Man, I can really hate concrete highways

[Bobtop46]

The bumps were so jarring that the slide awning moved enough to knock the anti billow device off.  After that the slide awning unrolled and was billowing in the wind.  We heard a snap after hitting a bump and wondered what it was.  Now we know.  This was gone.

http://www.dyersonline.com/dometic-black-anti-billow-hardware.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&gclid=CNqOyd-kotQCFYhsfgodCtkCYQ

 

[Bill N]

The bumps were so jarring that the slide awning moved enough to knock the anti billow device off.  After that the slide awning unrolled and was billowing in the wind.  We heard a snap after hitting a bump and wondered what it was.  Now we know.  This was gone.

http://www.dyersonline.com/dometic-black-anti-billow-hardware.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&gclid=CNqOyd-kotQCFYhsfgodCtkCYQ

To divert for one post, can you tell me how the anti-billow device works. I just replaced my awning that had the aluminum cover over it with one where the awning is exposed.  I cannot see how this device works but suspect, with my bad luck, it may behoove me to install one.  Thanks.

Bill

 

[Bobtop46]

When the slide topper awning tries to unroll the anti billowing device hits the stopper mounted on the RV wall.  Only works when the slide is in.  In our case a combination of rough road, a head wind, and trucks passing (during single lane construction situation) caused the device to snap off and our slide awning to billow out (unroll.)

Hopefully this is not a social fax pas:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/billowing-slide-topper-183374-2.html

 

[Bill N]

When the slide topper awning tries to unroll the anti billowing device hits the stopper mounted on the RV wall.  Only works when the slide is in.  In our case a combination of rough road, a head wind, and trucks passing (during single lane construction situation) caused the device to snap off and our slide awning to billow out (unroll.)

Hopefully this is not a social fax pas:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/billowing-slide-topper-183374-2.html

Thanks for the reply.  I neglected to notice that this was for slide awnings.  I was looking for something for my side awning.

Bill

 

[lone_star_dsl]

There is nothing wrong with a properly built and maintained concrete road surface.  PROPERLY MAINTAINED.

IT is long lasting, and over all lower in cost than asphalt lasting easily 2-3 times as long.

BUT: First it has to be properly built. Here in the US they tend to go "Cheap" which means the road does not last as long as if they made it a bit ..Er.. Thicker.

And of course we do not properly maintain them, Patch, Patch, Patch, instead of re-do.. WHY. Well... That... Is politics.. a compound word.. made iup of POLY (meaning many) and TICS, which as you know are blood sucking parasites....

I don't think anyone here is complaining about the longevity of concrete highways. The main complaint is about the lengths of sections between expansion joints causing rhythmic or harmonic vibrations in vehicles.

I travel on 25 miles of concrete highway everyday. The expansion joints are 20' apart and match the wheelbase of my truck perfectly. This causes the truck to start bouncing up and down violently. The bounce is so bad that you cannot carry on a conversation inside the truck.

 

[blw2]

just wrapping up a drive from Florida to the Grand Canyon and back.... very few of the concrete stretches are good.  I saw a lot of rough asphalt sections too....but mostly I was happy to come upon asphalt!

 

[DeSwen]

Thank you so much for the I-10 update. We drove it a couple years ago and found it miserable. We are headed to Texas again from Florida and wanted to check if there had been any change, guess not.There should be an app that warns for these bad roads.

 

[Joezeppy]

The state just finished up a pretty big elevated roadway project here and at first the concrete road surface was miserable, no matter what vehicle I had. Then I came to work one day and it was smooth as glass. I don't know if it's a new procedure but what they did was once all the work was done they came through and milled it to a consistent, flat surface. I honestly cannot feel a single expansion joint. Not sure if this will change over time but it sure is nice right now!!!

 

[Bill N]

The state just finished up a pretty big elevated roadway project here and at first the concrete road surface was miserable, no matter what vehicle I had. Then I came to work one day and it was smooth as glass. I don't know if it's a new procedure but what they did was once all the work was done they came through and milled it to a consistent, flat surface. I honestly cannot feel a single expansion joint. Not sure if this will change over time but it sure is nice right now!!!

Sounds like they ground it.  This is becoming a common procedure for concrete highways and really helps smooth them out especially the expansion joints.  But they can only grind so many times before replacement.  I came across a contractor in South Dakota on I-29 who was just replacing expansion joints by replacing about a 3 foot section on each side of the joint and then installing about 3 groups of short rebar across the joint before repouring new concrete.  From what I could see this was a pretty effective way of keeping the joints in level with each other.

Bill

 

[TonyDtorch]

Most of the traffic is in the right lane. By law in most states, the right lane is for travel and the left lane is for passing only so the right lane is getting beat up.  It's the law in 44 states.
I know someone will question what I just said so here it is:

http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map

I think you are correct, and it has been that way for a long time.

