Learn from my mistake......

I was informed by a well dressed California State Patrolman this weekend that when towing a trailer you are only allowed to drive in the slow lane and the lane next to the slow lane in order to make a pass.

I didn't know this, not sure why, but I have a nice yellow sheet of paper reminding me of it. Not to mention they don't like you to exceed 55mph when trailering. I knew that one, but decided to ignore it and maybe that wasn't a great idea.

Hopefully someone will learn from my mistakes....

In Washington it is the same.

(Message edited by polarbill on April 14, 2008)

^^^^

55Mph. Damn, how do you guys get anywhere, I couldn't even imagine.

can't exceed 55 when towing. Is that a law?

We don't have slow lanes in Texas.

All lanes are fast lanes.

Yep, posted on signs up and down every freeway in CA.

^^^

Never noticed, I always thought those signs on the highway were merely suggestions

The more I read about the pain you CA experience, the more I like Texas.

55mph? I'd have people shooting at me I drove that slow. 70 is pretty much the minimum around here before people start lining up

I learned the same thing from a patrolman about 10 years ago towing to the colorado river from LA. He was nice enough to just holler at me over his loudspeaker at 3:00am on highway 10 and what a dumbass I was for doing 75 while towing but no ticket!!!!

That 55 mph rule is completely and utterly bogus. I have never seen a semi doing 55 mph, but they do hover right at 65 which is what I do when towing in CA. I ramp it up over 70 if going a long distance and take my chances.

Ever watched Cali people drive?? Imagine if I actually did 55 mph down the highway, like on the 5, I would be the biggest moving pylon around and would have a semi up my butt every minute. It's just an unsafe situation all around.

go slow if you think there will be HP's around, but there is no possible way to drive 55 mph on a highway. It just don't work.

I was cruising at about 75 trailering in the lane next to the far right lane passing a semi. CHP flies up outta nowhere pulls up along side me, looks over flashes a 5, 5, with his hands and points to the 'slow lane'. I moved over, slowed down, and he continued on his way.

-Steve

I got cut off by a truck doing the infamous last second lane change to pass another truck. I was forced into the fast lane so I kept going only long enough to pass him, and you guessed it...........got a ticket. Don't pull the guy over who almost wrecked me. Thanks CHP

Oh yeah....I almost forgot the speed trap at the bottom of one of the longest downhills I travel on the 5 to get to Shasta. Next time I'll just burn up my brakes, then be going too slow on the corresponding uphill. Thanks CHP

(Message edited by bstroop on April 14, 2008)

i got pulled over going about 84 towing a boat down to so-cal on the 5 freeway. i was shakin in my pants but luckily the officer knew someone i was going to ride with and let me off with a warning that the officers have been instructed to issue tickets for anything over 74 in a vehicle without a trailer and that i better keep it under 70

when i was 17 i thought it was cool to poach the carpool lane with the boat behind me, until my friend got a huge ticket that was around 1000 bucks so i decided that it would be smarter to stay outta that lane

Another method of CA state taxation.

Yeah. Cali sucks. Everyone move to Texas.

^^^^
uhhhh no. We don't want to end up like AZ or WA.

I used to trailer up to 70mph on I5. Then i saw a video of what can happen when a trailer tire blows or you have to come to a quick stop or maybe its the make an evasive manuver. They all ended in total disasters. Definetly slowed me down. IMO anything over 65 trailering is just asking for trouble.

55? thats insane. i was doin 65 on some backwoods country road on the way to the lake the other day. im with brandon. Texas and Louisiana is way better. and in louisiana there are barely any wakeboarders so there is no one to tear up the water all day. just fishermen.

yay texas i was towing left lane hanging with traffic this weekend sure glad we dont have those kind of laws

Brian- why not just downshift? you can do this even in automatic vehicles. just a thought and my 2cents

i didnt know that was the law in washington. i may need to slow down when im towing. that would probably help my gas mileage too

Cali HP will write anything over about sixty towing all day long. I run up I5 alot and even most semi truckers stay right around sixty. As stated earlier, it's safer and extends fuel economy...

the rule for trailers is this. 2 lanes you can run in either of two. 2 out of 4 and 3 out of 5 that is the rule. You do not have to drive in the slow lane in california. The second lane is OK or else every freeway merge you would have to slow down and risk accidents.

Andy,
I could easily downshift but I, along with everyone who tows that hill, try to carry a little momentum onto the next uphill.

(Message edited by bstroop on April 15, 2008)

Hmmm..should probably check TN state all

rick ator, just to inform you and others, your lane info is not correct...
(two right lanes only)


Designated Lanes: 21655(b) CVC states a vehicle towing a trailer or other vehicle shall drive in the right lane, unless passing, preparing to make a turn or while entering or exiting a highway. When a highway has four or more lanes, a vehicle towing a trailer or other vehicle shall use the two right lanes.

Brandon, is it still legal to drink and drive in Texas? As long as you don't blow over or something, right??

My parents just got a place at Lake Fork this last year and they were telling me about all the crazy stuff that makes Texas...Texas....

oh man. well good thing people drive soooo slow in the far right lane i guess if you in the second lane your always passing LOL. Thanks for the info. I do keep it to the two right lanes. Annoying but what can we do

In Washington can you tow in the HOV lane assuming you have 2 licensed drivers in the vehicle?

unbelievable - I'm unaware of any regulations in Minnesota. On a Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon people going to/from cabins up North are oftentimes doing 80+ with their boats/snowmobiles. I've gotten in the habit of doing 55 with the boat to save on gas and wear and tear and I am probably more of a danger to the highway than the people doing 80+.

rick ator is right on the money about the lane choices in ca.

as far as the speed, i agree 55 is too slow but you dont want to go above 65. anything above that you risk bearing failure and as Coop mentioned, a tire blow out at that speed is trouble.

^^^^

Bearing failure above 65? Really. Please provide the study alluding to this fact. I tow over 100 days a year, rarely below 70mph and have never had anything close to a bearing failure.

(Message edited by auto on April 15, 2008)

Shane, I'll agree with freshtracks on that one, not because you're more LIKELY to have a bearing seize, but you're going to have a heck of a time coming to a safe stop if your bearing does happen to seize.

^^^^
Thus having a truck that can stop a trailer

true...

I've had both a bearing seize and a blowout while towing. The blow out at 70+ mph, barely noticed it. Having a tandem trailer and larger truck (2500 Suburban) made it a non event.

^^^^^^

Sort of what I was getting at. Had a blowout in college towing the ski team Malibu Euro F3 with Bronco II on a single axle that was scary. Had blowout with a tandem and VLX with F-250, pretty much non-issue.