Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Kurt (Indiana) wrote:Why is everyone going so fast?. We're supposed to be on Teardrop Time.

I tried the backroads on the way home on my last trip to see if the view and "Teardrop Time" is all that, and gave it up and got back on the interstate as soon as I could. (Invariably for me, the view ends up being the back of some tractor on this back road going 25 MPH). I'll shift into Teardrop Time once I park it at a campground

With the T@B in tow I run between 65 - 68 on the interstate. Try to keep the RPMs below 2600.

I try to keep the P/U @ legal speeds. This Toyota (6cyl) runs 70 mph @ 2000/2100 rpm (18 mpg).
Our greatest fear out on wide open Interstates is getting hit from the rear, doing the posted legal speeds. I have found about 5- 7 mph over legal eliminates most truckers (closely) passing us, but then we're inching towards 80 MPH?
Gas economy?
Forgetaboutit!
We adjust to meet conditions (raise speed) and gas mileage goes into the crapper (+/-15mpg). So we exit the Interstates and do the country roads and highways.
No kidding, no ones out there (MN/SD/ND/ID/WA/OR)? But every town has a "speed zone" read that reduced speed zone, and most have one traffic light(s) or stop signs. We catch and stop for every one of them. Mileage at stop and go slow pacing, is not much better then the Interstates?
Maybe we should be thinking TD blimp?

We're on the down side of a 2,000 mile trip frpm TN to IN, to IA and back, 1600 miles to date. The Toyota Tacoma (V6-auto-4x4) gets about 20-21 on the highway on it's own. Add the tear and it's 17-18, add the kayaks and it's 16.... That's traveling the interstates at 65 to 70 mph..... no complaints as long as we have all our toys along. We left Des Moines, IA with snow coming down yesterday morning. What an April fools joke!

We're house sitting in Indiana just south of Terra Haute for about 10 days for Side's brother while they go to Alaska to visit their new grandson. They left this morning..... They have a heck of wood shop, and I've been out playing in it all day!

I did notice there are some Yoder Toters for sale at an RV dealer on the north end of Terra Haute...... might swing by there while we're here.

What is the hurry slow down relax injoy the veiw and stop at every town.
I have only rased once cause I left central coast at noon and had to be in northern California by dusk I had no trailer just a tent at the time for a TD meet. got up to 80 at times and still got there by 9 past dinner time. Dean saved us a stake but it was too good so they guys talked him into giving it away.... see even if you race you may not get the stack!! Thank God it was in the Pius ... did not have to stop for gas until we got to Willits we were down to 1/4 tank and unsure were the next gas station was.

I go between 55 and 65 mostly. Trailer or no trailer.

I've got a very good reason to maintain those speeds: The brick-shaped short wheelbase object I'm driving pretty much doesn't like anything faster - I run out of power and controllability. I'm over there with the truckers on the uphills too. If I get below what 3rd will pull (40ish), I'm stuck in 2nd untill the top of the hill.

MPG?.. who cares, it's a jeep - it's going to get terrible mileage at any speed. The areodynamics of a flat wall are likely better than a SWB jeep.


I got a speeding ticket in my wife's expedition a few months ago (no trailer) - cause I'm so used to never even looking at the speedo, just drive at standard little-old-lady slow jeep speed.

Too bad that the expedition likes to go around 85.

clkelley564 wrote:

Kurt (Indiana) wrote:Why is everyone going so fast?. We're supposed to be on Teardrop Time.

I tried the backroads on the way home on my last trip to see if the view and "Teardrop Time" is all that, and gave it up and got back on the interstate as soon as I could. (Invariably for me, the view ends up being the back of some tractor on this back road going 25 MPH). I'll shift into Teardrop Time once I park it at a campground

With the T@B in tow I run between 65 - 68 on the interstate. Try to keep the RPMs below 2600.

I (usually) never go over 65 mph with or without the teardrop. Normally for local trips I drive about 55-60. I like to stop every two hours and take a break because it all seems to end up about the same as if I was in a hurry on the highway.

