75 Speed Limit - How Fast

Lynnmor wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
Rolling roadblock? That's what that passing lane is for. If people would drive like they should, i.e. move over to pass and then move back over to their original lane, it wouldn't be an issue, but instead you have people that pull into the right lane and just sit there, even when they could get back over. There's your rolling roadblock.

Huh? I guess you mean left lane? Who knows, the whole darn thing is reversed in the populated places. For example, the Washington/ Baltimore crowd comes down a ramp and goes to the far left, then they always pass on the right.

Oops, yes, I did mean the left lane when I said right lane. There's some dumb intersections out there, but the ones that are the worst are the ones where incoming traffic merges from the left.

So is the posted 75mph a “mandated cruising speed”?

What’s a rolling roadblock on the open multi lane highway is pilots who do the 5 mile cruise control pass at .08576 mph faster than the double 53ft trailer road train...

Lynnmor wrote:
Huh? I guess you mean left lane? Who knows, the whole darn thing is reversed in the populated places. For example, the Washington/ Baltimore crowd comes down a ramp and goes to the far left, then they always pass on the right.

This is bad behavior and should be getting a citation. Although most of the roads like this are running well over design capacity and should be improved.

Anyway this is another reason I look forward to self driving vehicles.

fj12ryder wrote:
Rolling roadblock? That's what that passing lane is for. If people would drive like they should, i.e. move over to pass and then move back over to their original lane, it wouldn't be an issue, but instead you have people that pull into the right lane and just sit there, even when they could get back over. There's your rolling roadblock.

Huh? I guess you mean left lane? Who knows, the whole darn thing is reversed in the populated places. For example, the Washington/ Baltimore crowd comes down a ramp and goes to the far left, then they always pass on the right.

rhagfo wrote:
Very seldom that semis run at their speed limit, now days the limits are 65 autos, 60 trucks most semis run between 65 and 70, autos 65 and 75.
Running 20 mph below the flow of traffic in the right lane, basically setup a rolling road block.

Rolling roadblock? That's what that passing lane is for. If people would drive like they should, i.e. move over to pass and then move back over to their original lane, it wouldn't be an issue, but instead you have people that pull into the right lane and just sit there, even when they could get back over. There's your rolling roadblock.

Makes a person wonder how they keep the autobahns in Germany from being endless car wrecks, when you have people driving 100+mph and other people doing 60-70 mph. Oh yeah, they know how to drive.

I have only pulled a 5th wheel approx 5000 miles, which is probably a lot less than most of you. About 90% of those miles are interstate. I have always been able to find another RV, a big rig or a farmer pulling pigs in a trailer doing around 65 or just under to follow. Before long there have always been others content to follow us while allowing traffic to fly by in the left lane. 63-65 is where I feel comfortable if I had to make any form of emergency maneuver, so that is what I will be doing. Safe travels!!

"California seems to get a few things right and the rest wrong.

YEP like cheap booze!!!

I have been following this topic with much interest. Disclaimer, we are in the 63-65 MPH range when towing. One thing that I have not seen mentioned is controlling and stopping the trailer in an emergency situation. Some trailers are equipped with disc brakes which makes panic stopping much easier to control. However the vast majority have the OEM electric brakes which basically doubles, or more, your stopping distance. I have also seen more trailers than I care to count with noticeable sway when they pass me at considerably higher speeds. I just hope I am not in the way if they lose control. I have seen first hand what happens and it never ends well. So for our best MPG and comfort level for controlling and stopping, we will continue in the 63-65 MPH range. We are cognizant of faster vehicles overtaking us and do our best to stay (get) out of their way.

Seems there are a lot of impatient folks on the road with a ME FIRST attitude. Frankly I have little sympathy for someone doing 15-20 over the limit and then getting annoyed at me doing 5-10 under limit in an rv. What ever happened to Share The Road? I've driven the Autobahn and speed differentials are an issue but they seem to make it work.

I'm almost always on cruise control, to be consistent, and wish more rv's had adaptive cruise like my car. Otherwise I worry about texting fools driving right into my rear bumper.

We have so many Left Lane Louises in this country that traffic flow is a problem no matter what. I've always felt that if overtaking another vehicle, and there's someone behind me, I'd better be doing at least 5mph more than overtaken vehicle. Left lane is for passing only, a very hard concept for many.

On I-95 with typical 70mph limit, on any of my rv's I am usually doing 62-65mph, with my lights on, and simply do not believe if I'm in the right lane I'm doing anything inconsiderate. I will not be a lemming going over the cliff...

Lynnmor wrote:
Anyone that says they get their best mileage at 72 MPH is not in touch with reality. Since aerodynamic drag increases dramatically as speed increases, it is impossible to reverse basic laws of physics. Slow down AND grow up.

I have a caveat to that. We towed a 16K high profile 5th wheel and a combine weight of 24,500 lbs for two years. Then parked the 5th wheel at summer RV Park and for two years have towed a 8K bumper pull. At the same speed in TH at 60 MPH in 5th gear, the mileage was almost exactly the same. The truck will not shift into 6th gear with TH until 65+ MPH. So the second year I started towing a little faster and in 6th gear (no TH) and fuel mileage improved because I was in a taller gear and lower RPMs.

I do agree in general the only way to improve fuel mileage is to slow down. Towing a RV trailer over 65MPH is not something I want to do and in my mind not wise.

The whole, I have to keep up with traffic on a multi lane road is a bit bogus to me. California has been living for years with state wide speed differentials between cars/small trucks and those with 3 axles or more.

We have traveled through California many times towing and just fit in with a pack of trucks that run 59-61 MPH. Never an issue! Those that say it is an issues are fooling themselves, to justify driving faster.