Travelling speeds with 154bh (16ft.)

[SOMBATFAMILY]

Very rare to see semis, commuter bus, rvs, or travel trailer go under 70mph in MD.

[Atlee]

Semi's, chartered bus's, Class A's are riding on tires that are speed rated for more than 65 mph. However, the tires on most TT's are not speed rated for more than 65 mph.

So yes, there are lots and lots of TT's and many 5'ers going 70 mph mor more doesn't mean the tires are happy.

And as soon as one of those tires blows, the person pulling the TT with the blown tire will start complaining about the "chinabombs" on their trailer.

Originally Posted by SOMBATFAMILY

Very rare to see semis, commuter bus, rvs, or travel trailer go under 70mph in MD.

[DocBrown]

I've towed through many states and generally keep it to about 62/63. Never a problem even in states where the speed limit on Interstates is 75.

Here's a link to general info on towing speeds in each state. IL shows N/A, but because I've towed in IL many times, I know it's 55 mph for trucks and vehicles with trailers.

Towing Speed Limits

[ifallsguy]

[QUOTE=Atlee;523167]Semi's, chartered bus's, Class A's are riding on tires that are speed rated for more than 65 mph. However, the tires on most TT's are not speed rated for more than 65 mph. [QUOTE]

Most semi and bus tires are rated at 65mph. Some are now 75mph (more expensive and not all companies or independents are willing to shell out the extra several hundred $$$), but when was the last time you saw semis and buses going that slow.

Here is GA it's common to see semis cruising at better than 80mph (from a state trooper). And on the hot concrete of the interstate, those tires have been overheating and coming apart more often. We've had multiple accidents, rollovers, etc in our section of interstate already this summer. And then those new single tires on those heavy trailers have no support when they do blow.

I hold to 60-62 since that gives me best towing MPG. Plus a bit of a safety buffer (stopping) when some idiot decides he can pull in 4 ft in front of me and then hits the brakes because of traffic or other reason.

And keep in mind, with these hotter summers making the roads hotter, the tires are hotter, making them build up more heat, making them more likely to have an issue and shorten their lives. Check them out with a IR gun sometime. You'd be surprised how hot those tires can really get.

[rkresge]

Originally Posted by SOMBATFAMILY

Very rare to see semis, commuter bus, rvs, or travel trailer go under 70mph in MD.

You obviously haven't been behind me with my travel trailer doing 62.5 mph max. In MD.

Roger

[Knauby]

I find some of this towing speed talk crazy. There may be a maximum safe speed at which you can tow but traveling on the highway has so many variables. Weather, traffic, road conditions. I don't think in terms of a set speed, rather an "appropriate" speed based on the particular roadway I am traveling on. And here in the Midatlantic region lately the Interstates all seem to have one speed.......slow.......so much traffic and congestion.

[Atlee]

I figured those tires were rated higher than 65. They certainly don't go that slow. It probably explains why there are so many "aligators" on the interstates, plus the fact that a lot of the tires on the trailers are retreads.

I concur about the speed I drive. On the interstate I will usually try to stay at 63, give or take a mile or two. There is a big difference in gas mileage from 63 to 70. If I could, I'd like to drive 55 on the interstates,
since my best towing mileage is at 55+/-, but I consider that to be too slow on an interstate.

That's another reason I like to drive the "blue" highways. Staying at 55 mph, I can add .5 to 1 mpg to my average.


[QUOTE=ifallsguy;523198][QUOTE=Atlee;523167]Semi's, chartered bus's, Class A's are riding on tires that are speed rated for more than 65 mph. However, the tires on most TT's are not speed rated for more than 65 mph.

Most semi and bus tires are rated at 65mph. Some are now 75mph (more expensive and not all companies or independents are willing to shell out the extra several hundred $$$), but when was the last time you saw semis and buses going that slow.

Here is GA it's common to see semis cruising at better than 80mph (from a state trooper). And on the hot concrete of the interstate, those tires have been overheating and coming apart more often. We've had multiple accidents, rollovers, etc in our section of interstate already this summer. And then those new single tires on those heavy trailers have no support when they do blow.

I hold to 60-62 since that gives me best towing MPG. Plus a bit of a safety buffer (stopping) when some idiot decides he can pull in 4 ft in front of me and then hits the brakes because of traffic or other reason.

And keep in mind, with these hotter summers making the roads hotter, the tires are hotter, making them build up more heat, making them more likely to have an issue and shorten their lives. Check them out with a IR gun sometime. You'd be surprised how hot those tires can really get.

[Atlee]

I think in terms of a set max speed. I concur that the amount of traffic, road conditions, weather will affect my max speed in a downward line.

Originally Posted by Knauby

I find some of this towing speed talk crazy. There may be a maximum safe speed at which you can tow but traveling on the highway has so many variables. Weather, traffic, road conditions. I don't think in terms of a set speed, rather an "appropriate" speed based on the particular roadway I am traveling on. And here in the Midatlantic region lately the Interstates all seem to have one speed.......slow.......so much traffic and congestion.

[repacs0103]

Agreed with the last couple posts. It totally depends on overall conditions. I've towed at 55 in bad weather and at 75 when traffic is flowing at that rate. There is also a big difference in experience and confidence between someone who's rarely towed and commercial drivers. I will add that tire speed ratings are not nearly the hard and fast line they're made out to be. I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on 15 and 16 inch ST tires in the past 20 years and have had exactly one tire failure- and I average 65-70 mph.


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