MA to MT

"Some have said it is too hilly and some would really be very scary on the brakes and high grade hills"

BALONEY! Not too hilly! Not scary! Tell these "some" silly people goooooood bye.

Lwiddis wrote:
"Some have said it is too hilly and some would really be very scary on the brakes and high grade hills"

BALONEY! Not too hilly! Not scary! Tell these "some" silly people goooooood bye.

X2

Of course it's hilly. Your going into the Rocky Mountains. Scary? No! Take it easy and you won't have any problems.
Now driving in Boston, that's scary.

Thanks. I was told there are really hard hills on the breaks, I do not have ALLISON tranny so no tranny brake etc. Want to have fun and not be scared out of my wits! REALLY want to drive and have a good time.

You have a gas engine, so a reasonable amount of engine braking (more than a diesel without an exhaust brake or similar setup, probably not as much as a diesel with a good exhaust brake). Downshift and use it when descending, either manually or by using the tow/haul mode if you have it (or perhaps both). If you rely solely on the service brakes, especially at relatively high speeds, you certainly can get into trouble...and you don't need western grades to do it, either.

(I understood the presidential range to be mainly in New Hampshire? That's not really between MA and MT, but more of a side trip. Or perhaps you meant Mt. Rushmore?)

From here to MT the only hills are in West Virginia. Once in MT the Rockies are on the far side of the state. Yes, there are some exciting upgrades and downgrades in the Rockies. But nothing a well maintained me can't safely handle. I suggest the Canadian Rockies. Way better than the USA side. Glacier park and Banff are simply amazing.. on the way back, take mother route through North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt part is one of the most beautiful parks in America. Have a great trip

My wife and I are making the same trip. We are planning to leave from Seekonk Ma. on June 10. The route I have planned is: Home to Herkimer Diamond Mines KOA, then cross the border to Canada at Thousand Islands. Make our way to Canada Route 17 (trans Canadian highway) to Sault St Marie. Sault on Rt 28 to Bessemer Michigan then Route 2 to Glacier Nat. Park. We are going to camp there for a while before heading on to the west Coast. We chose this route because it avoids all the big city congestion and boring interstates. As has been said. Be sure your RV maintenance is up to snuff and you will be OK. There is so much to see and do there that if you feel uncomfortable about a situation there is always something else to do or see that is just as exciting.
When you get close, you could just ask your fellow campers, just like you are doing here. We got some great advise last year about local routes to use and sites to see.

RVER wrote:
Thanks. I was told there are really hard hills on the breaks, I do not have ALLISON tranny so no tranny brake etc. Want to have fun and not be scared out of my wits! REALLY want to drive and have a good time.

So what is the route you are looking at?

First off most of the units you will see have Gas Engines.

You will love it - How much Time?

Yellowstone and Glacier?

Custer?

Colorado?

We have done this trip in everything from a Pickup Camper to the Coach we have now, all the trips were FUN.

I'd think about a loop so as to go out one way and back another.

Guess the biggest thing to Know is "You Can Do IT in your RV".

Best of Luck,

What we recommend depends on the time you plan to travel. I recommend at least a month. Going from/to Yellowstone and Rapid City would recommend you stay on I-90 to Bozeman then 191 to West Yellowstone.

We are heading out Memorial Day weekend in the same direction,though we are heading to Oregon,with many stops along the way. One piece of advice would be to avoid Chicago any day or time. Makes Boston look like a merry-go-round. Rt 90 through Indiana is congested,but alternate routes are in dismal condition. Lots of used car parts along the curbs. Long climb out of Mississippi basin,but very different and a great experience. Don't miss the Badlands,and a side trip to Devil's Tower is worth the ride ( don't forget your climbing gear and ropes...not!... You can actually watch people scaling it. Bring binoculars.) Wall Drug...meh.Corn Palace...glorified flea market.IMHO!