Am I driving too slow (1 Viewer)

[Nirvanauk]

In France we use the toll roads and I set the cruise control to 105kph as a true speed this shows as nearly 70mph on the speedo. I have a 6 metre PVC.
Just talking to a Belgian who arrived yesterday morning who did the 1200 k dash by leaving at 20:30hrs the night and setting his cruise control to 140kph by his satnav so that is probably indicating >150k on his speedo and he is in a 7.4 metre Bessimar.

Phew!

 

[Badknee]

If the road in front is completely empty and there's a 25mile jam behind you, yes, you probably are driving a bit slow

The ever helpful Badknee

 

[pappajohn]

You're the one who wont have a letterbox full of french speeding tickets when you get home.

750 miles at 90 mph.....remind me not to buy their van when they sell it.

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[MikeD]

You drive faster than me, I don't think I have ever been over 60mph in mine.

 

[Flyingscotsman2]

Doesn't matter how fast or slow u go as long as u get there safe.... Stick at 60 mph nice speed u can the cd playing plus u won't spill your coffee wen your driving. Truckers do it best.

 

[Don Quixote]

Firstly you speed you get from the GPS is not 100% as there are to many things between you and the GPS fix that can be wrong, always stick to the speedo. Secondly 90kph should be around where you sit as if you go past the "speed cameras" you will get flashed and finned above that speed even if it says 110kph as the camera see you as HGV !!!!. Some MH owners what the best MPG they cn get and at 90kph you are right in that zone. Currently I'm getting 35 MPG best average 30MPG and I have a scooter on the back.

Having said all the above it's your MH and you do whatever speed you want as no one can tell you otherwise.

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[Geo]

Never drive faster than your angel can fly

 

[Roryboys Dad]

What is all this speed about?

Aren't you on holiday to relax and enjoy life in France, or any other country, not charging about watching grey tarmac whizzing beneath the wheels?

And how on earth can the passenger make a decent cup of tea while you're driving if you speed around – slow down and let the brews keep coming without spilling them!

 

[iandsm]

What matters is how you drive, and its a mistake to compare your driving to the Belgian 150kph is around 93 MPH= to fast. Your Belgian friend is either telling porkies (yeah his also does 40 MPG and he has had surgery to reduce his manhood to 9 ins as all the girls complained it was too large) or he drive like a prat, or both

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[DuxDeluxe]

Doesn't matter how fast or slow u go as long as u get there safe.... Stick at 60 mph nice speed u can the cd playing plus u won't spill your coffee wen your driving. Truckers do it best.

........and it makes a massive difference to the fuel consumption. We normally stick at 60 anyway except when a bit late for something. If over 3.5 tonnes be careful of the unladen weight - over 3050kg and you are restricted to 50 on A roads, 60 on dual carriageway and 70 on the motorways. Don't forget those nice average speed cameras.

As previous post, usually if you are moving with the flow of traffic then it's ok.

Edit just seen Don Quixote's post - spot on. You will be fined. Didn't someone on here (could have been "facts") pick up two tickets for doing over 60 on the A14 around Cambridge last year?

 

[Techno]

anything over 50mph on belgian roads will require new suspension

 

[DuxDeluxe]

anything over 50mph on belgian roads will require new suspension

Driving around Antwerp especially!

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[Roryboys Dad]

Belgian roads to test your suspension ......

 

[ivorantony]

Firstly you speed you get from the GPS is not 100% as there are to many things between you and the GPS fix that can be wrong, always stick to the speedo.

