msgtord

If your transmission is downshifting allot because of hills, or a bad head wind, you might keep it out of cruise. Level ground, just let the tow haul mode take care of things.

tomb1269

Use the cruise control as you wish, just be mind full of the terrain. Cruise control does not "see the hill coming" so it just plods along, half way up it feels the load and kicks the throttle down hard and the transmissin shifts and it can jump down 2 gears and hev the engine racing. I drive with cruise all the time, just watch the hills and apply a little more power before hitting the base shut off cruise if its long and or steep and keep constant pedal pressure. The truck will take it from there. Trying to shift it manually or throttle up and down will on confuse the trans computer. In the days gone by manual shifting was needed. Today the only time to manually shift is to utilize engine braking in a desecent.
As for you travel speed, you are fine at 65, you will be okay at 70. 75 is pushing it. You were calculating an overall average speed of 60 mphs if you drive 65 mph. I am willing to bet you will be more like 50 to 55mph at best. If you drive until you need gas and only stop for gas (25 gallons @ 15mpg = 375miles) and bathroom (15 minute stop minimum) thats 6 hours for 375 miles or 62.5 mph. Most likely you will need to stop every 3 to 4 hours (and that is a long time at the wheel towng particularly if its your 1st go at it) at a stop every 3 hours for bathroom and top of the tank 375 miles now takes 6hrs & 15 minutes and you drop to 60mph average. Plan on stopping every 2 & 1/2 to 3 hours, for at least a stretch and a bathroom brake. The other piece of advice I would give you is take your time. There is some very beautiful country out there, the faster you drive the more you have to focus on driving. Slow down taking the scenery. Stop with the wife and take some selfies. Grab some burgers and find a nice shady tree or place to sit in the truck/car and enjoy lunch and the sights before you. Stop for dinner at a sit down diner. The last piece I find that long drives like this to start out early, get up grab cup of hotel coffee and a donut, hoppin the cars and drive an hour or so. Find a sit down place for breakfast (truckstop) enjoy breakfast. Get back on the road drive awhile make a quick bathroom & stretch stop, drive awhile (usually about 4 to 5 hours total) stop for lunch, sit down and eat. Get on the road drive awhile make a quick bathroom & stretch stop, drive awhile (usually about 4 to 5 hours total) stop for a sit down dinner. By the time you stop for dinner its between 5 and 7pm. After dinner get back in the cars and drive another hour or 2, then pull over for the night. Grab some french fries, chicken nuggets, and a couple of cold sodas and head to the hotel. relax and get some sleep. Tomorrow repeat. Good luck, and remember you do not get to take a trip like this too many times in life so make it memorable in a goodway, slow down and enjoy it. Everything will be fine.

smokeywren

What Tom B said. Except we don't stop to eat during daylight hours. Hit the road about sunup, with a big cup of coffee, and drive until dark. Stop for gas and fast food to eat on the road. Stop for the night around sundown, then have a nice leisurely dinner. In December, the days are short, so you won't make many miles per day unless you stay in the driver's seat during daylight hours. Even then you'll be doing good to average 50 MPH, so don't count on more than about 500 miles per day unless you drive at night.

Assuming you'll tow the 6x12 trailer with the pickup and your wife will drive the car, plan on driving at a comfortable speed for the pickup - probably 60 to 65 MPH. If you have a good "feel" for what the truck is doing, it will tell you what is that speed, but don't try to tow at over 65 MPH. On mine. I run with cruise control set at 62/63 MPH, and with the tranny in drive with tow/haul mode. On the flats I average less than 10 MPG, and in hilly terrain it can get down to about 8 MPG. So plan on buying lots of gasoline.

I don't know about the 5.0L, but my EcoBoost needs premium gas when towing heavy. It gets better MPG with premium when towing heavy, so it just about breaks even on the higher cost of the premium gas. So no financial impact of towing with premium gas, but the engine seems to like the better fuel.

With the cruise set on 62 MPH, have Darling Wife stay way back behind you - the distance of a city block or so - so traffic can better manage passing two slower vehicles.

