cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Towing at 75mph

Smoke90
Explorer
Explorer
Hi guys,

Just got the RV last saturday.
We are leaving for a trip in 2 weeks. Denver to moab.
I70 posted speed limit is 75mph as soon as you done with the two passes.
The techs are the shop we bought the RV told me i can drive 75 mph.
First i read that the tires on Toy haulers are only rated for 65mph
Then this rig is big, heavy and long.
I am concern driving at this speed.
But I also don't like the idea to go too slow and be pass all the times by big truck.
Also do you increase the gain of your brake controller when going down hill to be safer.
Does not seem that the engine brake on the truck does much with the 25000 lbs (16+ for the RV and 9 for the truck)
Feed back appreciated
Thanks
37 REPLIES 37

Smoke90
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks to all of you for the answer
By the way I was really skeptical to drive the rig at 75
It make sense that most of you drive 55/60 mph
I did the math to and it is not worth the money
Safety first
Don t worry i will not go 75

wandering1
Explorer
Explorer
If it says max 65 on your tire sidewall then 65 is the max.:S
HR

Me_Again
Explorer III
Explorer III
Check with those tech's making sure that they installed the high speed 5th wheel hitch and the corresponding 100 MPH pin box on the trailer. Other wise you will be in real trouble. Normally you really have to probe the techs for them to come clean and tell you about existence of these special parts for high speed towing. Without them the king pin can go into oscillations on three planes.

If the techs just play dumb with you, then call Summit Racing at 1-800-230-3030. They have an adapter that installs between the hitch in the truck and the pin box that is only $146.99 and ships free as it is over a hundred bucks.

The Summit part numbers are as follows:

Ford FOOl-001
Chevy FOOl-002
RAM FOOl-003

Chris
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

WoodGlue
Explorer
Explorer
Towing Info

Per State

WoodGlue
2002 Land Rover Discovery II
2014 Lance 1685 - Loaded - 4 Seasons - Solar - 2 AGM's
When Hell Freezes Over - I'll Camp There Too!
Lance Travel Trailer Info - Lance 1685 Travel Trailer - Lance 1575 Trailer

TakingThe5th
Explorer
Explorer
We were in Kentucky when we got the news and had to get home quick. Tires on the rig were new, filled with nitrogen, balanced and rated for 75mph-so I did a steady 75 with peak speeds of 85 on the downhills. We arrived home with the tires intact but minus the bedroom window. Vibration loosened the latch and a semi sucked it away. Didn't know we lost it until we saw it at home. The lesson - 5ers aren't designed for that kind of treatment-period! Never mind the tires-brakes, suspension, frame, mileage, etc-compare your rig with those semi trucks that pass you by-look at them up close-they will last 500,000 miles or more. Your 5er is made with sticks and sheet metal holding it together and is pretty puny by comparison. There basically is no comparison. So take your time, understand what you bought and enjoy what you came to see. It's all part of the journey.

Edited-darn spell-checker!!
TakingThe5th - Chicago, Western Suburbs
'05 Ford F350 Crew 6.0 DRW Bulletproofed. Pullrite Super 5th 18K 2100 hitch.
'13 Keystone Cougar 333MKS, Maxxfan 7500, Progressive EMS-HW50C, Grey Water System.

filthy_beast
Explorer
Explorer
BIKERK9 wrote:
Speed limit in CO while towing is 75 mph. Wow!
In CA it is 55 mph.


Illinois too!

I tow at 60 - 65 MPH and on a good day get 12 MPG hand calculated.
Goody Two Shoes and the Filthy Beast
2008 Silverado 2500HD
2012 Wildcat 282RKX

You cannot make things idiot proof, you can only make them idiot resistant.

empty_nest
Explorer
Explorer
60-62 mph when towing the 5'r. I stay in the right lane and they can pass me all they want. ๐Ÿ™‚
2008 38' Winnebago Adventurer
2012 Jeep Wrangler (Toad)
03 Ranger 520 DVX - 225 hp. Evinrude

Teamfour
Explorer
Explorer
Lets look at this from a data standpoint: Assuming you could drive 75 the entire trip, you would only save 45 minutes in travel time versus 65. In reality you will not maintain 75 so I will venture that your time saving will really be around 20 minutes. This advantage does not offset the risks IMHO.
Lee and Anne


2016 F250 2WD CC SB XLT 6.2 3.73 locker, 3,295 Payload
2014 Salem Hemisphere 282RK 7.8k lbs loaded, Equal-i-zer WDH

waltbennett
Explorer
Explorer
If you're seriously thinking about doing that you must have either a ton of money to buy fuel or stock in an oil company (besides having a death wish!). 55 - 60 in the right lane gets the best mileage and safety.
'06 F350 TD, Softopper, airbags, AeroShield, coolant filter
'10 3665RE Hickory edition, wetbolts, Firestone LTs, Trimetric Battery Monitor, 4x100w panels & Morningstar TS-45, still tweeking.

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
Make sure the techs tighten up the power band in the big Ford.

Shadow_Catcher
Explorer
Explorer
Trailer ST tires are made in China and they are not called China bombs for nothing. We have a teardrop trailer that because of the weight 1600# I could put passenger car tires rated at 85+MPH. Yes I have towed it at 70 MPH.

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
calamus wrote:
We pulled ours 6 hrs. down I-80 in Nebraska last summer had a blow out got 8 mpg and freaked the wife out the whole trip. On the way back we hit the hwy Way next to I-80 at about 60 stopped in little towns so she could shop and get some ice cream cost 2 extra hours but got 13 mpg and enjoyed the drive.


My BIL used to drive on highway 30, parallel to I-80 because of the horrific truck traffic and thrown up rocks, etc. on the interstate. but you could have driven at 60 on I-80 and gotten better mileage.
bumpy

WoodGlue
Explorer
Explorer
I get passed all the time by people in a hurry (I drive 55-62 mph) as it safer that way and it just seems like the right thing to do (and it's the law) I didn't get into RV'ing because I'm in a big hurry to get anywhere, I also enjoy the ride!

Your rating on the tires is also a big clue! 65 MPH!

When I'm not towing, I do 80! :B

WoodGlue
2002 Land Rover Discovery II
2014 Lance 1685 - Loaded - 4 Seasons - Solar - 2 AGM's
When Hell Freezes Over - I'll Camp There Too!
Lance Travel Trailer Info - Lance 1685 Travel Trailer - Lance 1575 Trailer

ChooChooMan74
Explorer
Explorer
A lot of the big trucking companies govern their vehicles to 55 to 65. I drive my 60MPH and let people pass me.
Great American Anti-Towing Conspiracy
2015 Ram Truck 1500 Ecodiesel Tuned By Green Diesel
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD Tuned By Green Diesel (Retired to Daily Driver)
2015 Rockwood Roo 183
Stop on by and read my Camping Blogs
Nights Camped in 2015 - 19 and Winterized

BIKERK9
Explorer
Explorer
Speed limit in CO while towing is 75 mph. Wow!
In CA it is 55 mph.
DoggyDaddy
2008 Damon Outlaw 37', WH-24, 8.1 GMC
Class A Toy Hauler
DoggyDaddy CommunityProfile