80 MPH Speed Limits

[NavyCorpsman]

Pulling your Airstream at 80mph so you can relax when you get there. It doesn't make sense does it?
Fuel consumption on all of my rigs goes up exponentially over 55mph. Wear goes up too. If there is a catastrophic failure at full speed.....WD hitch failure, blowout, deer in the road, PIO, wind, and the list goes on. I would prefer to white knuckle it at 55 or less.
Every AS I have seen on the Interstates around here drive at 60. I get it that some people love lurking around the edge. I have survived way to many close calls to toss the wisdom out the window. Hey, I've got a bullet proof vest, Shoot Me!

I remember seeing a scaled down model of an Airstream at the AS dealer here in Arkansas. There also was one of a SOB. You could place them on a pad that had a fan. Push the button on the SOB and away it went to the floor. Do the same with the AS and it wouldn't budge. Lesson learned: Just cause it's aerodynamic-al, don't get stupid with it. That was back when I was 15. Haven't forgot it. Yet.

[Gene]

I suppose drafting a big truck might save a little gas, but the truck has air brakes and you have lousy electric brakes on the Airstream plus your truck brakes—which do most of the stopping. The truck can probably stop faster than you can, especially if it is empty.

We usually go 65 when we can. Any faster just doesn't feel right (on a really smooth highway, it is easy to be going 70 before I notice, but cruise helps). Slower would get me better gas mileage, but it would take me longer to get there—and another night at a campground. So no money saved.

Keeping a big space in front of you when there's a lot of traffic doesn't work very well when cars are always cutting in front of you. So I drop back a bit, but someone squeezes in anyway. You just do the best you can. On a 6 lane highway, I try to stay in the middle lane because it is the safest—no on and off traffic from the exits. But if traffic is light, I use the right hand lane and stay out of people's way. I try not to change lanes very often because it can be hard to see everything behind me, especially the tailgater drafting me who suddenly decides to pass on the right.

If I had a sports car, 80 would be fine though a bit slow. Fastest speed limit I've seen in Colorado is 75 and that feel pretty fast in our SUV especially when I'm not driving. I try not to be a passenger when my mother-in-law is driving because she has a lead foot and she's 90.

"We've had an 80 MPH speed limit on many of the interstates here in Wyoming for a year or so. However, it seems to me that most people still drive 75ish, except for people with green license plates (Colorado). They drive 90. The State Patrol really likes green license plates. I personally rarely exceed 75, or 65 when dragging the trailer."

I've seen cars fly by when I'm going 75—they must be from Wyoming. There are very few green plates (actually, white on green) in Colorado any more. The colors were reversed about 10 years ago, but Wyomingites still call us "greenies". I don't know what to call Wyomingites—there are so few of them anyway. They have a bucking horse on their plates which means less space for numbers and letters, but they don't have more than a few thousand cars trucks; they mostly drive tractors. Since everyone in Colorado is stoned, we drive about 35 at best, even in Wyoming. It sure feels fast.

Gene

[LolaT]

We have 80mph sections of the freeway too. We'll be driving to Boise to pickup our Airstream in a couple of weeks and have never towed anything.
At this point, I think I'm more scared than excited.

[Thalweg]

Originally Posted by Gene

I've seen cars fly by when I'm going 75—they must be from Wyoming. There are very few green plates (actually, white on green) in Colorado any more. The colors were reversed about 10 years ago, but Wyomingites still call us "greenies". I don't know what to call Wyomingites—there are so few of them anyway. They have a bucking horse on their plates which means less space for numbers and letters, but they don't have more than a few thousand cars trucks; they mostly drive tractors. Since everyone in Colorado is stoned, we drive about 35 at best, even in Wyoming. It sure feels fast.

Gene

Yea Gene, they do still call you Greenies, at least my wife does, but she's from Fort Collins. The Colorado plates are really conspicuous up here. So many folks from Colorado seem to be in a big ol' hurry. But maybe it's just me becoming an old slow fuddy-duddy. I can't suggest any nick-names for Wyomingites, at least ones that I could say in polite company.

[timhortons]

I travel at 60-65 by default in the right lane. I suppose if the traffic was at 80 solid I might push up to 70 but would rather not cruise long periods beyond that for noise, fuel ,etc. The tires aren't rated for it anyways.

Personally I think anyone going 45MPH on a full access highway is more dangerous than someone going 80MPH with their vehicle maintained and paying attention. The cops have discretion to give a ticket for going too slow at say, 50, if the speed limit is higher and the flow of traffic is higher.

500,000 highway miles and I've never had a scary problem with trucks. They can't accelerate that fast, they often can't stop that fast (even with airbrakes/engine,especially if loaded), and if they throw tire chunks it's to the side not straight behind. Also they give you sense of wind up ahead, and there's a moderate draft in behind them. The operators generally know how to drive.

People in cars however are a squirrely menace. Go speed racer wannabes, people who can't see over the dashboard, cell phone soccer moms, urban assault vehicles driven by little people, etc.

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by LolaT

We have 80mph sections of the freeway too. We'll be driving to Boise to pickup our Airstream in a couple of weeks and have never towed anything.
At this point, I think I'm more scared than excited.

