Anxious New Owner

csonni

Hi. Can't say that I'm new here but we still haven't been able to actually travel to pick up our 2020 T@G XL Boondock Lite. Where we live, we have to drive 2 days to where we purchased it, sight unseen other than some good friends looking at it for us. It's a reputable NuCamp dealership. We have about 3 hours left of gravel road to travel on our way out of Labrador (use to be 24 hrs). We were hoping that our Atlantic Bubble would open back up before early March so we could drive down to haul it back, but that might not happen. If the Bubble opens, we still have to drive through Quebec but we can make it through in less than 24 hrs so no guaranteeing would be required. Anytime after March is getting rather sloppy with the snow and ice starting to make a mess on the gravel portion of road (Trans Labrador Hwy). So, we may have to wait till July when things dry out. We are looking into trucking companies that might haul it back for us to Labrador. Might cost a fortune but maybe about the same as it would cost us to drive out and back. Thats our story.

zgfiredude

Wow, that's harder than my wait! This Wednesday I'll head out from western Colorado for Phoenix, AZ. Wednesday to Flagstaff. Thursday down to Phoenix, pick up trailer, and head back to Flagstaff (two nights in the same hotel). And then Friday Flagstaff back home. 8 hours and 500 miles each on Wednesday and Friday, and 5 travel hours and 325 miles on Thursday. Weather looks good for the trip, I'll be solo and as covid conscious as can be. I'll post pics of the journey.

csonni

Lucky you. Right now we're looking into having ours trucked here. Might cost a bundle but, with the cost of travel, ferrys, time off work, etc., it might be worth it.

LuckyJ

Where are you in Labrador?? 😊

JohnnyLoco

I had no idea the following of these things, I stumbled across our SE XL never really hearing of them before. I saw it was a teardrop without all of the fluff and gave her a whirl.

Congrats, have fun

csonni

@LuckyJ said:
Where are you in Labrador?? 😊

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

LuckyJ

@csonni said:

@LuckyJ said:
Where are you in Labrador?? 😊

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Great! We will hopefully head up your way in a few years! 😊

csonni

Our TAG was loaded on this morning enroute to its first destination. Interested cargo loaded behind it. An old horse buggy and some other equipment.

LuckyJ

Can you track it! 🤣

csonni

The ferry should just be arriving in NF. All the measurements are good on the next truck. It's a 53 ft trailer and it's 102 inches wide on the inside. The door opening should have plenty to spare for getting our TAG in.

LuckyJ

Yeah! 😁

csonni

Our trailer has finally arrived! We're so stoked to finally have it. The key in the tongue box for the doors was gone but we found it underneath the battery tray....good thing haha. The bottom of the jack shaft got wore down a bit close to the pin holes from shifting around in the metal enclosed trailer on the Trans Labrador Hwy. I took my angle grinder to it to get the wheel on. Should be good for now. The metal cap on the top of the jack keeps popping off on one side. I think the plastic retainer broke. No biggie. Have any of you had issues with that tin metal staying in place on top of the jack to keep the weather out of the gears?

WilliamA

Take the jack cover off and bend it in for a spring fit. It'll stay on then.

WilliamA

beaky

fine looking T@G, good luck with your travels

LuckyJ

Yeah!

csonni

Took our T@G out for it's first little drive. Found our Caravan downshifted a bit more but no problem holding steady speed. Not sure what others mean when they say they don't even know it's behind them. Not that it's an issue. But I can't say we can't notice it. Can't wait to actually travel in July. We may be limited to Provincial travel as the Atlantic Bubble (Atlantic Canada Provinces- Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) has no plans of opening up any time soon.

LuckyJ

@csonni I have to say, your van looks so much better with tge T@G behind it! 😉

Just pulling your leg.

I can only agree with you about not knowing it is behind you when pulling. I know it is there in y case, more shifting (only manual tranny) but like you, I would notice the more frequent shifting of an automatic, plus the weight add up of a trailer. But, it still does follow really well.

