Category: Driver
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Battery Terminals – 2000 F-250
After more than a year of owning and driving Roadrunner, I finally got around to changing out the battery terminals; it was definitly time! I picked up a set of military style terminals from amazon, some copper terminal ends and heat shrink pieces, gathered up my heat gun, large gauge wire strippers, crimpers, and a…
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The 80% rule
The 80% rule is a ‘rule of thumb’ in towing that states, “You should aim to tow 80% or less of your total towing capacity”. The purpose of this rule is to give you some ‘wiggle room’ for safety to ensure you don’t go over your maximum towing rating when you’re towing in heavy wind,…
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Road Signs: Crunching the numbers
Another fun fact (hey, it’s fun to ME!~) is that the numbers on the road signs all have some kind of meaning, and once you understand the system, you’ll know what they mean, too! Any two-digit highway sign (I-20, I-65, US-98, etc) means it’s a primary highway. If the numbers are EVEN, it’s an EAST-WEST…
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Mile Marker Signs
Part of our series on road signs, Mile Markers are found on every Interstate, US highway, and State highway. You may find them on other roadways as well, usually only on access-controlled roadways. Mile marker signs are very helpful for navigating the country, and are best used for figuring out distance from one point to…
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Sign, sign, everywhere a sign!
There are a lot of signs out on the roads these days, but do you know what they all mean? Sure, some are obvious, while others, not so much. From https://www.accuform.com/news/Road-Signs-and-Meanings-What-Do-Signs-Mean , here’s a brief overview to get us started: The meaning of colors on road signs Red: Red generally means stop. The use of…
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Here I go, off to tow!
Quick note about towing versus pulling: Just because your rig can PULL it doesn’t mean it can TOW it. Towing generally refers to CONTROLLING a trailer, so it’s not just about getting it going, it’s also about slowing it, turning it, moving it around, and stopping it. Why does this matter? Because if you can’t…
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Non-Commercial weigh
Anytime you want to know the total weight of your rig, all you need to do is go to your local truck stop! Park somewhere (in a designated space!), walk inside, and ask someone at the fuel desk for a “non-commercial” weigh ticket. This let them know that you’re not a Commercial driver, and they’ll…
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W&M 1: What’s it all mean?
When we’re talking about a house on wheels, it’s important to understand all the different terms used to talk about weight; what they mean, how to use them, and why they matter. First things first, here’s some terms you need to know: 1) GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating This is the total amount of weight…
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Right of way
Right of way is a fun topic (for me) to discuss, but so often it seems to be misconstrued by people who want it to be about feelings, rather than facts (a whole ‘nother series covered in another category). Right of way has nothing to do with WHO is right, letting people in, ‘being nice’,…