Newb to towing and LC200 -- cross country towing a car a bad idea? (1 Viewer)

[RT Cruiser]

Hang on, you're not moving to Denver? Seems like everyone else is (unfortunately). Are you sure this isn't an oversight?

Towing isn't difficult. Heck, I towed a cow trailer full of bucking charolais cattle. Just be mindful you can't (and shouldn't) go as fast as without a trailer, give yourself extra room for braking, don't take curves to sharp, and just plan ahead when it comes to getting gas and such. What's more important when towing is being sure your load is securely fastened correctly, you have appropriate tongue weight, and the trailer is well-balanced. If you're really worried about theft then consider a Pewag security chain and an Abus lock. The chain can only be cut by a welder's torch or grinder. Even this takes forethought to get the right lock that will fit the chain, and to be sure the chain is long enough and can access the vehicle's frame.

As you probably know, electric vehicles (Edit: "generally speaking) lose over 50% of their value the first 2-3 years. Indeed a Tesla is not an investment. So if you sell it then it's going to be MORE expensive than paying a carrier. As others have said, you'll be hard pressed to find charging stations along the way. If you guys are crazy busy and have the disposable income then just pay a carrier. I've taken many multi-thousand-mile road trips. I love 'em. Some people don't. If driving across several states with family and full of stuff is not your thing, then just pay someone to transport it for you. Staying committed as a family AFTER the trip is more important than anything else.

Happy wife, happy life. Happy husband and happy wife, happy road-trip adventure.

 

[TeCKis300]

As you probably know, electric vehicles lose over 50% of their value the first 2-3 years. Indeed a Tesla is not an investment.

Great points with everything you said. But this caught my eye. While generally true, It's quite the opposite for the Model 3. If the OP got a significant rebate or tax credit, they could be out for a wash?

 

[RT Cruiser]

Great point! This definitely can help the OP make the right decision.

 

[RandyCSVT]

look for my thread regarding towing my jeep with my Land Cruiser. It has some recent posts so should be easy to find in the first page or two of the 200 series cruisers group. There might be some good info for you in it as I am doing a cross country trip towing a vehicle with my LC 200 as well.

I would recommend the redarc tow pro elite brake controller. If you have the factory toyota tow harness (should be in a plastic bag in your glove box) it is super easy to install. I found some videos on youtube for how to remove the various plastic bits under the steering wheel to install it. Not a hard job to do yourself at all.

in regards to a trailer recommendation. Buy something used on facebook marketplace, use it to tow there and sell it when you get there if you want and you can break even or even make some money if you find a decent deal. Trailers don't depreciate much and are in high demand. When shopping for a trailer I lost 2 or 3 because they sold within hours of being listed. Have a tow ball ready and cash in hand to jump on a listing quick when you see it.

Buy a longer trailer if you can. After searching hundreds of trailer listings I saw many selling their current trailer to upgrade to a longer one, but never the other way around (get an 18 or 20 foot trailer). The shorter ones don't sell as quickly, so less demand for those when you go to sell. Get a dovetail trailer as they make loading easier and are more desirable at resale.

look for one with a 2 5/16th inch tow ball coupler. All the ones I saw with 2" couplers weren't built as strong or had cut corners elsewhere. Not saying all 2" coupler trailers are bad, but all the good ones I saw for sale were 2 5/16".

Get one that has brakes on both axles and preferable with good quality axles. Lots of the cheaper trailers only have brakes on one axle. The extra stopping power of both axles having brakes is worth it in my opinion and will help come resale time. Dexter axles are easy to service and are good quality.

Once you do get one. Pressure wash and seal the wood deck if it has one. That should help it last a long while.

make sure you get a spare tire for the trailer and a tongue box is a nice option. It gives you a place to store your ratchet straps and tongue lock.

This is the tongue lock I am going with. Check this video to see how quickly they broke off the cheaper locks

 

[MWolf]

A follow up question on here... the tongue weight. I have a 2013 LX570 and the manual says the same as the LC200, that the tongue weight should be between 9% and 11% of the trailer. The general wisdom I've been reading is that tongue weight when towing should be between 10%-15%. I'm buying a travel trailer (also to go to Texas!), and while the towing capacity isn't an issue, the tongue weight can easily go up when you add a weight distribution hitch, some batteries, propane, etc.

The question is, is there a reason the LX570/LC200 have an upper limit on tongue weight of 11% of trailer weight, or does it just come down to making sure you are within the car's payload including the tongue weight?

 

[TeCKis300]

A follow up question on here... the tongue weight. I have a 2013 LX570 and the manual says the same as the LC200, that the tongue weight should be between 9% and 11% of the trailer. The general wisdom I've been reading is that tongue weight when towing should be between 10%-15%. I'm buying a travel trailer (also to go to Texas!), and while the towing capacity isn't an issue, the tongue weight can easily go up when you add a weight distribution hitch, some batteries, propane, etc.

The question is, is there a reason the LX570/LC200 have an upper limit on tongue weight of 11% of trailer weight, or does it just come down to making sure you are within the car's payload including the tongue weight?

Don't worry about tongue weight, or at least avoid tongue weight, particularly with the LX570. It's a good thing that can actually help stability. Many new to towing will improperly load a travel trail, loading heavy things in the rear of the trailer trying to counter tongue weight, which is just about the worst thing that can be done from a stability perspective. If you are loading anything heavy, best to have it right over the trailer axles or just forward of that.

I'm at 1200lb tongue. Airstreams tend to be designed with more tongue weight to improve stability. AHC has no issues and will take 1800lbs payload, and handle it very well without flinching. Two more key things: 1) Ensure that the actual ball is as close and tight to the bumper as possible, to minimize overhang leverage and sway influence from the trailer. 2) Weight distribution with sufficient tension to restore ~50% front axle weight. Proper WD setup will transfer some portion of tongue weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axle.

 

[swhme]

We’re doing the same thing, and I’m going to drive our Tesla down to Texas, fly back, and then we’ll caravan our two LCs.