Back in the early 1970's I was driving to Ft Huacuca AZ in the much smoother left lane of I-10...at 3am,  not another car on the road.

Except for this really pissed off AZ state trooper that did a U turn to me pull over for driving in the left lane....I learned that night not to do that in Arizona.

 

[CMcGinnis]

Same is here. I just hate top ride on concrete roads.

 

[dcbinvt]

I'm sure there's a special section in Hell for those who thought concrete highways were a good idea!
Concrete "cups" when it cures no matter how long the sections are.

I too am disgusted with concrete highways and avoid them when I can or drive in the lane least bumpy.

dcb in VT

 

[Roy M]

I drove an empty tank truck from Pocatello ID to Boise in the left lane, I couldn't take the pounding.

 

[John From Detroit]

If you don't like concrete.. How about Asphalt...

A couple govermanures ago Michigan got the bright idea to pave over the concrete with nice smooth Asphalt..  Well it's nice. it's smooth it looks good and it is cheap.

But when it gets hot it buckels.. Suddenly.. and one of the buckles in interstate 275 near Plymouth/Canton flipped a car into the path of a truck killing the driver.'


I like a well made, well maintained concrete road.. Sadly not many of those around.

 

[steveblonde]

LMAO you guys are sooooo funny - your roads are glass in comparison to the roads here in Alberta we get frost heaves that will make you butt leave the seat no joke and potholes that will rip your wheel off and open cupboards in the coach that have locks on. I kid you not i have seen coaches litteraly fall apart on the highway and nice coaches at that. I love traveling your highways they are so nice compared to ours

 

[RVRAC]

Nothing like I-10 in the Lafayette, LA area.

 

[John Stephens]

Nothing like I-10 in the Lafayette, LA area.

That 30 mile stretch took out my generator by bottoming it out on its springs and severing the conduit to the transfer switch, and made me rehang my door. I will never travel down that stretch of road again.

LMAO you guys are sooooo funny - your roads are glass in comparison to the roads here in Alberta we get frost heaves that will make you butt leave the seat no joke and potholes that will rip your wheel off and open cupboards in the coach that have locks on. I kid you not i have seen coaches litteraly fall apart on the highway and nice coaches at that. I love traveling your highways they are so nice compared to ours

If you think we are so funny, I guess the question must be asked of why you are living with roads that bad. You make it sound like we're a bunch of whiners that don't know how bad it can get. If that's the case, your sanity or intelligence must be questioned if you are willing to live with roads as you described.

 

[LarsMac]

A couple of years back I was talking to a NY State Trooper at a rest area on I-88. When I ranted a little about the condition of some particularly rough sections and how much they affected my motorhome, he told me that as long as I wasn't holding up traffic, go ahead and run in the left lane where it's smoother. He said none of their guys would bother me about it because they're out there every day and know full well how bad it is. He said to just keep an eye behind me, and move over as needed. And yes, NY does have a "left lane for passing" law...

Truth. If you're the only vehicle on the road, nobody cares what lane you're in, but when you start holding up traffic, you'd better be over to the right. According to my neighbor, the CSP Trooper.

 

[LarsMac]

Nothing like I-10 in the Lafayette, LA area.

I-10 into Baton Rouge! Eastbound from Lafayette. Especially, just before the River.
And in summer, I-49 north of Shreveport. I actually saw concrete joint buckle just before I got to it, once. My Front End was a MESS.

 

[Bill N]

I-10 into Baton Rouge! Eastbound from Lafayette. Especially, just before the River.
And in summer, I-49 north of Shreveport. I actually saw concrete joint buckle just before I got to it, once. My Front End was a MESS.

  My post has nothing to do with cement roads as much as Louisiana in general.  As a disclaimer I was born and raised in New Orleans but I have no intention of ever living there or anywhere in the state again.    Back in the day (1950s and 60s) if you wanted a good road in your area you made sure the politicians were well taken care of and, definitely, reelected.  I left the area in 1961 after I joined the Air Force but from 1957 to 1961 I had a lot of laughs watching them try to build an interstate through the swamp between LaPlace, La and Ponchatula, La (I-55),  In fact my first car a 1941 Plymouth turned it's last wheel on the road beside the construction (US 51) and me and two other guys just pushed t into the swamp never to be seen again.  I had paid $25 for the car and it wasn't even worth that when I bid it goodbye.  A friend from the area told me that he thinks it is still there because that swamp has never been touched since then.  The interstate was finally completed a few years later but not on the swamp where they tried.  It was an elevated bridge that ran completely across the swamp and is still in pretty decent condition.    When I think of the roads back in the day in that area I also think of the levees and what Katrina did to them.  Same politicians pocketing the money on that fiasco too.  JMHO.