Toy Hauler Height concern

[DLfuzion]

My new Fuzion 427 is 13'6" tall. I saw an overpass today on freeway that said 13'7". That's a little too close for comfort for my taste. Has anyone had issues with this tall of a 5th wheel on major freeways?

[cabldawg]

Some of our refrigerated trailers are 13'8" and I've never had a problem.

[notanlines]

DL, I would start by measuring the exact height of your RV while it is hooked to your TV and on level ground.

[Tbos]

Originally Posted by DLfuzion

My new Fuzion 427 is 13'6" tall. I saw an overpass today on freeway that said 13'7". That's a little too close for comfort for my taste. Has anyone had issues with this tall of a 5th wheel on major freeways?

My Alpine is supposed to be 13’6” too. I need to stay away from that road. I plan to measure it soon while hooked up to the truck.

[MerlinB]

13' 6" is the required minimum clearance on all Interstate highways.

[MattHelm21]

I know it is splitting hairs but all the 43 foot Fuzions are listed in the brochures as 13’ 3”(mine included). This isn’t much but it is a bit of a cushion to the 13’ 6” federal minimum on Interstates. This doesn’t mean not to measure yourself as this can change if the rig doesn’t ride level front to back or if the combination is hobby horsing as you go under the bridge. I’ve been under 13’ 6” bridges myself(one with a dip under and up on the other side) and I have to say it can be stressful but we made it in one piece. I’ve run under a few here in NJ where it was necessary to change lanes to get to the one with the clearance so its important to watch the signage.

[Aorobie]

I set one end of a 2x4x8 with a level taped to it on the a/c while still on a step ladder take your tape measure and feed it straight down to a helper to the ground. Level the 2x and take your measurement height. My Fuzion 381 is 13'-5" with water tanks empty

[JRTJH]

An easier way is to use a 10' 2x4. Lay it across the air conditioner (or the tallest part of the roof), measure BOTH sides of the 2x4 and average them. That way, even if your level is "just a tad off" you have an accurate measurement.

[MattHelm21]

I’d also measure the front and rear most air conditioners. Take the highest measurement.

[Tinner12002]

Those bridge measurements I believe are at its lowest point so it might be good to pick the lane that looks to have the most clearance. I plan to measure mine this spring also as its listed at 13' 6" tall.

[JRTJH]

If there has been any recent roadwork, (work done to the pavement surface but not to the clearance sign on the overhead obstacle) the sign may not reflect the true clearance.

Imagine a railroad trestle with a 13'9" clearance, the county is responsible to maintain the road, the railroad is responsible to maintain the trestle. County overlays the blacktop adding 5" of new asphalt to the concrete base, notifies the railroad that the sign is no longer correct. The work is done in April and the railroad schedules a sign change for the next time they have periodic inspections/maintenance on the trestle in November. From April to November, the 13'9" clearance is really an "unmarked 13'5"...... If it looks "fishy" don't take any chances.

[Tinner12002]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

If there has been any recent roadwork, (work done to the pavement surface but not to the clearance sign on the overhead obstacle) the sign may not reflect the true clearance.

Imagine a railroad trestle with a 13'9" clearance, the county is responsible to maintain the road, the railroad is responsible to maintain the trestle. County overlays the blacktop adding 5" of new asphalt to the concrete base, notifies the railroad that the sign is no longer correct. The work is done in April and the railroad schedules a sign change for the next time they have periodic inspections/maintenance on the trestle in November. From April to November, the 13'9" clearance is really an "unmarked 13'5"...... If it looks "fishy" don't take any chances.

Great thing to point out!

[JRTJH]

Most 18 wheelers are on the interstate and there's "high clearance" under overhead obstacles. RV's don't have any problems on the interstates. But most KOA's aren't on the interstate and most 18 wheelers don't travel where RV's travel. So, the back roads aren't a "focus" for DOT and commercial trucking. That puts RV's "right in the crosshairs" for an accident waiting to happen with a low overhead clearance.

Years ago we travelled through the mountains in western Colorado on a "every weekend basis"... I can't tell you the number of 11' clearance signs that I could reach up and touch when walking under them. (I'm 6'2", but even with long arms, that's quite a stretch) Things have improved quite a bit since the 70's, but there are still places (and bridges) that don't quite measure up to their "claimed clearance"......

[Dave W]

I use this from Coachnet:https://member.coach-net.com/members...BridgeInfo.pdf

May not be 100% correct but may keep you off some roads

I need to remeasure ours with new springs and a 1" spacer. It was 13'2" over the front a/c but suspect that may have grown another inch or two

This is one road (Rt 16 from Custer, I believe) near Mt Rushmore that I suggest you had best avoid:

[JRTJH]

Custer State Park is filled with narrow and low tunnels through some pretty impressive rock formations. Here are a couple more that would make a mess of the A/C shroud and maybe more of the roof on most any RV. Even solo, we felt the need to fold in the truck mirrors before going through.

[Duramike]

To those concerned about low bridges, you might want to check out this site:

http://www.lowclearances.com/

I have used this service with google maps since upgrading to my 5er. The customized POI list is compatible with IOS, Android, and most stand alone GPS devices. I have my map set to warn me if clearance drops below 13’ 8”. Over 7,000 bridges listed in the database. May not be for everyone but I like checking my route before heading out, especially if I haven’t made the trip before. Have a great day everyone, be safe, get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

[sourdough]

Just to piggyback on some of the comments. I used to drive a LOT for business. I can't tell you how many underpasses I've gone through that are less than 13'...hundreds if not thousands. Just saying that if you have a high camper I would be looking at some kind of app that would give me a heads up. Now that I'm typing this, that's exactly what I'm about to do....

[Duramike]

Here is a screenshot of Google Maps with under 13’ 8” bridges shown in blue. As you can see there are many in just this eastern portion of the US.

[gkainz]

and to clarify those pics of the Black Hills above, the Needles Highway and others with tunnels are all marked NO RV (or that's what I recall growing up there, but that's been a "few" years ago) ... but the tour buses do run the Needles Highway

https://tinyurl.com/needles-eye-bus

[Alpine]

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