Big Macs and Towing an Airstream

[Ray Eklund]

Since I tow with whatever 'adequate' equipment I am using, I am avoiding getting into the 'Sucking Tractor Trailers' debate and Hitch choices.

I have a 3" shank Equalizer with 1,000 pound bars. (Standard shank is the 2 1/2 inches, that would be flopping around in the Ford Super Duty F350's 3" receiver and shank shim.)

I am more concerned with the, up to 34 foot, long trailer alongside me that is not tracking behind the Mac or SoB Truck Cab. The front of the tractor's trailer, in tow, is in their lane, but the end of the trailer is tracking on the median line, or closer, into my lane.

I have noted some drivers compensate for this by moving over to their left on occasion, when passing. Most... do not.

For those towing and get the 'push and pull'... be aware of this detail. It may help avoid a problem in the future. IF there is an accident and it becomes a 'He Said, She Said', it is worth keeping alert whenever a tractor trailer with one, two or three trailers are passing.

FedEx often will be towing three trailers and occasionally get into this snaking in their lane... before realigning.

We can prepare for being drawn into the 'Truck Vortex of Hell and the Release'..., but this is something your mirror will pick up and you can gently move to the outside of your lane to avoid an avoidable accident, but not your fault.

[tjdonahoe]

Just stay to the right...

[slowmover]

See it all the time. A 53' van isn't easy to control. Isn't difficult, either. But assuming driver has the brainpower to accomplish it is another thing.

Avoiding these mentally-challenged children into and out of construction lane change is big (road camber problems), and many if not most of them are as stoopid as the four wheelers accelerating to catch the next pack of their peers just up ahead. Making a bad thing worse.

Never discount the lack of responsibility on their part. There are those without that capability. It isn't just inattention.

.

[Ray Eklund]

Many cars passing tend to cut back into your lane, early. The 'safety mirrors' distort the distance and the vehicle passed appears to be further away, than they are. Truckers, less likely, but many watch for headlights flashing after passing. Not that it makes any difference, the truckers understand and everyone is happy.

When a truck passes us... and that is frequent using highways in the West, where many travel over the 75 and 80mph (Utah) speed limits. I will drop our speed five miles per hour as they approach, giving them plenty of distance to keep going and not toss up road debris.

At night in the 'deer/elk/elephant crossing' areas... the big trucks are clearing the way for a trailer in tow. When their tail lights, light up... time to slow down and take notice.

Road Gators. Ladders. Furniture. Livestock. Deer, Elk and other mammals. Most of us have seen it all. Coming up behind a small vehicle towing a larger trailer that is fish tailing. It is a wonder that the roads are as safe as they are. How many couch cushions have you seen today? Bags of laundry. New tire off the side of the road from a tire business pickup bed.

Carpet. Plywood. Today I picked up about a hundred new sheet metal screws walking the dogs in Boulder City, Nevada this morning. Another three hundred screws still remained, so I kicked them to the side of the gutter, as I needed a magnet to gather those. Hub caps when the road is diverted due to construction?

A bicycle on the side of the road leaving Somers, Montana to Kalispell. No place to turn off to pick it up. When the owner's find themselves at Glacier Park... they will be a bit surprised and believe someone stole it.

We saw a Honda Generator alongside the curve in the road when towing our Airstream. We found a place to turn around and a guy was putting it into the back of his car... Plastic gas containers...

I might be able to find the photo of Sheep Herders moving their large flock along the State Highway in Wyoming, with men on horses and sheep dogs catching up with the strays. No body ahead or behind to give travelers fair warning of what is up ahead.

Trucks passing are predictable and easily handled. Newbies get all shook up over the pull and push... but after awhile it is just a routine that we all learn.

[B00merang]

Ray
I second your amazement that there are not more accidents, whether towing a camper/trailer or not. In my twice-year Idaho to Florida trips I am most alert when restarting my travel very early in the morning (lets say 0500)...I figure the tractor trailers that pass me have been up all night, they are probably exhausted, and its MY responsibility to clear as much lane for them as possible. I HATE vehicles drifting into my lane, but there is not much we can do about it other than drive defensively. Whenever I see a big rig coming up behind me I keep checking how he/she is doing, so by the time they pass I know what to do. So all be careful, drive defensively, and pay particular attention in t he early morning hours. Safe travels. jon

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by B00merang

Ray
I second your amazement that there are not more accidents, whether towing a camper/trailer or not. In my twice-year Idaho to Florida trips I am most alert when restarting my travel very early in the morning (lets say 0500)...I figure the tractor trailers that pass me have been up all night, they are probably exhausted, and its MY responsibility to clear as much lane for them as possible. I HATE vehicles drifting into my lane, but there is not much we can do about it other than drive defensively. Whenever I see a big rig coming up behind me I keep checking how he/she is doing, so by the time they pass I know what to do. So all be careful, drive defensively, and pay particular attention in t he early morning hours. Safe travels. jon

If it's linehaul, you'd be correct. An old crappy rig, also. But plenty of truckers get up early so as to maximize daily distance under HOS regulations and, nowadays, electronic logging device restrictions and speed governors.

