Going to be doing a long road trip in the FJ in August and I need some advice

[thenookie]

So the girlfriend finally graduated from law school and she will be moving from Waco TX, to El Paso TX....

And I happen to buy an FJ that can tow 5000 lbs....

And I live in Colorado....

Now while some of you are wondering why the hell I'm dating a girl in TX and I'm in Colorado....that's a different disucssion....


So I am thinking of taking this:

http://www.uhaul.com/guide/index.asp...t=trailer-6x12



Must weigh at least 3,500 lbs. (curb weight)
Must have Class 2 tow hitch (3,500 lb. minimum weight-carrying rating)
Must have 1-7/8", 2" or 2-1/8" hitch ball (3,500 lbs. minimum)
Must not exceed maximum allowable hitch ball height 25"
Must have external mirrors on both sides
Must have fully operational lighting
Trailer lighting must be operational at all times, day and night
Maximum recommended speed is 45 MPH

I will be driving either one empty from Fort Collins CO, to Waco TX, then a loaded one from Waco to El Paso TX then back to Fort Collins empty, or From Waco to El Paso and leaving it there, (depending on which is cheaper)

It does state that the max speed is 45 mph......That won't work...not at all....

Does anyone have any suggestions..... This is gonna suck, no doubt about it, especially the moving part in the middle of August in El Paso TX...(shudder) but I'm trying to do this a quick and cheaply as possible.

Thanks for the help !!!

[Kansas Law Dog]

Drive FJ to Denver International Airport. Fly from Denver to Waco. Rent a U-Haul truck. Drive to El Paso. Turn in U-Haul truck, with drop fee. Fly from El Paso to Denver. Drive FJ to Fort Collins.

Not worth the wear and tear on your FJ in my estimation. Probably not the option you wanted to hear.

[JohnGalt]

I think Kansas Law Dog is probably on the right tact.

There's a pretty good, although 'invisible', cost associated with that much driving and towing. The GAO doesn't reimburse some $0.45/mile cuz they're selfless. There's wear and tear that will cost you out of pocket.

I guess it comes down to a pay me now, pay me later. Not to mention the additional value of quality time (and free law advice) you get if you fly and spend all that driving time with your g/f.

And yeah, probably not what you wanted to hear.

[garrett]

I towed the U-Haul 5x8 to Eureka Springs Arkansas from Riverside Ca about 1600 miles. The FJ pulled it no problem. While I was driving 12.8 mpg (70-80 mph) When my buddy drove 15.4 mpg (60-70).
Edit: Yeh, I saw that 45mph max on the u-haul. Must be a liabilty thing goes I know they don't think someone is going to drive 45 mph over 1600 miles.

[MissFJ]

garrett previously said:

I towed the U-Haul 5x8 to Eureka Springs Arkansas from Riverside Ca about 1600 miles. The FJ pulled it no problem. While I was driving 12.8 mpg (70-80 mph) When my buddy drove 15.4 mpg (60-70).
Edit: Yeh, I saw that 45mph max on the u-haul. Must be a liabilty thing goes I know they don't think someone is going to drive 45 mph over 1600 miles.

There are several crashes posted on other 4x4 forums caused by uhaul trailers (mostly failing hitches). I would never rent one from them! Just my 0.02 cent doomsday warning

[thenookie]

MissFJ previously said:

There are several crashes posted on other 4x4 forums caused by uhaul trailers (mostly failing hitches). I would never rent one from them! Just my 0.02 cent doomsday warning

Believe me...I would love not to, but I can't seem to find any other options. Can you suggest something else ?

[thenookie]

garrett previously said:

I towed the U-Haul 5x8 to Eureka Springs Arkansas from Riverside Ca about 1600 miles. The FJ pulled it no problem. While I was driving 12.8 mpg (70-80 mph) When my buddy drove 15.4 mpg (60-70).
Edit: Yeh, I saw that 45mph max on the u-haul. Must be a liabilty thing goes I know they don't think someone is going to drive 45 mph over 1600 miles.

That's good to know. I am curious about the mpg. Texas is now 80 MPH on the interstates...that's gonna be bad for gas milage. I don't know if I'd go that fast, but its nice to know.

[thenookie]

Kansas Law Dog previously said:

Drive FJ to Denver International Airport. Fly from Denver to Waco. Rent a U-Haul truck. Drive to El Paso. Turn in U-Haul truck, with drop fee. Fly from El Paso to Denver. Drive FJ to Fort Collins.

Not worth the wear and tear on your FJ in my estimation. Probably not the option you wanted to hear.

You have no idea how much I would like to take this option....too expensive though. U-Haul would be around 650 bucks plane ticket around 300... plus gas for that pos.....no idea how much that would be...

Versus maybe 232 for the trailer and 600 in gas....hmmm...that's not as off as I thought....hmmmm........

[mikey]

Might be cheaper to box and pack it all yourself and have a moving company haul it for you. If anything breaks, there responsible and they do all the hard work for you.

[MissFJ]

thenookie previously said:

Believe me...I would love not to, but I can't seem to find any other options. Can you suggest something else ?

KLD's suggestion is what I would do if I was looking to save money and still be safe.