2,760 mile trip...

[LincolnLS_2013]

Moving from Ottawa to Vancouver, driving with LS and towing my apartment in a U-Haul trailer

I'm at 54,500 miles. What should I replace before I leave on the 2,760 mile trip?

Just did synthetic oil. Thinking I should replace coolant, steering and brake fluid. There's no timing "belt", right... it's a chain? That won't snap on me half-way through, will it?

 

[Kumba]

Drop the car off at a mechanic, let them do an inspection.

Check the tires, look for corroded things under the hood like cooling leaks, check/change fluids and filters.

 

[LincolnLS_2013]

Check the tires, look for corroded things under the hood like cooling leaks, check/change fluids and filters.

Definitely need new all-season tires, still on winters Definitely on my to-do list this week.

 

[Ranchero50]

I would stop by the U haul place and test fit the trailer before you 'need' the trailer. Gonna be a long ride if the car / trailer combo isn't happy

Gawd only knows we've all seen enough sedans with the bumper dragging pulling a U haul box...

 

[Kumba]

I would stop by the U haul place and test fit the trailer before you 'need' the trailer. Gonna be a long ride if the car / trailer combo isn't happy

Gawd only knows we've all seen enough sedans with the bumper dragging pulling a U haul box...

A lot of that has to do with the loading. Heavy crap over the axle! Ideally you'd want just a teeny bit of tongue weight. Enough for the trailer to behave when being towed.

 

[BlackLS06]

I cringe when i see a tow hitch on a passenger car.

 

[RigsLS]

Moving from Ottawa to Vancouver, driving with LS and towing my apartment in a U-Haul trailer

I'm at 54,500 miles. What should I replace before I leave on the 2,760 mile trip?

Just did synthetic oil. Thinking I should replace coolant, steering and brake fluid. There's no timing "belt", right... it's a chain? That won't snap on me half-way through, will it?

good luck my friend, good luck, easy on the transmission, watch the temp gauge, don't push it, run the cruise on the flats, drop it in 4th on the inclines.

Be sure to hang a right at Northbay onto the 11, don't take the 17 straight, too many hills and not enough facilities for 10hrs, the 11 is the trans canada hwy, has plenty of stops & shops, is all flat and joins back up onto the 17 at Nipigon.

After Dryden, Ontario (I broke down there once for three hrs with a failed alternator) start watching the bears (cops), they are very hungry in that area. From Dryden to Kenora, Kenora is the last Ontario OPP detachment and they sit at the bottom of the hills, watch your speed approaching Kenora.

Soon as you pass into Manitoba, you'll be in a Provincial Park, small hills, soon as it starts to flatten out on the straight aways, if traveling Dusk or Dawn, watch the Deer, there are so many of them there and they are all in bunches along the side of the road grazing.


Approaching Winnipeg, MB on the Trans Canada #1, don't go through downtown Winnipeg, as you roll into Winnipeg, hang a left onto the Perimeter hwy #100, the go around, it's much easier and will save a lot of time compared to going straight through downtown. (at least for us trucks it is.)


Stay on the 1 all the way out there.

eventually you're going to run out of Timmies, so stock up.

Damn, wish I was coming with you or taking you there, I run that route of the back of my hand. day or night, all day. 1200+/-KM per day.


You be glad your not running it in the middle of winter, it's a whole different ball game then, you should have smooth sailing this time of year.

Nothing too steep to climb, couple of hills here and there, those are more still in Ontario, mostly all flat out West.



Man, I should just load up your LS and apartment and take you there, haven't been out west in about 4mths now.



(It's what I used to do but I don't run with these guys anymore)


Perhaps bring some coolant, oil, spare belt, tools and make sure your spare is in good shape, also be sure to stop every so often and have a look at the trailer, be sure it's up to par, check the hub temps and smell the brakes all around.

You best travel during the day time, too dark with nothing in between for 10 hrs at a time, not a good place to f*ck around during the night hours (for you at least)


I wish you the best of luck ... all the best, have fun and safe travels.

avoid eating at the Denny's restaurants at the Flying J truck stops, it's greasy as hell and will give you the runs.

