When Driving Your RV On Trips: A note from a tourist town resident

[Dragginourbedaround]

That being said, I pull over any time I can when traffic lines up behind me, even if I am driving the speed limit. I get frustrated myself when I am behind a motorhome or TT going 45 in a 55 zone and passing by signed, marked, hard surfaced, and quite long pull-outs!

We are about 55' long between the coach and toad. The O/P's concern is one reason why I prefer driving on multi-lane interstates instead of back roads. Most of the time there isn't sufficient notice as to where the next pull-out is, if there is a place to pull over. By the time I see the sign about the pull-out there isn't enough road left to slow down and safely pull over without bringing everything in the back of the coach to the front. I used to get frustrated as well, but not since I started driving an RV. And that video was awesome.

[Roy M]

It is frustrating at times but the op has to learn to be patient or move to a less congested area. We live in a tourist mecca and traffic is horrendous right now. Turning on or off the two lane highway past our home can test the nerves and at times be hair raising. There have been several wrecks recently, each one caused by an impatient driver overtaking at the wrong time. Fortunately no fatalities yet.
SeilerBird is correct, the posted speeds are the limit under ideal conditions. They are not recommended or mandatory as conditions change rapidly. When towing I stay at 90kmh, 55 mph. That is where I am comfortable.  If I see traffic backing up behind me I will pull over as long as it is safe to do so. There are several 4 lane roads in the province with a 120kmh limit, I don't travel that speed under any circumstances but lead foot drivers charging up behind and making abrupt lane changes make me downright nervous.

[99dart]

You sound alot like me. I keep an eye on the traffic behind me and pull out when safely possible. Being an x-truck driver I understand the frustration of being stuck behind a slow RV. My truck had a speed limiter set at 62mph. Try passing someone doing 55 when you can only get up to 62. You don't! Even passing in a passing lane I had people speed up to keep me from getting by, then slow to 50-55mph again. 

One thing that the OP wrote that I totally agree with:  The car that pulls up behind me and 'will not pass' even when there is plenty of straight open road.  That happens a lot.

On the other hand I see to many RV'ers oblivious to the vehicles behind them, or on multi lane highways and interstates impeding traffic by driving in lanes toward the center of the multi lane hwy.  I try to always drive in the 1st or 2nd lane from the right, almost never in the center or farthermost left lane. 

On 2 lane hwys, when I come up to a passing lane, I stay to the right and reduce my speed an additional 10-15 mph.  HOWEVER what aggravates me is the cars behind me have no sense of urgency.  Some of them kind of putt, putt along and pass me at a little under the speed limit.  Some have been hanging back 10 car lengths and don't bother to notice the passing lane coming up so they can prepare to pass me, thereby allowing the vehicles behind them to get around me as well. 

Going up a hill with 3%-10% grade, I generally will not pull over and stop in pullouts.  I really dislike loosing all my momentum and the need to start up from a dead stop again.  As stated earlier in passing lanes I do pull to the right and reduce my speed to allow as many to pass as I can.  I do make exceptions.  If I see a long string of cars, 6-10, I will pull over and stop.   Also I more often pull over and stop in pullouts going downhill. 

When a trucker comes up behind me, I work much harder to allow them to pass.  I will anticipate a save passing zone and pull as far to the right as possible and reduce my speed.  Many times I will turn my right hand blinker on as well.  The vast majority of the time the truckers will pass me and usually blink there running lights to say thank you. 

The OP could protest to his state to build some or more passing lanes on the hwy he drives on.

[ArdraF]

Regarding those pullouts.  Murphy's Law being what it is, you usually top a hill or round a bend and there it is without any warning and too late to pull off.  There are seldom signs about upcoming pullouts so trying to find AND USE one SAFELY on some roads is darned near impossible.  I'm not going to endanger myself or my RV trying to pull off onto a space that is too short or too soon in the case of someone on my tail who's dying to pass.  With 65 feet length and 40,000 pounds it's not as easy as the uninitiated might think.  We do the best we can!

ArdraF

[John From Detroit]

Regarding posted speed limits.. For my RV the "Sweet spot" is about 60 MPH. faster than that I burn too much gas.. So I obey posted limits.   Many do not.. I once got a 9-1-1 call from an angry motorist  He was upset because there was a state trooper driving exactly the speed limit and nobody wished to pass him so traffic was backing up.. Well he was not happy with my answer so he ask for my supervisor.. He was not happy with Sgt. Harry either.

I do pull over when I can and lewt traffic pass.  Sometimes they even say THanks.

When Driving the RV.. Well for one thing I'm listening to channel 19.. But I operate on the theory I have all the time in the world to get where I'm going... I see many who seem to be in one "Heck" of a hurry.