I disagree, the GPS speed readout is more accurate by a large margin, assuming you are picking up more than 4 satellites,
Your normal speedo will always over read by about 5% plus your tyre rolling diameter will change with Temp/wear and tyre type, so to all intent and purposes will only approximate your real speed,

Using the gps will give you a speed nearer to you real speed and is my preferred way of staying legal on the open road,

 

[Scattycat]

I think you'll find that on motorways the speed limit for MH at 3.5 tonne is 100kph

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[Vlad The Impaler]

I sit at 70 ish and the extra fuel used between that and 60 is next too nothing.
There is a saving to be had if you drive at 50 but that's not for me.Last time we were in France we got talking to a couple who had been to Italy and said they had nearly been killed and wouldn't be going back.
He was one of those 50 is plenty people,turns out he was going through some tunnels somewhere and each time had a trail of arctics behind him ,as he left the tunnel the lorries tried to get passed and nearly ran him off the road.This happened several times over a couple of days,he said it was too dangerous to drive there and that they were all mad.
I couldn't help thinking he was the mad one for driving so slowly and causing the problem in the first place!

Re speed cameras in France I've been flashed by my fair share but never had anything through the post,so sleep easy.




Vlad

 

[Movinon]

My current 2.3 150 Fiat is happiest at around 55mph. The engine is less stressed, the chassis motion is more stable, the fuel consumption is better, I have a greater safety margin, I'm able to relax in the inside lane instead of having to race around lorries and yet I have some power in reserve if needed. Previous motorhomes on different chassis and from different manufacturers were exactly the same. You should always listen to the vehicle, it will tell you where it is happiest to operate. Ignoring this leads to unnecessary stress on both of you.

 

[Nirvanauk]

I sit at 70 ish and the extra fuel used between that and 60 is next too nothing.
There is a saving to be had if you drive at 50 but that's not for me.Last time we were in France we got talking to a couple who had been to Italy and said they had nearly been killed and wouldn't be going back.
He was one of those 50 is plenty people,turns out he was going through some tunnels somewhere and each time had a trail of arctics behind him ,as he left the tunnel the lorries tried to get passed and nearly ran him off the road.This happened several times over a couple of days,he said it was too dangerous to drive there and that they were all mad.
I couldn't help thinking he was the mad one for driving so slowly and causing the problem in the first place!

Re speed cameras in France I've been flashed by my fair share but never had anything through the post,so sleep easy.




Vlad

I couldn't agree with your first paragraph more. If I sit at 65 to 70 then I get 31 mpg. If I sit at 55 then I get 32. Whoop de doo.

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[Don Quixote]

I think you'll find that on motorways the speed limit for MH at 3.5 tonne is 100kph

If that is the case in France why do the speed camera flash you at 90+KPH ?????

 

[TheDogMan]

I sit at 70 ish and the extra fuel used between that and 60 is next too nothing.
There is a saving to be had if you drive at 50 but that's not for me.Last time we were in France we got talking to a couple who had been to Italy and said they had nearly been killed and wouldn't be going back.
He was one of those 50 is plenty people,turns out he was going through some tunnels somewhere and each time had a trail of arctics behind him ,as he left the tunnel the lorries tried to get passed and nearly ran him off the road.This happened several times over a couple of days,he said it was too dangerous to drive there and that they were all mad.
I couldn't help thinking he was the mad one for driving so slowly and causing the problem in the first place!

my thoughts exactly. perhaps not quite 70 though, if I have my trailer on its 60-63 and without 64 -66, the thought of being entangled with HGV's would be a nightmare as for the comment that a MH engine is stressed at over 50




Vlad

 

[TheDogMan]

Don't know what happened to my quote

my thoughts exactly. perhaps not quite 70 though, if I have my trailer on its 60-63 and without 64 -66, the thought of being entangled with HGV's would be a nightmare as for the comment that a MH engine is stressed at over 50

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[peterc10]

Firstly you speed you get from the GPS is not 100% as there are to many things between you and the GPS fix that can be wrong, always stick to the speedo.

Can't agree with that. As long as you are on a reasonably flat road that does not have too many bends and are doing a constant speed then, after a period of settling in, the sat nav speed will be correct to +/- 0.5mph at worst.

