Towing thought

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Carol H
LOL thats the big difference between BC and Ontario - you have the Ontario Provincial Police we still have the RCMP.

[QUOTE=Brian B-P;368878]I haven't noticed a difference correlated to enforcement agency, other than the occasional ticket-funded municipality. On Alberta's major highways outside of the National Parks, which have both RCMP and a few Alberta Traffic Sherriffs on speed patrol duty, nothing less than 15 km/h (10 mph) over the 100 or 110 km/h (62 or 68 mph) limit gets a ticket; BC highways usually have lower limits, but seem to have a similar enforcement tolerance. [QUOTE=Brian B-P;368878]

Brian my comment re the RCMP vs Ontario Provincial was made tongue in cheek but 10 km/h over the limit is commonly the BC tolerance level.

[David Tilston]

I refer to 10 km/h over the speed limit as legal speeding. I have passed, unharmed, through many radar traps while legal speeding.
One of my coworkers recently got a 7 km/h over the speed limit ticket though. The officer in questions was probably was nearly out of time on his quota.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I refer to 10 km/h over the speed limit as legal speeding. I have passed, unharmed, through many radar traps while legal speeding.
One of my coworkers recently got a 7 km/h over the speed limit ticket though. The officer in questions was probably was nearly out of time on his quota.

Yup its a bit of a crap shoot but under 10 km/h over and you will normally slide by here as well but then again have seen folks pulled for less many times.

[Jim Bennett]

I have a friend who was a traffic cop (still a cop, just moved on), and he said they always set their photo cameras for 13 kph over the speed limit, except in school and playground zones.

[Ray N]

Anyone driving faster than you is a maniac and anyone driving slower than you is an idiot.

(Not aimed at anyone in particular, just at us all as humans.)

[cpaharley2008]

Now that is funny, true, but funny!!

[deryk]

Originally Posted by Ray N

Anyone driving faster than you is a maniac and anyone driving slower than you is an idiot.

(Not aimed at anyone in particular, just at us all as humans.)

I agree 100% lol

I guess for the retired folks who can just travel taking it slower is a good thing. Unfortunatly, when doing a 300+ mile trip each way for a 3 day weekend, my fun times really start when I get there after driving 5+ hours...just want that part over. Going home, I usually drive a little slower.

Now Ive only towed my ParkLiner twice so far. Once from Virginia to south Jersey, and from south Jersey to central Jersey to my parents driveway but During the Virginia trek I realized if I keep my speed to around 60mph I get about 16mpg, at 70 Im getting lik 13.5mpg. So 60 it is! Being cheap wins!

deryk

[arlon]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Mileage and reliability are primary on our list of Trailer/tow vehicle.

Exactly why I tow with a 3/4 ton diesel that gets 20-21 mpg towing the Casita and doesn't know a trailer is even back there. Nothing comes close to being stressed on the tow vehicle and in an emergency it will run 75-80mph up or down a hill (legal here in West Texas).

Also out here in West Texas, 150miles barely gets you to the next turn off. We have to cover a lot of miles to go anywhere. We have gone 150 miles for lunch (Abilene or Van Horn). I can't wait for the day that I can drive less than 150 miles and actually be somplace! Little different needs down here..

[honda03842]

Arlon,

I know what you mean about Texas. We spent 30+ days crossing TX and easily followed our 150 mile rule. There is just so much to see in your grand state, both tiny and big places. There are plenty of times people powered by us and probably because we generally avoid cities and really saw little traffic(though we did go to Austin and San Antonio).

I am continually amazed by the variety of Texas terrain. We hope to be back next year and increase our TX exploration. Last year we attended the Casita rally at Johnson City and had a grand time.

We would like to own a (small) diesel as well, even with the premium price of deisel fuel. Unfortunately there's not much available in our size/price range but we're patient.

Safe travels and loving Texas.

[arlon]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Arlon,

I am continually amazed by the variety of Texas terrain. We hope to be back next year and increase our TX exploration.

There is a ton to do down here. My favorite time is spring when the snowbirds have headed back and kids aren't out of school yet. Space available in most parks as long as you get there before the weekend starts. There is a lot of variety here. I spent many years in SA and Houston. Recently moved to Midland and got to start exploring all over again. I make it out about once a month for a long weekend and haven't made a dent in the possibilities yet.

Hard to beat an old diesel. Unless you're trying to sneak up on something.. Hope you make it down and have safe travels. (-:}

[John McMillin]

Regarding Honda's original thoughts, I believe it's simply in the nature of FG egg campers to do more with less. Our trailers are more durable and long-lived, not throwaways. They slip through the air like rounded river rocks, not battering through the breeze like boxes. They enclose us with nature's perfect form, sheltering, protective, cornerless, like a carpeted womb. There's Zen within there somewhere.

That elegant simplicity, that minimalist mastery, doesn't belong hitched up to a V-8 truck three times its weight. There's no harm in doing that, but with a big tug like that, why not go the next step into the world of 25-footers with slide-outs?

