Towing long distance and Fuel Level

[RobbieO]

If you leave the tank empty you can put more gear in the boat so you have more room in your rig.

 

[DogDadDave]

As most of you know, I am getting ready to head to Florida soon. Currently I have probably 20% fuel in the tank after the last time out. Not sure if the boat will go back in before we leave in a couple weeks, all depends on weather and work. I was sitting here thinking, should I fill the tank and drive it down full or leave it where it is and fill down in Florida. Gasoline prices aside, is one way better/safer than another? Or is it non issue? Will I see a smoother tow going through the mountains by leaving it light in the tank and shedding the extra weight?

I just thought of it as extra weight to have to tow through the mountains (from the Cincinnati area to SW Florida) when we did it previously. When we filled up after crossing the Florida state line the boat took about 60 gallons (of the 75 gallon tank), so I guess we only really saved 350 of so lbs of an overall truck+luggage+passengers+trailer weight of around 12-13k lbs.

 

[King]

For what it's worth, gas here in Georgia is running about $0.52 a gallon cheaper than it is up in your neck of the woods, per AAA. We're on a gas tax holiday for a bit longer. Drive a lighter load down here to Georgia, swing in for some lunch and a fill up on the boat. That would give you the majority of your driving with a lighter load, and a fill up with the least expensive fuel on your route. Best of both worlds.

 

[adrianp89]

Fill up in GA just to save some money.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

When I traveled to LP last year I had the fuel tank full and we used my boat as cargo hauler as well.

If it was me I’d fill the fuel tank at a place where you normally get fuel and be done with it.

I think you may have said something about the wheel bearings in the where to find Endurance tire thread but… I’d be sure your wheel bearing grease is not compromised with water before you head out, and the bearings are set at the right amount of play.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Bearings are good to go. Tires feel good. Carrying enough spare parts and tools there is barely enough room for children

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Bearings are good to go. Tires feel good. Carrying enough spare parts and tools there is barely enough room for children

I just remembered another thing that sorta hits home with your remark about the sloshing… years ago I let one of my friends convince me to not carry 110 gallons of water in my toy hauler when making a long trip, so I kept about 30 gallons of fresh water in the tanks, well I got on one of those roads where its hot and there are twin ruts on each side due to semi trucks in the summer. The toy hauler was moving around a bit and that started the water sloshing in the tank, pretty soon I was doing my best Cale Yarborough impersonation due to the water sloshing around in the tank. That night I filled the water tank to the top, the next day on the road the toy hauler felt way more planted and I didn’t have a few hundred pounds sloshing around in the tank. By having the fuel tank full in the boat you won’t have the fuel sloshing from side to side while towing.. and that weight is pretty much at the mid ships of the boat.

You might want to look at how you distribute the weight in your tow vehicle and in the boat to keep everything balanced out as much as possible.

Good deal on the bearings! Do you have a spare set of bearings, seals and grease?

 

[HangOutdoors]

Yes I have spares on everything and then some.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Yes I have spares on everything and then some.

Good! Then you won’t need them! I hope you have an awesome trip down and back, but mostly a great time while you are there! I keep toying with the idea to head down to FLA when the water is solid here in the winter.. I think it would be nice to get a place on the water if possible and hang out for a couple of weeks…

 

[Julian]

Yes I have spares on everything and then some.

Just got back from my Bimini trip last week. I towed as empty as I could as the extra weight just makes towing more expensive and I'd prefer to keep every dollar of mine I can.

My pre-trip checks for towing:

• Check trailer brakes and fluid (ended up bleeding brakes)
• Check tires (replaced trailer tires)
• Check spare.
• Check lug nuts on all tires (replaced trailer tires so they were fine - checked spare it was good too)
• Fill bearing buddies
• Bring lug nut wrench and tire ramp

 

[adrianp89]

Just got back from my Bimini trip last week. I towed as empty as I could as the extra weight just makes towing more expensive and I'd prefer to keep every dollar of mine I can.

My pre-trip checks for towing:

• Check trailer brakes and fluid (ended up bleeding brakes)
• Check tires (replaced trailer tires)
• Check spare.
• Check lug nuts on all tires (replaced trailer tires so they were fine - checked spare it was good too)
• Fill bearing buddies
• Bring lug nut wrench and tire ramp

How was the ride to bimini? I just did about 22 miles in 1-2 foot seas and it was a breeze.... makes me consider Bimini.

