How fast can you go with a Pop-Up safely without Damaging TV?

[DoubleD]

Remember when the speed limit in Nevada was "Reasonable and Proper"?

Besides trying to not getting tickets, I shoot for R&P.  Is it truly safer for me to be travelling down a 2 lane road on a holiday weekend with a line of cars a mile long folllowing?  Or is it safer to stay with traffic and leave a greater distance between the car in front of me?  My experience is that if I don't stay with the flow, lots of others will take unnecessary chances trying to pass me, endangering me as well as themselves and approaching traffic.

Wonder why we have so many laws, disclaimers, and fine print?   I believe it is because so many people have no concept of Reasonable and Proper and need someone else to help them use common sense.  That scares the bejeebers out of me.

Common sense also tells me to keep my rig well maintained and then I don't have to worry about burning up bearings, etc.  Check my trailer brakes at the intervals recommended, make sure the brakes on the TV are in good shape.  Remember, PU brakes or not, you are probably causing more wear and tear on the TV brakes, check them often.

[SpeakEasy]

Speaking of driving, I had some "interesting" experiences on our recent 4800 mile trip.

First off, yes, the trailer towing speed limit in Illinois is posted (on I-80 at least) as 55 MPH. This applies to commercial trucks too. Few of them were obeying this, however. Except one time - i noticed a whole line of trucks in the right lane ahead of me, all of them doing the 55 MPH thing. A bit later we all passed a patrol car with a radar gun. These professionals had obviously detected him and had made the necessary adjustments.

Now back to the "interesting" part. I kept my speed about 61 or 62 most of the time because I found that my mileage drops drastically above that speed. Several times on the trip I found myself behind someone who was going much slower than the speed limit. I would move into the passing lane to pass, and suddenly this guy decides to go the speed limit. Since he's now going 65 (or 70, depending on the state,) I'm starting to be left behind at my 62 MPH. So now, here I am in the left lane, traffic is behind me, and I want to avoid an unsafe and unreasonable speed (for a trailer) in order to pass the guy. I want to move back into the right lane, but by now an impatient driver has decided to get around ME by moving into that lane to pass! I always signal my intentions, I wait for the guy in the right lane to either go past me or slow down to let me in. (Even though this sort of person NEVER slows down to let me in.) If it's especially bad, there are now several people who have decided to use the right lane for their passing lane. The last time this happened, the guy passing in the right lane was a motorcyclist. He gave me the one-fingered salute as he passed me.

This got me to thinking. Since this happened so many times (I'm guessing about a half-dozen to maybe ten times on the three-week trip), my driving habits might need to change. I'm thinking that from now on I'm going to pass even if I have to go faster than I am usually comfortable. What do you think?  Am I causing these situations by my unwillingness to drive at 70 or 75 MPH while passing?

-Speak

[Azusateach]

California posts speed limits on all fwys. as 55mph for cars with trailers.  Depending on the freeway, I'd say it's a crapshoot about enforcement.  While my little trailer pulls as if it's not there, my 10" wheels would simply explode if I tried to go with the flow of traffic.  So, my speed is never more than 60.  In addition, because of the craziness of drivers here I rarely stay in the right lane.  If they're POed at me, fine.  Law also states that trailers can travel in the right two lanes, so I'm not illegal.  In So. Cal we have some fwys. with left exits, so as soon as I see the sign for the exit I move over.  I actually called the CHP & asked them if that's what I could do without getting a ticket & they said it would be fine.  My first time out I did get a ticket, just because I was dumb & didn't learn the laws before towing.  Made me kind of mad at the dealer for not telling me what the laws were, but it was still my responsibility.  Pretty expensive lesson!

[dthurk]

Speaking of driving, I had some "interesting" experiences on our recent 4800 mile trip.

First off, yes, the trailer towing speed limit in Illinois is posted (on I-80 at least) as 55 MPH. This applies to commercial trucks too. Few of them were obeying this, however. Except one time - i noticed a whole line of trucks in the right lane ahead of me, all of them doing the 55 MPH thing. A bit later we all passed a patrol car with a radar gun. These professionals had obviously detected him and had made the necessary adjustments.

Now back to the "interesting" part. I kept my speed about 61 or 62 most of the time because I found that my mileage drops drastically above that speed. Several times on the trip I found myself behind someone who was going much slower than the speed limit. I would move into the passing lane to pass, and suddenly this guy decides to go the speed limit. Since he's now going 65 (or 70, depending on the state,) I'm starting to be left behind at my 62 MPH. So now, here I am in the left lane, traffic is behind me, and I want to avoid an unsafe and unreasonable speed (for a trailer) in order to pass the guy. I want to move back into the right lane, but by now an impatient driver has decided to get around ME by moving into that lane to pass! I always signal my intentions, I wait for the guy in the right lane to either go past me or slow down to let me in. (Even though this sort of person NEVER slows down to let me in.) If it's especially bad, there are now several people who have decided to use the right lane for their passing lane. The last time this happened, the guy passing in the right lane was a motorcyclist. He gave me the one-fingered salute as he passed me.

