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Towing cross country with a B2300, my experience.


CrimsonEclipse

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I recently completed a 3400 mile trip with a B2300 and a Uhaul 5x8 trailer.

To the point, I will NEVER do that again.

Trailer = 900 lb with 800-1000lb of stuff. We'll assume 1900lb.
This is fine at sea level with no inclines! Add altitude AND inclines and
things get dodgy very quick. in addition, wind is a major factor.

I crossed the Rockies through Wyoming since the path through Colorado
would have been suicide. Over 4000' the engine had minimal power for
climbing and I averaged 50-55 mph through the entire state. On ramps
were a challenge to say the least and full power was a constant requirement.
At the highest point, 8750' it was barely responsive and surprisingly quiet,
Not as much air, thus not as much bang.

Surprising, breaking was not a problem although forward planning was needed
on long downhills 5% or more.

My suggestion, if you HAVE to move across mountains, rent a moving truck
and trailer your B2300. The ware and tare alone will be worth it.

Next time, I'll just sell my stuff.
 


DRanger024

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I wouldnt have attemptd it in the first place!
 

strvger

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"that is why you fail. try not... DO!"
yoda

you learned lots by making the drive. there is no substitute for experience. and thanks to you and trs, we can all learn from that. not sure if yours was an auto or a stick, but i'm still surprised that you had few braking issues with that heavy a trailer in tow. was the truck loaded as well or just the trailer? will be heading out that way myself again next year and plan on taking the northern route again as you did because of the mountain passes being somewhat lower.
main thing is you made it safely to your destination. congrats for sure!!
 
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Doofy

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Was it the "pucker factor" of the towing or the amount of time the trip took? What is your actual complaint? Towing can be a tedious and slow process, especially if you have little or no experience. You got the job done and probably saved a lot of money by doing it yourself.
 

martin

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That's one instance where a turbo, even at low boost, would have made a world of difference.
 

alaskan155

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this is why i got rid of my 06 f150 with 4.2l v6, it was a dog at 6k to 7k feet altitude
 

CrimsonEclipse

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It's a manual transmission. I'd prefer not to think about the stress on my clutch.

I loaded the trailer properly and had only limited loading in the bed so the handling
to about 65 mph was acceptable.

To my credit, I had new front rotors and pads installed before the trip.

The biggest complaint was the lack of wiggle room. If something went wrong,
it would go wrong fast. Everything had to be planned ahead, mountains, passing, etc.
I caught a few stiff winds that kept me alert, and the channels the big trucks create
over the years in the right lane made my life difficult once or twice. You don't notice
them until you try a lane change, then SURPRISE!!

I was thinking about a turbo charger (or even turbo normalizing) during the Wyoming
portion. The turbo normalizing would just keep sea level pressure at all altitudes, which
would have helped the climbs and shouldn't require additional modifications.

The engine also has limited braking capability down hill so don't really depend on it.

Finally, I was lucky with dry weather. This trip with rain, storms or snow would have been
a death trap. I don't even want to imagine the Colorado pass.
 

Will

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Couldn't have been that bad. Lighten up, Francis.

80,000# rigs used to have 200hp gas engines. The mountains were tough. My dad drove trucks when 275hp diesels, no turbo, was normal. The mountains were tough. You expected that mountains would slow you down. Your brakes were fine, so what's the problem? Control of the vehicle wasn't a problem. What's the point of your thread?

You should have done the glass half full post. The truck did a good job. Towing, especially over the Rockies, requires a little patience and concentration. We know that.

I've done the trip, by the way. Twice. There are worse 4-lane roads in Kentucky, actually. There are much worse roads on state 2-lanes in Pennsylvania. Much worse. 9% grades aren't allowed in the interstate system, for instance.

I wouldn't rent a Uhaul for a little 2,000# load when I had a Ranger. I'd pull a 2,000# 5x8 with my Passat.
 

Milton

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Your experience does not surprise me. My '09 B2300 (5-speed manual) is rated for a 1,100 lb load (passengers plus cargo). You had around double that so I would expect it to affect performance, both acceleration and braking, as well as added wear to your clutch. Steep grades and high altitudes are of course going to exacerbate the situation. I've loaded my B2300 to around 1,000 lbs with no issues, but it was over a flat route at < 1,000 feet. Was it cheaper than renting a Uhaul truck one-way and just towing your B2300?
 

Captain Ledd

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My credo
If you're not making mistakes, you're not learning.
Whenever I tow I do my best NOT to pass. I just find a group of semi's poking along and follow them around. You're towing a trailer, not the time to be zooming around in and out of traffic unless the person you're following is moving particularly slow.

1900lbs is not a whole lot, and you even had the Duratech I4. My bet is you have a high axle ratio that made things sluggish.

I've also been through roads in Pennsylvania, not towing things, but they still make your stomach tingle in a few spots.
 

CrimsonEclipse

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Yeah, a better axle ratio would have made the difference as would have
a few more gears. But it IS an inexpensive truck, made for light loads.

And I just checked my towing load, same as the 2006.
Whoops! Just a tad over capacity.

And to think that Uhaul used to allow the 6X12 double axle on the B2300.
 

Silent bob

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How was the fuel economy hauling that load vs normal fuel economy? The reason I ask is I am going to be pulling a popup with my ranger and everything is about the same specs as far as trailer .
Pucker Factor , now thats just good stuff
 

CrimsonEclipse

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Surprisingly, 15-20mpg. I was expecting worse.
I normally get 25-29
 

tanbuddy

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There are some steep hills around here, one near my house is 13% on a state highway. My old mack wiht 237 hp doesnt like that hill pulling the backhoe lol/
 

bikbear

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I suspect the U-haul trailer was more at fault than the truck. I did a similar trip a few years ago from Saskatchewan to B.C. and crossed the Rockies near Jasper.

I had a 12' (or was it 14'?) tandem axle U-haul trailer with surge brakes being towed by my 4.0L Ranger. The trailer wasn't very full, I just wanted to keep dirt and snow off my belongings and that was the smallest they had. Even with an empty trailer it felt like I was hauling the whole house. I burned nearly double the gas I would empty and the wake behind passing trucks was not my friend.

Last weekend I towed a 3000 lb 18' fifth wheel (just 200 km to get it home) and it handled way better than the crappy little u-haul. If I could start at the bottom of a hill doing 100km/h I could often keep that speed all the way to the top. Mileage was way better too, maybe a 10% drop rather than 50%. I was still forced to slow down on steeper hills but so does anyone who isn't towing an empty tent trailer with a 1-ton.
 

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