely cautious of us and stay away as they realize how big you are. I feel more confident in my skills now than we did prior to taking off as I was tested in many different ways and stayed cool under pressure. [emoji3]
So 5 days of rest then off to lego land and Disney's Fort Wilderness for 2 days before we head back.

Have a great 4th everyone!

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