First time on 80 mph posted limit I-25 today! (Cheyenne, Laramie: sales, insurance)

[sunsprit]

Drove up to Glendo to help a friend with a truck problem, towed my 2-axle car haul trailer there with my '96 Dodge 2500 4x4 Cummins.

At approx mm 23 on I-25, the posted speed is now 80 mph.

I stayed in the right hand lane at 65 mph, and was passed at relatively slow speeds by the vehicles going faster. IMO, few were even going 75 mph. A lot of the weekend/holiday traffic ... campers & towing boats ... weren't even going 65 mph and I was passing them, albeit slowly when the traffic gaps allowed me to do so (especially on the uphill grades). Even the big motorcycles didn't appear to be going much faster than me, although all passed by in due course.

So who's going 80 mph in these zones?

I know the fuel consumption penalty I'd pay with my vehicles to go this fast except for my 'guzzi which is geared to do this and still get mid-to-high 50's mpg. Unless I'm heading to Sheridan, the time savings I'd get wouldn't pencil out against the fuel consumption. Will have to try my '72 BMW 2002 on this, it was also geared to run in it's best cam breathing RPM range at this speed.

PS: returned to the Cheyenne area with the truck on my trailer, refueled at the Pilot. Got 18 mpg for the round-trip, which included 10 miles of 4x4 dirt tracks across a pasture to reach the disabled truck. I think that's pretty decent fuel economy for the work involved. A fairly light wind day, which was a help compared to the days when the winds are howling in the Chugwater/Wheatland stretch of I-25.

[trailblazzer]

hi, sunsprit. thanks for your info. earlier trying to figure out this thread stuff I started a new thread I hope I did it right so I can get more info. later from you guys. speed limit here is 75 but everybody goes faster anyway.

[jody_wy]

Did 80 on the trip to Laramie Friday and again today on the way home

[ScottStielow]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Drove up to Glendo to help a friend with a truck problem, towed my 2-axle car haul trailer there with my '96 Dodge 2500 4x4 Cummins.

At approx mm 23 on I-25, the posted speed is now 80 mph.

I stayed in the right hand lane at 65 mph, and was passed at relatively slow speeds by the vehicles going faster. IMO, few were even going 75 mph. A lot of the weekend/holiday traffic ... campers & towing boats ... weren't even going 65 mph and I was passing them, albeit slowly when the traffic gaps allowed me to do so (especially on the uphill grades). Even the big motorcycles didn't appear to be going much faster than me, although all passed by in due course.

So who's going 80 mph in these zones?

I know the fuel consumption penalty I'd pay with my vehicles to go this fast except for my 'guzzi which is geared to do this and still get mid-to-high 50's mpg. Unless I'm heading to Sheridan, the time savings I'd get wouldn't pencil out against the fuel consumption. Will have to try my '72 BMW 2002 on this, it was also geared to run in it's best cam breathing RPM range at this speed.

PS: returned to the Cheyenne area with the truck on my trailer, refueled at the Pilot. Got 18 mpg for the round-trip, which included 10 miles of 4x4 dirt tracks across a pasture to reach the disabled truck. I think that's pretty decent fuel economy for the work involved. A fairly light wind day, which was a help compared to the days when the winds are howling in the Chugwater/Wheatland stretch of I-25.

Most Truck Campers and towed Fiver & Travel Trailer tires, are not rated to go above 65 mph. Due to the weight of some of those Fivers. So anyone one going above that speed are asking for trouble. I am sure you know that Sunspirt towing your Car haul trailer. Sounds like everyone is going to be going at the best speeds for them with fuel consumption. Hopefully some of those fools who like to speed at night won't cause too many acccidents, and kill someone, not to mention the drunk Drivers. Best of luck with the speed increase.

[Craziaskowboi]

Wyoming: a forward-thinking state.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by ScottStielow

Most Truck Campers and towed Fiver & Travel Trailer tires, are not rated to go above 65 mph. Due to the weight of some of those Fivers. So anyone one going above that speed are asking for trouble. I am sure you know that Sunspirt towing your Car haul trailer. Sounds like everyone is going to be going at the best speeds for them with fuel consumption. Hopefully some of those fools who like to speed at night won't cause too many acccidents, and kill someone, not to mention the drunk Drivers. Best of luck with the speed increase.

While I've been aware of the 65 mph speed rating for those tires for many years ... and have observed it if for no better reason than the fuel economy with several of my trucks that get their best mileage at 60-62 mph ...

It's interesting to note that many folk apparently either don't know or don't observe it. I've certainly been rapidly passed many times on the road by rigs with these rated tires.

Case in point: my neighbor tows a big Bloomers 4-horse slant w/living quarters to rodeo events around the country. For years, they've been frequently blowing out trailer tires in their travels, at almost $200 a pop for the upgraded axle 17" tires on the rig. They went to Des Moines a week ago and lost a tire on the way out and the way back, traveling at 75 mph. They claim that the first time a tire shop told them that their trailer tires were only rated for 65 mph was this last week on the return trip. They were pretty shocked to hear that; makes a difference for them in their travel plans heading to the big paying rodeos around the country. But they still came home at 75 mph ....

