California interstate speed limits

If a CA officer sees you doing the posted speed limit in your RV he will not write you. If he sees you driving the posted speed limit but you are obviously over your head at the posted speed he can write you under CA's "basic speed law". It is entirely a judgement call and usually very hard to defend yourself against. The officer is considered an expert witness and you are not.
Randy

tplife wrote:
Here in California the CHP has special units just for enforcing trailer speed laws, I've watched them peel out of sidings to pull semis over for doing close to 65 on I-163 here in San Diego County. Another reason I bought a Thule Transporter Combi instead of a little utility trailer for my '11 Prius.

What in the world could you put in that small box that couldn't fit in the Prius?

I had a Prius cab back in May in Canada. We had one normal large suitcase and one huge suitcase along with a couple regular shoulder bags. I couldn't believe everything fit in the back of the Prius with nothing in the front passenger seat. That Prius can hold some luggage! We had another cab, a Toyota Camry and it couldn't hold all of our luggage in the trunk as the Prius held. I was surprised.

MM.

Here in California the CHP has special units just for enforcing trailer speed laws, I've watched them peel out of sidings to pull semis over for doing close to 65 on I-163 here in San Diego County. Another reason I bought a Thule Transporter Combi instead of a little utility trailer for my '11 Prius.

Strange.
I went to my son's house in CA, loaded his car (non-op, unlicensed) on his trailer (licensed in CA), hooked the trailer to my truck (licensed in Montana), and drove from the Visalia area up 99 to Sacramento, took I80 over Donner pass (in a snowstorm), no trouble at all. Well, I did have to put chains on the truck, on the outside duals only, to get across the pass.
No trouble through Nevada, Idaho, or Montana, either.

Some are making this complicated when it's simple. 55 when towing, whatever the posted limit is when not towing.

Tom/Barb wrote:
What is the legal speed limit for a motor home with 2 axels not towing on I-5?
State normal speed limit is 55 except where posted other wise. Car speed limit not towing is 70 on I-5, can a M/H run 70MPH too.

The restrictions in California has to do with towing. If you are not towing then its the posted speed limit.. If towing then the speed limit is 55.

JohnnyT

In California, your motor home is actually a "Housecar". Same rules as cars.

Having spent 33 years on CHP a motor home can go what the car speed limit is including 3 axle motor homes. Hook a small trailer to any motor home and speed limit becomes 55. Even a m/c towing a small trailer is limited to 55 mph.

A 3 axle commercial truck is limited to 55 as are school buses of any size, SPABs, too.

SPAB = school pupil activity bus.

ScottG wrote:


Your post is right on the money Bill.
I've tried towing at 55 in Ca. but it's just way too dangerous. I set the cruise at 65 with trailer and still have people changing lanes and being surprised by my "slow" speed.
At 55 you are an obstacle to everyone on the road.
Running at 65 has not caused me any problems and I've even had CHIP's pass me at times.

This is not my experience (and 100% of my towing is in California). I tow at 55-58 mph and have never had an issue. No one has ever flipped me the bird, I've never been yelled at, I don't leave a wake of carnage behind me. :R In fact, it is my experience that running at 55-58 puts me right in line with a lot of the truckers.

I could pull faster, but my mileage drops off sharp at over 60, and I'm just not in that much of a hurry. When passing, I'll bring it up to 70 or so just long enough to pull by, then move back over and slow back to my cruising speed. Pay attention, don't cut people off, let the faster guys go on through when you can, and all is good.

Fwiw, I saw some of the signs this weekend that said "trucks with three axles or more, and any vehicle towing, 55mph max" and had the same question as the OP, wondering if that would apply to tag-axled motorhomes. It is a very confusing sign, imo.

I've run at 65 to 70 on I5 in the Los Angeles area, whatever speed the traffic was moving at while I am pulling a toad. The rest of the state I'm at about 55 to 60.
I ran side by side with a CHP last year at 65 to 68 and have had several CHP pass me, again while I was pulling a car.

I believe they don't want the flow of traffic to be interrupted and as long as you stay with the flow and don't change lanes a lot they are happy. Pulling you over in 6 lanes of traffic would create a massive traffic jam.

I checked with the CHP and when not pulling something you use the posted speed limit. When you are pulling something use the 55 speed limit.