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You have your brand new travel trailer hooked to the tow vehicle. The family have safely stowed their belongings, the fridge is full, extra food in the cupboards, everything is all set for that long awaited vacation. Nothing between you and the state park but two hundred and fifty miles of open road. Life has danger stamped all over it once you hit the Freeway. We should take a look at what you are facing. The freeway is loaded with high speed traffic. Everyone is in a hurray to get somewhere. Quite different from the rural roads you may have driven on. Huge trucks loaded with everything you could imagine are in a hurray to get from A to B in as a short a time possible. As you enter the highway from the right hand lane you will meet up with those monsters. A few minutes ago you felt like the largest unit on the road and in seconds you realize the tremendous size of the semi trailers as they zoom by. The first thing you will notice is the power of the wind these trucks create as they go by. No matter how good your anti-sway system, you will still feel a big push beginning from the front and then from the rear of the trailer. The first time this happens to you will be quite a scare but you soon get used to it. I found that I could anticipate the push by watching a rig come up from behind and just the instant it happened I would turn the wheel slightly to negate the push. Then you will probably kick yourself for not spending more time lining up your mirrors before you left town. You will also realize that the people driving the automobiles are on a wish to die. They dart in and out at breakneck speed looking for an accident to happen. This situation is caused by your slow driving and the fact that people do not like driving behind big vehicles as they cannot see properly. So they pass and pass again from every direction. Towing a travel trailer on the freeway calls for defensive driving at best. You must be alert at all times. You may pass or change lanes but make certain you have enough room to do so. You soon realize your vehicle does not have the same speed as when it is free of the trailer. Passing gear will boost it but not as fast as normal. Keep out of the left hand fast lane. Pick the center lane and stay there. Drive no more than the limit. If the speed limit is seventy, drive at sixty five on the center lane. Use cruise control as it will give you better mileage. Use your lights. Signal well in advance for a lane change. Drive with your headlights on at all times. Keep at least six car lengths between you and the lead vehicle. The space will fill quickly but you need the extra space in case you need to stop quickly. Joe and Irma MacMillan have spent many years backpacking, skiing, and simply enjoying life in the mountains of British Columbia. Their website Whistler Outdoors is full of tips on snowboarding, camping, kayaking, rafting, camp cooking and fishing. They met on a blind date in 1957 and are still married. Take a look at their story here About us
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