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Drivin' the Big Rig

 

by Brent Peterson

To most RVers, size matters. I'm confident just about everyone would opt for that master bedroom suite, spacious kitchen, and enough interior elbow room on board their vehicles to host a campground-wide square dance if they could. After all, most of us fall into the more-is-more category, right? Of course, an abundance of square-footage comes at a price both in terms of cost and driving/towing ease. Assuming that you can reconcile the added financial burden with your accountant/checkbook-strangling spouse, that just leaves the pesky issue of how to handle that big rig before one ends up in the driveway, wrapped in a pretty red bow. Whether piloting a behemoth motor home or lugging around that monster towable, the goal is pretty much the same. How to get from point A to point B safely. Here's how.

Fear Factor
It's okay to admit it. Go ahead, say it, you're nervous about getting behind the wheel of the new Class A or bulky tow vehicle. Truth is, you're a long way from that cute little Honda you've been manhandling down the highway for years. Like any new skill, maneuvering a large RV comes with its own learning curve, and apprehensive is normal. However, if thoughts of driving this big rig have you pale-faced with fear, then it might be a good idea to examine why you bought it in the first place. But I digress.

For starters, realize that it might take a while to get truly comfortable in the cockpit. And yes, you'll probably jump a curve or two in the process, a sort of right of passage for all of us. If it makes you feel any better, I recently wrapped a $300,000 Class A around a telephone pole. Personally, I think that pole had it coming. Come to think of it, maybe someone else should be dispensing advice on the subject. Nah, just kidding. We'll work out the kinks together.

The Same - Only Bigger
No matter what you're driving/towing, the basic principles of safe driving still apply. It's not like one needs to attend a special school to drive an RV. Although, there are driving schools and seminars available out there for the taking, which isn't a bad idea. The major differences mostly boil down to the realization that it will take you more time and driving discipline to do less. For instance, motor home drivers now must leave more distance for stopping. That pickup/fifth wheel combo lacks the getty-up-and-go of the family sedan; acceleration is a subjective term to most RVers. Bigger vehicles struggle up hills and backing up isn't always a thrill. Fortunately, most drivers on the road give RVers a wide berth, just one of the benefits of being at the top of the automotive food chain.

Brake Time
Learning the vehicle's limitations is probably the best place to start. Find an empty parking lot for this particular experiment and don't mind the curious gazes of passersby. Start with the brakes. How responsive are they? How much room do you need to stop from say, 30 miles per hour? Every RV must be driven differently - motorized and towables need to allow more time to brake than any vehicle you've ever driven. Notice (and honor) the difference in stopping power from an empty vehicle to one with full tanks, gear, and crew. When on the open road, anticipation is key. Give surrounding vehicles plenty of distance. Watch for the usual signs of braking situations - brake lights, road construction, merging, and the like. And don't speed, which makes the slow-down process more of a challenge.

The biggest of the big rigs benefit from a secondary braking system inside in the form of a hydraulic or exhaust brake. Towable owners will need towable breaks as well, which are a big help, especially when starring down the barrel of a deep descent. Extra braking comes in real handy when going down hills, helping you to slow without overtaxing the vehicle's brakes. Primary brakes can overheat and fail on long descents, so it's important not to overuse them. If you can actually smell your brakes, they're getting overworked.

Around the Bend
Swing wide when cornering. Remember, what's happening in back of you is nearly as important as what's going on up ahead. Take turns slow, keeping a watchful eye on what the rest of the motor home or trailer is doing. The bigger you are, the wider you'll need to go since the rear of the vehicle(s) tends to swing out as you make the turn. Take it slow and learn form the pros. Notice how the 18-wheelers get around in traffic. They've got it down to a science, wide and slow. Consider a pair of extendable side mirrors as a thoughtful vehicle add-on.

Change of Scene
Before changing lanes, ask yourself, "What's to be gained"? Are you hurried, stressed, or angry that the Cubs lost again? Emotional driving is always a poor state to be in, worsened when operating a 25,000-pound land ship cruising along at 55 mph. Sure, an open highway means the RV can go where it pleases, but I'm from the less-is-more school of driving, preferring to find a nice middle lane and staying put. If relocation is a must, give the rig and yourself plenty of time, looking for a nice fat opening in the traffic block. Flip the signals and have at it. As noted, fellow commuters are more scared of you then you know, and should work diligently to stay out of your way.

