At The Limit : Min-maxing, or a game of compromises - [Epic Trailer Towing Roadtrip Montreal <---> SoCal]

[Delzona]

This is such an epic trip you've planned!! I'm looking forward to seeing your updates and post as you travel! I would love to do a similar trip myself, but on my Harley and I would stay at those campgrounds called Holiday Inn!!

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[thev8man]

If go close to Moab, the Arches and the views of the Colorado River from Dead Horse Point are spectacular.

Added to my list.

 

[imboden013]

Added to my list.

There are places along road out to dead horse point that you can stop and see Native American wall paintings They are a bit hard to find, one of my cousins that lives in Moab took us out there and knew all the places to stop.

 

[mdguy]

Yeah, the WDH is listed as "Not Required" in the Ford Towing Guide for the Maverick. From the research I did on all the Maverick related websites, nobody seems to agree if "Not Required" means "Cannot be used". Ford hasn't officially chimed in. As it stands, with the WDH I have half an inch of squat and the front hasn't moved.
If someone has found definitive information regarding WDHs on the Maverick, I'd love to read it.

As for the passenger weight well you've taught me something, thanks for that! I'll try and find the spec to read it. Cheers

Ford customer service told me that "not required" means you don't have to use it. They said it does not preclude using WDH. I towed a small little guy mini max without WD and experienced no swaying. However, if i tow something over 3500 lbs I'll probably use a WDH.

 

[guigson]

Ford customer service told me that "not required" means you don't have to use it. They said it does not preclude using WDH. I towed a small little guy mini max without WD and experienced no swaying. However, if i tow something over 3500 lbs I'll probably use a WDH.

That's great information actually. My WDH weighs 99lbs, its a non negligible weight in the overall setup. If I don't need it then there's no point carrying it around. I'll try and load the trailer on the truck without the WDH to see how much squat it induces.

 

[thev8man]

There are places along road out to dead horse point that you can stop and see Native American wall paintings They are a bit hard to find, one of my cousins that lives in Moab took us out there and knew all the places to stop.

Awesome

 

[James K]

Thanks for the message. I did try to be as detailed as possible with the numbers in case it might help someone.
After purchasing the trailer, I had a 200km (124miles) drive home. Fuel consumption was 18L/100km (13mpg) going 108kph (67mph) on a hilly highway. I tried to use the cruise control as much as possible but I passed quite a few cars so I probably could have gotten a better fuel economy if I drove more relaxed. I think I'll drive slower in the future to see the effect on fuel consumption. I usually average 8.5L/100km (29mpg) on the highway at 115kph (71mph).
The round trip, getting from park to park should be approximately 12,000km (7450miles) without accounting for any daily travel getting to trailheads, getting groceries etc. So we're probably looking at 15000km+ over the span of 2 months.

That's pretty reasonable mileage. I've played around on my truck and without towing anything can achieve 34 mpg at 67 mph on eco mode. I drop to 22 mpg towing 1200 pounds, also at 67 mph but actually am able to tow in eco mode on the flatter areas. Tow/Haul drops it to 20 mpg on flat and 18.5 mpg in mountainous areas such as WV: again at about 67 mph. No 2 trucks are the same but seems my EB with tow package has a sweet spot at 67 mph.

 

[guigson]

I tested the setup on a 430 miles round-trip from Montreal to Bethlehem, New Hampshire.
Here are the details!

 

[guigson]

Hello everyone,
Here's an update 3000 miles into the road trip. Note that I don't have access to a computer and so I have to do this on my phone which I find less than ideal. My posts/replies may be shorter than I'd like.
Overall, it has been an excellent experience. The Maverick is comfortable for long sessions of driving, we've towed our trailer over 400 miles in a day 4 days in a row, through Quebec, Ontario, Michigan, Illinois (briefly), Wisconsin (briefly), Minnesota, and then South Dakota. We had some issues with the Maverick in the Black Hills of South Dakota but I will come back to that in a subsequent thread as the issue has not been identified yet. Anyhow, the truck safely got us to and through the Badlands NP(SD), Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We are currently in Salt Lake City at a Ford dealership for an oil change and troubleshooting of the issue we had in the Black Hills.
I am logging as much data as I can and I will provide graphs and the data a couple weeks after the trip is over. In the meantime, here are some pictures!

 

[Dake]

Great question! I'm using Milenco/Dometic MIL-2912 Grand Aero 3 towing mirrors. Towing mirrors are an absolute must with the Maverick. I like the way they install and they are very rugged. The locking mechanisms seem to be high quality, which is reflected on the high price of the mirrors. I've been lucky and managed to buy them used. I'm attempting to buy all my equipment second-hand.
They vibrate a bit on the highway but the visibility is good and I am satisfied. I installed them extended as far as they go so the lever arm is greater and thus the vibration amplitude is at its largest. Nevertheless I am satisfied and not worried at all about losing one.

I tried two other varieties before getting the Milencos, and they were next to worthless. I now have the Milenco Aero 4 s and love them. Such a critical piece of equipment- what a relief to have something that works!

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