As to giving up lane ROW, I wouldn't do it automatically. A lot of these guys have in their mind a predetermined distance. The center stripe doesn't always correlate. You move right, and so will they. Don't ever assume intelligence even if it's tired. When I don't like what I see in the mirror I may move onto the stripe to wake them up. Don't discount this approach. You may NEED all the room your lane has to offer AND the shoulder.

How fast (at what speed) can you make an emergency lane change and then back to your original lane of travel? Worth knowing that speed.

For most of the brainless van drivers, they don't understand that your rig also produces trailer suck for them. Having those trailer tandems cross the line towards me is a daily aggravation. Just drop off 5+ mph if needed.

I will say this about bad RV drivers: in hilly terrain it can be a lot of work to maintain headway in a heavily loaded big truck. Thus, expect that ANY semi you pass on the upslope will wind up needing to pass you on the downslope. It's dangerous to be in front of that rig when he's pointed downhill.

Easier to have slowed to his ascent speed while behind him and let him continue on ahead once over the crest.

If it's a group of trucks, then without passing at above 15-mph beyond their speed, work hard to get well out ahead once clear. More than a half mile.

It's unintelligent to drive this way all day (continually passing when the semis are faster on level terrain), but they have enough headaches with each other if grouped up.

.

[BBill]

On the way too

[Popcornkid]

Amen !

[featherbedder]

Originally Posted by B00merang

Ray
I second your amazement that there are not more accidents, whether towing a camper/trailer or not. In my twice-year Idaho to Florida trips I am most alert when restarting my travel very early in the morning (lets say 0500)...I figure the tractor trailers that pass me have been up all night, they are probably exhausted, and its MY responsibility to clear as much lane for them as possible. I HATE vehicles drifting into my lane, but there is not much we can do about it other than drive defensively. Whenever I see a big rig coming up behind me I keep checking how he/she is doing, so by the time they pass I know what to do. So all be careful, drive defensively, and pay particular attention in t he early morning hours. Safe travels. jon

I don't think semi drivers are sleep deprived by driving at night, they drive at night because traffic is light and don't have 4 wheelers to contend with. It is there money making job and can make more miles as there pay depends on mileage plus many manf. depend on just in time deliv. The feds regulate hrs of serv. and mandatory rest [sleep time] same as R.R. crews, pilots etc. If caught violating these LAWS punishment is severe and costly. Trust me big brother is watching for violaters. I worked in transportation ind. for 40 yrs. I no first hand what goes on and what feds are capable of doing if you violate these LAWS. NO I never violated any LAWS even tho my employer threatened with dicipline or firing if did not work more hours than LAW. they pd. huge fines for this practice. Very huge settlements to dismissed employee for not working over hrs. of serv. and reinstatement of job with out any reductions. Also driving at night much less stress than day time. In addition semi tractors are not manf. to withstand heavy accidents as manf. of aluminum and fiberglass for less weight as revenue is based on weight hauled.

[Ray Eklund]

Featherbedder Post #9 has a good point.

"Roger that... We have a Convoy".

I like to leave places like Denver or Las Vegas earlier in the morning before traffic becomes snarled. Also have the entire highway to myself and travel that center lane out of the city.

Where are they... the 18 wheelers? Staging delivery times at truck stops and along the highways at the truck pull overs. They know their scheduled delivery times so well, they spend the evenings at a destination, leave at a specific time and expect to be on time for delivery with minimal traffic concerns.

Traveling distances puts us at a truck stop some evenings in the West. There is constant movement of trucks dropping off their trailers, to be picked up by another truck, later. Also the coming and going of truck traffic goes on throughout the evening. We find an area to pull over to park for the evening out of this activity and you will also figure it out if you do it enough.

Much like airline pilots... after years of flying and varying schedules for departures, they have it figured out to the hour, if not half hour.

