Tow Haul Mode- Overdrive

[goducks14]

I hate to ask what do you do when the speed limit is 80-85 as it is in west Texas and some roads in Utah and elsewhere. Do you run with flashers on?

I have personally had some very close rear end calls even running 70 on some roads.

Safe travels

How did people tow over 65 mph when ST tires were once rated to 65 mph max? Plus in TX thye max towing speed is 70 mph daytime, 65 mph night time.

[David and Marla]

It was when I was there back in the late 60's. I was traveling with a friend in his Alfa convertible running right at 100 mph, not kph, when he said he had flashes in his mirror, and he very quickly finished his pass of another car, and a BMW and a Mercedes came by us like we were standing still, had to have been doing 130-140 mph. Whoosh.

I was fortunate to be stationed in Germany twice (77-80 & 93-97). My spouse (we met during the first tour) allowed me to purchase a 1994 BMW 318i (4-cylinder) convertible for my 40th birthday. I was a frequent lecturer at the NATO School in Berchtesgaden and drove 550 miles, almost all autobahn. Two things I remember: 1) hitting 100 mph so I check that off the bucket list and taking my friend for a drive, top down, in 15 degree (F) weather. Everyone living in Germany has to take a driving class to get a license. Our instructor, Herr Strasser (Mr. Streeter &#128578 warned us about Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi drivers; “Get out of their way!”. I can personally attest to the “like we were sitting still” experience.

I drive 60-62 with tow mode “On” and cruise control “Off” in the hilly roads. Retirement yields a slower and healthier outlook on life.

[powerscol]

How did people tow over 65 mph when ST tires were once rated to 65 mph max? Plus in TX thye max towing speed is 70 mph daytime, 65 mph night time.

I guess you have never been in west Texas I can assure you its 85 on the interstate.
https://www.google.com/search?client...s+speed+limits

[powerscol]

How did people tow over 65 mph when ST tires were once rated to 65 mph max? Plus in TX thye max towing speed is 70 mph daytime, 65 mph night time.

They were not aware of the tire speed ratings - they just drove and drove until......

[trailrydr]

I was fortunate to be stationed in Germany twice (77-80 & 93-97). My spouse (we met during the first tour) allowed me to purchase a 1994 BMW 318i (4-cylinder) convertible for my 40th birthday. I was a frequent lecturer at the NATO School in Berchtesgaden and drove 550 miles, almost all autobahn. Two things I remember: 1) hitting 100 mph so I check that off the bucket list and taking my friend for a drive, top down, in 15 degree (F) weather. Everyone living in Germany has to take a driving class to get a license. Our instructor, Herr Strasser (Mr. Streeter &#128578 warned us about Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi drivers; “Get out of their way!”. I can personally attest to the “like we were sitting still” experience.

I drive 60-62 with tow mode “On” and cruise control “Off” in the hilly roads. Retirement yields a slower and healthier outlook on life.

As both a brat and a serviceman I too spent some 14 years in Germany. Was quite impressive to see cars traveling 100+mph bumper-to-bumper drafting each other down the autobahn.

And yes, weather did not keep them from enjoying their thrill ride while doing it! The interesting challenge was when my father purchased his new US made '76 Ford Mustang from AAFES and drove it over there. His Goodyear tires were only rated for 55mph and his brand new car would shake like it was coming apart once he reached 60+mph which was was pretty much the low end of the speed limit on the autobahn. So he took the car to a German Ford dealership and they told him that it was his US made OEM tires, and that no balance would correct it! So they replaced them free with a new set of Continentals and no more shake. He still never drove it past 75mph.... LOL!

BTW, autobahns werent the only places you got the flash-to-pass (move over and get out of my way) signal, got it multiple times driving thru the Black Forest on non-autobahn roads too, and not just from big Audis/Mercedes/Porsches/BMWs but just about anything that wanted to go faster than me driving my military VW delivery van throughout Germany which BTW had speedometer recording devices that kept track on paper disks how fast it was driven and was required to turn them in to the motor pool. You would be suprised how fast a German VW 2300cc Van can go and handle! Infact most german vehicles (including 4 cylinder diesel or gas motors) didnt have any problem doing 100+ mph.

[jleonard]

I was in Germany 73 thru 76. One time i got pulled over for driving too slow in the center lane of the autobahn even though there was literally almost zero traffic . I pretended that I didn’t understand and the cop mumbled something about dumbkopt and went on his way lol.
That was in an Opal Record that probably couldn’t do 100 downhill with a tail wind.
Then back again in 77 for “ reforger” from Ft Campbell. I was navigator in an open jeep as mop up for the convoy as we were taking our vehicles back to Belgium for shipment back to the US.
We encountered black ice on the autobahn as we were on a long bridge over a ravine. The tractor trailer coming up on us jackknifed about 15 feet behind us spilling it’s contents on the road and down the ravine. Missed us by that much.
It not alway cool to drive fast.

[trailrydr]

I was in Germany 73 thru 76. One time i got pulled over for driving too slow in the center lane of the autobahn even though there was literally almost zero traffic . I pretended that I didn’t understand and the cop mumbled something about dumbkopt and went on his way lol.
That was in an Opal Record that probably couldn’t do 100 downhill with a tail wind.
Then back again in 77 for “ reforger” from Ft Campbell. I was navigator in an open jeep as mop up for the convoy as we were taking our vehicles back to Belgium for shipment back to the US.
We encountered black ice on the autobahn as we were on a long bridge over a ravine. The tractor trailer coming up on us jackknifed about 15 feet behind us spilling it’s contents on the road and down the ravine. Missed us by that much.
It not alway cool to drive fast.

Yeah.... I was stationed at 7th MEDCOM 25th DPU (Data Processing Unit) which was also near a POMCUS site used for storing Reforger vehicles at Gerszewski Barracks in Karlsruhe in '83 - '87. Apparently all the kasernes in Karlsruhe have been closed and returned back to the city. I guess once the Fulda Gap went away alot went with them.

Also spent some time in Clarksville too. Never did get my Air Assault Wings or deploy for war games since I was a REMF. LOL!

Oh, and unlike the drive any lane you want here in the US, trucks too got pulled over on the autobahn if not in the far right (slower) LKW lanes.

[goducks14]

I guess you have never been in west Texas I can assure you its 85 on the interstate.
https://www.google.com/search?client...s+speed+limits

Yes those are the speed limits for non towing. Towing's different from what I've read.
https://truckauxiliary.com/trailer-t...laws-in-texas/

[Riverbug]

Not quite related but on the topic of speed as this thread has turned into... I recall on one trip south years ago we drove through (in our Motorhome) a city, that had signs for trucks to use the center lane on a three lane highway - for the life of me I cannot recall where it was and have never seen it again anywhere. At the time, I thought it was ingenious because forcing them into the right lane with all the merging traffic is a nuisance and a hazard. I always thought that would be a better way for all cities to do it. Trucks go in the center at their speed, the faster vehicles go in the left, and the nimble vehicles can handle the merging traffic. I thought that was a great concept.

[315RLTSinPA]

Not quite related but on the topic of speed as this thread has turned into... I recall on one trip south years ago we drove through (in our Motorhome) a city, that had signs for trucks to use the center lane on a three lane highway - for the life of me I cannot recall where it was and have never seen it again anywhere. At the time, I thought it was ingenious because forcing them into the right lane with all the merging traffic is a nuisance and a hazard. I always thought that would be a better way for all cities to do it. Trucks go in the center at their speed, the faster vehicles go in the left, and the nimble vehicles can handle the merging traffic. I thought that was a great concept.

That would make to much sense. We can't have that.