 

[RigsLS]

A lot of that has to do with the loading. Heavy crap over the axle! Ideally you'd want just a teeny bit of tongue weight. Enough for the trailer to behave when being towed.

Actually on a small little trailer like that, you'd want it spread as evenly as possible, with all the heavy items at the bottom and all light items top loaded.

 

[NickT88LSC]

I would rather rent a bigger U-Haul and tow the LS on a trailer even if you don't need all that space in the U-Haul.

 

[Kumba]

Actually on a small little trailer like that, you'd want it spread as evenly as possible, with all the heavy items at the bottom and all light items top loaded.

They always seemed to tow better for me with a little bit of tongue weight. Neutral and especially negative weight seemed to make them more squirrely. And by a little bit of tongue weight I mean that you can reasonably pick up the tongue to sit it on the ball. 50 to 100 pounds of tongue weight might be neutral anyways. But yeah, furniture and dishes and books on the bottom, clothes and mattress on top.

If you load the trailer right, you shouldn't be carrying much weight at the bumper, let alone dragging the bumper across the ground.

 

[LS4me]

I would rather rent a bigger U-Haul and tow the LS on a trailer even if you don't need all that space in the U-Haul.

EXACTLY!!!! I'm pretty sure the LS wasn't meant to tow that much weight. How would you feel if towing somehow screwed-up the LS but for the price of the U-Haul?

FWIW, p216 from the OM:

TRAILER TOWING:
Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available through an authorized dealer.

 

[RigsLS]

Wouldn't have been my first choice either and Uhaul's equipment is scary at best. (depends on where you go I suppose)

 

[Telco]

I would rather rent a bigger U-Haul and tow the LS on a trailer even if you don't need all that space in the U-Haul.

Yes and no. Yes, I would rent a truck large enough to pull the car on a trailer but no, I wouldn't use U-Haul to do it. Every time I've ever rented a U-Haul truck to move I've found myself on the side of the road. If you go with them anyway only accept the newest truck they have. If you have Penske I'd go with them instead. I think that when Penske decides their truck is too worn out and undependable to rent anymore, they sell them to U-Haul. You won't save much money when the extra fuel plus adding a trailer hitch to your car (which will then look nasty with a hole in the rear fascia for the hitch) plus the cost of the trailer is taken into account, and if you overload and break the car trying to tow a couple three thousand pounds through the mountains you lose the rest of the savings.

You'd even be better off buying a pickup or a Suburban to use as a moving vehicle. You can tow the LS behind it with your apartment loaded into both the truck/SUV and inside the LS, then sell it when you get there. Might even make a little off the move that way. A truck or SUV will have more than enough room to carry your apartment, if your apartment will fit into a trailer the LS is capable of towing through mountains.

 

[NickT88LSC]

By saying U-Haul I more mean rental just more people know U-Haul, they are last choice in my book, had some bad experiences with then, Ryder or Penske much better options and more reliable. I was sooo pissed when I tried to rent a U-Haul to move from NY to AZ and set it up months beforehand, and called a week before to confirm and then the day I go to get it they don't have it and tell me I could go pick it up in Manhattan meanwhile people waiting at my home to help load the truck.

Soooo pissed I walked out with all the supplies I had in my hand without realizing I did not pay for them.

Yes and no. Yes, I would rent a truck large enough to pull the car on a trailer but no, I wouldn't use U-Haul to do it. Every time I've ever rented a U-Haul truck to move I've found myself on the side of the road. If you go with them anyway only accept the newest truck they have. If you have Penske I'd go with them instead. I think that when Penske decides their truck is too worn out and undependable to rent anymore, they sell them to U-Haul. You won't save much money when the extra fuel plus adding a trailer hitch to your car (which will then look nasty with a hole in the rear fascia for the hitch) plus the cost of the trailer is taken into account, and if you overload and break the car trying to tow a couple three thousand pounds through the mountains you lose the rest of the savings.

