Tell this RV'er how to be nice to all the truckers he's sharing the road with

If your trailer is swaying take a look at your tires and put tires on with a larger number of plys. This gives you thicker side walls and reduce tire roll which also causes swaying. Both on the truck and trailer. The thicker the tire the better.

 

What use to drive me crazy was travel trailers going slow in the middle lane, if I have to pass you in the right lane, you're in the wrong lane

 

1. Sometimes I am only going 2-3 mph faster than the truck in front of me, but even my speed is fairly variable. I worry I could pass them and then see road conditions change, causing me to slow down and making the trucker upset that now they have to pass *me*.


---- My answer (Opinion...)--- to question one. I would just match speed and run rocking chair a while with the truck in front. When I drive a car on 67 here in Arkansas I sometimes have a truck that will be governed at say 64. We like to roll 70 but if I can wait a few miles until say exit 16 in Cabot Northbound I know that ridge will cause him to slow a little bit or maybe catch a gear. If you have the horses and can hold your hammer lane, take him at that point. But it will be the only chance to pass until at least say Bald Knob which is above Searcy and getting into the flat farm land until at least St. Francis River towards Missouri. Thinking about the land itself with hills as a place to pass or even be passed is something you adjust to.

It's not that stressful to tool along at 64 mph or whatever for a while. You might discover a fuel benefit and less fighting with the wind. Afterall you have a house with you. You can be less stressed and the time difference of arrival at the end of day wont be that much.


2. In some conditions my fifth wheel begins to sway at speeds as low as 55 mph. After eliminating the sway and continuing at a slow 55 mph, is there anything I can do, like turning on my flashers or something, when I'm driving that slow?

------ My answer (Opinion)---- Interstate highway has a minimum speed of 45 mph. If you are at 45 or slower you need to have your 4 way flashers going. If you are only doing 55 in say a 75 mph dog run fighting wind and sway go ahead and use your flashers a while. There is no harm in slowing to 50 but you want to stay above 45, that is a minimum speed for interstate at which you wont get pulled over and prosecuted for holding up or interfering with traffic.

You say you have a 5th wheel, that is a good thing. I was thinking of a big hitch and the need to use a anti sway bar device that is actually a sort of a sister hitch next to your big trailer hitch that bar goes to a second hitch on the trailer and essentially serves as a muscle arm of sorts to maintain control of the trailer. It is always better to have a 5th wheel. I have a hitch on my tahoe and can haul around 6000 pounds of air stream or whatever but I do not enjoy such things in windy situation. Which is why I like airstreams but can never afford them. One of these days I'll find a nice trailer, nothing too fancy. I'll be able to travel. But it will have a side anti sway hitch on there.



3. (Optional: If you happened to have ideas about how to eliminate the aforementioned sway I'd love to know. Do I take my truck+trailer to a "truck repair shop" or a regular "auto shop"?)

--- My answer (Opinion) ---

Refer to my second answer to your question, again you have a 5th wheel. One of several things causes a sway, wind is one. Unbalanced loading in the trailer is another. It does not ride "Square" on all it's wheels and wants to yaw to one side the heavy side. Then it wags you, the doggie in the pickup. Certain speeds will induce swaying due to physics too complicated to explain. When you get wagged like a doggie or see that sway developing, cut your speed 10 mph immediately and wait a few moments, that sway should go away.

Having additional devices on your hitches (Non 5th wheel) shows the Law a professionalism not always present in many people who just clap a ball and run a bit of cheap 1/4 inch link chain on it and think they are all good. (*They are not...)

4. At gas stations I fill at the regular pump if I can fit. If I don't, is it bad etiquette to use the truck lanes?

---My answer (Opinion)--- you like desiel fuel? Haul it into the truck lane and have at it. Fill it up. Take as long you need to. I personally don't care. You will be filled up, paid for it plus coffee and snacks etc and be on your way. I might wait a while behind you. I generally use this time to pre-work the tractor such as getting a large glad trash bag ready with the contents of the trash inside the cab .... Maybe wiping my gauges with some lysol and working on my mirriors as I wait into my routine during fueling.

I literally do not mind a tall.

But there is always someone who wants to be a #######. If you do find one, then I guess I cannot help you but encourage you that for every ### you find or run into there is or has to be one of me around somehow.

 

I don't mind a bit either. You're not going to be sitting there, like 18 wheelers, taking the time of an ms computer to reboot, in order to fuel up.

You need diesel. You have as much right as anyone else to it.

Those people who don't like it? It's their problem. Most of them are a problem looking for a place to happen anyway. It's their hell. Not mine.

 

In regards to filling in the truck area...
As I've never owned a diesel pickup.... Will the pump nozzle even fit in the pickup fill tube?

 

On cars. They make the opening smaller on purpose. So the Einstein's of the world can fuel up with unleaded diesel only.

 

My 5th wheel is 27 ft, 8800 lbs, 1800lb pin weight. I pull with a 2016 superduty. Never have any sway. Yesterday coming back from Utah on 89, a car pulled out in front of us to pass. The 2 cars in front of me and I all had to emergency brake and hit the shoulder to avoid a head on at 70 mph. Because my rig is not close to being maxed out, had no problem. Hate to say it, but you would have either been in a head on or rolled over. Either get a bigger truck or smaller trailer.

 

I don't mind a smaller trailer.

Although Im not sure how those things react to big forces imposed on them what with the electric brakes or whatever they use on the trailer wheels.

Im glad it worked out for you. It could have gone bad in so many ways. I think your super duty is plenty hefty for that necessity. My tahoe with it's older braking system would probably have failed the emergency imposed on it. I guess that is why I carry adequate insurance and hope for the best. One of these days Ima install a proper metal clamp type brake booster that will never leak fluid.

 

Too much weight on the back and not enough on the tongue will cause it to start to sway when you hit a certain speed.

If you get a bigger truck and the problem persists I'd try putting more weight on the tongue.

 

Sounds like the OP needs to look at diesel powered dually pickups.