Back It Up
I'm either smart or the world's biggest coward (or both). I back up as little as possible, and rarely pull the motor home in somewhere before I know a sure-fire way out. With that said, throwing the rig in reverse is a fact of life. As with these other skills, practice may not make perfect, but it makes the outcome a whole lot more routine than just winging it. Again, I'm a fan of the empty lot and a few test trials to fine-tune one's abilities. Practice backing up straight. Repeat. Then repeat again. When it comes down to doing the deed for real, just take it slow. Always hop out and assess the situation first, keeping a watchful eye on not only what's immediately behind you, but overhanging objects as well. Take a mental picture of where you want to end up, looking for context clues from the cockpit to inform when you're in position. For instance, notice how when the tree stump is on line with your front tire that the back end will be in place.

A good co-pilot won't need to ask if you need help - they'll already be out there, ready to do their part. (Working out a few signals in advance will keep you from running over him or her). Better yet, get some walkie-talkies or buck up for the rear observation system, to best avoid the picnic table and yellow Subaru in your path. When that crowd of fellow campers begins to poke their collective heads out, don't sweat it. Take it slow and you'll do fine.

Motor homes pulling vehicles connected to tow bars and tow dollies should never, ever attempt a back up - you will damage the connection. If there's no other way around it, unhook the towed vehicle first, and scoot it out of the way. The trickiest part of backing up a trailer is remembering to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction of where you want the trailer to go. A nice method I learned from Joe and Vicki Kieva is to place one hand on the bottom of the wheel, then move your hand in the direction of where you want the trailer to end up. In the event the trailer starts to veer one side, turn the steering wheel towards the "problem" to straighten it out again. Take your time - this is not a speed event. Or, simply grab a pull-through campsite whenever possible and forget the whole thing.

Park It
Face it, that RV of yours takes up a lot of room. I know, you know, and the entire mall parking lot knows it. The best advice? Just beach the vehicle(s) someone out of the way, where fellow autos and pedestrians are at a minimum. The extra walking required will do you good. As a rule, I never pull into any place that I don't know the way out of. Avoid back-ups when possible, particularly in crowded areas such as parking lots and gas stations.

Highway-ing
I find that sitting up high in the motor home is a major advantage throughout both city and highway driving. This catbird seat is a great for surveying the landscape much farther ahead than any auto, alerting plenty of time to react and plan moves in advance. Sadly, towable owners receive no such sight advantage, that is unless they're cruising in one of those lofty baby semis that scores of fifth-wheel owners now favor.

The best advice for highway driving is to find a lane and stay put. Provide a fat buffer between you and those around you and this should protect you from any uncertainty. Watch that speedometer, Mrs. Leadfoot. As one driving instructor once told me, if you were in such a hurry, you should have left yesterday. Sometimes, you just have to out think the traffic and use a little sense. Avoiding times of heavy gridlock and skirting metropolitan cities should ease the driving chores. If things get too congestive, take the off-ramp and find a nice spot to play a game of Hearts. The middle lane is the best bet for highways, since it lakes the speed and frequent off-ramps of the other two. Be sure to steer clear of alcohol, fatiguing medications, and Chicago between the hours of 7a.m-7 p.m. - but you knew that already, didn't you?

As our friends at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association like to say, driving is different, not difficult. I couldn't agree more, especially after a little quality time getting to know the particular quirks of the vehicle. And while the typical RV lacks much of the driving accoutrement of that flashy import, just think - it's not much fun sleeping, cooking, and lounging about in a Lexus, is it? Travel well.

Article written by Brent Peterson for the November 2008 issue of the Camp Club USA E-newsletter.

Brent is the author of the Complete Idiot's Guide to RVing.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brent_Peterson/352032

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2532146

Driving Tips for Wet Roads

Wet pavement contributes to over 1 million crashes each year! Here are AAA's tips if you're caught driving in the rain. www.aaa.com/safety

Keeping Your Car (and Truck) Sensors Clean | Consumer Reports

Today's cars come with cutting edge technology designed to help keep you safe. Consumer Reports' expert explains how these revolutionary innovations can stop working with one simple thing: dirt.

