1st long trip

RV Advocate wrote:
...except for playing the stoplights. ...

In order to effectively play the stop lights, you have to watch ahead as far as the eye can see. If you have clear vision of a stop light, say 1/4 mile ahead, you have plenty of time to start slowing down, and slowing down, and slowing down. If it turns green, and your close enough, you can keep moving without having to come to a complete stop. If it stays red, you have to stop of course.

The danger is when you see a green light 1/4 mile ahead and you try to beat it before it turns red. That is never good, as you could end up running through the light when it turns red on you, 1 second before you hit the intersection and then you do get T-boned by someone with a jack-rabbit take-off, impatient and demanding his green, or even starting through the light before it's actually green for him because he sees the yellow turning red on the right or left of the intersection.

The important thing is to avoid coming to a complete stop because every time you come to a complete stop, it takes that much more fuel and energy to get the rig moving again to over come dead inertia.

I've never understood why people think they have to speed (especially in cities and towns), pass you like fools to get ahead of you 1 car length, and then get stopped at red lights where they wait. I'm in the inside lane, and traffic starts moving they are still stopped and I'm moving around them 20 mph. With a camper, his harder on your brakes, and harder on your fuel consumption to run up to the red light and slam on the brakes. Yes, play the lights. You're fuel consumption will love you for it as will the wear and tear on your brakes.