Average speed you tow at?

[Ira Iburg]

We have towed our 31 foot in excess of one hundred thousand mile and proud to say have never exceeded 55 mph, always in the right outside lane

[j54mark]

I find that I can tow very comfortably at 60, get along fairly well at 65, but am exhausted quickly if I try to run 70. Things just keep happening too fast for my reaction times with truck and trailer.

On the other hand, I drove a couple thousand kilometers on the German autobahn a couple of years ago in a small rental Opel diesel and seldom dropped under 150 kph - about 93 mph.

Mark

[Silvertwinkie]

I'm a total speed demon, but, when I pull the trailer, I barley make 60. Ususally 55. BTW, the speed limit for trucks, RVs and most trailers around here is 55, even with a 65 speed limit.

Personally, I don't think 85-90mph or even 100mph is fast for a car that is built for the speed (not pulling a trailer). I think those that pull a 2 ton tralier beyond 70 have a death wish. Plus, the amount of fuel my V8 eats at 55-60 is HUGE, let alone going faster where it would eat more. At that point I think it would be gallons per mile rather than miles per gallon.

Gotta love John HD's 167mph jpeg post! It's my new screen wallpaper for the week!

Regards,

Eric

[Pick]

I have towed between 65 and 75 mph. My trailer towed like a dream at those speeds, and that was with the old axles, shocks and tires. No sway control or WD hitch either. You people that tow at 55 mph have got me pondering though. I would just be worried that someone would rear end me traveling at that slow a speed.

[overlander64]

Greetings Pick!

If you have ever had a trailer begin swaying for whatever reason, you would understand my reason. Nearly two decades ago, a spring mount on my nearly new Nomad failed, punctured a tire, and sent the trailer and tow vehicle into a 180 degree skid - - had I been going any faster than 50 MPH (actually, it was probably more like 45 MPH as I was on a grade about 3/4 of the way to the crest) when this happened, I wouldn't have had any hope of gaining control of the rig. Also, I avoid the Interstates just for the reason you mention, at least where the posted speed limit for RVs isn't 55 MPH as it is here in Illinois - - I stay to the secondary roads where 55 MPH is the usual speed limit. When towing either trailer, I utilize pull-outs or stop in the small towns that I pass through to allow traffic to pass - - even though I am traveling at or very near the posted 55 MPH limit most of the time. The plus of sticking to 55 MPH means more than 12 MPG towing with my Suburban under most circumstances (I have found that I can safely use overdrive for about 60% of my towing; and the Suburban how has more than 103,000 miles with no major drivetrain repairs) - - it remains to be seen what will happen with the Cadillac.

Kevin

[Silvertwinkie]

Getting rear ended is not a concern for me. There are few reasons in my opinion only (not trying to say tisk, tisk cause we are all adults here), anything above 60, is dangerous towing anything. Can it be done? Sure, Pick, you're livin proof. I know others do too. Have I on occasion slipped above 60 to maybe 65, yup. When I noticed I did, did I taker her out of worp? YOU BET!

Hey, I'm on vacation. I am not in it to run a race. Sure I want to get there and back like it were yesterday, but I also want to get back in one piece. Anyone see the accident in Wisconsin late last year? I went through there a few days after it happend. Not a pretty sight, even after all that time. It doesn't take much.

Now, when Bambi isn't around, I know most will freak out, but 80 is not uncommon for me. Is that just as nuts. SURE! Will it stop me, prob not, but adding over 2 tons of dead, unevasive manuvering weight behind to the equation gives me serious enough pause to not be as liberal with my right foot!

Regards,

Eric

[Forrest]

I'm darn glad the cop wrote DaPlumber a ticket for doing 89! Did the cop have to drive mighty fast to catch him? Well, duh, he'd had to go around 100 to catch up then pace at near 90. The cop had to risk his own life and limb to do this, but DaPlumber considers the cop to be the problem.

Well, consider this: at 89 mph DaPlumber is traveling at nearly 131 feet per second. His 31 foot AS and his tow vehicle combine to a length of at least 49 feet. A fast reaction time for a human is about 1.5 seconds. That means neither you nor I can make the decision to move our foot from gas pedal to brake in less than that amount of time. 1.5 seconds times 131 feet is nearly 197 feet. DaPlumber traveled four times the length of his tow vehicle and trailer before he could put his foot on the brake. Add to that his braking distance and guess what? Had anything or anybody gotten in front of him there wouldn't be any way of avoiding a collision. Added to such recklessness he did it at dusk when visibility is at its worst. Reckless driving? I side with the cop - God Bless him!

[Silvertwinkie]

Got your point Forrest, but I doubt very much, even at 60, had anything or anyone come between him and the airspace in front of him, would he have been able to do anything either.

Now let me say that with trailer in tow, I don't condone more than 60 mph, but I regularly exceed 85mph on the open highway without the trailer in tow.

