MPLS MN to SAN ANTONIO TX = 1230 miles
Needed to get my B-day presents!

Had to leave Sunday, and be back by Tuesday, to get...

...2000lb The Load!


They said it couldn't be done...

I couldn't afford to rent a truck, so I bought a $150 hitch kit from etrailer. Went together very simple, but only attaches to the trunk pan and tow hook... YIKES! 2000lb max, 200lb tongue weight max.

Only other option was my 93 integra- NOT!

MPG on the way south 1224 miles...

29 MPG @ 73mph average - less than 17 hours!


All loaded up!

Monday by noon - only about an inch of finger room around the snow tires.
tongue weight aproaching 400lbs. Dad said it looked fine!

I was NOT looking forward to this...

Kept it around around 45-50mph leaving North from San Antonio
The fairings needed to be taken off once I hit crosswinds. That wasted an hour. But then I could do 55mph without it whipping around behind me.

Tuesday before the sun went down... Rolled into town.


Total MPG from San Ant to Minneapolis...

Once I took the fairings off, I could hit 55-60 depending on road conditions!
22 hours and 21 minutes of white knuckled driving! Home on time!
21MPG with load!
total fuel cost (under) $400!
Went smoother than I thought it would! But I wouldn't do it again.

(Anyone want to buy a used TL? Good condition! )

 

lol... kinda suprised you even attempted this! How you changed your pressure switches/atf before hand!

 

omg, you're some crazy ass dude lol, im glad ur TL made it.

 

Yes! Did the 3x3 ATF flush. Added 5oz of lubeguard. Coolant 60/40 distilled H2O -also 3x flush and fill. Oil change. Spark Plugs. etc...
Only thing I didn't do was the timing belt and water pump
But I promised her (the TL), I'd get it done as soon as we got back! I kept her in 4th gear most of the way home- only on long gentle down slopes did I go into 5th.

Gotta ♥ Hondas!


tones160- You are right, I'm crazy!

...But my dad was hauling them with a Civic for years!

 

Tongue weight seems to be the critical element when towing with cars, or anything for that matter. Theoretically we should be doing the 10-15% of total weight for tongue weight but if I've got the trailer loaded heavier than I should I still try to keep tongue weight around the 150-200# range, mostly to keep from overloading the rear suspension. I'll be moving with my 07 TL-S 6MT in a few months when I graduate so I'll finally get to see how the TL stacks up compared to my old Nissan Maxima in the towing department. I'm thinking I'll stay out of sixth and see how it goes.

 

^Graduate? You goin to BYU?

 

hows the camber wear on the rear tires?

 

Yep, BYU-Idaho. Bachelors in Psychology. Gotta go job hunting to find something to tide me over until grad school in fall 2012.

 

Cool beans. My friend went there for a bit. Rexburg is a great place IMO

 

WOW you are crazy lol gotta do what ya gotta do

 

Surprisingly not bad!

....For SNOW TIRES!
It was snowing here about 2 weeks ago, so they still weren't changed out yet... MinneSNOWta weather sucks!

I'll be lucky to get 5-6 months of riding cycle/year... Unless I BEAR the cold like some when it's freezing out!
riding in the cold is uncomfortable at best... but too dangerous for my style- I'm more into cheating death at 55mph with a huge load on my back- that's just the way I roll...


Thanks for the comments!

 

Wow, quite the trip.

Did you use the SS mode and leave it in fourth gear?

 

no, just kept it in D (auto)
sorry for not getting back to you quicker.
btw NEVER tow 2 heavy cycles and a trailer with a TL... it developed a tranny leak (probably from stress)
and within a few months we traded it away (Take THAT Dealership!)

Later!

 

leaving it 4th gear still gives you 21mpg lol.

 

The transmission started leaking? Any idea if it was a seal, or something like a crack in the case?

I'm not terribly sure that can be attributed to towing.

 

I Like how that's your take away point from this story. Forget the fact his trans died basically. Haha

 

It's stories like this why I have not purchased a used car for my daily driver in many years...