driving speed

lonfu wrote:
I try to keep my rig about 1800 rpm, that equates to about 48 mph. p30 1998 454 class A with toad. Usually get about 11 mpg. this is my fourth rig and have found that it is a lot easier on us if everyone passes us rather than me trying pass folks. In the past 36 years only have been stopped once by a local yokel. Cross winds were at about 35mph and I was doing my normal 48mph. Side road with no curb and big drainage ditch on each side. He said he had a bugaboo about slow moving farm equipment. When I pointed these facts out to the officer who was standing in the ditch, he wished us a good day and was on his way. When some one pulls out to pass I get to the right and slow down. I have found that it is much easier for folks to pass me while I'm at 48 than it is at 55mph. Every couple of years or so I get an inexperienced trucker that doesn't get it and will blast his horn, but most I've talked to appreciate my slower speed so they can get by.

48 mph? Do you drive that slow on two lane roads too?

I try to keep my rig about 1800 rpm, that equates to about 48 mph. p30 1998 454 class A with toad. Usually get about 11 mpg. this is my fourth rig and have found that it is a lot easier on us if everyone passes us rather than me trying pass folks. In the past 36 years only have been stopped once by a local yokel. Cross winds were at about 35mph and I was doing my normal 48mph. Side road with no curb and big drainage ditch on each side. He said he had a bugaboo about slow moving farm equipment. When I pointed these facts out to the officer who was standing in the ditch, he wished us a good day and was on his way. When some one pulls out to pass I get to the right and slow down. I have found that it is much easier for folks to pass me while I'm at 48 than it is at 55mph. Every couple of years or so I get an inexperienced trucker that doesn't get it and will blast his horn, but most I've talked to appreciate my slower speed so they can get by.

58-62 M.P.H.

At 55 mph, we run 1,200 rpm's.

Just recently on a trip down I-40 going through TX into OK, we had 35 mph sustained winds with gust up to 65 mph blowing east. We were driving east! Yay!

I drove 55 mph and the wind pushed me for two days and 750 miles. Where we should normally get 6.5-6.8 mpg, we average 9.0 mpg over those miles. Glad I wasn't driving west, we would have probably gotten 4.0.

MM.

I like to set my cruise at 65. A lot of trucks cruise at 65 so I don't have to pass many, and it eliminates a lot of them having to pass you. But I noticed this year with lower fuel cost there were more trucks passing me.

I set the cruise at 67 on the Interstates, never more than 5 over anywhere else. I'm in my happy place traveling 100 miles every hour and a half. I don't run past 70 unless I'm passing. If I have a tailwind or at night when the winds die down and the road cools off a bit I'll run 70. I hate getting less than 6.5 mpg away from the mountains, I'm ok with a bit over 7 mpg.

I set my Cruise control at 65 and then increase if I have to pass a semi or slower auto on Interstates.

At Camp Freightliner I learned that the "sweet spot" for my Cat 3126 engine was 1750 RPM (62 MPH)in Economy mode 6 th gear. After several thousand miles I can see perhaps a slight (0.1- 0.2) fuel mileage improvement over my previous 57-58 mph.

I have had the same rv pass me 3 or 4 times in a single day, happens all the time. Bet they thought they were making good time! I spent over 20 years driving a truck, the only times I would speed up was behind schedule or trying to get to and through a city before rush hour. I got pretty good at planning trips, and those things rarely happened except for breakdowns and such.
I can't come up with a reason to rush anywhere anymore. I do sometimes drive well into the night still, just prefer driving at night because of the lighter traffic, but not in a hurry at all!!

Depends. Wife and I both work, full time. Both our families are more than half way across the US. If we are going back to see them, the enroute scenery is of minor importance. Getting there in a short time is more important. When we are on I90, we will do the speed limit. Yes. That means we cruise at 75. We do long days of driving. When we arrive at family, we come to a screeching (not literally) stop or a slow crawl pace, to enjoy the most time with them. It is not about being Type A, which we both are. It is about priorities.

If on a slow vacation, for just my Angel and me, we slow down to about 65. Do not track it exactly.

When we retire, we will slow down some more.

Please don't judge those driving fast as they compare to you. We all have journeys. We all have stages for that journey. We all have different circumstances and perspectives. Maybe the family that just went by you fast just got told that Grandpa is in the hospital. As long as we are driving safe and legal, we are not doing you any harm.

Enjoy your family and your toys.

God Bless.