Towing speed

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by CrowCross

So, Ive been heading to Arizona from Philly the last few days....trying to limit my speed to 65 MPH. People have told me 65 is the limit....is that realistic or is 70 more realistic?
Any reasons why or why not?

Just for the record I've been getting an average of 6.45 MPG.

You need to remember that the formula for load capacity for ST type tires is based on a MAX operating speed of 65 mph. Faster operating speed may be possible with increased inflation and reduced loading.


In my Class-C I get 10 with cruse set to 62.

[deano]

Our tt is 26ft.total go 60 to 65 max with Goodyear's just because I'm reminded of the weight your towing . Stopping and controlling that weight in an emergency could be a little scary

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

What tires are on your rig? That is the limiting factor as many RV tires are speed rated at 65. If you have GOODYEAR ENDURANCE tires then 70 would be acceptable since they have a higher rating. Remember that your fuel economy may drop if you do run at 70.

I just looked up my Goodyear G670 tires and they have a speed rating of 75 mph. Thanks I didn't think to look it up before. I was probably over the speed rating on my old Polyglas tires in 1969 at 140

[Lastbeer]

Some good responses here.

My two cents: vehicle, weight, tires, safety, roads, etc.

My diesel pulling 16k lbs likes 67-74. Safety is my main concern. I can cruise at 72 easily, but keep it 67 for less stress. 67 and 10-11 mpg

Hate to say that 80 worked the other day, but mpg dropped hard. Hahaha

Good luck.

[PEEWEEH]

Originally Posted by crowcross

so, ive been heading to arizona from philly the last few days....trying to limit my speed to 65 mph. People have told me 65 is the limit....is that realistic or is 70 more realistic?
Any reasons why or why not?

Just for the record i've been getting an average of 6.45 mpg.

just because you can doesn't mean you should. Tire rating for speed is a limitation. Tow vehicle is a limitation. And when that rear end crash that just happened ahead of is a definite limitation. Nothing good comes of a crash where speed is a factor

[TJR]

I pulled a 35’ fifth wheel with 3/4 ton duramax. Truck was rated at 13500 for 5th wheel. Loaded trailer was 12500. My rule was 10 mph below posted speed for cars. Just remember you don’t stop as fast and bad things tend to happen really fast when towing.

[berwin]

My first day driving an RV was very stressful trying to keep up with traffic. Mid-morning of the next day, I decided to just drop to 55 and let everyone pass me. Now, I occasionally let it creep up to 60 out in the country if there is no traffic to speak of. Not like I'm in a hurry. Towing my Chevy Colorado, we get 9.5 MPG.

[joe w]

Towing our 212QB with our Ram 1500 we get 10.8 MPG @60 MPH. Felt like we were standing still while traveling along I90 on the way to Mt Rushmore in S Dakota. Weather and road conditions determine our daily mileage.

[TomTerrific]

Originally Posted by CrowCross

So, Ive been heading to Arizona from Philly the last few days....trying to limit my speed to 65 MPH. People have told me 65 is the limit....is that realistic or is 70 more realistic?
Any reasons why or why not?

Just for the record I've been getting an average of 6.45 MPG.

I run about 62 to 65 just because I feel more comfortable with 18 wheelers going by and crosswords (although with an 8000 lb Duramax deisel it really isn't a problem)


You must have a gas truck?
Im getting 12.5 mpg on mild rolling foothills and 14.5 on flat stuff pulling Jayco 31mls.

[TomTerrific]

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

That's also a function of hours or miles per day. A lot of travelers follow the rule of 4 or 5. As in 400 miles or 4 pm or 500 miles or 5 pm.

I tend to get a second wind and enjoy driving after dinner for a couple three hours so that was rarely my thing. My long trip days cover 600 miles or so. We've stretched it towing to 800 miles but I don't want to try that again.

We use the 222 rule....

No more than 200 miles/day,

Arrive by 2 o'clock in the afternoon so we're set up in daykight and ready for happy hour.