 

[Julian]

How was the ride to bimini? I just did about 22 miles in 1-2 foot seas and it was a breeze.... makes me consider Bimini.

This year was the roughest crossing yet. Solid 2.5-3 foot seas. Started off thinking we would troll on the way over since we knew we couldn't go fast, but the period was 3 seconds, so they were stacked tight together. We started slow to see how it would be, then stuff the bow pretty quickly and determined that slow wasn't an option. We ended up going for 2-3 hours right at 16-18 mph (just at or below planing speed) and ate through gas! We literally arrived at Bimini on Zero. So rather than run out of gas, we stopped and put in one of our 5 gallon reserve cans because we didn't want to run out of gas in the inlet to Bimini Cove. Overall, we had a fantastic time....but very glad we had reserve gas!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

This year was the roughest crossing yet. Solid 2.5-3 foot seas. Started off thinking we would troll on the way over since we knew we couldn't go fast, but the period was 3 seconds, so they were stacked tight together. We started slow to see how it would be, then stuff the bow pretty quickly and determined that slow wasn't an option. We ended up going for 2-3 hours right at 16-18 mph (just at or below planing speed) and ate through gas! We literally arrived at Bimini on Zero. So rather than run out of gas, we stopped and put in one of our 5 gallon reserve cans because we didn't want to run out of gas in the inlet to Bimini Cove. Overall, we had a fantastic time....but very glad we had reserve gas!

Was it smoother on the way back?

 

[Julian]

Was it smoother on the way back?

Took us 4.5 hours out and 2.5 hours back. It was less wavy, but still rough, but the waves and wind were going with us......so WAY easier.

 

[212s]

By having the fuel tank full in the boat you won’t have the fuel sloshing from side to side while towing.

Boat tanks usually have a few baffles in them to minimize irregular movement, and I've never noticed mine sloshing around when I pull in to the gas station.

However, if the tank is empty, there's no sloshing!

 

[kgower]

Just got back from my Bimini trip last week. I towed as empty as I could as the extra weight just makes towing more expensive and I'd prefer to keep every dollar of mine I can.

My pre-trip checks for towing:

• Check trailer brakes and fluid (ended up bleeding brakes)
• Check tires (replaced trailer tires)
• Check spare.
• Check lug nuts on all tires (replaced trailer tires so they were fine - checked spare it was good too)
• Fill bearing buddies
• Bring lug nut wrench and tire ramp

Tire ramp, what does that look like, picture or link? We had a flat tire in OBX years ago with our jet ski. Used a ramp/jack shaped in a half circle that you placed on the axel which raised the wheel when you backed up. is your tire ramp similar?

 

[GTBRMC]

Just got back from my Bimini trip last week. I towed as empty as I could as the extra weight just makes towing more expensive and I'd prefer to keep every dollar of mine I can.

My pre-trip checks for towing:

• Check trailer brakes and fluid (ended up bleeding brakes)
• Check tires (replaced trailer tires)
• Check spare.
• Check lug nuts on all tires (replaced trailer tires so they were fine - checked spare it was good too)
• Fill bearing buddies
• Bring lug nut wrench and tire ramp

X2 on the lug wrench. Learned the hard way getting a flat in the Marquette interchange in Milwaukee on 4th of July weekend on an exceptionally rare (for us) >100F day back in 2012 (or 2013?). Anticipated that heat + shitty OEM bias ply tires on trailer + whole fam was packed in (including an aunt) might cause tire issues. Had a socket set with me, thought that would suffice.

Big nope on the socket set. Fiasco cost me about 2.5 hours, ~30 mins actually changing the trailer tire for the spare and about 2 hours hunting around Milwaukee for an open auto parts store to get an X-shaped universal lug wrench (which involved unhitching the tow vehicle, describing what I was doing to a curious but friendly LEO, rehitching tow vehicle, etc. all in the loading-zone-ish curb cut area across the street from UWM Panther Arena). Not fun. Plus burned up my launch window before sunset at destination later that night.

ALWAYS kept that lug wrench in my tow vehicle after that. Never needed again, of course.

Edit: Silver lining, wife authorized $ spend I had been wanting to reskin trailer and spare with Goodyear radials before we pulled out of Milwaukee… that had a lot to do with never needing the lug wrench again