I posted a thread a few weeks ago about costs of speeding tickets and I mostly got a bunch of self rightous chest beaters that wanted to do nothing but preach. All I asked for was data and got a whole lot more which wasn't asked for nor appreciated. Personally, I wouldn't praise anyone for getting or not getting a ticket since ye without sin cast the first stone......

Regards,

Eric

[Forrest]

Eric,

You hit on the rationalism that too many drivers accept. Sure, I've gone over the posted speed limit - too many times. So does everyone. At some point every driver violates traffic law regardless of how careful they are. On a superficial level it would seem that none of us should be critical of other drivers, else we would be hypocrites, or as you said in your post only those without sin should throw the first stone.

Such logic fails in a number of ways. First, driving at a reasonable speed (close to the posted speed limit) isn't a matter of sin. It's a matter of safety and law. Second, if you can justify speeding then test the logic of that justification by applying it to another traffic regulation. For instance, let's say you justify speeding because you think you are a superior driver, with superior reflexes, and a superior car - wouldn't that logic also apply to running stop signs? Or red lights? If you can justify speeding then you can justify violating any other traffic law. Would you condone or praise someone who repeatedly, and intentionally runs red lights? Yet, look at the number of drivers who repeatedly and intentionally speed. Usually, when we run a stop sign it's an accident, but the number of people speeding isn't.

This flaunting of traffic law might be nothing more than a juvenile rebelliousness, but it costs us in 16,000 deaths each and every year. The costs are horrendous and we pay for the least of it with high insurance premiums. People like to think of all these deaths as nothing more than "accidents", but most often an accident is nothing more that doing the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong place with someone else doing the same. The synchronicity of an accident isn't frequent, and unfortunately that lets drivers develop bad driving habits. Slow down and live!

[Silvertwinkie]

Forrest,

I see your point and it is well taken, but I cannot totally agree with you. Of the 16,000 deaths you claim, speeding solely did not cause all or even most of them. Many other factors to consider here. I personally feel that your cause would be better served if you were talking drunk drivers of which cause most of the deaths or have a larger stake in the deaths, accidents, etc that you refer to.

In regards to running a red light and speeding, is like comparing apples to beans. Not even in the same ballpark. As an avid speeder, I can tell you that the psychological profile you share could not be further from the truth and is a generalization of all speeders. For me, speeding gets me where I need to go. If the road permits, my car is more than up to the task as am I. In 20 years of speeding, I have yet to get into one even close call. Lucky? Perhaps or perhaps luck had nothing to do with it either. I leave that to each person to decide for themselves. Unlike previous cars I have owned that shook past 65, cars today can easily achieve 80+. Slower traffic keep to the right. It's the vigilantes out there that see a car coming and they feel it's their job to slow the other drivers down. That is more dangerous than the actual speeder. I've seen this hundreds of times. If we followed your logic the speed limits would be 45 mph on the interstates, and you would never have seen an increase to 65+mph around the country. Please keep in mind too that there is speeding and there is reckless speeding/driving, two totally different converstaions.

If you think you are any less likely to die in a wreck on the interstate at 65 compared to 80, you may have a slight point, but, you can just as easily die at 35 on side roads as you can on an expressway going 45, 55 or 65. I too have seen the statistics and they say that most injuries, deaths, etc come when you are within 2 miles of home. Most of these are on local or rural roads, not the interstates. Granted when they do happen on the interstates, it's a lot bigger than your typical fender bender. Look at the I-43 disaster last fall, but those are very rare compared to their side street counterparts.

On the insurance front, I can only say that my rates are very reasonable with a major carrier. I pay less than $600 a year for very robust coverage. If I had many tickets or suspensions from my speeding, or accidents I would not be able to enjoy these rates.

Again, pulling a trailer, beyond 60-65, is reckless in my opinion, but I have no problem being able to give those people a wide birth on the road and find it is not a problem for me. It's not my job to complain about them, change their minds or habits. I can only control what I am doing and share my thoughts on the subject.

I say raise the speed limits to 75 (cars) and 65 trailers and trucks. 55 was a joke, 65 is better. Not sure you've been to Illinois, but around here we live by the +20 rule. It just a way of life around here. Part of the reason (not the main or only reason) for speed limits was for fuel economy anyway.

In the end, 10 years from now, we won't have control over our rigs anyway (they will drive themselves) and the problems mentioned here will be memories that we tell our grandkids as they look at us in awe that we actually controlled these cars.

Regards,

Eric

[Forrest]

Eric,

I wonder if you've given any thought to the stress your driving may cause other drivers? It seems you are committed to disregarding the law, and to that there is probably nothing I could say to convince you otherwise. The statistics do show that excessive speed contributes to the majority of accidents. But, again that probably doesn't sway you. I could tell you that I was a cop for 27 years and don't need statistics or knowledge of physics to know that speed kills. I know it first hand. But my experience won't sway you. I could tell you horror stories, but that wouldn't sway you either. You can go for years without having a high speed accident, if you're lucky maybe a lifetime, but it only has to happen to you once to learn the hard way. Good luck.

[Silvertwinkie]

Forrest,

I think we will have to respectfully agree to disagree. I know your vast experience as my uncle that was Police Chief here in a suburban town passed onto me as well.

