B.O. Plenty wrote: Trailers and motor homes have been 8 feet wide for many years. So are semi trailers if not wider. Quit looking at the lines on the road and look up ahead at the center of your lane. You'll find the rig goes where you are looking.
B.O.
+1
Looking down the road will keep you between the lines your rig will follow your eyes, so quit looking at your mirrors to see if your between the lines.
9-11 WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
04 HitchHiker DA LS 33.5 RLTG
09 F350 CC DRW 4X4
John
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” Lao Tzu
ReverendCharles wrote: Do some of you have trouble pulling a 8’ wide trailer, keeping it between the lines, not hitting toll booths and going down tight streets? It seems that the lanes are not wide enough and I get horns blown at me a lot especially by big trucks. The toll booth was a real challenge and it took me a while to get through it watching my mirrors and creeping along (it was a real mess when I went to the auto lane and had to cross back over lanes to the cash one). Other drivers in general are impatient especially during rush hour. I love my tt but may have to get a 7 - 7 ½’ wide trailer. Will a 7 ½’ make a big difference?
The MH is 8' and yes I have bumped the mirrors and more in tight places.
Just took the S10 to the shop on a tow dolly. There were some back roads where I could not keep on my side of the line without the right tire getting off the pavement.
The only real solution that I see is to get a car or van and stay in hotels.
ReverendCharles wrote: Do some of you have trouble pulling a 8’ wide trailer, keeping it between the lines, not hitting toll booths and going down tight streets? It seems that the lanes are not wide enough and I get horns blown at me a lot especially by big trucks. The toll booth was a real challenge and it took me a while to get through it watching my mirrors and creeping along (it was a real mess when I went to the auto lane and had to cross back over lanes to the cash one). Other drivers in general are impatient especially during rush hour. I love my tt but may have to get a 7 - 7 ½’ wide trailer. Will a 7 ½’ make a big difference?
NO
1. You will find IMO the majority of full profile trailers are 8'6"
2. I would not be towing down narrow residential streets to begin with ... just not a good idea to begin with.
The interstate highway lanes are 13' wide minimum, sometimes are built 14 or 15' wide.
Some toll roads might be smaller, yet most have 12 - 15' wide lanes. Big rig trucks have 102" wide trailers for the most part, and up to 53' long. Even the truck they tow with sometimes is 30' long, and has a 200" long wheelbase if it has a larger sleeper cab.
It seems like everyone got the going down the road straight thing covered but here is a tip for the toll booths. DO NOT watch both sides of the rig going through the toll, just watch the drivers side and make sure it is as close as you can get and still have a couple of inches of room on that side. Do not worry about the other side as it will always clear. Do not overthink it. Driving a semi is a finely honed skill but it does not take rocket science. It takes experience and the more of it the better. Towing a TT is exactly the same. Happy Camping.
2004 Starcraft Aruba 25RS, 2004 Dodge Dakota SLT extended cab. Just the two of us, a Jack and a desire to roam!
The only real time I get a bit nervous is in construction zones where barriers are in place ..... there are often only inches on each side of the trailer ....
Jay
2002 Bambi 19' - the "Toaster"
2009 Nissan Pathfinder - the "Buggy"
B.O. Plenty wrote: Quit looking at the lines on the road and look up ahead at the center of your lane. You'll find the rig goes where you are looking.
B.O.
That's the answer.
To many drivers forget this.
Not always Grasshopper. First thing you should know is that the wheels, or track, on the trailer are farther apart, or wider, than the TV wheels. So even if you have the TV between the lines. It does not mean the trailer is on the road, or not in the other lane. Go toward the edge of the road with the truck, and the trailer runs off. Even though the TV didn't. That is what the mirrors are for. to tell you where the trailer tires are running. you have to learn where the trailer tires are running. Or you use more road than you are allowed. You have to compensate. Use your mirrors . OR it could come down to. How did I hit that car / malibox / stopsign / construction barrier? My TV was in my lane?.... Ah, But the trailer wasn't.
Also, Having driven "cabover" trailertrucks / simis. First thing you will learn is that you are sitting farther over the wheels. IF you site down the road like you do in a car, or pickup truck. The right side will NEVER come up on the highway. I'm thinkin. This could be true with a pusher MH, as it is true with busses.
* This post was
edited 01/08/12 07:07am by Terryallan *
ReverendCharles, Looks like you are a prime candidate for a MB-Sprinter. these trucks are built for the European roads and are a bit narrower than the RVs made here.
The advice of just look down the lane--and not check your mirrors is totally wrong. Highway hypnosis sets in when you drive this way.you do not sit the same in your TV as you do in the car, because of the width of that TV. You have to find the CORRECT PATH to stay in the lane properly. Look out at the mirrors and check where you are periodically.
Come to the state where our new state tree is the ORANGE CONE and pastime is ROAD CONSTRUCTION,you'll learn very quickly how to stay with-in-the lines.
Good luck and Happy Motoring.
95 Dodge CC #5 TST plate Flame Red/Silver
not totaly stock
2007 fiver
Tag Ma-haul has been suggested for a name but now The Shoe box
I think its all in your own mind. You should try a Wide-Body Class A Motorhome.
Your only problem is lacking and not trusting yourself. You just need more road time and more pratice, to become a better driver and to be able to judge distances better. Of coares I have never had a problem, as I was an OTR Turcker for many years. So I don't put a second thought to it. The same with Campround Sites, I can back up anything ( TT's, 5"ers, Class A Motorhomes) into some of the smallest places most others wouldn't even try to. Thats how I get some of the best campsites while Boondocking. As mentioned, quite looking so close in front of you, thats yor biggest problem. If you continue to keep looki g at things that are to close to you on each side, in time you will hit them. If you look further down the road, you will find it much easier to stay in the exact middle of your lane, no matter how small it might seem. Also, really learn to use your Mirrors, as they are your best friends while driving, and your mirroes will tell you if you are centered or not. None of this is hard to do. MIllions and Millions of other RV'ers before you have learned how to handle their rigs of every kind. Stop thinking Negitive, and what if. Start thinking Positive and can do. Good Luck. Happy Travels. Dan & Jill
Offline
