How fast should one drive a "C"?

[mlts22]

Here in Texas, the speed limit on 130 from Austin to I-10 is 85, and around Austin on 130, it is 80. Assuming properly rated tires, how fast should one take a "C" on roads like that, in general?

I think Sprinter based chassis models top out at 75-80, while Fords go up to 95, but there is a lot of difference between what the speed governor says a vehicle can do versus what it can do safely.

[Jim_Shoe]

On expressways, I set the speed control at 55 MPH or 5 MPH above the minimum posted speed, stay in the far right lane and let the world pass me by. I don't go thru or around Atlanta in the MH at any time of the day or night. If I'm headed for Florida from Cincinnati, I go south on I-65 thru Alabama, then I-10 to I-75S if I'm headed for the West coast, or I-95S if headed for the east coast. It takes longer, but I don't have to pry my hands off the steering wheel when I get there.

[nomad_289]

I suspect various motor-homes have a different "sweet spot" speed for handling. 65 mph is very stable on my rig. At 75 twice the concentration/correction is required.

Determine the speed that handling deteriorates and drive slightly slower to minimize fatigue.

[Jopops]

johnnyrv wrote:
58 never over 60. part of the reason i got a c mh is to enjoy the trip so why hurry. what would i do if i got there 10 minutes sooner and was stressed out

I agree !

[johnnyrv]

58 never over 60. part of the reason i got a c mh is to enjoy the trip so why hurry. what would i do if i got there 10 minutes sooner and was stressed out

[DaCrema]

I picked up my used 07 LD in Ca and drove it back to the Washington DC area a few years ago. It was my first trip in an RV though I had driven U-Haul trucks for family moving to FL and the like. After I was sure about the RV in an open stretch of road in AZ I put the peddle down and was surprised how quickly it moved up to the 90 MPH range. I quickly backed off the peddle and did an extended run staying with traffic driving from Phoenix for Tucson. Gas milage sucked. The rv felt good, with perhaps a little less road feel than my MINI.
After that I have never really run an extended run over 55-60. Even when crossing TX. Most of my long drives now are along the east coast. Some times in traffic I will go up to 65 so I do not clog those behind me. On I 95 traffic 20 MPH over the 65- 70 MPH speed limit. I just keep to the double nickel and stay to the right when that happens. I would not be able to keep up any way and they can see me a long way back. There are plenty of trucks going the same speed (or slower).

[Vintmxman]

70 mph seems very comfortable in ours but gas mileage suffers after 60 .....

[j-d]

60 or a pinch under. We usually tow. Recently did not tow, and what I found was the "drive" (tracking, handling, stability) fell off seriously when I tried 65. And the fuel mileage is better at the lower speed.

[TXiceman]

65 mph is sufficient for anyone in a class C....it is not a race car.

Ken

[Kit_Carson]

I cannot answer how fast one should drive a "c" but I will tell you that I seldom drive over 60MPH. Gas mileage sucks after that and the most important reason is why be in a hurry? Enjoy the trip.

[kendall69]

A hair below the speed limit to be safe when it comes to police radar. Much lower if the actual speed limit is too high for my comfort level.

[Bobbo]

KristinU wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
Earlier I posted that my RV's sweet spot is 62. I ran a test, kind of, back in 2011. We were going to Yellowstone National Park from Tennessee and had a limited amount of time, so I drove 72 to get there faster. That is about a 16% increase in speed.

I had a 33% decrease in fuel efficiency. My consumption went from 9 mpg to 6 mpg for that trip. For me, that was unacceptable. Now, part of that may be the Rocky Mountains, since most of our other driving is on the plains or the Smokey Mountains, but part was the speed increase.

And with my rough math (using a general 1800 miles between Tennessee and Yellowstone), that was 4 hours of drive time saved at the cost of 100 gallons of gas. About $250 using today's national average, or $62.50 per hour.

JAXFL wrote:
And if he would have done the 62mph he would have saved $200 and only stayed over night at a campground for around $50, and would have saved all that stress.

Yes, lesson definitely learned. I have not done over 62 since. I drove 62 in 2012 when I went to Moab, UT. A distance almost the same, with the same amount of time off.

[Oldme]

62 MPH on interstates, towing or not.

If I wanted faster I would still have a sports car.

[JAXFL]

KristinU wrote:
And with my rough math (using a general 1800 miles between Tennessee and Yellowstone), that was 4 hours of drive time saved at the cost of 100 gallons of gas. About $250 using today's national average, or $62.50 per hour.

And if he would have done the 62mph he would have saved $200 and only stayed over night at a campground for around $50, and would have saved all that stress.

[KristinU]

Bobbo wrote:
Earlier I posted that my RV's sweet spot is 62. I ran a test, kind of, back in 2011. We were going to Yellowstone National Park from Tennessee and had a limited amount of time, so I drove 72 to get there faster. That is about a 16% increase in speed.

I had a 33% decrease in fuel efficiency. My consumption went from 9 mpg to 6 mpg for that trip. For me, that was unacceptable. Now, part of that may be the Rocky Mountains, since most of our other driving is on the plains or the Smokey Mountains, but part was the speed increase.

And with my rough math (using a general 1800 miles between Tennessee and Yellowstone), that was 4 hours of drive time saved at the cost of 100 gallons of gas. About $250 using today's national average, or $62.50 per hour.