Max Towing Adventure - 4,200 lbs - 285 miles - 16 MPG

[WetsideMav]

When I was looking at buying a Maverick back in 2022 I knew the day would come and I'd probably have to tow my old Datsun somewhere once or twice.
I figured the 4k towing package "should" be just enough to get the job done.

Today, I towed my car approximately 290 miles (L.A. to Modesto) and part of that was over the Grapevine mountain range, which peaks around 4,100 ft of elevation.

U-Haul Auto Transport Trailer = 2,210 lbs (no trailer brakes, not ideal, but it was what it was)
1969 Datsun 510 = 2,050 lbs (no gas, radiator fluids or oils)
About 4,200 lbs total towing weight.

I'm very happy to report the truck handled it all without issue. I easily maintained 55 - 65 mph. The truck felt very stable. Acceleration was surprisingly confident and I felt no signs of struggle. As you can imagine, without trailer brakes, braking was a bit lacking but I left a massive amount of space in front of me and anticipated all decelerations. I never felt unsafe but I did have to stay mindful. If I had a very extended longer downhill grade I'm not sure how I would have felt. I did have to apply/ feather the brakes a bit more than I would have liked to maintain 55-60 mph on the final downhill, but I don't think I was ever close to overheating them.

I failed to measure the static fender heights without the trailer or with the empty trailer attached, but with the trailer fully loaded, the rear fenders compressed down to 32", and the front fender lifted to 34". The rear shocks seemed to have plenty of travel left and, as far as I can tell, never bottomed out.

The kicker was that I averaged 16 mpg (with 245/65 R17's) for the whole trip, which I thought was pretty great. I got 14 mpg through the Grapevine mountain section, which shattered my exceptions, I thought it'd be closer to 10 mpg in the mountains. I made sure to use 91 octane.

I'm not suggesting anyone else use your truck at the limit like this. I've got two more heavy towing trips I need to do to get the Datsun running under its own power, then I'll stick to hauling lighter loads. The truck only has 35,000 miles on it but I may do an early transmission fluid change at some point for good measure.

I've been very happy with this truck both performance wise and aesthetically. Admittedly, I went a bit nuts and got the fully-loaded version, but I use every single one of its features on a daily basis and I have no regrets. My friends always remark how comfortable the seats are, and how smooth the ride is.

This trip was yet another confirmation that this truck was the right choice.

Front:

Rear:

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[dhaskit]

Great job. Glad to hear it worked out so well.
These little trucks have the heart of a beast inside, don’t they?

 

[Cherokee]

Great job. Glad to hear it worked out so well.
These little trucks have the heart of a beast inside, don’t they?

The little truck than can,

 

[TowmanDoug]

That trailer was equipped with brakes, I’m surprised they would rent if they knew that the brakes didnt work…..

 

[Carlitos_92]

U-Haul Auto Transport Trailer = 2,210 lbs (no trailer brakes, not ideal, but it was what it was)

Trailer has surge brakes.

That’s a cool old 510.

 

[Deleted member 45110]

When I was looking at buying a Maverick back in 2022 I knew the day would come and I'd probably have to tow my old Datsun somewhere once or twice.
I figured the 4k towing package "should" be just enough to get the job done.

Today, I towed my car approximately 290 miles (L.A. to Modesto) and part of that was over the Grapevine mountain range, which peaks around 4,100 ft of elevation.

U-Haul Auto Transport Trailer = 2,210 lbs (no trailer brakes, not ideal, but it was what it was)
1969 Datsun 510 = 2,050 lbs (no gas, radiator fluids or oils)
About 4,200 lbs total towing weight.

I'm very happy to report the truck handled it all without issue. I easily maintained 55 - 65 mph. The truck felt very stable. Acceleration was surprisingly confident and I felt no signs of struggle. As you can imagine, without trailer brakes, braking was a bit lacking but I left a massive amount of space in front of me and anticipated all decelerations. I never felt unsafe but I did have to stay mindful. If I had a very extended longer downhill grade I'm not sure how I would have felt. I did have to apply/ feather the brakes a bit more than I would have liked to maintain 55-60 mph on the final downhill, but I don't think I was ever close to overheating them.

I failed to measure the static fender heights without the trailer or with the empty trailer attached, but with the trailer fully loaded, the rear fenders compressed down to 32", and the front fender lifted to 34". The rear shocks seemed to have plenty of travel left and, as far as I can tell, never bottomed out.

