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Hammerboy's avatar
Hammerboy
Explorer
Jun 26, 2017

Crazy driving

On our way back today from our trip from the U.P. of Michigan, the highway was filled with rv's of all types going home I presume. We were traveling with my wife's parents ahead of us with their truck and fifth, they usually lead the way as they are older and need frequent breaks etc.

I am amazed at how some people drive with a trailer in tow. Granted I don't claim to be a perfect driver, but I do keep travel around 68 on the highways when towing (maybe a bit faster when passing in the passing lane), it's not a race.
We had one guy with a smaller single axle unit driving as if he didn't have a trailer behind him, fast and weaving in and out of traffic all while his unit was swaying back and forth. My wife even made a comment about the idiot. Later at a rest area my father in law makes a comment about the guy. We wondered how far down the road before we see the remains along the road. Seen a couple others that seemed a bit fast too, but not like this guy.

Some people are ignorant, some just don't care, some well I don't know. We need to be a little more conscious of what we are doing and the risks and danger we are creating when we are pulling. Again, it's not a race.

Rant over.

Dan
Seeking Advice
  • turbojimmy's avatar
    turbojimmy
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    korbe wrote:
    Some people will see an RV up in front and envision a race to catch them. Many times an RV will catch me just to slow down after they pass.


    Yep - coming home from the Poconos a few weeks ago I was going 70 in a 50 (keeping up with traffic) in my old Allegro and a new Allegro blew past me like I wasn't moving. Then cut in and slowed down. I just hung back at the 60 MPH that he now dictated for me. Whatever.
  • turbojimmy's avatar
    turbojimmy
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    AJBert wrote:
    Can you be sure the driver was just being an idiot and not have an emergency where they need to get to the closest hospital NOW?

    You do realize what "assume" means, right? I try to never assume but I'm not perfect, either. And, yes, there are idiot drivers out there.


    It's an extremely rare occurrence. But it happened to me. 3 AM my wife got up to go to the bathroom. I heard her fall. I went to see what happened and she had passed out from extreme abdominal pain. I helped her into the car and raced to the hospital, not wanting to wait for an ambulance. I was driving fast, but not reckless. Obviously very little traffic at that time, but one dude did his best to keep me behind him the whole time. Slowing down to 20 MPH, when I tried to pass would speed up and not let me by (I had an anemic Explorer at the time). It took me twice as long to get to the hospital because of that guy. I'll never forget it. Wife had her appendix removed soon after arriving at the ER.
  • Turtle_n_Peeps's avatar
    Turtle_n_Peeps
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    George Carlin wrote:
    "Why is it that everybody on the road is a crazy driver except me?"
  • CarnationSailor's avatar
    CarnationSailor
    Nomad
    Jun 26, 2017
    turbojimmy wrote:
    AJBert wrote:
    Can you be sure the driver was just being an idiot and not have an emergency where they need to get to the closest hospital NOW?

    You do realize what "assume" means, right? I try to never assume but I'm not perfect, either. And, yes, there are idiot drivers out there.


    It's an extremely rare occurrence. But it happened to me. 3 AM my wife got up to go to the bathroom. I heard her fall. I went to see what happened and she had passed out from extreme abdominal pain. I helped her into the car and raced to the hospital, not wanting to wait for an ambulance. I was driving fast, but not reckless. Obviously very little traffic at that time, but one dude did his best to keep me behind him the whole time. Slowing down to 20 MPH, when I tried to pass would speed up and not let me by (I had an anemic Explorer at the time). It took me twice as long to get to the hospital because of that guy. I'll never forget it. Wife had her appendix removed soon after arriving at the ER.


    If they don't have their emergency flashers on, I'm going to assume they are just an idiot.
  • dodge_guy's avatar
    dodge_guy
    Explorer II
    Jun 26, 2017
    Funny you bring this up. I picked up my kids from 6 flags in Gurnee IL. on the way home when I got on the tollway. I merged while seeing a F450 pulling a triple axle toy hauler in the left lane. He blew by me pretty good. once I was on the tollway and set the cruise at 75 to keep up with traffic (BTW traffic was heavy) the Fiver and truck were pulling away from me. I would guess his speed at around 83mph? I`ve even seen some motorhomes running at that speed. I personally set my cruise at 67 and sit back and relax. If I have to I`ve bumped it up to 73 on long boring stretches. but yes I`m seeing much more of 75+mph combos towing down the road!
  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    Jun 26, 2017
    Hammerboy wrote:
    Terryallan wrote:
    68 MPH????? check your tires. There is really good chance you are out running your tires. Maybe by only 3 MPH, but still hurting them. so you may want to slow down, and let the crazies go.