Eliminating the driver shortage

Now is the time to take action to get more young people into the industry at a time when people in the country are feeling good about trucking.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I want to talk about the driver shortage again. Recent events have once again shown us that the trucking industry is woefully short of drivers and that it is a situation that is not expected to get better any time soon. The American Trucking Associations predicts that over the next decade we will need about 1.1 million drivers—110,000 or so a year.

I am, however, a bit hopeful with the reintroduction of the DRIVE-Safe Act which would allow truck drivers under the age of 21 to drive across state lines once they have completed both safety training and an apprenticeship program. To be clear, these are people who already have their commercial driver' license (CDL) and are already likely driving intrastate.

Click here for the rest of the story. 

Source: https://www.fleetowner.com/industry-perspectives/ideaxchange/article/21164809/eliminating-the-driver-shortage

Ask An Expert - Towing and Hauling Tips with Mark Hellwig

Hellwig Suspension Products CEO, Mark Hellwig has been in the load and sway control business his whole life. Over the years he has learned a few things about towing and hauling.

Mark shares a few tips and pieces of advice for proper and safe towing and hauling in this video.

NEW STUDY FINDS GREATER GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS FOR PICKUP TRUCK ELECTRIFICATION THAN FOR OTHER LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES

•  A University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company study evaluates the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions relative to gasoline-powered pickup trucks as part of the decarbonization of the transportation industry.
• Sedan, SUV, and pickup truck battery-electric vehicles have approximately 64% lower cradle-to-grave life cycle greenhouse gas emissions than internal-combustion-engine vehicles on average across the United States.
• Replacing an internal-combustion-engine pickup with a battery-electric pickup results in a reduction of 74 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over the lifetime of the vehicle on average.
• While battery-electric vehicles currently have larger greenhouse gas emissions in their manufacturing than internal-combustion-engine vehicles, due to battery production, this impact is offset by savings in their operation.

Major automotive manufacturers are ramping up the production of electric trucks as a key strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their fleets. Light-duty vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks, are currently responsible for 58% of U.S. transportation sector emissions. Pickup trucks accounted for 14% of light-duty vehicle sales in the United States in 2020, and the market share of both pickups and SUVs has grown in recent years.

But what does pickup truck electrification mean for the decarbonization of the transportation industry?

University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company researchers addressed this question in a new study and evaluated the savings in greenhouse gas emissions relative to gasoline-powered pickup trucks.

Researchers found that light-duty, battery-electric vehicles have approximately 64% lower cradle-to-grave life cycle greenhouse gas emissions than internal-combustion-engine vehicles on average across the United States.

“This is an important study to inform and encourage climate action. Our research clearly shows substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions that can be achieved from transitioning to electrified powertrains across all vehicle classes,” said study senior author Greg Keoleian, a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and director of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems.

“This study can help us to understand the potential impact of electrification from an emissions-reduction perspective, particularly as we introduce new electric vehicles, and how we can continue to accelerate our progress towards carbon neutrality. We’re proud to partner with U-M in this critical work,” said Cynthia Williams, global director of sustainability, homologation and compliance at Ford.

In the study, researchers conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of pickup trucks and compared the implications of pickup truck electrification to those of sedan and SUV electrification.

With a focus on evaluating greenhouse gas emissions, researchers looked at three different model year 2020 powertrain options—internal-combustion-engine vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles, and battery-electric vehicles—for midsize sedans, midsize SUVs, and full-size pickup trucks, accounting for differences in fuel economy, annual mileage, vehicle production, and vehicle lifetime across vehicle classes.

“This study expands upon previous studies that have focused on comparing battery-electric vehicle sedans to their internal-combustion-engine or hybrid counterparts,” said Keoleian. “We report emissions for vehicle production, use, and end-of-life stages on a per-mile basis and over the total vehicle lifetime. In addition, we analyzed the regional variation in emissions considering differences in electricity grid mixes and ambient temperatures, and we also explored the effects of the rate of grid decarbonization on emission reduction.” 