The kicker was that I averaged 16 mpg (with 245/65 R17's) for the whole trip, which I thought was pretty great. I got 14 mpg through the Grapevine mountain section, which shattered my exceptions, I thought it'd be closer to 10 mpg in the mountains. I made sure to use 91 octane.

I'm not suggesting anyone else use your truck at the limit like this. I've got two more heavy towing trips I need to do to get the Datsun running under its own power, then I'll stick to hauling lighter loads. The truck only has 35,000 miles on it but I may do an early transmission fluid change at some point for good measure.

I've been very happy with this truck both performance wise and aesthetically. Admittedly, I went a bit nuts and got the fully-loaded version, but I use every single one of its features on a daily basis and I have no regrets. My friends always remark how comfortable the seats are, and how smooth the ride is.

This trip was yet another confirmation that this truck was the right choice.

Front:

Rear:

And the Grapevine is no joke of a slope!
Nice write up!

 

[Dignam]

Good info, definitely at the very edge I'd ever consider towing with the Mav, glad it performed well.

Also - sweet car!

 

[matmondro]

Nice report! Glad it worked out well. These Mavs tow pretty well!

 

[brothernumpsy]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[Frenchy]

The little truck than can,

Amen.

 

[JMJB]

Like someone mentioned , the trailer probably has surge brakes .
Without those brakes I feel your trip down the northern side of the Grapevine would have harrowing to say the least ....

 

[JMJB]

Yes , surge brakes ....
Otherwise you would have cooked your brakes on that 10 mile downhill section ....

 

[Escapologist]

That trailer was equipped with brakes, I’m surprised they would rent if they knew that the brakes didnt work…..

Hahahahaaaa, hahahaa, ha ha... oh you're serious. Uhaul will typically be like, "So yeah if there's a mechanical problem just get it repaired on your rental time and dime and we pinkie swear we'll refund the repair cost."

 

[notfast]

Trailer has surge brakes.

That’s a cool old 510.

Was about to say the same. Easy way to see if the master cylinder has fluid is to look for the ball bearing through the sight glass with the trailer level. The ball should be floating in the middle of the sight glass.

I had one where the brakes were adjusted very...aggressively. I was towing the empty auto transporter with my F-250 and braked semi-hard and the trailer brakes locked up.

 

[Phimosis]

When I was looking at buying a Maverick back in 2022 I knew the day would come and I'd probably have to tow my old Datsun somewhere once or twice.
I figured the 4k towing package "should" be just enough to get the job done.

Today, I towed my car approximately 290 miles (L.A. to Modesto) and part of that was over the Grapevine mountain range, which peaks around 4,100 ft of elevation.

U-Haul Auto Transport Trailer = 2,210 lbs (no trailer brakes, not ideal, but it was what it was)
1969 Datsun 510 = 2,050 lbs (no gas, radiator fluids or oils)
About 4,200 lbs total towing weight.

I'm very happy to report the truck handled it all without issue. I easily maintained 55 - 65 mph. The truck felt very stable. Acceleration was surprisingly confident and I felt no signs of struggle. As you can imagine, without trailer brakes, braking was a bit lacking but I left a massive amount of space in front of me and anticipated all decelerations. I never felt unsafe but I did have to stay mindful. If I had a very extended longer downhill grade I'm not sure how I would have felt. I did have to apply/ feather the brakes a bit more than I would have liked to maintain 55-60 mph on the final downhill, but I don't think I was ever close to overheating them.

I failed to measure the static fender heights without the trailer or with the empty trailer attached, but with the trailer fully loaded, the rear fenders compressed down to 32", and the front fender lifted to 34". The rear shocks seemed to have plenty of travel left and, as far as I can tell, never bottomed out.

The kicker was that I averaged 16 mpg (with 245/65 R17's) for the whole trip, which I thought was pretty great. I got 14 mpg through the Grapevine mountain section, which shattered my exceptions, I thought it'd be closer to 10 mpg in the mountains. I made sure to use 91 octane.

I'm not suggesting anyone else use your truck at the limit like this. I've got two more heavy towing trips I need to do to get the Datsun running under its own power, then I'll stick to hauling lighter loads. The truck only has 35,000 miles on it but I may do an early transmission fluid change at some point for good measure.

I've been very happy with this truck both performance wise and aesthetically. Admittedly, I went a bit nuts and got the fully-loaded version, but I use every single one of its features on a daily basis and I have no regrets. My friends always remark how comfortable the seats are, and how smooth the ride is.

This trip was yet another confirmation that this truck was the right choice.

Cool pics!

As others said, it has surge brakes.

They can’t legally rent a trailer in California with a GVWR > 1,500 lbs without trailer brakes.

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