From the earliest Scamps and Bolers onwards, these have been advertised as suitable for the family car. They were meant as everyman's trailer, back when the only guys driving big pickups held journeyman's licenses. I think that's still their role, their highest and best purpose -- to offer a trailering choice for those who want to own an efficient vehicle. Especially when not towing, since almost every tow vehicle I read about here reports 16-18 mpg, including my own. Not much of a difference there, but when you unhitch, we have a 30 mpg car! Motorhome drivers have to tow one of those behind, as a dinghy, but we get to travel in our toad, avoiding two tons of truck chassis in the process.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it...

[Roger C H]

I noticed that everyone behind me wants to go faster than me and everyone in front, wants to go slower. Why is that?

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

From the earliest Scamps and Bolers onwards, these have been advertised as suitable for the family car. They were meant as everyman's trailer, back when the only guys driving big pickups held journeyman's licenses. I think that's still their role, their highest and best purpose -- to offer a trailering choice for those who want to own an efficient vehicle. Especially when not towing, since almost every tow vehicle I read about here reports 16-18 mpg, including my own. Not much of a difference there, but when you unhitch, we have a 30 mpg car! Motorhome drivers have to tow one of those behind, as a dinghy, but we get to travel in our toad, avoiding two tons of truck chassis in the process.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it...

Good luck with that...
There are just as many you-gotta-have-a-truck (or, weirdly, a minivan-?) folks here as in any other RV forum.

Those few of us that cling to the daily-driver-as-tug ideal can hardly keep our heads above water, most days.

Francesca

[Cathi]

John, I'm sure there's a novel in there about travelling with a fiberglass egg. Yes, the more with less and Norm's slower pace seem to be so appropriate. We have no need to go at someone else's faster pace and we make sure we have enough time to take it easy.

The two-lane roads can be a challenge as far as finding a place to pull over out of the way sometimes, so the four-laners may seem better at times. But then two lanes can often be nearly empty and that's when it is the best for that slower pace. We have seen many empty roads and they beat the heck out of the highways as far as I am concerned.



[QUOTE=John McMillin;399742]Regarding Honda's original thoughts, I believe it's simply in the nature of FG egg campers to do more with less. Our trailers are more durable and long-lived, not throwaways. They slip through the air like rounded river rocks, not battering through the breeze like boxes. They enclose us with nature's perfect form, sheltering, protective, cornerless, like a carpeted womb. There's Zen within there somewhere.

[honda03842]

John,
Loved your thoughts, I certainly believe our 4 cylinder can handle towing our Scamp 16.

Though we only averaged 37 mph driving around NL on the highway we drove 60. In NL we were never holding up others, even though the TCH was mostly 1 lane they had plenty of passing lanes for the really fast drivers. RCMP is the rule in NL but they are really rare.

On our way through northern ME we drove even faster, little traffic and did a section at 65. Trailer handled just fine and Honda did its usual good job.

The back roads of NL have some long steep climbs between little fishing villages, again no problem.

We are ready to return to NL and only home for 2 days.

[cpaharley2008]

Well said, John

[deryk]

When I towed my little red gypsy caravan last year I kinda kept my mouth shut about my gas useage...I averaged about 13-14mpg at 65 because of its un-aerodynamic shape. Well the last 2 hot weekends I averaged just about 15mpg towing at around 60'ish with my ac running. Someone this weekend told me I should look into a F250 to tow it with since its less of a strain on the TV...I laughed at them and told them my trailer packed weighs around 2600lbs with full water tank and generator... I want a pickup truck for a few reasons but a midsized one would be fine for my needs...dont need an 8cyl full sized truck for a fiberglass trailer. Even the Escaps 5.0 I would love to have is meant for a 6cyl truck lol.

[honda03842]

Derek,
We spent about $1300 over 6+ weeks on gas, about $200 a week while averaging 22 mpg.

If we averaged 15 mpg it would have been an extra $100 a week, not prohibitive, but it might have mean less newfie fish and chips or even no cod tongues.

P.S. Air conditioning was not needed. Only turn it on occasionally for 'AC exercise'.

Safe travels and hope you get your 5.0

[deryk]

Hey Norm! Im all for saving on gas lol... its getting expensive! Ah the 5.0 is many years down the road for me... when retirement looms closer, I like the extra space it would provide, and of course some extra space in the truck for all my craft stuff if I was living on the road lol.

[honda03842]

Deryk,

Your comment reminds me of one unexpected result of our long term RVing.

Our pre-RVing interests have lessened and been replaced by a curiosity for new and different. Previous interests have diminished in significance. We're now more interested in geology, people, differences, on the road stimulation.

In a sense theres not a lot of extension.



Of course our Scamp has become our focus, it's our real home because we spend 70% of year in it. It's also interesting because that little space has become enough.