7.5-8.5 mpg towing is this normal?

[NIsaacs]

If I am in a slow, lazy mood and want to sightsee or get the most of my fuel milage, I drive the two lanes highways. However if I wanna get somewhere with a schedule, I drive the freeways at the posted speed, regardless of the towed weight. A 7500 lbs 5th wheel is not a heavy load, about half of what these pickups are rated for.





"NICK"

 

[Grizzly]

Makes much more sense to run a rolling roadblock and watch the multi-car pileups behind you. NOT.



Relax. There are some places in this world it's perfectly safe to drive 75-80 with a trailer -- or atleast a heck of a lot safer then driving under the speed limit.

I can't say I totally agree with you. I feel that 60/65 is perfectly acceptable if you are towing. Now driving 50/55 is not acceptable on a freeway.

 

[MPerez]

In Washington you'll get more than one answer to the question of towing with a light truck as to the speed allowed. The truck max speed is 60 - and I had a trooper in western WA tell me that towing my travel trailer with my truck I am still not a truck, so the main speed limit was fine. And I towed my old RV at up to 70 through many a speed trap on I-5 and never was I stopped. Then after moving to eastern WA, listening to the local traffic radio (the weather and road conditions placed by the state to warn motorists of local conditions) there was a 'reminder' in the message that ANY vehicle towing ANYTHING was subject to the 60 MPH speed limit. In Oregon they also seem to be selective about enforcing the 55 for towing, western OR gets light truck/car towing RV's/boats etc can tow at 65 w/o issue. However I've heard that eastern OR is a bit more... rigorous in enforcing the limit.



That said, towing a 5'er at 70+ is insane. Just try to react and/or stop safely when some idiot only a couple of seconds ahead does something YOU now have to avoid. 'cause that's what's going to happen if you are keeping up with traffic, you are in the pack. And I've noticed that most cars WILL NOT ACCEPT BEING BEHIND ANYTHING TOWING A TRAILER - There must be some built in demand to get around, so by towing fast you may be "forcing" the other drivers to really haul ***** to get around you... At least when towing at the speed limit (for trucks) everyone has to react to you and avoid you. So stay right, stay slow(er) and stay alive.







Now if only many of the big rigs would drive somewhat closer to the truck speed limit.

 

[Grizzly]

Since when has driving the speed limit dangerous and irresponsible. In the good ol USA you will see interstate speed limits from 55-80 mph. If it was dangerous to tow at these speeds why would it be legal.

I've towed at least a couple hundred thousand miles and have had blowouts at slow speeds and at 75 mph. You know what the difference was ... ... ... . NOTHING.







People with your attitude frighten me.

 

[MPerez]

Umn, I wasnt' advocating driving under the speed limit. There are places where the speed limit is 75 for all vehicles, but you'll notice that most of those places are pretty wide open as to the traffic and conditions. But 70 in someplace like the I-5 corridor in Washington (for cars 70MPH for trucks 60MPH) is stupid. Traffic is often very dense and you have one to two car lengths between you and the car behind you and in front, the next lanes are the same and there are between 10 and 15 cars around you... So, going the speed limit for cars in your truck/trailer (perhaps like mine your CGVW is 22K) and you've got to react in the same time as a sedan... because that's all the space you have. You may leave a safe following distance, but it will get filled in by those 'cant stand to follow an RV' drivers who pass you. So you're left with nearly no space, much higher stress levels and no time to react in a emergency.

I've towed many miles too; never had an incident, never had a blow out (after all normal travel trailer tires aren't rated for high speeds - generally less than 75 MPH) and I haven't caused any incidents by going the speed limit.

People with your attitude become statistics. People with my attitude live longer, stress free lives.

 

[Big MAK]

Umn, I wasnt' advocating driving under the speed limit. There are places where the speed limit is 75 for all vehicles, but you'll notice that most of those places are pretty wide open as to the traffic and conditions. But 70 in someplace like the I-5 corridor in Washington (for cars 70MPH for trucks 60MPH) is stupid. Traffic is often very dense and you have one to two car lengths between you and the car behind you and in front, the next lanes are the same and there are between 10 and 15 cars around you... So, going the speed limit for cars in your truck/trailer (perhaps like mine your CGVW is 22K) and you've got to react in the same time as a sedan... because that's all the space you have. You may leave a safe following distance, but it will get filled in by those 'cant stand to follow an RV' drivers who pass you. So you're left with nearly no space, much higher stress levels and no time to react in a emergency.



