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70 Posts
I guess this is as good a place as any for this thread.....it's not really a trail, but a hell of a long ride.
So I was suppose to make this trip a year ago but ended up overseas for months and didn't want to do it in the winter when I got back. I'm moving from San Diego to Eastern Canada. We dont want to move, but it's work related...long story.
Anyway, this Thursday I'm pulling out of San Diego with the X packed up and pulling a 7x14 tandem trailer loaded to 5,000lbs. I think I have everything ready to go with a few small items to resolve. The trailer has 4 wheel electric brakes, all being controlled by a Prodigy brake controller. Tomorrow I'm hooking up the Weight Distribution hitch and sway controller. the X already has the Tranny cooler so no problems there.
In addition to the towing, this weekend I've added a new Amp, MBQuart components up front, a new Pioneer deck, with Ipod and Sirius Adapters. I also put in a 1.5 Farad Cap to keep all the electronics happy. I've also installed my Magellan GPS with my route also planned out in MS Streets and trips.
My plan is to head out of San Diego straight East on I8 and then start moving diagonally across the country. My brother is doing the trip with me and we are planning on taking it easy for the most part and taking our time. I'm expecting 8 days to complete the slightly more than 4000 miles. I figure 8-10 hours a day on the road doing 50-55mph on average.
I drove around San Diego a few times now with the trailer and the X has PLEANTY of power to pull the 5K load. The bigger question now is does it have the ability (wheel base) to control that much up over the mountains outside San Diego before hitting the flat plains.
At least I will notbe paying SoCal gas prices of $3.60/gal across the country. I get 15 mpg around the city and 20mpg usually on the freeway. I'm hoping to at least get 10 mpg pulling out in the central plains.
Whenever I get a chance after we pull out of town, I'll try to update this thread on how the Xterra is working and any problems I have noticed.
By the way, thanks MC for answering a bunch of towing and trailer questions I had a few months back. I think I should be all set.
So I was suppose to make this trip a year ago but ended up overseas for months and didn't want to do it in the winter when I got back. I'm moving from San Diego to Eastern Canada. We dont want to move, but it's work related...long story.
Anyway, this Thursday I'm pulling out of San Diego with the X packed up and pulling a 7x14 tandem trailer loaded to 5,000lbs. I think I have everything ready to go with a few small items to resolve. The trailer has 4 wheel electric brakes, all being controlled by a Prodigy brake controller. Tomorrow I'm hooking up the Weight Distribution hitch and sway controller. the X already has the Tranny cooler so no problems there.
In addition to the towing, this weekend I've added a new Amp, MBQuart components up front, a new Pioneer deck, with Ipod and Sirius Adapters. I also put in a 1.5 Farad Cap to keep all the electronics happy. I've also installed my Magellan GPS with my route also planned out in MS Streets and trips.
My plan is to head out of San Diego straight East on I8 and then start moving diagonally across the country. My brother is doing the trip with me and we are planning on taking it easy for the most part and taking our time. I'm expecting 8 days to complete the slightly more than 4000 miles. I figure 8-10 hours a day on the road doing 50-55mph on average.
I drove around San Diego a few times now with the trailer and the X has PLEANTY of power to pull the 5K load. The bigger question now is does it have the ability (wheel base) to control that much up over the mountains outside San Diego before hitting the flat plains.
At least I will notbe paying SoCal gas prices of $3.60/gal across the country. I get 15 mpg around the city and 20mpg usually on the freeway. I'm hoping to at least get 10 mpg pulling out in the central plains.
Whenever I get a chance after we pull out of town, I'll try to update this thread on how the Xterra is working and any problems I have noticed.
By the way, thanks MC for answering a bunch of towing and trailer questions I had a few months back. I think I should be all set.