This got me to thinking. Since this happened so many times (I'm guessing about a half-dozen to maybe ten times on the three-week trip), my driving habits might need to change. I'm thinking that from now on I'm going to pass even if I have to go faster than I am usually comfortable. What do you think?  Am I causing these situations by my unwillingness to drive at 70 or 75 MPH while passing?

-Speak

Impatient drivers often endanger others.  I do not change my driving techniques while towing.  I would sit in the left lane driving a safe speed until safe to get back into the right.  If others are bothered by that, too bad.  They are the ones driving unsafely by passing in the right lane.  I have seen trucks caught in this situation, and I'll sit in the right lane and clear traffic to let them in, even while not towing.  I hope they appreciate the effort.

A situation of my own a couple weeks back.  I was towing our TT, approaching a construction area, driving in the right lane about 60 MPH in a 65 MPH speed limit.  A dark colored Land Cruiser had been traveling in the left lane just behind the trailer for about a mile.  The left lane was closed ahead, plenty of signs posted to warn of the situation.  This guy decided to pass me just before the lane closed.  He almost took out a couple of barrels before he cut back in front of me, it was that close.  I was pretty upset, but did nothing.  The closure was only for a short bridge, then the highway was opened back up again.  It wasn't like this was a multiple mile closure.  About 5 miles later, I passed a dark colored Land Cruiser pulled over by a state trooper.  I almost stopped and told my story to the trooper, but didn't.  Just smiled, waved and continued on.  Sometimes justice is served.

[edwardr132]

Thanks for all your replys.  I may decide to keep my speed limit to 65mph based on the comments here even though the speed limit in Michigan is around 70mph on the highway.  

     I was wondering just because I used a V6 3.3ltr 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager to tow my pop-up and I went around 65-75mph depending on traffic from Illinois to Michigan and back;  maybe around 400 miles or so.   I did have a trans cooler installed.  I did only drive in 3rd gear for the whole trip.  After I came back home;  it seemed that something new was happening to the van. I am not sure what was  was happening.  The strange thing was that this noise would only happening while in idle.  Not while driving.  It would describe it more like a van "klunk" like the van did a slight lurch.  Knowing how bad Chrysler transmissions are on minivans, We decided after that to just trade the Plymouth Minivan in for a 2006 Honda Odyssey minivan.  The Honda Odyssey has a more powerful engine and more torque than the older Plymouth did.  With today's and (tomorrow's) gas prices a more powerful and gas guzzling TV is out of the question and considering we only tow maybe 2% of all our driving.  I want to pop-up camp around 3-5 times a year on three day weekends.

[AustinBoston]

Remember when the speed limit in Nevada was "Reasonable and Proper"?

No.  I do remember some other state doing that, though.  It might have been North Dakota.

Besides trying to not getting tickets, I shoot for R&P.  Is it truly safer for me to be travelling down a 2 lane road on a holiday weekend with a line of cars a mile long folllowing?  Or is it safer to stay with traffic and leave a greater distance between the car in front of me?  My experience is that if I don't stay with the flow, lots of others will take unnecessary chances trying to pass me, endangering me as well as themselves and approaching traffic.

In most mountainous states, it's a violation of law to allow more than 5 vehicles to accumulate.  After that, you are required to pull over and allow them to pass (when safe to do so) even if you are travelling the speed limit.

Wonder why we have so many laws, disclaimers, and fine print?   I believe it is because so many people have no concept of Reasonable and Proper and need someone else to help them use common sense.  That scares the bejeebers out of me.

Or they just have a lack of experience.  On the same mountain pass, I'd be more afraid of a Florida driver with a 1,000 lb. trailer with brakes than a Colorado driver with a 2,000 lb. trailer without.  The latter may be violating the law, but the steepest and highest hill the former has seen in his home state is a highway overpass!  How would he know that it just ain't safe to tow that setup at that speed over that hill?

Common sense also tells me to keep my rig well maintained and then I don't have to worry about burning up bearings, etc.  Check my trailer brakes at the intervals recommended, make sure the brakes on the TV are in good shape.  Remember, PU brakes or not, you are probably causing more wear and tear on the TV brakes, check them often.

Absolutely true.  Absolutely true.

Austin

[kine]

I just returned from a trip to San Antonio, and I had a blow out on the way back. I saw the popup sway then the tire went. I saw all the cars getting out of my way, but the pu stayed right behind my tv. Maybe I was lucky, but it stayed straight as an arrow behind me. I was going about 60 to 65 mi. per hr.