You'd even be better off buying a pickup or a Suburban to use as a moving vehicle. You can tow the LS behind it with your apartment loaded into both the truck/SUV and inside the LS, then sell it when you get there. Might even make a little off the move that way. A truck or SUV will have more than enough room to carry your apartment, if your apartment will fit into a trailer the LS is capable of towing through mountains.

 

[Kumba]

Sometimes you have to judge if the extra cost of the trailer or moving van is comparable to just the replacement cost of what you are moving. Sometimes it is cheaper to ship it too.

The better question to ask is exactly how much stuff are we talking about, and how BIG of a trailer are you looking at renting? I imagine if you were towing less then 1000 pounds you would probably be fine as long as you drove gently at a little lower speed (like 55-60).

On the receiver (part that connects to the car) just make sure they don't weld it on. Get one that hangs low enough to clear the bumper and then just take it off when you get where you are going. Save it for next time, then you can just bolt it back on and go if you want. Or get one made that fits up under the bumper and leave it. Just need an extended drop hitch for it then.

 

[BlackLS06]

Another reason i bought a truck, no need to rely on a rental or a buddy. I can only tow around 8K pounds but its decent. I suggest you dont tow anything with the LS. It does have an independent rear.

 

[LincolnLS_2013]

Man, this forum is amazing. So many smart people here, just blows my mind. Thanks for all the great feedback.

I would stop by the U haul place and test fit the trailer before you 'need' the trailer. Gonna be a long ride if the car / trailer combo isn't happy

Good idea. Getting my hitch installed on Monday, will go test it out after that. I bought a Lincoln LS specific hitch and lighting kit from u-haul back in October, but haven't gotten around to getting it installed yet. It's a pretty decent hitch, not like these dinky sedan hitches I've seen.

A lot of that has to do with the loading. Heavy crap over the axle! Ideally you'd want just a teeny bit of tongue weight. Enough for the trailer to behave when being towed.

Will keep that in mind. If it makes any difference, I'm looking at the 6 x 12 foot u-haul trailer that has double-axle.

I cringe when i see a tow hitch on a passenger car.

Worth a shot. I have the V8 so it should hold up. The owner manual says to run it in D4 when towing.

good luck my friend, good luck, easy on the transmission, watch the temp gauge, don't push it, run the cruise on the flats, drop it in 4th on the inclines.

Be sure to hang a right at Northbay onto the 11, don't take the 17 straight, too many hills and not enough facilities for 10hrs, the 11 is the trans canada hwy, has plenty of stops & shops, is all flat and joins back up onto the 17 at Nipigon.

After Dryden, Ontario (I broke down there once for three hrs with a failed alternator) start watching the bears (cops), they are very hungry in that area. From Dryden to Kenora, Kenora is the last Ontario OPP detachment and they sit at the bottom of the hills, watch your speed approaching Kenora.

Soon as you pass into Manitoba, you'll be in a Provincial Park, small hills, soon as it starts to flatten out on the straight aways, if traveling Dusk or Dawn, watch the Deer, there are so many of them there and they are all in bunches along the side of the road grazing.

Approaching Winnipeg, MB on the Trans Canada #1, don't go through downtown Winnipeg, as you roll into Winnipeg, hang a left onto the Perimeter hwy #100, the go around, it's much easier and will save a lot of time compared to going straight through downtown. (at least for us trucks it is.)

Stay on the 1 all the way out there.

eventually you're going to run out of Timmies, so stock up.

Going to follow those directions word-for-word. Thanks boss!

Damn, wish I was coming with you or taking you there, I run that route of the back of my hand. day or night, all day. 1200+/-KM per day.

Haha, wow.

You be glad your not running it in the middle of winter, it's a whole different ball game then, you should have smooth sailing this time of year.

Yeah, definitely good timing. Everything is falling into place right now, so I'm really motivated to head out there now.

Nothing too steep to climb, couple of hills here and there, those are more still in Ontario, mostly all flat out West.

Yeah I'm worried about the hills a little.

Man, I should just load up your LS and apartment and take you there, haven't been out west in about 4mths now.

(It's what I used to do but I don't run with these guys anymore)

Too hilarious.