I've towed many miles too; never had an incident, never had a blow out (after all normal travel trailer tires aren't rated for high speeds - generally less than 75 MPH) and I haven't caused any incidents by going the speed limit.



People with your attitude become statistics. People with my attitude live longer, stress free lives.

My attitude? I advocate driving the speed limit. I guess that's a bad attitude? My attitude is if the speed limit is 60 for a trailer you drive . . 65 :-laf . . if the traffic isn't dense. But the conditions always rule. Driving the speed limit in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic is stupid. So is driving 60 in a 75 zone when it's clear and there's little traffic. It'll get you run into or someone else run off the road when someone has to swerve around you.



Sigh . . any discussion about trailers and rate of speed. . no matter what the actual topic . . always results in flamewars from the speed limits with trailers nazis. I bet all you speed nazis drive in the left lane going 15 mph under the speed limit just to keep everyone 'safe'.

 

[TSpecht]

Driving the speed limit in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic is stupid. So is driving 60 in a 75 zone when it's clear and there's little traffic. It'll get you run into or someone else run off the road when someone has to swerve around you.

In bumper to bumper traffic, people will still act dumb and try to get around you even if you are driving the speed limit. If conditions are clear, and you run the speed limit, people are still going to be passing you, although since it's clear, they have a much higher chance of maneuvering around you safely no matter what speed you're travelling within reason (and within the posted speed limits). In all cases, it's the other drivers' inattentiveness that is the problem, just like if you can't stop in time to avoid an accident, it will be *your* problem for failure to have your vehicle under control, and probably a lawsuit from someone because you were travelling fast in a heavy vehicle with plenty of momentum...

 

[AMink]

In Kalifornia, the speed limit on highways is 65, 55 for "trucks and autos with trailers". Now they have signs that clarify it a little better. I think it says "Vehicles with trailers" or something like that. I've had a friend who was dinged twice for pulling a gooseneck at 65 instead of 55. On the freeways, it's not that big a deal. I just stay in the slow lane. On two lane roads, it sucks because if you follow the law, you stack traffic. If you go faster, you run the risk of getting pulled over. We pulled down 395 from Reno to Death Valley a few weekends ago and there are some long stretches where there is no good, safe place to pull over then get going again. I'd say split the difference and everyone goes 60!

 

[MPerez]

I agree, there are no absolutes in the driving/towing/law abiding question. There are conditions to consider, how you're loaded and what is happening around you. I drive conservatively and try to stay safe for the conditions - and out of the way of other less conservative drivers. And when I see someone who's obviously out of touch with reality, I stay far away.

And I check my equipment often to avoid things like blowouts, seized axle bearings... A couple of months ago a guy towing a car on a flatbed car trailer got to watch his right rear trailer tire and wheel pass him by - followed by a shower of sparks as his axle was chewing up pavement.

The bottom line is that everyone is sure what they are doing is correct, and i someone disagrees or does something differently they are 'crazy' or unsafe or stupid...

Though some do seem a bit extreme in their views…

 

[Grizzly]

I agree, there are no absolutes in the driving/towing/law abiding question. There are conditions to consider, how you're loaded and what is happening around you. I drive conservatively and try to stay safe for the conditions - and out of the way of other less conservative drivers. And when I see someone who's obviously out of touch with reality, I stay far away.



And I check my equipment often to avoid things like blowouts, seized axle bearings... A couple of months ago a guy towing a car on a flatbed car trailer got to watch his right rear trailer tire and wheel pass him by - followed by a shower of sparks as his axle was chewing up pavement.



The bottom line is that everyone is sure what they are doing is correct, and i someone disagrees or does something differently they are 'crazy' or unsafe or stupid...



Though some do seem a bit extreme in their views…

Mario, I agree with you 100%. You have very good, safe practices. It is much better to use sound judgment when your behind the wheel of a heavy moving machine.