It only takes a second....

[seldomseensmith]

Hey all,

Been a long while since I posted, mostly because I haven't had much new to say or offer. But I'm going to make one last post to offer a cautionary tale of how things can change suddenly and dramatically all through no fault of ones own.

I was returning home from a trip to Colorado last Saturday, driving along U.S. Highway 160. At the time I was just cruising along, doing the speed limit and observing all of the rules of the road. As most people know, driving the speed limit is never enough for others with whom we share the highway, so I am constantly being passed by other vehicles with some frequency.

Right after 12:00 noon, a car began to pass me on a straight and level 2 lane section of the highway. What the driver of this car did not realize until it was too late was that the vehicle behind it had also decided to pass. 3 cars going the same direction cannot occupy the same space on a 2 lane road, and when the driver in the middle saw what was happening she swerved violently in my direction, hitting my truck with enough force to spin me around. I slid across both lanes and onto the shoulder, where soft sand caused me to roll onto the passenger side.

Fortunately, despite the speed and force of the crash I suffered no discernible injury. I cannot say the same for the truck and camper.

I don't know for certain that the truck is totaled, but I suspect it will be more expensive to repair than what the insurance company is willing to pay. The camper is unquestionably destroyed, and that loss will be harder to calculate. I am now in the unenviable position of trying to get the at fault driver's insurance to admit their liability and assess the cost.

Whatever I might receive in money cannot replace what has been lost, and I am understandably upset at being forced into a situation in which I had no choice or chance to avoid. Yes, I know it could have been worse, and I'm grateful to be alive. But in a very real sense I am experiencing almost as much pain and suffering as if I had been injured.

In any event, I would never wish this on anyone else, but know for a certainty that you can do everything right, make no mistakes, pay your bills on time, have a clean conscience, and do all in your power to live a good life - it doesn't matter. Some idiot can still take it all away from you.

[Downwindtracke1]

Robbery victim "Officer, I was just walking down the street"
Officer "What were you doing in that part of town, that late at night?"

Things are not always what they are made out to be.

[jimh406]

Jfet wrote:
Blaming a person for an accident because they were only traveling the speed limit is sort of like blaming a girl for getting raped because she is pretty.

Yeah, it's exactly the same in an alternate universe.

[Jfet]

Blaming a person for an accident because they were only traveling the speed limit is sort of like blaming a girl for getting raped because she is pretty.

[Downwindtracke1]

Two wanting to pass at the same time ??

[SidecarFlip]

adamis wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:

adamis wrote:
When driving the truck and camper up to lake Tahoe on highway 50 a few weeks ago I encountered a few stretches of road where passing lanes were far between and the turnouts came up to fast to safely use. When possible I pull to the side and let faster cars go by because it's just safer to not have someone stuck on your tail trying to get around you but this road proved challenging to allow that.

There were a few climbs that if I was maintaining a good 60mph but if I pulled over I lost all my momentum and the old 7.3 just couldn't get back up to speed. I ended up on a few sections barely being able to make it back up to 45mph after using a pullout and consequently, the cars that came up after the guy I let around earlier had to deal with a truck doing 45mph instead of 60mph.

To be fair to the 7.3, was loaded down really heavy with a full camper with a week's worth of gear plus a 12ft cargo trailer also loaded. I also realized later that I had managed to carry up full holding tanks (unplanned) plus a full fresh water tank (planned).

The lesson from this is that it's time to look for some more ways to add some power to the 7.3. Having the power to maintain speed with the flow of traffic seems like one of the best ways to avoid risky situations.

Banks Engineering.... Ford SVO did my 7.3 in 1998 and I've never had an issue with it.

45 mph is the legal minimum speed on any highway in the Continental USA anyway..

The previous owner actually installed many Banks performance mods as well as a Predator Chip. Unfortunately I didn't write a list of everything when I bought it so I don't remember exactly what I have. The issue isn't lack of power so much as working to keep the EGT down. I usually have about a 1/3 of pedal left but holding back to keep under 1200F EGT. In the future I want to take my truck to a performance shop so they can tell me what I have and give me some options on where I can go.

Take the chip out (remove it from the ECM) which is under the drivers side kick panel by the emergency brake pedal. It's overfueling, why your EGT's are so high.

[adamis]

SidecarFlip wrote:

adamis wrote:
When driving the truck and camper up to lake Tahoe on highway 50 a few weeks ago I encountered a few stretches of road where passing lanes were far between and the turnouts came up to fast to safely use. When possible I pull to the side and let faster cars go by because it's just safer to not have someone stuck on your tail trying to get around you but this road proved challenging to allow that.

There were a few climbs that if I was maintaining a good 60mph but if I pulled over I lost all my momentum and the old 7.3 just couldn't get back up to speed. I ended up on a few sections barely being able to make it back up to 45mph after using a pullout and consequently, the cars that came up after the guy I let around earlier had to deal with a truck doing 45mph instead of 60mph.

To be fair to the 7.3, was loaded down really heavy with a full camper with a week's worth of gear plus a 12ft cargo trailer also loaded. I also realized later that I had managed to carry up full holding tanks (unplanned) plus a full fresh water tank (planned).

The lesson from this is that it's time to look for some more ways to add some power to the 7.3. Having the power to maintain speed with the flow of traffic seems like one of the best ways to avoid risky situations.

Banks Engineering.... Ford SVO did my 7.3 in 1998 and I've never had an issue with it.

45 mph is the legal minimum speed on any highway in the Continental USA anyway..