Perhaps bring some coolant, oil, spare belt, tools and make sure your spare is in good shape, also be sure to stop every so often and have a look at the trailer, be sure it's up to par, check the hub temps and smell the brakes all around.

Great advice. Yeah, will be bringing some spare coolants and parts. Probably need some gas too incase I get stranded. The LS doesn't have a belt though, right? It's a chain.

You best travel during the day time, too dark with nothing in between for 10 hrs at a time, not a good place to f*ck around during the night hours (for you at least)

I'm hoping for 14-16 hours driving a day, and then find some places to sleep at night. Any suggestions? Not sure if we can camp this time of year, but we have camping gear. Still haven't planned the details on that.

I wish you the best of luck ... all the best, have fun and safe travels.

Thanks

I would rather rent a bigger U-Haul and tow the LS on a trailer even if you don't need all that space in the U-Haul.

Well that's the thing -- taking a U-Haul from Ottawa to Vancouver is $3,200 - $4,000. So in that case, I would just sell the LS and buy a cargo van to drive there.

But yeah, furniture and dishes and books on the bottom, clothes and mattress on top.

Good idea with the mattress on top, haven't thought about that. But I don't think we're really bringing any "furniture", don't even have any books. Will mostly be light items and mattress.

If you load the trailer right, you shouldn't be carrying much weight at the bumper, let alone dragging the bumper across the ground.

Yeah I haven't even thought about that yea, so good thoughts for me before I start loading. Thanks.

EXACTLY!!!! I'm pretty sure the LS wasn't meant to tow that much weight. How would you feel if towing somehow screwed-up the LS but for the price of the U-Haul?

Yeah, it's going to be like 900 kg the trailer, and then some 500 kg of items. Shouldn't be that bad. As for the LS, I'm not too concerned, just need to get there in one piece

Wouldn't have been my first choice either and Uhaul's equipment is scary at best. (depends on where you go I suppose)

It's improved since the CBC Marketplace report on U-Haul, and that time someone died when the U-Haul breaks failed.

Rented two trucks recently, and both were almost brand-new with barely any mileage. And did 310 miles in a U-Haul a while back, and it was also almost brand-new, and the trip was really steady. So can't complain from my experience.

The biggest problem might be the pick-up, where they don't have the model that you booked day-of.

You'd even be better off buying a pickup or a Suburban to use as a moving vehicle. You can tow the LS behind it with your apartment loaded into both the truck/SUV and inside the LS, then sell it when you get there. Might even make a little off the move that way. A truck or SUV will have more than enough room to carry your apartment, if your apartment will fit into a trailer the LS is capable of towing through mountains.

I was thinking about that. Even selling the LS and just getting a cargo van. But the problem being that I know my LS will make it; but if I buy a cheap suv/cargo van, I have no idea what I'm getting, so THAT will be the bigger risk of me breaking down half-way through.

I was sooo pissed when I tried to rent a U-Haul to move from NY to AZ and set it up months beforehand, and called a week before to confirm and then the day I go to get it they don't have it and tell me I could go pick it up in Manhattan meanwhile people waiting at my home to help load the truck.

Yeah, that's a bad experience. Don't think we have Penske in Canada. We have Ryder, but they only have trucks and not trailers it seems. So I'm really stuck with just U-Haul for just a trailer.

I'm getting a 6 x 12 foot for 9 days for $400. Can't go cheaper. And the only reason I really need it is to fit a bunch of boxes of clothes and small things, because it would be a lot of effort making all of those boxes fit in the LS. And because I'm getting the trailer, going to bring my mattress as well. And that's it, trailer might be half-empty.

Soooo pissed I walked out with all the supplies I had in my hand without realizing I did not pay for them.

LOL, free stuff is always nice.

Sometimes you have to judge if the extra cost of the trailer or moving van is comparable to just the replacement cost of what you are moving. Sometimes it is cheaper to ship it too.

Yeah, definitely considered that. The most expensive thing for me is time; the time I would have to spend buying everything again. I just want to move there and get set up quickly. I work from home so to get my computer up and running quickly would be most important.