    You are correct, if it were hot out I definitely would but it's been in the low 60s and cloudy not that it makes a difference or make it right. One thing I will tell you is that of the four hours on the highway today we passed not one other RV out there and the roads were filled today with them, we got passed by just about every other RV on the road today. A few of us kept in line and pace with each other. I may be one of the crazies but I was the slowest of the crazies.

    We just received our unit as a warranty replacement for our old one. My short list includes upgrading with quality tires with a higher speed rating, I'd still be the slow one though lol

    Dan


    Most people I've talked to who own trailer campers (TT, 5th, HTT, Popup) have NO IDEA that the camper's tires are usually only rated for 65mph.

    "It tows great at 75mph!" - I hear that all the time. Many times from guys that tow trailers daily for work. Landscapers, excavation, etc. The amount of people out there who have no idea about what the capabilities of what they are driving are... well, best not to think about it.

    I also love seeing those little Harbor Freight home utility trailers with 9" wheels being towed on the highway.

    It is amazing how few accidents actually occur on the roadways.

    P.S. Oh and I'm a 68mph towing guy. Not really sure why I like that speed. Just livin' on the edge.
  • et2's avatar
    et2
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    LOL, it was Sunday in Michigan coming back from up north. That's all you needed to say! It's been that way for years. Just pray there's no construction, that really gets fun then.

    Add a holiday plus one week before or after and it's enough to give you a heart attack traveling on Thursday - Sunday. We never travel home from up north on a Sunday if we can help it, if needed we leave way early in the morning before most people are on the road.

    It's always a interesting ride watching everyone pass us ( 62-65 mph) and their setups. Pickups and open cargo trailers packed overflowing with things flying in the breeze or nearly falling out ( and stuff does, hit it last year). Towable RV's and MH's flying by. Some you see along side the road later with blow outs or other issues.

    To the it's an emergency none of your business crowd, it's a really poor argument. A good lawyer wuold have a field day with that argument if you caused an accident.
  • timjet's avatar
    timjet
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    time2roll wrote:
    Hammerboy wrote:
    My wife even made a comment about the idiot.

    idiots are the slow ones. The crazy people are the fast ones.

    BTW I am at 60/62 in most conditions.


    Me too, and everyone passes me. Sometimes find it hard to "get out of the way"! It's one of the reasons I try to find the roads less traveled.
  • Lynnmor's avatar
    Lynnmor
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    Hammerboy wrote:
    Lynnmor wrote:
    I never drive 68, never speed up to pass and never will get in a wagon train to travel, even if it is just two wagons. It is a good idea to keep a distance from other towed vehicles as much as possible.
    Just curious about wagon trains as you call them. Why not? What do you do when you travel with others? And yes, I too leave a LOT of space between me and and whoever is in front, to the point if they hit a brick wall I still have plenty of time to stop. Of course that doesn't mean people don't cut in front of you.

    Dan


    Trying to keep a few vehicles together is always a challenge. If the idiots want to pass they need to weave in and out of the train or go by all at one time. In heavy traffic, the train gets broken up and then there is the matter of piecing it back together. When the small bladder or small fuel tank needs to stop, everybody has to stop. No need to add stress to the trip, you'll all get there. In this era of cellphones, contact between the wagons is simple.
  • SpeakEasy's avatar
    SpeakEasy
    Explorer
    Jun 26, 2017
    How about the increasing number of people who have NO IDEA of how to merge into a highway from an entry ramp?

    I pretty much always stay in the right lane when I'm towing, because as others have noted, I'm the slow guy at 60 to 63 MPH. Well all bets are off when a group of cars is entering from a ramp. I used to try to slow down a bit to give an entering guy a bit of a break. But I've discovered that this is more confusing to some people, and they slow down too. It doesn't do any good to signal (with hands or light flashes) to let them know to enter. But then I've had people give me the finger and the evil eye if I DON'T slow down to let them in. They have complete control over their own speed. They can get in front of me or drop back to go in behind me. But they're on the verge of road rage because I won't let them in????

    I attribute it to the fact that the skill of entering a highway is not part of the road test for getting a license. I wish it were.

    -Speak

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