Stay 2 days per stop so were not setting up and tearing down everyday.


Our kitty appreciates it too..

[Bill Johnson]

My Jayco 29xk I looked up the speed rating and it said 112, I ran 75 to Minnesota, I just didn't like the temperature of the tires

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

My Jayco 29xk I looked up the speed rating and it said 112, I ran 75 to Minnesota, I just didn't like the temperature of the tires

What’s your high temps? I’m in south florida and mine get in to the 110 range all the time. Especially the inboard tire next to the exhaust, that get hot quickly. I’ve read RV tire temps can get to 200-225 before it’s dangerous. I realize this is a blanket statement so other may have better scientific answers.

[Fleetman]

Cruise control on 67mph for me. Sweet spot for my 6.7 diesel, 1.4 k rpm. Best torque spot, 1o.5-12 mpg.

[Bill Johnson]

I don't remember but the tires would get warm after driving a few miles. My Thor only changes a little. I wonder if the tires weren't rated high enough

[Wireless Mike]

Originally Posted by CrowCross

I've been driving about 5 MPH under the speed limit...65 MPH...just to make the drive easier. At 70 MPH as you know you have to fight with the traffic all day long. It's easier to let the cars and trucks pass you.

My tires are Michelin on a Jayco 31DS pulling a 2019 Ford Edge.

I'm new to the big Jayco Seneca, but it can easily do 70-75. But as stated by others, it becomes stressful constantly looking for a slot in traffic and MPG drops dramatically.
On my maiden voyage of 1200 miles up to Wisconsin in Oct, I did 68-75 & got 7.5-9mpg. 1200 miles back I backed off to 68, then 65, the 63. Found my personal sweet spot at 63-65, far less stressful. And MPG improved 8.5-11.5, depending on terrain & temperature.

[Kiwimg]

As long as people can get past me then I’m ok doing 50mph towing a Jayco X17C with my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7AWD and averaging 12.5 mpg. The best part is that I’ll get there when I get there, as long as I’m not holding anyone else up, I’m a happy camper!

[Lake Elmo kid]

Has anyone camped at Red Lodge, Montana? If you have, which campgrounds with full hookups would you recommend? Thanks

[joe w]

Not Red Lodge however we did stay at the West Yellowstone KOA for a week, great facility.

[videoarizona]

Tires.
Mpgs.
Safety.

But... Unless I missed it.... No one has mentioned age. No... Not the rig or tires age...OUR age.
Unless you are a miracle, our reaction time has increased dramatically over the years. The difference between reacting to an issue at 75mph vs 65 mph is a critical factor.

Slow down. 65 is perfect on the interstate. Let the people go zooming by.

BTW, I will not travel in the right lane on a 3 lane interstate in or near a city. I take the middle Lane. To many idiots don't know how to merge... or zoom across 2 Lanes to try and make an exit. I don't need practice in emergency banking, thank you!

Take your time. Your wife will thank you. Your China bombs will thank you.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

What’s your high temps? I’m in south florida and mine get in to the 110 range all the time. Especially the inboard tire next to the exhaust, that get hot quickly. I’ve read RV tire temps can get to 200-225 before it’s dangerous. I realize this is a blanket statement so other may have better scientific answers.

I tried to check on line for tire temps because that is how I set my pressure/temperature monitor on the dash, this is what I found---RV tires can get 30 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperature. Since the maximum rated temperature for most tires is 156 degrees Fahrenheit and if the tire temperature increases by 60 degrees, that means that on a 95-degree day, your tire could be at 155 degrees. That's pushing the limit. Of course, most of the time your tires will not be getting a full 60 degrees hotter than ambient temperature, and also there is a safety factor built into these numbers. I think you can see that since tires get hotter when they are underinflated, only a slightly underinflated tire could spell real trouble. And by-the-way, metal conducts heat well and the temperature will more or less be uniform in a piece of metal, but rubber is not a good conductor of heat. This means that there can be hot spots in your tires. I would go outside and check but it's too cold and the motorhome is covered