The better question to ask is exactly how much stuff are we talking about, and how BIG of a trailer are you looking at renting? I imagine if you were towing less then 1000 pounds you would probably be fine as long as you drove gently at a little lower speed (like 55-60).

Well... See: http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/EquipmentDetail.aspx?model=rv

The trailer alone is 1,920 lbs

Was looking for a 5 x 10 but can't seem to find one available here. And I think 5 x 8 might be too small. I'm going to U-haul this week to take a look and see though, maybe the 5 x 8 will be enough.

The trailer will definitely be the heaviest part, we shouldn't have much cargo.

On the receiver (part that connects to the car) just make sure they don't weld it on. Get one that hangs low enough to clear the bumper and then just take it off when you get where you are going. Save it for next time, then you can just bolt it back on and go if you want. Or get one made that fits up under the bumper and leave it. Just need an extended drop hitch for it then.

Not sure about all of that. Hopefully the u-haul dude can hook it all up for me.

Another reason i bought a truck, no need to rely on a rental or a buddy. I can only tow around 8K pounds but its decent. I suggest you dont tow anything with the LS. It does have an independent rear.

Hmm, interesting. Yeah, I remember from autoshop class that trucks/cargo vans have a suspension beam or something like that which makes it much better for carrying weight. 8K lbs should be enough unless you're towing a yacht lol.

Guess I'll try to fit everything into one of the smaller trailers then, shoot for a combined weight of ~1500 lbs. In our case it's going to be more about space then weight. Not like we'll be carrying appliances (fridge/stove/washer/etc) or those gigantic 1990's TV's So I guess the key is to leave anything heavy. Can definitely do that.

 

[Telco]

Something to ask U-Haul about is how do they connect the trailer wiring adapter to your wiring harness? I'm sure they will tell you that they have these quick connect clip things that just clip over the wire. I don't like them as they cut through the insulation and slide against the wire, which presents a place for water to get into the wiring. Won't be a problem now, but a few years down the road you might start having strange tail light problems. If this is something you're good with fine, but I certainly wouldn't be.

Incidentally, another way to send long distances would be by bus. You can find out what it would cost to ship boxes through Greyhound or what have you up there. You'd have to pick it up at their terminal though, no house delivery. I know some folks that have shipped large and oddly shaped items for a fraction of what a commercial shipper would have charged.

Second option, talk to an actual motor freight company. They charge by weight vs distance, and it might not be too bad. The last thing I shipped with one was 350lbs worth of transmission and torque converter about 1000 miles for a little over 100 bucks. Either of these might be an option to ship what wouldn't fit into the LS directly so you'd not have to ship everything. They will pick up and ship house to house or terminal to terminal, although house to house is a lot more expensive.

 

[smoothLSV8]

i would rather rent a bigger u-haul and tow the ls on a trailer even if you don't need all that space in the u-haul.

+1

 

[Kumba]

2000 pounds of trailer and 1000 pounds or cargo on top of that seems like a bad idea to me. Have you checked with any freight places to see if they have empty room? Sometimes you can get your stuff shipped on standby where they fill empty room in the truck with it. Takes a lot longer then paying full-rate, but it gets there eventually. It's also cheaper if you just ship it to the terminal and then you rent a truck to pick it up yourself. Have you checked into shipping your stuff freight on a POD or something like that? Also, ask actual trucking companies too, not just UHaul and the likes. Companies that ship that route all day long can usually do it cheaper. Then you just need someone with decent carpentry skills to help you box it all in plywood on a pallet.

2700 miles is a pretty damn expensive gamble if you ask me. If you were just moving across town or an hour or so away I would say go for it. But 3 days of driving just seems like a really bad idea to me.

 

[BlackLS06]

Its a terrible idea. Theres more to towing than just having a powerful engine. The rest of the vehicle has to be up to it.

transmission, differential, hubs, etc. A Ford Ranger is barely up to the job and thats a small truck.

