How fast do you tow?

[houtrz]

Today while driving home from work a truck towing about a 36 foot fifth wheel blew by me. I was already going 75 so I sped up and followed him for about three miles. I was pacing him at between 87-93 depending on him slowing down for cars of which he basically pushed out of the way.

Obviously that was excessive but even at a fast speed what is considered ok and
what would you have done if this guy blew by you on the freeway

[Mile_High]

Bionic Man wrote:
LT tires on my 5er. I usually set cruise around 70. Sometimes a little higher. I have been known to run with traffic at times. Highways we travel have speed limits of 75 and sometimes 80.

Unless there were some extreme extenuating circumstances, I wouldn't run 85+.

And I woulldn't think about calling 911 in the situation you were in either.

X2. I have the Goodyear G614s, disk brakes, and a stable dually so don't worry too much at 75. I don't try to keep up on the Wyoming 80s.

I'm not retired, and I refuse to slow down to a retiree's pace just because he is in my lane, prepare to be passed 🙂

[Coach-man]

WOW, I can spot all the Dodge/Cummins owners! In ideal conditions, I would set my cruise control to 63 MPH, right around 1,800 RPM. Sometimes, you have to go a little faster, to pass etc. At those speeds I feel for the most part I am keeping up with the flow of traffic. Going to slow causes more problems than speeding! If your doing 55 in a 70 MPH zone, and most people are doing 75, you are going 20 MPH slower than everyone else, people get frustrated and change lanes, take chances just to get around you, that usually causes problems, not for you but for the other guy. Just cause you are not in a rush, does not mean someone else is! If you insist on going that slow, then get off the Interstate, use the secondary roads!

[DIVECOP_1]

I got LTs on my rig and tow at 63-65. Hey I'm retired, in 32 years of law enforcement I've seen enough wrecks. When I get there I'll be there

[robwhite61]

avvidclif1 wrote:
My motto is "I'll be there when I get there, wherever there is"

Best motto I've seen!

[avvidclif1]

I tow at 65(speed limit allowing). That is the bottom edge of the torque peak on my motor (1750rpm) and the motor likes it. It takes less boost to maintain the speed than at 60. Granted it increases the fuel mileage slightly (less than .5mpg) but the transmission downshifts a lot less decreasing wear. I'm not in a hurry just trying to take it easy on the drivetrain. Harley riders like to say "It's not the destination, it's the journey" I fully agree with that but pulling an RV it's 50-50, I like to enjoy both. My motto is "I'll be there when I get there, wherever there is"

[Campfire_Time]

Common sense is not a possession of all people.

[SkiSmuggs]

Benoit1967 wrote:
I usually go 60 to 65 unless I pass but then resume to my normal speed

This for me as well.
I suspect that was a delivery driver, but it may explain why we have so many ST tire failures when we have always driven reasonably. Excessive speed during delivery can start the failure process.

[ReneeG]

minnow wrote:
If it was a delivery driver, it would go along ways in explaining why 2 months from now when some poor unsuspecting consumer like you or me, after just buying this RV and is carefully towing it home not exceeding 65 mph has a blow out. The brand new tires were irreparably damaged on the trip from the factory to the dealer.

I often think that when I see RV's in two by a delivery service. Just how careful are they?

[minnow]

If it was a delivery driver, it would go along ways in explaining why 2 months from now when some poor unsuspecting consumer like you or me, after just buying this RV and is carefully towing it home not exceeding 65 mph has a blow out. The brand new tires were irreparably damaged on the trip from the factory to the dealer.

[Oaklevel]

60-65 Max for us no tire dealer here will install LT tires period......... but regardless for how fast you can safely go is not nearly important as how fast can you stop.......... what to do when someone pulls out in front of you........ it will happen....... :).

[ReneeG]

Trailer Tires are rated for max 65mph. So many responses here on those going much faster, no wonder there's so much TT tire failure, and the tires are blamed. Safety first, use the equipment like it should be and respect it like it should be.

[ReneeG]

JustLabs wrote:
I've ran 70 a bunch. Times going to Yellowstone I would run 75.

I'd feel safer running 90 in Montana or Wyoming than trying to run 60 anywhere near Seattle.

Towing?

[Golden_HVAC]

Maybe they where having a medical emergency?

Or delivering a new trailer. You get paid by the mile, and say you are getting $1 per mile, less fuel costs, this guy was trying to break a record and make $70 an hour profit?

Who knows. Let the speeder blow by you. . . You are not law enforcement, and they are probably going to be fine anyway.

Good luck,

Fred.

[alexleblanc]

DutchmenSport wrote:

houtrz wrote:
...what is actually safe,...

"Safe" towing depends upon a lot of things. The skill of the driver, the soundness of the equipment, the conditions of the road, the time of day, the weather.

It's "safe" to tow a trailer at 60 mph on a straight road in the middle of an Arizona Summer. Is it "safe" to run 60 mph on snow covered roads in the mountains of Virginia, even if the speed limit is 70?

There is no "right" or "wrong" answer to the word, "safe". What is safe for one is danger for someone else.

A 10 year old kid can climb a tree and he's safe to do so. A 70 year old with hip and knee replacements climbing the same tree is just .... dangerous! Same tree? What's the difference? The tree hasn't changed.

Perhaps the better question to ask, what is, "What is an an appropriate speed for YOUR outfit!" Here again, that depends upon your towing ability and skill, the dependability of rig, if you are loaded and hitch appropriately, if the weather and road conditions are relative good. If all of this is "true" then, perhaps the best answer is, the rating of your trailer tires. Any speed greater than that, you are taking a risk.

But you know, some of us old men still like to climb trees! Not the smartest thing to do, neither is pushing the max speed on your trailer tires. But it happens all the time.

most sound post here!

[Tvov]

Ltrip wrote:
For those running ST tires (as opposed to LT tires)...they are rated at 60 mph max. That's what I do!

Hmmm... I always thought ST was 65mph max.

I tow around 65mph... sometime a bit above, like 67, but never more than that. My trailer weight is well within the capability of the trailer tires, and they are inflated properly. Haven't towed in the mid-USA, but had absolutely no problem towing down the east coast on I95 to Florida at 65mph, or up in Maine at 65mph.

When a friend first got his TT, he told me how well it towed above 70mph...! I told him to look at the tires of his TT, as they probably weren't rated for that.

After a few camping trips, he was complaining at how his Duramax got such poor fuel mileage towing. I mentioned he might want to try slowing down to 65... he scoffed at that. Later that year, I noticed him towing slower, at 65mph. He sheepishly admitted that I was right, and his fuel mileage jumped when he dropped from over 70mph to 65mph.

Having been in the fire department for awhile now, I have just seen too many accidents caused by 1) cell phone usage and 2) speeding, for me to do either one of those while towing (or driving in general).