The study offers key findings. Researchers, for instance, found that switching an internal-combustion-engine vehicle to a battery-electric vehicle results in greater total tonnage of emissions reductions as the vehicle size increases, due to the greater fuel consumption of larger vehicles. “Though the percentage savings is approximately the same across vehicle classes, on average replacing an internal-combustion-engine sedan with a battery-electric sedan saves 45 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, replacing an internal-combustion-engine SUV with a battery-electric SUV saves 56 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and replacing an internal-combustion-engine pickup with a battery-electric pickup saves 74 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent over the lifetime of the vehicles,” said study first author and Center for Sustainable Systems Research Specialist Max Woody. 

The researchers also found that battery-electric vehicles have larger greenhouse gas emissions in their manufacturing than internal-combustion-engine vehicles, due to battery production, but this impact is offset by savings in their operation. For battery-electric vehicles and internal-combustion-engine vehicles, the breakeven time is 1.2 to 1.3 years for sedans, 1.4 to 1.6 years for SUVs, and 1.3 years for pickup trucks, based on the average U.S. grid and vehicle miles traveled.

Vehicle emissions vary across the country, as different temperatures and different drive cycles affect a vehicle’s fuel economy. For electric vehicles, the emissions intensity of the local electricity grid is also an important factor. The study developed maps to show the lifetime grams of carbon dioxide equivalent/mile for each powertrain (internal-combustion-engine vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and battery-electric vehicles) and vehicle type (sedan, SUV, and pickup truck) by county across the United States. Researchers found that concerns about battery-electric vehicles having higher emissions than internal-combustion-engine vehicles or hybrids are largely unfounded, as battery-electric vehicles outperform hybrids in 95% to 96% of counties, while battery-electric vehicles outperform internal-combustion-engine vehicles in 98% to 99% of counties, even assuming only modest progress towards grid decarbonization.

Charging strategies can further reduce battery-electric vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. The study found that charging during the hours of the day with the lowest grid emissions intensity can reduce emissions by 11% on average. “Deployment of electric vehicles and expansion of renewable energy resources like solar and wind should be done at the same time; the benefit of each is increased by the development of the other,” said Woody.

The study, “The role of pickup truck electrification in the decarbonization of light-duty vehicles,” was published online March 1 in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

The other authors of the study are Parth Vaishnav of the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and Center for Sustainable Systems and Robert De Kleine, Hyung Chul Kim, James E. Anderson, and Timothy J. Wallington of Ford Motor Company’s Research and Innovation Center.

This study was supported by Ford Motor Company through a Ford-University of Michigan Alliance Project Award.

 

Click here for more information.

 

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.  The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers.  Ford designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of connected, increasingly electrified passenger and commercial vehicles:  Ford trucks, utility vehicles, vans and cars, and Lincoln luxury vehicles.  The company is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, connected vehicle services and mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  Ford employs about 183,000 people worldwide.  More information about the company, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company is available at corporate.ford.com.

Tire Blow Out Reaction Tips

Tires are the most important part of your vehicle and unexpected blows outs happen almost everyday! Watch this video to find out the two key steps to keep you safe in the event of a tire blow out.

What are the a few key common causes of DPF failure?

The truck’s DPF removes diesel soot from the exhaust emissions of a diesel engine, and like any other filter, it slowly gets clogged up with the soot that it traps and if not serviced when required most likely fails.

Learn more at: https://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/dpf-failures-common-causes/?utm_source=omeda&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Safe+truck+driving+practices+during+winter+&oly_enc_id=0684G6286056F0

##North Bay Truck Center has ithe state of the art FSX Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) cleaning equipment to help our customers keep their engines performing effectively by removing up to 94% of the captured soot from the DPF filter. Cleaner DPF equals longer filter life too and these filters are very expensive to replace.

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Drivetrains 101 | Consumer Reports

A car’s drivetrain is how you get power from the engine to the wheels. Consumer Reports’ expert explains the difference between front-wheel, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel, and four-wheel drive.

Automatic Emergency Braking in Large Trucks

A new IIHS study finds that automatic emergency braking systems in large trucks are reducing rear-end crashes by over 40 percent.