The previous owner actually installed many Banks performance mods as well as a Predator Chip. Unfortunately I didn't write a list of everything when I bought it so I don't remember exactly what I have. The issue isn't lack of power so much as working to keep the EGT down. I usually have about a 1/3 of pedal left but holding back to keep under 1200F EGT. In the future I want to take my truck to a performance shop so they can tell me what I have and give me some options on where I can go.

[covered_wagon]

I agree Sidecar, Semi tractor trailers are the best thing to make highway safer, make folks slow down. Amount of time you save speeding ain't worth a flea on a log. Then consider the stress and aggravation with other highway vehicle groups way to close to everyone at unsafe speeds. Us Semi's and TCr's make them single file like they're supposed to funneling them out and not able to pass on the right.

[SidecarFlip]

I just ignore all the idiots and drive in my own space at my own speed (which incidentally is any speed above 45 mph, which is the Federally Mandated minimum speed on any Federally or State funded highway in the Continental United States).

I never get in a hurry. One, it's my dime that fills the fuel tank and two, I don't care what others think. I'm the Captain of my own ship.

If you are in that big of a hurry, leave earlier. If not, TS.

[covered_wagon]

adamis wrote:
When driving the truck and camper up to lake Tahoe on highway 50 a few weeks ago I encountered a few stretches of road where passing lanes were far between and the turnouts came up to fast to safely use. When possible I pull to the side and let faster cars go by because it's just safer to not have someone stuck on your tail trying to get around you but this road proved challenging to allow that.

There were a few climbs that if I was maintaining a good 60mph but if I pulled over I lost all my momentum and the old 7.3 just couldn't get back up to speed. I ended up on a few sections barely being able to make it back up to 45mph after using a pullout and consequently, the cars that came up after the guy I let around earlier had to deal with a truck doing 45mph instead of 60mph.



To be fair to the 7.3, was loaded down really heavy with a full camper with a week's worth of gear plus a 12ft cargo trailer also loaded. I also realized later that I had managed to carry up full holding tanks (unplanned) plus a full fresh water tank (planned).

The lesson from this is that it's time to look for some more ways to add some power to the 7.3. Having the power to maintain speed with the flow of traffic seems like one of the best ways to avoid risky situations.

I went up that road once.... other drivers were mean, nasty and unreasonable in that area. Won't even slow down if their life depended on it and going 5 over doesn't matter they were all mostly evil drivers. The same disease is spreading everywhere.

[SidecarFlip]

slickrock steve wrote:
Well welcome to "Kalifornia"....where drivers are the best in the world....driving 80MPH bumper to bumper!

And you can now pay .71cents a gallon fuel tax.....on top of the federal and local taxes

I thought that was the Taconic Parkway in New York.....

[SidecarFlip]

adamis wrote:
When driving the truck and camper up to lake Tahoe on highway 50 a few weeks ago I encountered a few stretches of road where passing lanes were far between and the turnouts came up to fast to safely use. When possible I pull to the side and let faster cars go by because it's just safer to not have someone stuck on your tail trying to get around you but this road proved challenging to allow that.

There were a few climbs that if I was maintaining a good 60mph but if I pulled over I lost all my momentum and the old 7.3 just couldn't get back up to speed. I ended up on a few sections barely being able to make it back up to 45mph after using a pullout and consequently, the cars that came up after the guy I let around earlier had to deal with a truck doing 45mph instead of 60mph.

To be fair to the 7.3, was loaded down really heavy with a full camper with a week's worth of gear plus a 12ft cargo trailer also loaded. I also realized later that I had managed to carry up full holding tanks (unplanned) plus a full fresh water tank (planned).

The lesson from this is that it's time to look for some more ways to add some power to the 7.3. Having the power to maintain speed with the flow of traffic seems like one of the best ways to avoid risky situations.

Banks Engineering.... Ford SVO did my 7.3 in 1998 and I've never had an issue with it.

45 mph is the legal minimum speed on any highway in the Continental USA anyway..

[jimh406]

Southern bias from someone from Oregon, go figure. Strong imagination ... or legal pot. 🙂

[sgip2000]

Terryallan wrote:

sgip2000 wrote:

evanrem wrote:
The speed limits out west are to fast for a county boy from WI towing a trailer. 65 MPH on two lane highways curving through the mountains is no fun when I can about 55 MPH. I do pull over quite a bit and let people pass. Glad you are all ok.

The reason WI has a low speed limit is because WI drivers are some of the worst in the country. Not as bad as the south though.

Wow. This from a person from Oregon. :h

Y'all got schools, and electricity out there yet? :R

I've driven all over the country and yes, Wisconsin has some of the worst drivers. Not as bad as Kentucky, Tennessee, or Georgia though. Oregon drivers are just slow.

We produce electricity for most of the west coast. As far as schools go, those are just wasted real estate for the most part.

[adamis]

When driving the truck and camper up to lake Tahoe on highway 50 a few weeks ago I encountered a few stretches of road where passing lanes were far between and the turnouts came up to fast to safely use. When possible I pull to the side and let faster cars go by because it's just safer to not have someone stuck on your tail trying to get around you but this road proved challenging to allow that.

There were a few climbs that if I was maintaining a good 60mph but if I pulled over I lost all my momentum and the old 7.3 just couldn't get back up to speed. I ended up on a few sections barely being able to make it back up to 45mph after using a pullout and consequently, the cars that came up after the guy I let around earlier had to deal with a truck doing 45mph instead of 60mph.

To be fair to the 7.3, was loaded down really heavy with a full camper with a week's worth of gear plus a 12ft cargo trailer also loaded. I also realized later that I had managed to carry up full holding tanks (unplanned) plus a full fresh water tank (planned).

The lesson from this is that it's time to look for some more ways to add some power to the 7.3. Having the power to maintain speed with the flow of traffic seems like one of the best ways to avoid risky situations.