Don't be scared. Just take your time hitching up. Make sure everything is done as well as can be, then head out. Take your time, pay attention to your surroundings, and keep a good distance between you and whatever is in front of you. You'll get the hang of it.

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by timhortons

People in cars however are a squirrely menace. Go speed racer wannabes, people who can't see over the dashboard, cell phone soccer moms, urban assault vehicles driven by little people, etc.

You know, I can handle the urban assault vehicles and the folks who can't see over the dashboard, but........

I wish I had a device that would vaporize cell phones that are being abused while driving. Lately, I don't hesitate to blow the horn when I can see someone busy on their cell phone when it's time to "GO".

[RAH]

Originally Posted by LolaT

We have 80mph sections of the freeway too. We'll be driving to Boise to pickup our Airstream in a couple of weeks and have never towed anything.
At this point, I think I'm more scared than excited.

When we picked up our trailer, I knew what a departure checklist was. But I figured I didn't need it the first day, after all the dealer would be there to help me, etc. That was a mistake. So I learned to use my departure checklist always. In subsequent years this has been reinforced during my first tow of the year. I've forgotten to close windows, etc. on the 20 mile tow from storage to home. No dire consequences, yet, but gives me an Oh Sh__ moment when I get home. So that reminds me to really use the departure checklist.

As for speeders, I poke on a 60 mph. I figure the only vehicle on the road I can control is mine. If there are a bunch of speeders pulling dangerously in front of me from both sides, I do the only thing I can to improve safety - I slow down, giving me more room, which equals more time in the event anything happens. I pick my speed, they pick theirs.

Maybe the last item on the departure checklist should be "Don't go too fast"

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by m.hony

The better way to control space in front of your vehicle is to keep 6 (or 7) seconds between you and the car ahead. Leave the house 6 seconds sooner.
To gauge 6 seconds, let the car ahead pass a stationary object (street sign, intersection, tree, etc.). Then begin to count one thousand one, one thousand two...one thousand six. If you get to the stationary object before "one thousand six" slow down to create more space.

In some of the more recent defensive driving courses I've taken, they recommend a minimum 4-second rule… increased by one second for each adverse condition. For example:
Add one second to your interval if you're pulling a trailer.
Add another second if the pavement is wet.
Add another second if it's raining or foggy.
Add another second at night.
Add another second if someone is tailgating you since your brakes will have to stop him as well when he rear-ends you as soon as you hit your brakes.
And so on. Of course this establishes the minimum following distance; if you elect to establish an even longer interval, there's no harm in it.

The thing that alarms me on a regular basis— at least in Louisiana— is being passed by six or seven cars, all following each other closer than my toad is following me; there isn't even a towbar-length between any of them, let alone a car-length. Do they not understand that if something happens to the first one in line, they're all going to win a trip to the emergency room… or the morgue?

For me, the ideal situation is, everybody ahead of me is pulling farther ahead, and everyone behind me is falling farther behind. The first part is often true; the second part no so much.

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by LolaT

We have 80mph sections of the freeway too. We'll be driving to Boise to pickup our Airstream in a couple of weeks and have never towed anything.
At this point, I think I'm more scared than excited.

LolaT:

Be more excited and don't be scared, nervous sure, not scared. It's an exciting experience and one that will surely change your life, for the better as it has almost all of us on here. Make sure you get some proper instructions as to driving the AS, backing etc. and then move out. She will follow. We drove all around UT last year and loved every minute of it, found roads to be great and better drivers than back east or down south on the whole. Travel in your own comfort zone and enjoy the trip, you only get to pick this unit up once. Fear should not be apart of the experience.

We like it so much we are going to visit UT again this summer, along with the rest of the West, but spend a majority of time in UT.

Bud

[mnmhays]

I haven't been in 80 MPH states very much. Interstate speed limits are 75 here. It's kind of a drag when I get into some midwestern states where it's only 65 or 70. As far as towing the TT though, I keep it around 65 or so (no need to stress myself, the TV or the AS). My largest complaint by far is being cut off by non towing drivers. It's my assumption that they don't want to get stuck behind a slower moving vehicle pulling a trailer. It has made for some interesting braking situations...

[r carl]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

The thing that alarms me on a regular basis— at least in Louisiana— is being passed by six or seven cars, all following each other closer than my toad is following me; there isn't even a towbar-length between any of them, let alone a car-length. Do they not understand that if something happens to the first one in line, they're all going to win a trip to the emergency room… or the morgue?

But they did it twice as fast last sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

In some of the more recent defensive driving courses I've taken, they recommend a minimum 4-second rule… increased by one second for each adverse condition. For example:

Add one second to your interval if you're pulling a trailer.

Add another second if the pavement is wet.

Add another second if it's raining or foggy.

Add another second at night.

Add another second if someone is tailgating you since your brakes will have to stop him as well when he rear-ends you as soon as you hit your brakes.

And so on. Of course this establishes the minimum following distance; if you elect to establish an even longer interval, there's no harm in it.



