Concerned about traffic signals with short yellow light
Fifth-wheel is winterized, snow is coming down, so there is time to reflect, but I leave worrying about the big problems of the world to others. I can't solve them, anyway.
It is usually a pleasure to drive down the road towing my fifth-wheel, but one situation that keeps me on edge is when I am in a town or developed area where the speed limit is (usually) 45 mph and there are traffic lights every mile or so. The yellow light typically comes on for three seconds. Last summer, I was in places where the yellow was on for two seconds. There is no way I can bring my fifth wheel from 45 mph to zero in three seconds, let alone two.
When I am not towing, I try to keep a three-second gap behind the car in front. When towing the fifth-wheel, I try increase the gap to seven seconds. (Of course, four-wheelers are constantly pulling in front of me, so the gap is something to try for, not to achieve.) I think that next season, I am also going to drop my speed to 35 or less when approaching any traffic light.
It also bothers me that I have never figured out exactly how long it takes me to stop my fifth-wheel at any given speed. I only know that it takes longer to stop when towing. I'm not talking emergency stopping, but the kind of stopping I need when that yellow light comes on. I have never seen any mention of stopping distances in Trailer Life Magazine, and there are too many variables anyway: tow vehicle, trailer, brake controller, tires, road condition. Something that I would like to do with my own trailer (when the snow melts) is take it to a suitable place (I know of a housing development not too far away that may still be all vacant) and try some stops from 45 mph, 35 mph, 25 mph. No wheel-lockup stops here, just "normal" stops. That should help me to figure out what gap to use and what speed to drive, at least with my own truck and trailer. I'll post the results.
It is usually a pleasure to drive down the road towing my fifth-wheel, but one situation that keeps me on edge is when I am in a town or developed area where the speed limit is (usually) 45 mph and there are traffic lights every mile or so. The yellow light typically comes on for three seconds. Last summer, I was in places where the yellow was on for two seconds. There is no way I can bring my fifth wheel from 45 mph to zero in three seconds, let alone two.
When I am not towing, I try to keep a three-second gap behind the car in front. When towing the fifth-wheel, I try increase the gap to seven seconds. (Of course, four-wheelers are constantly pulling in front of me, so the gap is something to try for, not to achieve.) I think that next season, I am also going to drop my speed to 35 or less when approaching any traffic light.
It also bothers me that I have never figured out exactly how long it takes me to stop my fifth-wheel at any given speed. I only know that it takes longer to stop when towing. I'm not talking emergency stopping, but the kind of stopping I need when that yellow light comes on. I have never seen any mention of stopping distances in Trailer Life Magazine, and there are too many variables anyway: tow vehicle, trailer, brake controller, tires, road condition. Something that I would like to do with my own trailer (when the snow melts) is take it to a suitable place (I know of a housing development not too far away that may still be all vacant) and try some stops from 45 mph, 35 mph, 25 mph. No wheel-lockup stops here, just "normal" stops. That should help me to figure out what gap to use and what speed to drive, at least with my own truck and trailer. I'll post the results.