About the Atlantic Bubble I tought it had bursted after one of tge 4 province had to many cases.

Anyway, have fun! 😊

JamesDow

Congrats on your first trip!

I pull with a 4 cly Rav4 and downshifting going up hills is noticeable, but only lasts about 30-40 seconds at a time. Times can come and go frequently going up a long grade. I don't have a major problem holding the speed I want, but would travel 10-15 mph faster without the T@G.

Heading out to Senator Wash in two weeks. Four hour drive. Forcast of temps in the mid 90s.

I must admit on flat driving, I do find myself looking in my mirror at times because I don"t have the sensation on pulling anything behind me.

.

beaky

if you have a TV on the low end of capability try locking out your transmission, especially on hills, to avoid the constant cycling between gears. on long grades its better for the car to put the transmission in 3rd gear and let the motor run at a higher rev, on flats you can move the stick to 4 or 5 to allow constant RPM

ras

My Toyota Highlander has a button on the side of the shift handle that turns off overdrive. I assume a RAV4 would have one too. I've found that cuts down on some of that extra shifting. I turn it back on in the flats though because it also cuts the gas mileage..

csonni

@beaky said:
try locking out your transmission, especially on hills, to avoid the constant cycling between gears.

I have what is like a paddle shifter and I may give that a try on uphills. Keep it in 4-5 depending on the grade.

LuckyJ

@csonni said:

@beaky said:
try locking out your transmission, especially on hills, to avoid the constant cycling between gears.

I have what is like a paddle shifter and I may give that a try on uphills. Keep it in 4-5 depending on the grade.

No matter what, you will find a way to make it work ! 😊

Sharon_is_SAM

@csonni - we tow our TaB with a Sienna. On the highway, we are usually in 5th gear. We noticed the transmission was hunting for a gear at 60 mph, so we settled on 62 mph. Your TaG has less frontal area than our TaB. We do know that we are towing as well.

csonni

@Sharon_is_SAM said:
@csonni - we tow our TaB with a Sienna.

We actually were originally considering a T@B but the weight scared us off. Our Caravan can handle it for sure, but I'm glad we went with a T@G with the long trips we take cross country.

GigHarborTom

Just got a 2020 Mazda CX5... Hope it gets along with the 2017 XL.

JamesDow

With a 2000 lb towing capacity, you should be fine as long as you keep your T@G loading to a minimum. (i.e. no reason to tow long distances with your water tank full.)

HikinMike

Good points. Also remember to keep the amount of cargo (which includes passengers) inside your TV to a minimum as well.

theashleyoe

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who had to travel distances to find one of these! I had to go to Spokane, WA, from Boise, ID. Not that bad, but still. I was kind of embarrassed for some reason.

LuckyJ

@theashleyoe you have no idea how long of a ride it could have been for @csonni to get to his trailer.

2 ferry ride, one is 6 hours and the other is 2 hours, almost a thousand miles of road travel in the middle of fantastic nowhere, with about 300 miles of gravel on ice coverd road that is in the middle of nowhere. ( I think he has one point with 200 miles between fuel stop, and don't mist it) He could even see cariboo on the way. Not to mentionned the highest concentration of moose in north america when you cross northern New-Foundland! 😁

To me, getting there is on my bucket list.

csonni

@LuckyJ said:
@theashleyoe you have no idea how long of a ride it could have been for @csonni to get to his trailer.

Great description!

WilliamA

LuckyJ,

Okay....You guys win. Your description makes my Mojave Road adventure sound like I drove to the mailbox! Lol! If I did that trek I'd need a semi to follow along with all the spare parts I'd want to carry!

There's a guy from Canada with a YouTube channel that drives around solo in a Jeep. He carries about 27 gas cans. His videos are pretty amazing and give some perspective to my small adventures. I think he saw a couple of guys from the Franklin expedition on one of his trips. Bigger stones than I got. I'll stick to dodging wild turkeys "down south" here in Wi....

WilliamA