[AustinBoston]

I just returned from a trip to San Antonio, and I had a blow out on the way back. I saw the popup sway then the tire went. I saw all the cars getting out of my way, but the pu stayed right behind my tv. Maybe I was lucky, but it stayed straight as an arrow behind me. I was going about 60 to 65 mi. per hr.

What were you towing, and what were you towing with?

Austin

[banjorules]

In most mountainous states, it's a violation of law to allow more than 5 vehicles to accumulate. After that, you are required to pull over and allow them to pass (when safe to do so) even if you are travelling the speed limit.

Hmmm, just curious.  If someone is doing the speed limit, how does someone else legally pass them?

[AustinBoston]

Hmmm, just curious.  If someone is doing the speed limit, how does someone else legally pass them?

The slower moving vehicle is required to pull over.  In all of the 41 states I have driven in (apparently with the exception of Maryland), "pull over" means remove your vehicle from the travel lanes of the road and stop.  At that point, any moving vehicle at any speed can pass you.

Austin

[flyfisherman]

The slower moving vehicle is required to pull over.  In all of the 41 states I have driven in (apparently with the exception of Maryland), "pull over" means remove your vehicle from the travel lanes of the road and stop.  At that point, any moving vehicle at any speed can pass you.

Austin

That's got me sorta confused, too ...!

Are you saying that when I'm driving on an ole two lane highway, one coming one way and another going the other, and the posted speed limit is 55mph and I'm traveling that posted speed limit, that because "speeders" want to pass me, I have to pull over and let them by ...?  

Please 'splain that to me so I can understand how one law will supersede the other. Now, I can fully understand if I was traveling slower than the posted limit how that would require me to have to yield.

Fly

[flyfisherman]

In most mountainous states, it's a violation of law to allow more than 5 vehicles to accumulate.  After that, you are required to pull over and allow them to pass (when safe to do so) even if you are travelling the speed limit

Austin

Since I do spend quite a bit of time in the North Carolina mountains and never heard of any law saying that I had to yield to traffic that was accumulating behind, even though I was traveling the speed limit. I just e-mailed the NC highway department law enforcement division and inquired if such a law applied here. I'll post it just as soon as I get a reply.



Fly

[AustinBoston]

Since I do spend quite a bit of time in the North Carolina mountains and never heard of any law saying that I had to yield to traffic that was accumulating behind, even though I was traveling the speed limit. I just e-mailed the NC highway department law enforcement division and inquired if such a law applied here. I'll post it just as soon as I get a reply.

If you think North Carolina is mountainous, you need to get out more!  When you can show me a NC road with a 12% grade or a NC road that maintains >8% grade for 12 continuous miles, then you can call it mountainous.

Yes, I've driven in NC (DSIL is stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville...drove I-40 from Knoxville with a 5,000 lb trailer strapped on), and I've also driven in Utah, Colorado, California, and Wyoming, where they really do have mountains.  There is a huge difference.

When you've sat behind a vehicle that is holding up 40 cars for 10 miles, you get a bit frustrated.  So do the other 39 drivers.  So it's illegal.

Austin

[AustinBoston]

That's got me sorta confused, too ...!

Are you saying that when I'm driving on an ole two lane highway, one coming one way and another going the other, and the posted speed limit is 55mph and I'm traveling that posted speed limit, that because "speeders" want to pass me, I have to pull over and let them by ...?

Yes, absolutely.

Please 'splain that to me so I can understand how one law will supersede the other. Now, I can fully understand if I was traveling slower than the posted limit how that would require me to have to yield.

It doesn't superceede the other.  You are not allowed to impede the normal flow of traffic.  The law doesn't say the "legal" flow of traffic.  It is not your responsibility or perogative to enforce the speed limit.  In states with such a law, you must allow faster traffic to get by when you have developed a parade behind you, regardless of your speed.  

I should add that you never really know your speed.  Although most vehicle spedometers are reasonably accurate, simple things like tire wear or using tires with a slightly different tire diameter can easily affect the reading by as much as 3-4 mph.  So if you are at one end of the variation and the guy behind you is at the other, your spedometer may say 55 when his says 48.  To him, you are going too slow and he is legal.  Those states with the law in question say you are illegal.

This is the reason most courts generally find speeding tickets of less than 5 mph to be unenforceable.  (Judges usually have some discretion on this.  Giving the cop some lip can make it enforceable in a hurry.)

Austin

[chasd60]

The big question is........who gets the ticket? The speeder or the person not speeding?
 
Pull over when it is safe? I guess that would be in an area where people were not speeding. Hmmmm... what a dilemma.
 
If I am doing the speed limit, I don't care if I get a ticket for impeding the flow of traffic , towing or not towing.
 
It would be make for a good conversation piece and probably an interesting news article.