Pump the tires up on the trailer to the max PSI on the tire sidewall. Your pickup tires should also be pumped up to the max PSI on the sidewall - probably 44 PSI.

moend

I have no problems setting in the driver seat for 5 hours. But i got little ones and never fail we have to stop 10 times to use the bathroom in 30 min trip that is what gonna kill our time. I planned it this way. No tolls. Shortest distance ( we can't drive fast anyway ). And the mileage going to be this way
1. Houston, TX to Vinita, OK: 526.71 miles we will start rolling around 9am
2. Vinita, OK to Lakeville, MN: 608.65 miles we leave the hotel at 6am
3. Lakeville, MN to Bemidji, MN: 241.85 miles we also going to leave around 6am

I made the last trip the shortest just because we will be going to my in-law for xmas and want to get there at a decent time not when every body ready to hit the sack. Also they live out in the sticks and i don't want to claim any dear this season.

Is this plan is ok or i am pushing it? Last time i went there but with no trailer i made in 23 non stop me and my body. But we also averaged 68mph
Thanks

tomb1269

IMO you are pushing particularly with little ones. The 1st day your asking them for at least 9&1/2 hours (55mph average) of being in the car moving. The 2nd day your asking for over 11 hours. I would plan an extra day or not worry about tring to arrive mid day on the last day. You are looking to cover about 1400 miles, that would be about 450 miles per day. At 450 mile a day you are looking at 8+ (55mph average) to 9 (50mph average) hours a day driving. From what you listed, IMO I would look to stop the 1st night out in Oklahoma right around I40 (about 450 miles 8-9 hours drive). Day 2 look to stop just north of the Missouri - Iowa state line (about 410m & 8hrs or less) Day 3 stop north of St. Cloud (400 - 450 miles 8 to 9 hrs). Day 3's stop will determine time mileage to destination (90 to 140m 1.5 to 2.5 hrs), if you make every marker. If something happens and you get behind schedule you know that you have that third night as a buffer. Your current plan does not take in to account traffic backup, weather slowdown, etc. As I said before slowdown and enjoy the drive, particularly if your companies covering expenses. Also I can tell you from personal experience, I can remember some of the trip my family took when we drove from Longview to Bar Harbor Maine when I was 7. I know my own kids remember parts of trips we have taken, granted we have not done one to quite this distance. Make some memories..... And If you think about it Post some photos of the trip, everyone likes pics. I have never driven in Iowa or Minnesota, I bet they have some cool truck stops, and beautiful long haul trucks rooming that part of the country.

restoring

I have the 5.0, ext. cab, 4x4 and was told I could pull over 9,000 lbs. safely. Pulled a huge camper, and a tandem axle trailer loaded with supplies, lumber, and 4 wheelers with no problem at all.
Watch your speed, load your trailer evenly, and you should be fine.

Aggie*86

Recently drove from Washington DC to Bismarck ND. I swear, every interstate highway in America is under construction, slowing you down. Concur with the above poster on adding a cushion day if at all possible. It will help facilitate the domestic tranquility plan.

moend

Lol. Thanks. I am sure they wont be road construction during the time i will be traveling in. After all we all know are the four seasons in North Dakota ( winter, still winter, still winter, road construction) so i might hit bad weather but no road construction.
I will talk to the wife today and map-quest every thing again i need to figure out my rout and my stops asap, because i am planing on booking up the hotel room now because am pretty sure by mid december every freaking hotel in country will be booked out
Friday night/beer night baby

PHX 150

I would suggest starting earlier each day. I like getting on the road at 4 or 5 a.m.
The roads are empty early in the morning, and the little ones will go back to sleep. Get 150 miles under your belt before everyone else is on the road.
I haven't had a problem not booking a hotel and playing each night by ear. If you run a little longer or shorter the first day, the whole schedule is messed up anyway.
Plan on stopping every 3 hours at a maximum, as at 9 mpg, even with a 36 gal. tank, that's as long as you can go.

moend

I don't know if i can leave at 4-5 am. I mean i get up early every day but the wife like to sleep in

Update: my brother and sis are coming to visit/help us. They will be coming to houston 10 days before our trip. My sister don't drive on interstate or busy cities (she is dirt road small town specialist lol) and my brother is 17 i don't think that i am gonna let him drive. So they are more of company rather a help
My brother might drive the wife car for a little bit but thats about it.
I talked to every body traveling with me and they all want to be done in three days. So i guess they left with no other choices

Thank y'all for all the help