Towing on the highway

Toddely · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 7:35 am

+1 on that.. When we head up to lake Erie its about 125 mile ride. We just hook up and cruise around 55-60. Most of the time were leaving Friday Morning or Thursday night so Traffic is low so we have a nice ride. Rather safe then sorry. You are right, I got passed by another boater on Friday morning and we were about 30 miles out and by the time we got to Catawaba , next to the lake we passed him at the McDonalds.. I am not going to die over a McSh!t sandwich... Ray you hit it on the Head. It is supposed to be relaxing!!!

Capt. Hoss · **Posted:** Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:33 am

Relaxing is the name of the game. I have enough stress in my life that I boat to relax, so what if I'm not the first in line at the ramp it gives me time to think about what I may/maynot have forgotten to do when I splash. Take your time and slow down! My Papaw used to say, thing get all messed up when you hurry, slow down do it right the first time and you won't have to do it over.

Toddely · **Posted:** Wed Aug 21, 2013 2:40 pm

Amen to that..

JeffLW · **Posted:** Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:16 pm

I wouldn't recommend towing anything over 70mph. I had a double PWC trailer years ago that I would pull at 70-75 but it wasn't that heavy. My 248 pulls ok at 65 but I was more comfortable keeping it 60 or under. After having a bearing go out a couple weeks ago I can see how it could get ugly really quick at higher speeds.

I see guys on I-75 every weekend pulling trailers at 80-85. The worst are the ATV and snowmobile trailer guys with the little 10 inch tires on them. I see a quite few in the ditch every winter.

Mesimpson · **Posted:** Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:40 pm

Go slow!

I was doing 60mph on Rt 44 coming back from Plymouth Harbor yesterday and the tire on the single-axel Four Winns trailer with my boat on it pretty much exploded. I'm driving a 4x4 extended cab F150 and the force of the blowout yanked the steering wheel hard left then hard right, pointing my truck, trailer, boat, wife, 3 kids towards a Jersey barrier and then a cranberry bog. We managed to stop. It took the fender clean off the trailer, warped the running step on either side and put a crack (that I didn't see until this morning) in the steel frame where the axel is tied at the frame. It also gave my boat a 5 inch hard scrape in the fiberglass at the water line. Love the boat, generally hate the trailer.......

If I were going much faster I would have hit the barrier and would have had a busted truck, maybe a busted boat, or worse.

Also - call the cops to flash the blues when you change the tire. Too many stories of guys getting killed on the highway changing tires these days. Yes, it took them a solid hour to come when we called, but at least I can change tires with blue lights, spotlights, flares and the like with traffic far to the left rather than my butt and legs hanging out into the first travel lane.....

Even with that, the kids were still raving about the afternoon at the sand bars outside the harbor, so I'm still the cool dad, in spite of the delayed return home.

ps. any recommendations for aluminum trailer dealers in the general New England area? I'm...ahhh....in the market.....

Pedropup · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:51 am **Posts:** 104

California Speed Limit with Trailers is 55 MPH.

I trailer 200 miles round trip every Monday up to the Lake and back, and keep her right about 60-62 MPH. Listen to a little Country Music, and think about the routines.

Speeding just ain;t worth it. Not worth the ticket, and not worth the 10-15 whole minutes it may save you to get to the lake. I commute 100 kiles round trip every day to work..........the things people do on the roads with or without trailers is absolutely mind numbing. No if's. And's, or But's about it!

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Aug 23, 2013 9:07 am

I have a short and narrow single axle that I have modded to work well on our shallow and narrow ramp. If I had to tow as far as you guys I'd have to get a new trailer galvanized roller tandem disc brakes on both axles.

Capt. Hoss · **Posted:** Fri Aug 23, 2013 10:51 am

I love the guys with the Duelly pick-ups that blow by you at 80+mph towing 4 wheelers or tin boats on 10" wheels. You ALWAYS get to see them again. Usually its sitting on the side of the road, or sitting in line at the local go-go juice spot. Make me crazy sometimes.

ric · **Posted:** Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:54 pm

When I get the $$ I'll be installing LT tires on my trailer. Ain't nobody got time to drive 55.

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

Try driving 55 here and you will be in the ditch....18 wheelers will blow you off the road or you will get ass ended. The highway speed limit is 80 in some parts....so you have folks clicking along at 80-85 and they run up on Mr 55 and everyone has to slam on the brakes.

If you have a trailer and plan on going 55 then do not get on I10...those folks take the scenic route through all the towns.

Walt · **Posted:** Sat Aug 24, 2013 4:29 pm

TX H210SS wrote:

Try driving 55 here and you will be in the ditch....18 wheelers will blow you off the road or you will get ass ended. The highway speed limit is 80 in some parts....so you have folks clicking along at 80-85 and they run up on Mr 55 and everyone has to slam on the brakes.

If you have a trailer and plan on going 55 then do not get on I10...those folks take the scenic route through all the towns.

Agreed. When taking the longer treks, I'm comfortable at about 72 on the highways. Gas doesn't suck too bad at that speed, and I actually get where I'm going. Albeit the vast majority of my trips are 7 miles to the ramp at 45 mph on surface roads.

TX H210SS- I was in Houston this week, and have determined EVERYONE on the I10 drives with one turn signal on at all times. I learned real quick the signal had NOTHING to do with which direction anyone was turning.

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

Haha....I know...guess some people use the blinkers as decoration with the pretty flashing lights.

boater50 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:31 pm

ps. any recommendations for aluminum trailer dealers in the general New England area? I'm...ahhh....in the market.....

Try Doug Russell MArine in Worcester, or Diamond Marine in East Haven, CT....right off I- 95..I just bought a tandem aluminum bunk, Vantage a 2014 for 3359.00 out the door!.............
guys towing at 80mph?!?!?!?!?!?!!? I do 50 here in CT on I-95 because I want to see my kids grow up!

Walt · **Posted:** Sun Sep 15, 2013 5:33 pm

boater50 wrote:

guys towing at 80mph?!?!?!?!?!?!!? I do 50 here in CT on I-95 because I want to see my kids grow up!

Speed limit is 70-75 out here, so that's still a little slow per traffic. But not so slow as being a danger to other motorists, as you would be at 55-60.

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

I try and hold it at 70ish when on the interstate, which is 5mph under posted speed. I still get blown by but must of my travel is on smaller highways where 60 is Max.

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Towing on the highway

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