How fast can I pull my travel trailer?
By
Elaine Knight
In this blog post, we will answer the following question: How fast can I pull my travel trailer? We will tell you what is the maximum towing speed limit for each of the 50 states and discuss what is the ideal speed to pull a travel trailer.
How fast can I pull my travel trailer?
The average speed limit for pulling a travel trailer is somewhere between 55 and 65 mph, but you can find a more specific answer in the table below. To drive well with a trailer, there is absolutely no need to go fast. So, if you have a deadline to meet, you have to take a large margin of time to avoid delays.
Maximum Towing Speed Limit for all 50 states
| State | Maximum Towing Speed Limit (mph) | Notes |
| Alabama | 70 | |
| Alaska | 65 | |
| Arizona | 75 | Vehicles with a weight higher than 26k lbs: 65 mph |
| Arkansas | 75 | |
| California | 55 | |
| Colorado | 75 | |
| Connecticut | 65 | |
| Delaware | 65 | |
| District of Columbia | 55 | |
| Florida | 70 | |
| Georgia | 70 | |
| Hawaii | 60 | |
| Idaho | 70 | Vehicles with a weight higher than 26k lbs: 60 mph |
| Illinois | 70 | |
| Indiana | 65 | |
| Iowa | 70 | |
| Kansas | 75 | |
| Kentucky | 70 | |
| Louisiana | 75 |
| Maine | 75 | |
| Maryland | 70 | |
| Massachusetts | 65 | |
| Michigan | 75 | |
| Minnesota | 70 | |
| Mississippi | 70 | |
| Missouri | 70 | |
| Montana | 70 | 80 mph for RVs |
| Nebraska | 75 | |
| Nevada | 80 | |
| New Hampshire: | 70 | |
| New Jersey | 65 | |
| New Mexico | 75 | |
| New York | 65 | |
| New Carolina | 70 | |
| North Dakota | 75 | |
| Ohio | 70 | |
| Oklahoma | 80 | |
| Oregon | 70 | |
| Pennsylvania | 70 |
| Rhode Island | 65 | |
| South Carolina | 70 | |
| South Dakota | 80 | |
| Tennessee | 70 | |
| Texas | 85 | |
| Utah | 80 | |
| Vermont | 65 | |
| Virginia | 70 | |
| Washington | 60 | Only for vehicles towing >10k lbs |
| West Virginia | 70 | |
| Wisconsin | 70 | |
| Wyoming | 80 |
The ideal speed for pulling a travel trailer
To drive well with a trailer, there is absolutely no need to rush. So, if you have a deadline to meet, you have to take a large margin of time to avoid delays. Indeed, with a trailer, it is indispensable to avoid jolts, even more with two or three trailers.
While the law may allow a speed of 75mph on some roads and this is quite doable with a trailer, the point is, it can be dangerous, both for you and for other road users. Thus, to drive a trailer safely, you have to take wide turns than with a regular car in order to leave its own space for the trailer and thus round off the trajectory.
Braking and acceleration will also have to be smoother than usual. This also includes increasing the safety distance with other cars because the load on the trailer increases the braking distance by 20 to 30%, within addition the significant presence of parasitic reactions to be managed at the wheel if it must brake urgently.
The engine brake must be applied more than usual so that the brake system does not overheat. Excessive speed is prohibited when transporting a trailer because the consequences may be harmful: the tires of the trailer will heat up, manoeuvring may occur and it may become tense, etc.
It is therefore strongly recommended while waiting to stay in the right lane during long descents of the motorway while downshifting to save the brakes but also not to go too fast. If a vehicle is moving slower and you have to overtake it, you must be careful to take the length of the coupling into account and avoid falling back too quickly.
It is also very important to stay awake to everything the road has to inform: anticipating bumps, tight turns, potholes, etc. by having a broad view of everything that is going on. It can also be used when parking is necessary as parking possibilities are not obvious with a trailer.
Is your car suitable for pulling a travel trailer?
Not all vehicles are prepared to carry any trailer. So it is necessary to confirm it in the technical sheet. It is important to know the weight that they can support behind, otherwise, the vehicle could suffer serious problems. Normally, the weight that you can tow should not exceed half the weight of the car itself.
In addition to carrying out the corresponding revision and tuning of the car, it is important to pay special attention to the wheels since the vehicle will travel more loaded than usual.
The most advisable thing is to increase the pressure according to the manufacturer’s advice and reduce it once the destination has been reached and all the overload has been removed. Do not forget to do this same operation on the way back.
Once underway, it must always be borne in mind that the safety distance must increase with respect to the preceding vehicle because, in the event of having to make an emergency braking, more space is needed. When overtaking, it is necessary to have more meters, since now the vehicle is longer and the manoeuvre will be longer.
Finally, one of the challenges of driving with a trailer is the slopes, which put our driving skills to the test. To climb, it is better to use low gears so that the engine does not fall over and suffer excessively. On the descent, always calm and the brake lightly applied.
In addition, you have to pay attention when parking. Free camping is not allowed, so it will be necessary to look for a campsite or specifically enabled areas to spend the night.
Do you have the necessary driving licence for towing?
This is the license that you will have to obtain depending on the set of vehicles you want to drive:
B permit: If the set of vehicles that we want to drive consists of a tractor vehicle authorized by the B permit + a trailer or semi-trailer of more than 1600 lbs of GVW, provided that the set does not exceed 7700 lbs. It is the license that we will use, for example, to drive light caravans.
B + E permit: If the set of vehicles that we want to drive consists of a tractor vehicle authorized by the B + permit, a trailer or semi-trailer of more than 1600 lbs of GVW, provided that the set does not exceed 15,400 lbs.
C + E permit: If the set of vehicles that we want to drive consists of a tractor vehicle authorized by the C1 permit + a trailer or semi-trailer of more than 1600 lbs of GVW provided that the set does not exceed 26,500 lbs.
D1 + E permit: If the set of vehicles that we want to drive consists of a tractor vehicle authorized by the D1 permit + a trailer or semi-trailer of more than 1600 lbs of GVW provided that the set does not exceed 26,500 lbs.
D + E permit: If the set of vehicles we want to drive is made up of a tractor vehicle authorized by the D + permit, a trailer or semi-trailer of more than 1600 lbs GVW provided that the set does not exceed 26,500 lbs.
Final thoughts
Towing a loaded travel trailer l is not the same as driving without it, especially if you are the driver. It is necessary to be well informed about it before getting started but be careful, you must first practice and gain enough experience before making long journeys or carrying heavy masses.
We wish you a safe journey and please let us know if you have any questions or comments on the content.
FAQ on How fast can I pull my travel trailer?
What is caravan MAM?
A caravan MAM – Maximum Authorized Mass – is the vehicle’s total weight with the maximum load inside. That is the sum of the payload plus the tare of the caravan.
How much weight can you drive with the B license?
With the B license, you can tow a trailer that does not exceed 750 kg of maximum authorized mass. The set, including the vehicle and the trailer, must not exceed 3,500 kg of maximum authorized mass, which is what the driving license B establishes.
How much does it cost to get a category E driving license?
The cost to get a category E on your driving licence will vary according to the city, the driving school, the number of practices that we need, and the vehicle that you are going to drive (B + E, C + E, D + E…).
References
- How Fast Can You Safely Drive When Towing an RV? – VEHQ
- Towing RV Fast – Fifth Wheel Street
- Trailer Towing – AAA Digest of Motor Laws