He did mention however that speed alone, did have injuries and deaths, but that most were mainly caused by alcohol, drugs and other factors such as car upkeep, driver not paying attention, etc.

Speed kills, true, however death can come almost as easy at 65 as it can at 80 (which is my comfort speed of choice on the interstate not towing). Incidentally, that is only 5 mph greater than the fastest speed allowed that I have seen and that is in southern Michigan where the Interstate speeds by law are 75mph. So you see we can go round and round on this what we feel the speed limit should be. In the old days there was consistency, today one state says it's ok, another says it isn't, yet a third state has even a different take. Of course, I am going to lobby for the state that allows the highest rate possible because I want to get where I am going.

In Illinois, I still get passed cruising 80mph. The State Police issue ticket in the $80 range for such offenses. More times than not, you get these once every 5 years if you are lucky. Maybe because we have tolls, it not as big of a need to use speeding citations as revenue generator, which is **mostly** why a ticket is issued in the first place. In Wisconsin, they poke fun at we Illinois drivers. There is a greyhound racetrack and on one of the billboards it said... "Faster than a car with Illinois plates!"

I think upkeep of your vehicle, paying attention and not being reckless (as Peace Officers do daily) will yield the least possible bad outcome, but not totally erase it. I can accept those odds.

Thanks for the spirited conversation..

Regards,

Eric

[ipso_facto]

Under 55. When the road is empty.
With considerable traffic, 55-60
When going through really busy metro areas, 65.

But I like to keep it at 2800 RPMS and that means 55 mph.

[NEW2AS]

I drive where I feel comfortable, usually around 60..I tend to slow down in traffic and congested areas...I try to follow a six second rule rather than three. I will pull over if some one wants to go by on a two lane, but on the high way its the center or right lane. People can go around me...for those who worry about being rear-ended, I feel truly sorry for the volumes that that speaks of the system of licencing drivers If they can't see an A/S from behind or are so mesmerized by the beauty of that sight that you loose their sense of distance they were going to plow into you no matter how fast or slow you were going. I haven't been towing for long, but I'm towing a 34', 9000-10000lbs (depending on where I'm going) behind a over sized 4x4 station wagon, towing it at 60 is probably already beyond the true "safe operating envelope" based on reaction time and stopping distances.

[Pahaska]

Just pulled a 700-mile round trip to the Region 9 rally at Harlingen.

Going down, we caravanned at 55 to 60. I was at the rear end if the line and needed 65 now and then for a short stretch to close the gap as the long line of Airstreams did the accordian thing. Great gas mileage at those speeds.

Coming back, I ran 65 on divided roads through all of ironing-board flat south Texas. Once I reached two lane roads, towns, and more hilly terrrain, I dropped to 60.

I can see the difference between 60 and 65 in the gas gage. I averaged 13.3 over the 65 mph stretch. I haven't filled up again since getting home, so I don't know the mileage for the balance of the trip.

[trumpwer]

1st trip-50
2n trip -55
at 60, it gets us there, and its easier on my butt. I dont know if you have ever held on to a truck seat with your butt, but it gets old.
over 60, my nerves wont take it. The rig has never given me a reason to feel this, its all in my head. I can hear things going wrong over the sound of the radio.

[Action]

60 to 62 is where I would like to be.

65 + is not unheard of for me especially down hill.

Uphill in elevations over 5000 feet (Flagstaff is 7000 feet) I can get as slow as 45 in second gear.

I never tow in OD.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[Mike L]

I believe each individual should drive the speed they are most comfortable.

If you drive faster than that comfortable speed, you become tense and less able to react to conditions around you.

If you drive slower than that comfortable speed, you become bored and your attention wanders. That is not good for you ability to react to emergencies either!

At your comfortable speed (within reason) you are paying attention to the road and traffic and are less of a hazard to me. I would rather you pass me, alert and paying attention, than to drive beside me (or follow me) while your attention is somewhere else!

Mike L

[Janets Husband]

Your Attitude, Their Attitude, Traffic flow, Speed Limit, Weight of Tow Vehicle, Weight of Towed Trailer, Stopping Distance, Sight Distance, Road Condition, Available light and direction of light, Wind, Vehicular Drafts, Road Angle and Camber, Special Road Zone, Is the Moon Full....
All factors in safe driving. You need to keep all of these variables in mind and analyze these and other factors continuously while driving. It is truly an amazing and difficult job.

Just remember safe driving involves the old saying:
" Left to themselves people will rise to their own level of stupidity."

Be SAFE out there.

[Over59]

The blowing a tire thing really works on my head above 65 and the Semi's on the other end under 65. All the steel on the road from those wonderful radila tires. And when they go is can be flying tire right into your nice aluminum. My new tires are bias. I think they give me a little margin with the dual axel trailer. The single has radials and I have to remind myself it's back there. I also stay in 3rd often unless it's mostly flat or down hill. Also find the speed control really makes much smoother shifts then I could on hills.