I know what you mean about the side roads and the backend view of big trucks. I find that I don't see the back of trucks on the Interstate for very long.

I like to leave "early" for any trip and take my time on the way. I get there in plenty of time to kick in to "Teardrop Time" after I get set up.

I've been know to sleep in the lounge chair at the camp site (or in traffic jams and construction back ups). My wife gets all freaked when I do it in a long traffic jam, but hey, teardrop time knows no boundries, right? After all I was on vacation.

I drive 60 whether the speed in 35 or 70 just kidding
But I do drive 60. It seems that I get the best milage at that speed.

Nitetimes wrote:

len19070 wrote:The big thing though is that I try to run with my Tachometer at 22-25000 RPM's .......

Happy Trails

Len

Damn Len!!! What kinda motor you got in that thing??????

22000 rpm Must be one of those formular 1 engines.

For anybody looking to know what speeds are legal where, here are some websites to help you:

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/trailer-speed-limits/

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws ... _laws.html

http://www.iihs.org/laws/speedlimits.aspx

I would think that the truck speeds and driving in the slow lane would be best for most of us. So far, I've only driven in California and have kept the speed at 55. I did push it up to 60 for a bit, just to see how it would do. It did fine. My wheels are the little 12" ones and they came with stickers on them that say: "Max Speed 55 mph".

I haven't finished my TTT yet, but in towing the wife's 24ft TT and also my race car hauler, I've found that the best defense is a good offense. If the flow of traffic dictates a faster or slower pace, then I "go with the flow". If you impede the traffic flow, then some idgit is liable to run over you, or conversely, if you are way above the pace, then you might hit someone else. I want to be neither the impacter nor impactee. And then there's always the GAWKERS...that have never seen a racecar (or Teardrop Trailer), and plant themselves in your blind spot to observe your trailer. Then you have to either speed up or slow down to shake them (grenades are frowned upon, even in Texas).

As Doug says, 55's the limit on Calif highways, and I stay real close to that. Out on the interstate, I set my cruise control for about 61, and that's as fast as I'm willing to go.

I feel your pain Doug, I recently towed my trailer through a right on red without really stopping. Nobody there but me.... and the camera. Almost $600 when all is said and done

<Chas>

My Tahoe doesn't even know I have a teardrop behind it and my Little Guy has some nice wide tires. So, it's whatever speed the sign says.

I have a Little Guy 4 wide that I tow with a 1965 VW Bug...let THAT settle in yer brain fer a second... got the picture ?

My favorite thing to do is to pas up them 40ft deisle pushers doin 85 mph with a VW honk and a wave....

But even tho I live in California, I drive 65-70 on average and git 18 mpg at those speeds.

Yeah... I'm not "right" ! My motto is: If ya ain't livin on the "edge"... yer takin up TOO much space !


On another note... I jus bought a TTT to tow behind the Bug. It's an Eriba ,Puck trailer from Germany. It weighs in at 660lbs ( dry)
The teardrop weighs in at 820 ( camp ready )

The Puck has 10 inch wheels so I keep it around 55-60 mph...haven't calculated the gas mileage yet.

Hmm, looks like only 4% of those responding go faster than me and 91% go slower than I do. Maybe that's why this happened to us last year:





Bruce

GuitarPhotog wrote:I feel your pain Doug, I recently towed my trailer through a right on red without really stopping. Nobody there but me.... and the camera. Almost $600 when all is said and done
<Chas>

Ouch....big time!!!....given the economic situation this state is in...I sure wouldn't be one to push the envelope as a citation seems to be a very EASY way to get the funding that they need to squander....600$...that's "highway" robbery! We need those license plates like James Bond had on his Aston Martin in Goldfinger, I could go for the smoke screen as well, for those errant tail gaiters.

Bruce....only people with solar stuff have tires blow out like that.... Doug