The thing that alarms me on a regular basis— at least in Louisiana— is being passed by six or seven cars, all following each other closer than my toad is following me; there isn't even a towbar-length between any of them, let alone a car-length. Do they not understand that if something happens to the first one in line, they're all going to win a trip to the emergency room… or the morgue?



For me, the ideal situation is, everybody ahead of me is pulling farther ahead, and everyone behind me is falling farther behind. The first part is often true; the second part no so much.

The distance should be 4 seconds at speeds up to 35-40 mph and 6 seconds at speeds above 40.
I don't even like the term "defensive driving" because sometimes one has to be "offensive" to avoid an accident and stay safe. Responsible, courteous driving is a better term.


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[m.hony]

Yes, definitely increase following distance according to different situations.
4 seconds up to 40 and 6 seconds above 40 is for ideal conditions- dry, sunshine, mild temperatures-
Add darkness, rain, traffic, etc. and the following distance should be increased.
Slow down is the answer to many dangers on the road-
It's raining. Slow down.
It's dark. Slow down.
There's a lot of traffic. Slow down.


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[cwf]

Stay off the interstates with your new AS!! You will have more fun!

[featherbedder]

When I stated 1 car length for every 10 mph was what I was told at 2 dif. mandatory driving classes, evidently instructor was not versed on this. PS the instructor at both classes is retired POLICE OFFICER, also he was wrong about a few other things that he taught, when Il. rules state dif.

[Gearheart]

Originally Posted by r carl

But they did it twice as fast last sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Those guys have proven over time that they know what they're doing. The yahoos on the freeway will not only all buy shares in the wreck for following too close, they will also include us in their debris field when the pinball game starts.

[Gene]

To all newbies,

To be nervous the first time you tow a trailer is pretty normal. When I left the dealer with our new trailer, I was afraid of hitting the fence on the way out, going over curb, turning onto the street and the first left turn from a double turn lane. I stayed in the middle of double turn so I'd have plenty of room to make the turn onto the next street, then worried about missing the CG down the road. Then I had to park the trailer in a site that seemed really narrow and parking it in the right spot. Nothing went wrong.

We all get so comfortable driving that we don't think much and aren't as observant as we should be. But towing requires you pay attention to everything going on around you. Like anything new it takes time to be comfortable, but stay alert. The first few times we took the trailer out I was constantly looking in my mirrors to see where the trailer was—stay within the lines, watch for curbs, keep an eye on all the cars and trucks around me. I had to force myself to look through the windshield. Eventually I knew just where the trailer was and didn't spend all my time looking in the mirrors. I also got used to that whale tailgating me a few feet behind—that was the trailer. It is big and can intimidate, but it followed me everywhere I went and never complained.

You'll find out just how fast you can accelerate with a trailer and how fast you can stop. From time to time, check the trailer brakes when you have some quiet road. You'll find the trailer brakes aren't very good, but you want to make sure they work.

It takes some time to be used to new things, but we all had to learn and most of didn't run into anything. Watch for low hanging trees (on narrow overgrown roads, stay as far to the left as possible), road signs right on the curb and bridges that are too low (most Airstreams are 9 1/2' high).

It has made me a better driver because I got used to paying attention more than I used to. Imagine if you had one of those giant 5th wheels—maneuvering those must be daunting.

Gene

[Whizzo]

Like many have stated: it's kind of a relative speed thing. You hope the highway planners thought through it a little. The 80 MPH parts of I-10 through west Texas correspond with some pretty sparse stretches. But the flow is generally so thin, we can keep a wide interval and, and the mirrors give us plenty of warning.

Alternately, the TX 130 Austin high speed bypass, with a short segment posted at 85 MPH, might just as well be a motorsports circuit! Zooooooom.

[Rocinante]

Can't argue with the clear following distance recommendations based on counting seconds between us and the vehicle ahead of us. We do the same, and it definitely helps, even when idiots pull into our buffer space, begging us to crush them in the next emergency stop. We just slow down and get some more buffer. It's annoying, but better than the alternative.

After our last trip (roughly 8K miles over 8 weeks) we drove on all kinds of roads, including states where the speed limit is 75 or 80 MPH. We finally decided we just don't care about the speed of other cars. We go no faster than 62-65, ever. Everybody else goes around or waits behind, depending on the type of road and traffic conditions. We keep right except when passing the occasional truly slow vehicle (e.g. anyone slower than us ) and get back into the right lane ASAP. We use turn signals to clearly indicate our intent. Like everyone else, we also hope for the best.

Having a rear view camera helps with confidence a bit, because we have a better view of what's behind us. That extra view reduces the number of times we're completely surprised by someone whooshing past at 85 while we're doing 62. So, based on our experience we heartily recommend any rear view camera that provides this capability. We happen to use Voyager, but there are others. Voyager's clarity and night visibility are good and the frame rate is acceptable, though I'd prefer something with smoother video. We'll shop around a bit next time we need one to see what else might be suitable.

Oh, and we like a prior suggestion of putting red reflective tape on the rear bumper to help ensure visibility. We may experiment with this, though we'll skip the "slowpoke triangle" so as to avoid creating confusion as to whether we're an Airstream or a farm tractor on a joyride.