Well what we (The speeder) and I have in common is our destination.. I'm going to my funeral. As SLOWLY AS I CAN.. He seems to be in a hurry to get to his. I just hope he goes alone.

Channel 19.. Well more than once I've heard about problems on the road ahead and avoided them.. THe last was not one but two places, about 3 miles away where people arrived at the aforementioned destination. Not one but TWO Fatal accidents.. I found the exit just as the police closed the road had a relaxing evening and continued on in the AM on a clear highway.

[Old Radios]

While I'm mindful of not trying to tie up traffic, this bumper sticker says it all.

[scottydl]

I'm going out on a limb and guess you are a younger person and/or an aggressive driver. Patience is a virtue which I encourage you to cultivate.

My thoughts exactly too, or an "inexperienced driver" in general.  And by inexperienced I don't mean the OP just started driving, but likely has limited experience with vehicles/routes other than their daily commute in their daily driver car/truck.  I'm 39yo and far from retired, but my job has granted me experience driving a dozen different types of vehicles in varying conditions + I've owned two RV's (a big ol' motorhome, and a big ol' trailer towing combo) that have greatly widened my perspective on driving.  I have a lot more awareness of other RV'ers, truckers, agriculture equipment operators, etc. that I would not have otherwise.  I still don't like getting stuck behind any of them when I'm in my car, but I can certainly understand their situation.

Maybe the OP would like us to operate our RV's in this manner:

https://youtu.be/ohkAxbeMxVo

LOL!  And I actually laughed out loud while watching that. 

[mn blue skies II]

 On freeways I do 60 mph and stay in the far right lane.I also leave a lot of space in front so I will not have to make panic stops.  Maybe if cars like the OP respected rvers like he want us to respect him I would feel guilty.  People making right turns on red right in front of us, and my favorite is cars coming down ramps but not seeing there is 50+ feet of truck and trailer in the spot he wants to be. 

[regval]

Welcome to The RV Forum!

I hope you decide to stick around and learn the many wonderful parts of the RV lifestyle that you currently don't yet appear to understand.

 

[JoelP]

While keep myself aware of vehicles behind me and use pull offs when I see cars collecting behind me, regardless of how fast I am traveling many pull offs are not well marked to advise that I am approaching them.  In my rig it sometimes a challenge to brake in time to turn into these.  Perhaps the OP could put more effort into having local pull off marked to advise of approaching pull outs.

[Macrver]

I often use pull outs to let traffic get by.  Sometimes, the pullout is hidden by a hill or a curve and I don't get enough warning to slow down to use the pullout because you are so close behind me using a pullout would mean you run into me.

[zmotorsports]

This has gotten so bad it actually made me register to hopefully educate some of you RV owners and hopefully save some lives and some nerves.

Personally, I believe that if you cannot drive your RV at LEAST the speed limit on highways, you shouldn't be allowed to own one because some of you are causing dangerous situations because of your inability to drive the speed limit and to take others into consideration.

I travel a highway to and from work that goes to a tourist destination and 90% of the slow traffic (meaning 10-40 MPH UNDER the speed limit) are caused by RV drivers.

Not a day goes by that I travel the highway and it's not being congested by an RV driver doing 10-40 MPH UNDER the posted speed limit.

They have even put in a pull over lane for those of you slow drivers but many are too oblivious to figure out that the pull out lane is for THEM (you) and take no regard for others. Pretty selfish.

There are some folks who dont mind passing RV's in a safe and lawful way when it's clear to do so. Unfortunately, there are some non-RV drivers who dont realize they are causing another dangerous situation by following RV drivers (by not passing themselves) making it a long line of cars for those of us who want to drive the posted speed limit.

So please, take into consideration that big long line of vehicles behind you as you tinker along in your own little world giving no regard for those of us who can actually drive the speed limit.

Now that you have gotten that off your chest.

Let me educate YOU and your fellow small automobile travelers.

When you see a large RV coming down the road do NOT turn out right in front of them as they cannot stop in the same fashion and like to have some momentum for grades.  It kills me how many cars will sit and watch a large gap go by only to pull out JUST in front of me where there was a huge gap between me and the car in front of me.

Also, if you feel you have to pass an RV, please keep the speed maintained AFTER you pass the RV.  It is quite frustrating to have you and your fellow puddle jumper autos pull around you just to slow down to the speed limit or below and then I push you along the highway while you flip me off in your rear view mirror.

Also, learn how to freakin' merge.  Don't poke along on the on-ramp and enter the freeway traffic @ 50 MPH and then all of a sudden realize you're in traffic and speed up to 80, move over in front of me and slow back down to 65 MPH.

There, I feel better now so I guess we're even.

