Just got back a few hours ago from our summer trip from Miami to Door county, WI and back. About 5000 miles round trip. All kinds of roads from gravel one lane to interstate. We pull a 37' TT behind a Ford Excursion, so a about 57' or so going down the road. Maybe I'm just getting older, but these three things really seemed to bother me on this trip.#1 - merging is a lost art. I'm doing the speed limit in the right lane, cars passing me regularly, and one car will be coming onto the interstate from an on ramp. They get a quarter mile to decide whether to pass me up or tuck in behind. I can't go anywhere! Ultimately, they ride up right beside me expecting me to magically let them in. I can't!!#2 - Passing lanes. Same problem. I drive the speed limit while towing. No slower, no faster. If that's 55 on a two-laner, that's what I do. So, I politely take the slow lane when one comes up. Invariably, I get cut-off when the passing lane merges back into flow. I've ridden the gravel shoulder, locked up the brakes . . . you name it. #3 - Stuck in the fast lane. Related to #1, I'll move over if I can, but then I'm doing the speed limit in the fast lane, with my right blinker on, and everybody gets mad as they pass me on the right. I could never drive OTR truck. Too many idiots on the roads. Yet I'm getting older. Sorry for the vent.And get off my lawn.

Every once in a while I like to not move over or slow down (because I don't have to) and watch what the car does coming up the ramp.

40' class A pulling a 4-dr Jeep SUV so we're about the same length as the OP..#1 - completely agree. merging into traffic must not be taught. more and more we're seeing merging cars suddenly stop...dead stop...at the bottom of the ramp. in urban areas where there are 3-lanes more often as not you'll find us in the middle lane keeping up with traffic.#2 - i tend to move over into the passing lane to let traffic pass. i've noticed that many vehicles aren't ready to pass after i move over. i don't wait till the last minute to pull back left into the traffic lane, when i see the 1/2-mile warning sign i make my move..,earlier if there's a vehicle hanging back. #3 - i usually drive 65 or the speed limit, whichever is iess and when less than 65 usually 3-5 mph over. but when i move left to pass...really rare it seems...i speed up. get over, pass, get back. sorry, but to remain at the posted speed in the passing lane when other traffic is in that lane behind you is just asking for trouble. i don't deny that i've been caught in the left lane. bad judgement on my part. that's rare but when it happens i get right ASAP.

Law of the road....whoever has the biggest, baddest vehicle has the right-of-way. RV's win, except against semi's.

I fill up with fuel where the county deputy sheriffs fill up for fuel. It's close to my place and is a private fuel station for businesses. I have talked with 3 different deputies in the last 2 months and they all say the same thing that people are getting worse. Not only in their driving but other aspects of behavior as well. They said they see it everyday.I avoid the interstates, but if I need to be on one I stay in the slow lane and go the 5 over. I slow down to let the mergers go in front and yes a lot of them are really annoyingly slow, act like it not deliberate. I just let them in front just to see how bad they can be. It's funny.Remember to not let them annoy you, people are letting bad behavior get a strong foothold in themselves. I see it everyday too.

This whole wont let you over and failure to merge is nothing new, back in the early 90's when we were racing (40'F/W, severely underpowered truck) I regularly had to feed guardrail to folks who refused to speed up, as it took forever for my combination to get back up to speed, I couldn't risk being rear ended by some idiot.

Pet Peeves long road trip | Good Sam Community

cummins2014
Explorer
Jul 18, 2020
time2roll wrote:
cummins2014 wrote:
azdryheat wrote:
Every once in a while I like to not move over or slow down (because I don't have to) and watch what the car does coming up the ramp.
And there lies the problem, attitudes like yours.
OK and the last on ramp I sped up and the merging traffic made a race out of it to come from behind. And the three before that the merging vehicle was at my front bumper so I slowed down to which the person did same to get behind me. So then like azddryheat I get bored with the attempted help and just remain on the cruise control. Can't win for losing.

I am referring to just flat not moving over when you can , there are times when you can't.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Jul 17, 2020
Dutch_12078 wrote:

I'm referring to heavy traffic situations where there are no holes large enough
Would you prefer I stop on the ramp and wait for rush hour to clear???

If there is no hole large enough, then absolutely stop rather than cause a collision.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Jul 17, 2020
Dutch_12078 wrote:
JRscooby wrote:
Dutch_12078 wrote:
I've found in general when I'm merging on to a busy highway with our motorhome and toad that the OTR truckers are usually the most helpful in either moving over or backing off to make a hole for me. I try to return the favor as much as possible...

