I-10 through Houston

Your vehicle size is too large for the HOV. You will definitely get a very expensive ticket. Both for having an oversized vehicle and for towing a trailer (the toad or anything towed counts as a trailer) in the HOV.

I-10 is the least distance. Traffic delays can happen anywhere. I listen to a Houston traffic channel when I’m going thru the city and will only choose to go north or south loops if the reports indicate a significant time advantage.

But at least half the time that I choose an alternate, that develops a delay.

I also have two advantages you do not. I have a tag and a discount for the Houston toll roads which makes it much cheaper than it would cost you. And I am familiar with Houston freeways that I recognize the locations of traffic delays, and know where most of the ‘normal ‘ backups occur.

Highly recommend just straight through on I-10.

Been thru Houston may times on I-10. No problems I just avoided the rush hour traffic

I-10 straight through Houston is generally the best option, for those that want to avoid the city take TX105 from Beaumont to Brenham, then back down to I-10. It adds about 50 miles to the trip though. TX105 is a good highway overall, some 2 lane, some 4, though there is about 15 miles with heavy traffic around Conroe where it is 4-6 lanes wide. Like much of the Houston area Conroe is growing, and even TX105 is getting much busier than it was 10-15 years ago. As to the best time to take I-10 through Houston, that would be on a weekend, on Sunday mornings downtown Houston is a ghost town.

Make no mistake I-10 in Houston can be awful, see photo of the Katy Freeway section of I-10 on the west side of Houston below.

Great question, we will be on the same route in September. Good to know the traffic is not awful.
We're concerned about traffic. As long as none of the routes are as bad as Atlanta at any time of the day or night.