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

Did 80 on the trip to Laramie Friday and again today on the way home

what were you driving?

my BMW's and AlfaRomeo's have tires appropriately rated for these speeds and are geared to run efficiently at these speeds ... but my pick-up trucks are not. My Subies fall off a cliff for fuel economy at these speeds, too.

[jody_wy]

Duramax new Yokohoma tires

[ScottStielow]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

While I've been aware of the 65 mph speed rating for those tires for many years ... and have observed it if for no better reason than the fuel economy with several of my trucks that get their best mileage at 60-62 mph ...

It's interesting to note that many folk apparently either don't know or don't observe it. I've certainly been rapidly passed many times on the road by rigs with these rated tires.

Case in point: my neighbor tows a big Bloomers 4-horse slant w/living quarters to rodeo events around the country. For years, they've been frequently blowing out trailer tires in their travels, at almost $200 a pop for the upgraded axle 17" tires on the rig. They went to Des Moines a week ago and lost a tire on the way out and the way back, traveling at 75 mph. They claim that the first time a tire shop told them that their trailer tires were only rated for 65 mph was this last week on the return trip. They were pretty shocked to hear that; makes a difference for them in their travel plans heading to the big paying rodeos around the country. But they still came home at 75 mph ....

Yes Sunspirt. I read about it all the time on the RV Forums. The owners blowing out their tires towing there Fiver, and going too fast. Some of the senior RV'ers on the site try to tell them going too fast will blow the tires Eventually. Some do not want to listen.
Was going to try the RV Lifestyle, but during research on insurance and getting set up with the Truck and Fifth wheel trailer. Found it too expensive. Maybe if i was already on the mainland and had the truck and Fifth Wheel would have made the difference, but up front cost was too much.
So i will do what i am planning now to come up to Wyoming and pick up a small Truck Camper to use, for my fishing and camping, and drive at the limit of my tires, won't be in any hurry.

[sunsprit]

For your recreational purposes here, Scott ...

be aware that there's a very active market on used Class C RV's, and a lot of very inexpensive ones in the marketplace. I frequently see them in the local paper ads for $3,000 to $6,000 range. Many in very good condition, folks just get tired of them or can't afford/justify the lic/insurance/fuel economy for something that they don't use but once or twice a year for only a few days.

IMO, a better deal with a self-contained rig over a truck with a small camper. More features, more utility, more living space, still able to tow a modest boat or ATV or toy trailer if you so desire. Even if you only get 12 mpg, you're in the same range as a pick-up truck loaded with a camper. (even my cheap '86 Ford F-250 diesel w/manual trans and a very modest crank-up camper [for low windage while traveling] equipped only with a bed, 10 gallon fresh water supply/sink, no waste water tankage [no potty, either], icebox [no refer/freezer], stove, and dinette converting to a bed, some closet/storage space, no house battery separate from the truck batteries ... pretty bare bones compared to a decent Class C RV ... only turned in 13 mpg at 65 mph and it struggled with the weight of the camper onboard, especially in the Wyoming winds. There were many times in two summer months where it could not maintain 65 mph on the road due to the summer winds, much less than the winds the rest of the year. I borrowed the truck camper to try the rig concept out for my sales travels in the area and it was a total loser compared to buying a '93 Class B Roadtrek Versatile completely self-contained rig. At $11,000, I had a mobile office, communications, restaurant, hotel, and full independence for boondocking easily for a week.)

I prefer the Class B RV to the Class C's ... all the utility I need for one or two people on a smaller platform. But virtually no marketplace here for them, so either locally not available or at outrageous prices when they do show up. I had to go to Albuquerque for mine, that was the closest active marketplace for good selection and pricing. The desert Southwest sees a lot of these, CA coastline areas, and SE USA are where the markets for Class B's are. If you've got the time and can do your shopping via 'phone, there's lots of dealers handling resales of these units for reasonable money, if you can justify the travel costs to buy one and bring it back to WY. I'd note, too, that the price points for the older ones like mine have come down in the last few years. The equipment, features, and finishes are essentially the same for the years '93-'99, so the only difference is the condition of the van chassis/engine and wear/tear on the RV equipment. Many interiors look almost showroom fresh in these if cared for reasonably well and the RV equipment is pretty durable if maintained (routine maintenance on the refrigerator, water system, aux generator (if equipped), and heating furnace are required to keep them functional).

Based on a Dodge 3500 chassis, I've used mine to tow the car trailer when I was picking up farm equipment in the region. Far better to travel those 300-400 mile days and have all the comforts of home on the road than driving my '96 Dodge 2500 Cummins or '95 F-250 Powerstroke ... even though the trucks have more towing power, I'm only targeting 60-65 mph and the Roadtrek gets 15-16 mpg doing this service. For a 3-day trip in the region picking up farm equipment, it's no contest even if the pick-up truck can get comparable or 1-3 mpg better fuel economy on diesel compared to gasoline ... given the disparity of diesel to gasoline fuel cost. Add in the costs of lodging and meals to the equation and the trucks aren't my first choice anymore for a lot of these types of trips unless I need the 4x4 capability at some point on the trip ... like my recent retrieval of a vehicle from a pasture.