Can you explain why you should expect anybody to slow down to let you in?
Get YOUR head on your shoulders, look at the traffic, judge speed and drop in behind the one you expect to slow.

I'm referring to heavy traffic situations where there are no holes large enough for my 55' combo to fit in. I don't expect anyone to let me in, but as I said, in general it's the OTR truckers that face the same situation that will "make a hole" for me to tuck in to behind another vehicle. Would you prefer I stop on the ramp and wait for rush hour to clear???

No, I don't want anybody to stop at the bottom of ramp. Years of moving heavy, I know what to do. As soon as you start the ramp stand on that pedal on the right. Get your snot moving the speed of traffic as soon as you can. Then you can tuck in tight behind that truck. You match their speed, don't force them to match yours
time2roll
Nomad
Jul 17, 2020
cummins2014 wrote:
azdryheat wrote:
Every once in a while I like to not move over or slow down (because I don't have to) and watch what the car does coming up the ramp.
And there lies the problem, attitudes like yours.
OK and the last on ramp I sped up and the merging traffic made a race out of it to come from behind. And the three before that the merging vehicle was at my front bumper so I slowed down to which the person did same to get behind me. So then like azddryheat I get bored with the attempted help and just remain on the cruise control. Can't win for losing.
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Jul 17, 2020
JRscooby wrote:
Dutch_12078 wrote:
I've found in general when I'm merging on to a busy highway with our motorhome and toad that the OTR truckers are usually the most helpful in either moving over or backing off to make a hole for me. I try to return the favor as much as possible...

Can you explain why you should expect anybody to slow down to let you in?
Get YOUR head on your shoulders, look at the traffic, judge speed and drop in behind the one you expect to slow.

I'm referring to heavy traffic situations where there are no holes large enough for my 55' combo to fit in. I don't expect anyone to let me in, but as I said, in general it's the OTR truckers that face the same situation that will "make a hole" for me to tuck in to behind another vehicle. Would you prefer I stop on the ramp and wait for rush hour to clear???
cummins2014
Explorer
Jul 17, 2020
azdryheat wrote:
Every once in a while I like to not move over or slow down (because I don't have to) and watch what the car does coming up the ramp.

And there lies the problem, attitudes like yours.
bucky
Explorer II
Jul 17, 2020
I don't look for trouble but as many of those bastids have pulled out right in front of me I just do what I do. If they want to do something stupid it will be on my dash cam.
bigorange
Explorer
Jul 17, 2020
1320Fastback wrote:
Merging is a serious problem with the majority of drivers. They simply do not understand they need to be at the highways minimum speed by the time they merge. They also do not understand the car that is already on the freeway has the right of way under all circumstances and they need to avoid it.

The last time I remember getting pulled over I was in the right lane and didn’t yield to the merging vehicle. I asked the cop if I was in the wrong...answer was that we both were and I was easier to pull over...whatever. LoL
afidel
Explorer II
Jul 17, 2020
Lwiddis wrote:
On ramp problems are by far the most irritating to me....”hit the gas, dope!”

Yup, I gross 5 tons and have a giant sail behind me and I can hit the speed limit by the end of the ramps, what is your excuse!

As far as cruising speed, I do 68, fast enough that once I pass the semis that are governed to 65 I'm not playing leapfrog games but I'm still within the rating of my tires, in a decent range for fuel economy (11.1mpg over 30k miles), and off of the cops radar. I also use the #2 lane from the right in urban areas unless I'm using the HoV lane.
Sjm9911
Explorer
Jul 17, 2020
Kevinwa wrote:
Sjm9911 wrote:
Kevinwa wrote:
Lots in This thread have stated that the vehicle on the main highway has the right of way. For my jurisdiction and most others that post their rules online it is a shared responsibility and the vehicle on the main highway is supposed to move to the left lane unless unsafe to do so. Maybe even the so called experts on merging need to brush up on proper technique.

https://www.alberta.ca/entering-and-exiting-a-major-roadway.aspx

In the USA, the person merging into the highway has to yield. So the right of way are the people allready on the highway. Nothing shared here, and no moving over required.

You are right, I just looked up the driver manual for your state. I learn something every day!

All good i learn something new everyday also, i just forget more then i learn. Go figure.

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