When you see a tractor pulling a double... or a triple... these are the masters of the trade. Although I have seen some triples doing the cha...cha in their lane. They are usually going below the posted speed limit and I can pass when things settle down.

[slowmover]

Guys hauling wiggle-wagons are linehaul. "Master" is debatable. Company will matter in that.

A friends Dad drove doubles till retirement. Taking his son one day, said, "Once hitched, never look back" (Ha!)

Over the Mississippi and further east, the more one finds men now starting the workday at 0200.

I've made the same point in posts elsewhere. Making time isn't higher cruise control set speed . . its higher average speed. And that's only between midnight and noon, nationwide. 11-11, to be precise.

But night driving is hazardous. One overdrives highbeams at 50-mph. Drunks and wildlife are another feature.

Best departure is half hour before local dawn (not sunrise). See GAISMA. And early start, but with short light transition.

.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

Just stay to the right...

Okay, where the asphalt is ripped to shreds by semi's, where emergency vehicles require you to move over, and where you'll run every merging car and truck into the ditch.
Then when your lane might exit, or the exit you really want is on the left, good luck.
Then there's always someone driving 35 mph, but I'll stay behind him until he gets home.....eventually.
No problem

[TravlinMan]

Well I usually get along with truckers just fine and I ain't got a problem with em passin me or wigglin a lil or whatever if they're at least tryin to be safe but some of those guys are drivin dangerously on purpose it seems and that ain't ok when you're in a rig that large.

Also I have learned that some truck drivers consider '4 wheelers' a nuisance, which is absurd when ya chose a career that requires ya to drive on public streets and highways as a profession. I fear there is an 'us against them' mentality in some trucker circles against passenger vehicles and RVs and I personally believe that mentality ain't healthy.

[rodsterinfl]

I HATE vehicles drifting into my lane, but there is not much we can do about it other than drive defensively. Whenever I see a big rig coming up behind me I keep checking how he/she is doing, so by the time they pass I know what to do. So all be careful, drive defensively, and pay particular attention in t he early morning hours. Safe travels. jon

Several years ago I was driving north from Naples, Florida and it was raining. I had a semi-trailer in front of me and one behind me. I changed to the far left lane. About three minutes later, still in the left lane due to traffic, only now, the one was beside me and the other behind me again. All at once another semi came flying by in the median! I was surrounded and the one in the grass was not doing so good. We all ended up stopping on the highway. Scary.

[Ray Eklund]

We have not even seen a thread on the Airforums about... asphalt 'GROOVED' roads where your wheels can follow the highway like a rail system designed for trains.

Getting out of these 'asphalt grooves' can be very tricky. It is not as common as they use to be, but when it rains... hydroplaning is another issue in these grooves.

If we did not have to be awake while towing our trailers... there are plenty of caveats to keep one alert and become a real 'Road Warrior' and understand that even a highway with no traffic has plenty of obstacles and road conditions to be aware.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by TravlinMan

Well I usually get along with truckers just fine and I ain't got a problem with em passin me or wigglin a lil or whatever if they're at least tryin to be safe but some of those guys are drivin dangerously on purpose it seems and that ain't ok when you're in a rig that large.

Also I have learned that some truck drivers consider '4 wheelers' a nuisance, which is absurd when ya chose a career that requires ya to drive on public streets and highways as a profession. I fear there is an 'us against them' mentality in some trucker circles against passenger vehicles and RVs and I personally believe that mentality ain't healthy.

You should ride with a driver for a week. Actually, within a few hours on the first day you'd be outcussing us.

There's only so much a big truck can do. Four wheelers have every opportunity to move around easily. But they'll take the path in front of you.

Let that stand for the long list of sins.

75% of car/truck accidents are caused by cars. With cameras, this is an increasing percentage.

Anyone following too closely is at fault. Now find the car that ISNT under 100' from the next vehicle on the Interstate.

100' isn't safe. It's barely marginal. That's how bad its become.

.

[TravlinMan]

Well like I said I get along fine with em. One did almost kill my brother. He was completely stopped in traffic when the big mack slammed him from behind at 60. Jaws of life and all......

But still, I understand what you're saying... But those '4-wheelers'.... It's their road. Just like it's yours. They do stupid stuff, truckers do stupid stuff... But they are all equal on the road. If a trucker really hates sharin the road they shoulda been a train engineer or somethin, right?

But I'll always buy y'all a coffee at the truck stop. I really got nothing against anyone that don't try to harm me.