Watch Out for Low Bridges

[PeterFTH]

I had a friend on the roof drop down a tape measure - 12'6" was the highest immovable object (I don't count the small whip antennas that would just "tickle" the overhead). I have never seen a major road with less than 14' of clearance. Local streets are another story - Google low bridges sometime and watch then smack their roofs one after the next.

[Maxlos]

Watch out for the Detroit area, many older bridges and subways in the downtown areas that are way under normal heights. Also traveling British Columbia you have to do some quick figuring from the right to the left lane since the overpass inclines are very severe. One lane you're good, the other lane you're short.

[packnrat]

Originally Posted by Skip426

In California on the I-5 , they don't repave below underpasses so they don't have to change the signage .

what signage? i drive a commercial truck. been some time in just a small area of ca but i do not recall much signage.
but the junk about not paving under a overpass has caused many a accident. so watch out if NEW pavement as there be sudden deep drop offs and then tall lips to roll up. as much as a whole 3 inches.
plays heck with a load. tires, suspensions. frames, etc.

[bluemoontwd]

13' is still too close for comfort. Maybe 13.9'

[Craig_M]

If you have access to a LASER level, set up a ladder, light up the top of the dome and measure the distance to the ground.
If not, use something rigid like a 2X4, 1X4, etc. and a level and have a buddy on a ladder measure the distance.

[Nellybelle]

U.S, 31 just North of HWY 50 at Seymour Indiana, train overhead is marked 13'7".

[Jchemie]

Terrible way to end your trip. But now that coach is not only lower, but lighter. If I’m in doubt of the height of an overpass on a major highway, I pull over and watch for an 18 wheeler with a big box trailer to zip under. Then I know I’m safe. I like the idea of using a pocket laser measure. Got one and it now goes into my coach utility drawer. Thanks Rescar!

[Tall Tom]

Originally Posted by arlawbob

I agree with this point of view. I inadvertently (if that is possible) got onto the Million Dollar Highway which is US 550 in CO between Ouray and Durango. Was driving a prior 45 ft Essex and towing. No accident or coach damage but it did get me seriously focused on better trip planning. That should be a top priority driving these beasts.

We did that million dollar highway also, with just a 36’ Meridian towing. My wife wished for a guard rail of some type, but it looked like there was no room between the white line and the cliff. We haven’t been back to Colorado since then, although really we haven’t had occasion to go that far west.

[permitwriter]

Originally Posted by DrT7575

So do these Garmin units warn us ahead of Low bridges and overpasses or do we have to look at a map or atlas?

I have an 890 and it tried to send us down an ATV/snowmobile trail that happened to run from the road we were on to the campground we were going to.

Sometimes it will show a motorhome icon with a question mark. That means that it doesn't have enough information on that road to know if it's safe for my rig.

[GeoffnJules]

Just got back from 4-wheeling where we stopped & measured "puddles" before traversing them to make sure we weren't falling to China. I know its different in a 12-ton rig at speed, but if the clearance is that close, isn't it worth it to hit the binders and pull over to make sure you're not going to be a story on the morning news?
When in doubt, CHECK IT OUT!

[TontonB]

Haven't seen this question... What about insurance? Is any of this covered? I have my opinion, but would like to see other factual comments.

[Birdhunr2]

I met a guy who said his wife was driving and she took a wrong turn around NY city. Got on a local expressway with the round top viaducts but, instead of stopping to check the height she just plowed on and was several inches too tall. Police were very surprised they only had some bruises and a couple of scratches from the broken glass. Their older RV was a total loss of course. I made a similar wrong turn during morning rush hour coming back from Maine but luckily we were driving a pickup with a low trailer. Not much choices to get off or stop without stopping traffic if I recall correctly. But stopping is of course the right choice when that happens and you are too tall.

[Newmar nut]

They have atlas's that have truck routes marked in red. Doing homework b4 a trip can save a lot of headaches and money. I never rely on any software for a travel route. Nothing is 100% accurate, I've left air out of air bags to make sure I'd fit on a bridge heigth that was close.

[nbaran]

I looked at the link to the Coachnet list of low bridges/overpasses. I noticed they did not list anything for the state of Texas. Our RV is 13'3". 3 times I successfully drove under an interstate overpass coming into Dallas that was posted as 13'6". Likewise, there are 2 or 3 ARCHED overpasses while driving through the southern aspect of AUSTIN that are something like 13'8 in the inside lane, and 12'10" on the outside lane so you better be watching. Likewise, driving through the state of Arkansas we came upon a construction site. There were yellow, temporary traffic lights. I thought they looked on the low side, so I pulled into the inside lane, but not far enough to avoid a deep 12" scratch on the rear top passenger side of our RV. AVOID TEMPORARY PORTABLE TRAFFIC LIGHTS USED IN SITES OF CONSTRUCTION. Also, be aware that heights can decrease over time as macadam is resurfaced over the years. On the advice of others, I recently picked up the Rand McNally Motor Carriers Road Atlas. Like the Good Sam version, they have all acceptable routes for large vehicles highlighted in yellow. All pages are laminated. The list price is $79.95 but when I bought it, the sales person said they were half price due to the great demand that was apparent after they were initially discontinued.