 

[RigsLS]

@ LincolnLS_2013,

I can't make any recommendations for camping or hotel/motel stays as I mostly overnight in the trucks, it's a full sleeper studio, heat, tv, inverter, fridge and all ... after all.

I've only stayed in hotels 3 times out west while hauling that way, once was in Brandon, Manitoba, it's a big enough of a town with plenty of hotels. other times I was in Calgary and Edmonton in hotels, rest of the time I was in the bunk of the truck at the truck stops of rest areas, mostly truck stops.

I'd have to agree with the others if your only moving 1000lbs or so, might be best to get a quote from a couple of haulers. they are always looking to take just a little more as they are never really 100% completely full.

I've on many of occasions had two large homes loaded and still asked to stop on route and either pick up a couple of skids, snow mobile or a small apartment to fill on the back end.

for the 400$ your spending on a the trailer rental, extra cost in fuel for hauling heavy, beating up your transmission, you might be better of telling a hauler they have to do it for 400$

you might try United Van lines and enquire about a small container or ask to fit on the backend with that 1000 lbs. Tell them you're a student and it has to go as cheap as possible.

I myself have only gone Vancouver once, I usually backhaul from Calgary or Edmonton,
sometimes just to winnipeg and back.

oh btw: @ Northbay turning right onto hwy 11, as you do, there will be that one large hill to climb and it's about the largest one you'll find while in Ontario. smaller little hills further out but it get's real flat once your out of Ontario heading west, it get's hilly again past Calgary further west.

 

[MooJohn]

OMG don't tow the 6x12 with your car. I'm a U-Haul dealer and I have a great deal of experience with their trailers. That trailer empty is near the max I'd ever want to see a car tow, and its like a brick so at highway speeds it will not be a pretty picture. I cringe when it's behind a v6 SUV; it really needs to be pulled by a full size v8 truck.

If you want the easiest move, rent a truck large enough for your belongings (sounds like a 14ft would be fine) and an auto transport (not a dolly) for your car. Then you can concentrate on just driving from point A to B without worrying about taxing your car or fighting to control a trailer that's as big as your car.

Yes, renting a truck for that kind of a distance costs a fortune, but I'll bet it's cheaper than destroying your trans or totaling your car along the way!

If you have to go with a trailer, the 5x8 would be acceptable. It is light enough that I can pick up the tongue and walk it around the lot with one hand. You should be given a brochure showing the best way to load the trailer; 60% of the weight should be toward the front to avoid "sway" while driving.

 

[chris2523]

Another reason i bought a truck, no need to rely on a rental or a buddy. I can only tow around 8K pounds but its decent. I suggest you dont tow anything with the LS. It does have an independent rear.

Its a terrible idea. Theres more to towing than just having a powerful engine. The rest of the vehicle has to be up to it.

transmission, differential, hubs, etc. A Ford Ranger is barely up to the job and thats a small truck.

that's why we have the diesel.. its built for towing stuff, not made to tow things as an afterthought.

although i am not sure why IRS means you can't tow. the Expedition has IRS and is rated for up to 9200 pounds. its not the same obviously, but just being IRS isn't the problem.

the biggest problem with the ranger IMO is the brakes. those trucks can pull more than they can stop effectively.

the trans would worry me the most i think. autos hate heat, and tow packages always include a bigger trans cooler. most Ford autos were woefully undercooled.

 

[Tmauer14]

As a former U-Haul employee, if they let you rent the double axle I would be really, really surprised. At our center, we only have rented those out to vehicles that we were SURE would be capable of doing the job. Not saying that the LS couldn't do it, but it is going to take a toll on the car.

When we did trailer wiring, we usually just used butt connectors with shrink wrap, all depends on who is installing it for the day. Also, all of the trailer hitch packages are bolted on and not welded on. If you can, go with the Curt brand with the circular tubing, they rust less.

I would strongly recommend not going with the 6x12, and go with the 5x10. You can pack the 5x10 tight enough to make up for the lost room. As for the trailer, make sure to be there when they do the damage inspection, and point out any crack, scrape, or missing decal.. they will get you on anything. Make sure they have the rubber grommets on the end of the trailer chains too.