Mike

[judway]

My toad limits my speed to 64.5 mph max. GMC says not to tow vehicle over 65 mph.

[Oldgator73]

Learn how to merge. If I don't move out of the right lane it's because I have a vehicle next to me and can't. Either speed up and get in front of me or slow down and merge in behind me. It's not up to me to adjust my speed so you can merge onto the highway. I've actually had motorists get really pissed at me because I didn't slow down so they could merge in front of me. Gave me the old IQ score when they passed me.

[Dragginourbedaround]

My toad limits my speed to 64.5 mph max. GMC says not to tow vehicle over 65 mph.

Honda has the same limit for my Fit.

[Gods Country]

and my favorite is cars coming down ramps but not seeing there is 50+ feet of truck and trailer in the spot he wants to be.

Because for some reason most people on ramps don't seem to understand they have the duty to yield.  That would be the big yield sign that is frequently ignored.  
Not to mention the person merging is suppose to move in behind oncoming traffic when they encounter another vehicle in lane they intend to merge.

Learn how to merge. If I don't move out of the right lane it's because I have a vehicle next to me and can't. Either speed up and get in front of me or slow down and merge in behind me. It's not up to me to adjust my speed so you can merge onto the highway. I've actually had motorists get really pissed at me because I didn't slow down so they could merge in front of me. Gave me the old IQ score when they passed me.

Yep.
I had a road rager try to run me off the road in upstate NY last year because I didn't slow down to let him in.
No one in front,behind, or along side me for a few hundred yards.  The easiest merge anyone could hope for, and it was still my fault because I didn't slow down my rig while going a whopping 60mph on an uphill grade.

People are amazing.

[Drifterrider]

Personally, I believe that if you cannot drive your RV at LEAST the speed limit on highways, you shouldn't be allowed to own one because some of you are causing dangerous situations because of your inability to drive the speed limit and to take others into consideration.

The "speed limit" to which you refer is the MAXIMUM permissible speed, not the minimum speed.  If you want a minimum speed, contact your elected representatives.

As to those who block traffic (you know, cruise control 1 mph over in the left lane of the interstate), that isn't restricted to RVs.  Of course, the OP can ask everyone to please get off "his" road.  It's a thought.

[DearMissMermaid]

And to think I wanted to rant about the newby RV-ers that go way to fast making it dangerous for the rest of us.

What was I thinking?

[RedandSilver]

I'll be really surprised if we ever hear from the OP again, because we are defending our position of safe driving that he doesn't understand.

They have even put in a pull over lane for those of you slow drivers but many are too oblivious to figure out that the pull out lane is for THEM (you) and take no regard for others. Pretty selfish.

A (as in 1) doesn't cut it as many times they are not marked as upcoming and out of town RV'ers have other things to be concerned with
like not hitting any one or thing.  And getting hit from behind because you had to slam on the brakes - would be fun either.

Not a day goes by that I travel the highway and it's not being congested by an RV driver doing 10-40 MPH UNDER the posted speed limit.

Even in the Winter time?  Every single day he travels it's congested?  So is he is being Honest?

[ArdraF]

I'll be really surprised if we ever hear from the OP again, because we are defending our position of safe driving that he doesn't understand.

Yep, he hasn't returned since his rant.

ArdraF

[Tom and Margi]

He wasn't interested in a solution, he just wanted to rant, insult, and vanish into the cybersphere.  Good riddance.

[KandT]

Ya gotta love first world problems!  These rv's which pump money into my towns economy don't drive fast enough when I am sitting in my a/c car. 

At any rate, I will say I always thought of myself as respectful to semi truckers and then when I got an RV and understood better what they are dealing with my level of politeness has increased dramatically.

Maybe she could spend a few miles towing a Jeep behind a 36 foot v10.  Nah she'll just complain.  That always solves the problem!🙄

What forum do I complain to that I was trying to learn about RVing and she slowed ME down! 
I will keep my guesses of the name of that forum to myself.

[8Muddypaws]

I may be slow but I'm ahead of you.

[Joezeppy]

I may be slow but I'm ahead of you.

LOL...that's Kim's philosophy when she runs! 

[utahclaimjumper]

 I have heard it summed up this way  " "a speed limit  is an OPTION,,,not a REQUIREMENT. >>>D

[Oldgator73]

I have heard it summed up this way  " "a speed limit  is an OPTION,,,not a REQUIREMENT. >>>D

When my wife and I are on the road she will annoyingly inform me on occasion what the speed limit is. I tell her that is only a suggestion.

[QZ]

I think I know who the people are who tailgate even when I'm doing 5 or 10 over.

[Oldgator73]

I think I know who the people are who tailgate even when I'm doing 5 or 10 over.

She also lets me know when I am tailgating.