On the other hand speedos merely count revolutions of the wheel so they are only as accurate as the calculation they have made as to the radius of the wheel and tyre, which will depend upon all sorts of things, including actual wheel and tyre size, which can vary with different models in the range (without the speedo type fitted varying), temperature, tyre pressures and tyre wear. It is known that speedos have this problem so, legally, they are entitled to show up to 10% too high a speed, but have a zero tolerance for showing too low. For all of these reasons manufacturers seem to set them up for the average wheel size in the range showing a little high.

 

[Don Quixote]

Can't agree with that. As long as you are on a reasonably flat road that does not have too many bends and are doing a constant speed then, after a period of settling in, the sat nav speed will be correct to +/- 0.5mph at worst.

On the other hand speedos merely count revolutions of the wheel so they are only as accurate as the calculation they have made as to the radius of the wheel and tyre, which will depend upon all sorts of things, including actual wheel and tyre size, which can vary with different models in the range (without the speedo type fitted varying), temperature, tyre pressures and tyre wear. It is known that speedos have this problem so, legally, they are entitled to show up to 10% too high a speed, but have a zero tolerance for showing too low. For all of these reasons manufacturers seem to set them up for the average wheel size in the range showing a little high.

ALL GPS satellites are military run, therefore they can change things as and when they want ( and they do ) ever wondered why you have a great signal one second and then the next none!!!! - therefore you cannot rely on the speed displayed to be accurate NOT EVEN to +/- 0.5mph at worst.

 

[Nirvanauk]

ALL GPS satellites are military run, therefore they can change things as and when they want ( and they do ) ever wondered why you have a great signal one second and then the next none!!!! - therefore you cannot rely on the speed displayed to be accurate NOT EVEN to +/- 0.5mph at worst.

Not sure that I understand that ???

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[ivorantony]

ALL GPS satellites are military run, therefore they can change things as and when they want ( and they do ) ever wondered why you have a great signal one second and then the next none!!!! - therefore you cannot rely on the speed displayed to be accurate NOT EVEN to +/- 0.5mph at worst.

You are way off beam with that, pun intended! A good gps will pick up 8 or more satellites with a decent line of sight, but obviously if in a city or hilly terrain that isn't possible so your gps suffers in signal strength , the American GPS system has always been downgraded for commercial use but is still accurate up 20 ft with a good signal, I have used my aviation one to land in poor visibility when needed, at the moment we have the American GPS and Russian glosnoss and the soon if you believe it European Galileo system,
The latest GpS system will be able to pick up all three so will improve speed/ height/ location accuracy beyond what's available now

 

[Bertie Bassett]

If the road in front is completely empty and there's a 25mile jam behind you, yes, you probably are driving a bit slow

The ever helpful Badknee

Very true...........a tuggers dream!
Love the new Avatar

 

[JJ]

I sit at 70 ish and the extra fuel used between that and 60 is next too nothing.

Are you sure about this?


JJ

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[Techno]

With a tail wind perhaps

 

[iandsm]

You are way off beam with that, pun intended! A good gps will pick up 8 or more satellites with a decent line of sight, but obviously if in a city or hilly terrain that isn't possible so your gps suffers in signal strength , the American GPS system has always been downgraded for commercial use but is still accurate up 20 ft with a good signal, I have used my aviation one to land in poor visibility when needed, at the moment we have the American GPS and Russian glosnoss and the soon if you believe it European Galileo system,
The latest GpS system will be able to pick up all three so will improve speed/ height/ location accuracy beyond what's available now

And my Garmin is currently fixed on 14 satellites and accurate to mtrs. (Am at Erquy, France)

 

[Scattycat]

If that is the case in France why do the speed camera flash you at 90+KPH ?????

Dunno.
I've experienced that a number of times as well over the years but have not had a fine come through so I expect that because of the size of the van the system thinks that the vehicle is over 3.5 tonne, but when the photo is checked they realise it isn't so no further action is taken

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