California Interstate speed limit towing 4 down

[anthem16]

I guess the 55 don't bother me that much ,I used to drive 70-80 with the motorhome but this year I'm trying to slow down and stay around 65. Get to see a little more and mpg gets better. Believe me you do about get run over but I'm not hitting the brakes all the time and switching lanes.

[moderator edit]

[N6CUS]

Ca has basicly 3 speeds STOPPED. SLOW(mostly) or 75 i was doing 75 the other day and was being passed a lot

[Waiter21]

Calif, Speed limit, REALLY -----

I rarely travel above 65 mph, But when driving up I-5 between Grapevine and Sacramento, I either bump it up to 70-75, or I'm a rolling road block. Even at 70 I'm the slowest traffic with people are going around me flipping me off..

[UFO Pilot]

I live in CA and drive I 5 and Hwy 99 on a regular basis. The vast majority of truckers run 60 to 62 so i just fall in line with them. If you stay in the lane with the truckers the cars going 75 or 80 won't affect you. I have never seen trucks running 70 to 80 (in CA) like some people have posted.

[Ready2Travel]

Originally Posted by Waiter21

Calif, Speed limit, REALLY -----

I rarely travel above 65 mph, But when driving up I-5 between Grapevine and Sacramento, I either bump it up to 70-75, or I'm a rolling road block. Even at 70 I'm the slowest traffic with people are going around me flipping me off..

Strange, I've made that trip (Grapevine-Sac I-5) three times in the last 2 years and at 61 I was going the same speed as most of the trucks? Most cars were passing me but never got flipped off, were you in the fast (or left) lane?

[bob91yj]

Left lane is still supposed to be the "passing" lane, not the "fast" lane.

[TXTiger]

Originally Posted by 2Yung2 Quit

The unwritten rule in California is, as long as you don't exceed 10 mph over the speed limit, you're good. You're not likely to be cited. I use 8 mph as a safe limit.

As a former Calif traffic court Judge I can tell you that the 55 MPH rule is not just for towing a trailer it is for any vehicle towing anything. As far as the 10 MPH rule, It was CHPs policy to not cite anyone within 10 MPH of the posted limit. It is not law just their policy. I believe they have reciended that policy as the law says within a reasonable speed of the posted limit or road conditions which is left to the discreation of the officer.

[UFO Pilot]

A retired CHP office told me the policy when he was on the job:

5 MPH over = May Stop
10 MPH over = Must Stop, May Cite
15 MPH over = Must Stop, Must Cite

Don't know if that was CHP policy or his policy. He led me to believe it was CHP policy.

[TurboDaveTX]

Originally Posted by UFO Pilot

I live in CA and drive I 5 and Hwy 99 on a regular basis. The vast majority of truckers run 60 to 62 so i just fall in line with them. If you stay in the lane with the truckers the cars going 75 or 80 won't affect you. I have never seen trucks running 70 to 80 (in CA) like some people have posted.

I don’t live in California, but I like the climate. Been in San Diego area now a little over a week. Drove from Chula Vista to Cornado this morning. Got on I-5 behind two double trailer rock haulers. They got off about 30 miles up and were driving between 70 and 75 the whole way. Was passed by several other trucks running at least 70. Did not see a single CHP on the way up or back. On the way back I was driving 65 and I felt right at home as if I were driving on I-635 in Dallas! I was in the minority driving the speed limit. Cars and motorcycles were passing me doing 80 or better! I was even passed by an Amtrak train driving between 70 and 75. You must be driving on a different I-5 than I was today!

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by V3600

55 mph is not a safe speed when everyone else is going well above 70. That's how rear-end collisions happen. Funny that yesterday I was driving a Phaeton from San Diego back to Tucson for the RV dealer I work for. Up ahead was a parked CHP. I was doing 70 and he started to pull out and then stopped when I passed him and he saw I wasn't towing anything. Sucker.

Have driven a lot of miles and have yet to see a car piled up under a motorhome on the highway.

Have though seen quite a few RV with blown tires sitting on the side of the road or in the ditch. Have been numerous posts on Facebook showing RV trailer debris littered on the highway.

Was watching the traffic the other day while travelling at the posted truck speed (65) on the interstate where the cars were posted at 80. It occurred to me that a car can out accelerate, out brake and out manoeuver a RV. There is no rationale reason for a car to run into a truck or motorhome travelling at less than the posted speed limit. Unless they are texting, talking on the phone, eating lunch, tired, being impatient or in some way not paying attention.

Too many drivers leave 10 minutes late and expect to arrive 10 minutes early on a 10 minute drive. Stop making slower drivers responsible for bad habits.

When it comes to rights on the road I have just as many as the faster driver. In fact I should have more as I am paying considerably more per mile in gas tax than they are.

[02trader]

So it sounds like there is some "wiggle room" with the enforcement of speed limits in California. Is there any equivalent "wiggle room" in the overall length limit?
I've traveled often to CA to visit kids and grand kids with an overall length (MH and car trailer) of 70'. Since I understand that the legal combined length in the state is 65', I have always been careful to not do anything stupid to draw any attention. But as I'm being "careful", I get passed on the interstate by a 45' coach pulling a 30' stacker.
So, is there any "wiggle room" on this issue? And if you get stopped for being too long, is it just a dollar fine or do you have to unhook and find some other way to deal with the trailer? Finally, is anyone aware of any difference in the overall length issue between traveling on state/county roads versus interstates? You could expect it to make sense that California has more enforcement authority over traffic on state roads than on federal interstate highways...but then this IS California after all, so it doesn't have to make sense!!!

[UFO Pilot]

The only place I have heard of where over length tickets are issued regularly in on I 8 near Glamis.

[lowejug]

Originally Posted by 02trader

So it sounds like there is some "wiggle room" with the enforcement of speed limits in California. Is there any equivalent "wiggle room" in the overall length limit?

I've traveled often to CA to visit kids and grand kids with an overall length (MH and car trailer) of 70'. Since I understand that the legal combined length in the state is 65', I have always been careful to not do anything stupid to draw any attention. But as I'm being "careful", I get passed on the interstate by a 45' coach pulling a 30' stacker.

So, is there any "wiggle room" on this issue? And if you get stopped for being too long, is it just a dollar fine or do you have to unhook and find some other way to deal with the trailer? Finally, is anyone aware of any difference in the overall length issue between traveling on state/county roads versus interstates? You could expect it to make sense that California has more enforcement authority over traffic on state roads than on federal interstate highways...but then this IS California after all, so it doesn't have to make sense!!!

I drove a 41 foot Monaco dynasty with a 30 foot stacker all over Southern California racing motocross with my son a few years back and never a single issue with cops..
I personally think these types of laws really aren’t enforced..
Is there a chance of being pulled over.. yes ... probability of actually being pulled over.. no. Jmo

[Scarab0088]

THREAD CLOSED

After staff consideration, too many posts here required moderation under the Community Rules to allow continuence.

We believe the OP received adequate information to make an informed decision.
So, thanks to all who posted within the rules.

Safe travels