Montrose, CO to Durango

Shouldn't be a problem, I just watched a semi pulling a 53' trailer going from Montrose south on 550 last week.

Scariest road I have ever driven on - and I have about 100K miles driven in my 36-37 ft motor homes pulling - I drove it in May of 2021

Thousands of RVs do it every year.

For an experienced RV driver…no concerns.

chezhead wrote:
Any issues with taking 550 with a 36' DP towing a car? I have quite a bit of experience in mountain driving including a 16% grade in BC Canada. Thx

Experienced mountain drivers had varied opinions about driving this.

"Truckers do it all the time"...because they are truckers, it's their job and they have done it many times. Familiarity with the road is a big factor in driving it safely.

It's not just your driving skills that are at play. There's other folks on the road and there will be very inexperienced drivers along with you, the truckers, and other RV'ers.

There are 3 passes to cross...Red Mountain, Molas, and Coal Bank.

Heading south you will be on the "outside" for a goodly portion of the drive, particularly from Ouray to Silverton. That means drop offs (very significant ones), no guardrails and twists and turns, with hairpins towards the top of Red Mountain Pass. A frequent problem is OTHER DRIVERS that cross over into your lane, something to be very aware of.

"It's a very beautiful drive". Yes, it is. But you (and all drivers) should be paying attention to the road and traffic and not the sights. There will be pulloffs where you can enjoy the views along the way, particularly when you get up and over Red Mountain Pass. You will also be on the "inside" lane going down from Molas and over Coal Bank for a goodly part of that drive.

If you are experienced, aware, and take your time and drive defensively, you will be fine driving it.

The fact that truckers and thousands of RVers do it every year is a poor argument.

If you or anyone with you has any aversion to heights, I would not recommend the section from Ouray to Durango. Beautiful drive, but it could be a harrowing trip. Narrow road with little to no shoulders, lack of guard rails, and long steep drop-offs and several mountain passes.

From north of Ouray, 62 west to 145 south to Cortez to 160 east to Durango is a little longer, less thrilling, but still beautiful, option.

With your mountain driving experience, it shouldn't be an issue. The road is no narrower than where it is two-lane through the fields around Ridgway and in some places it is wider. Guardrails? No, there aren't any, but then I don't use them to keep myself on the road anyway!

You might consider disconnecting your toad to make the drive a little easier. There are a few pretty tight switchbacks.

If you are staying in Montrose and/or Durango, you could always take your RV via the route past Telluride and day trip US 550 from either end. That way you have more opportunities to pull off for photo opportunities that you won't get with a big rig. Driving the RV means focusing on the road and not the scenery. Plus, Silverton is worth some time to explore and parking for big rigs isn't the easiest to find there.

On any given summer night, there are probably 500+ RV's camped in the Silverton area. Every one of those has traversed US 550, either from the north or the south. This is not a "poor argument" but just data showing it is done by many people every day.

It's a little less enjoyable in the winter, but no less scenic.

Beautiful drive but not for the faint hearted. No guardrail. Guardrails do not always keep you on the road but they do provide a good reference where the side of the road is.



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Thanks for all the comments. DW does not want to drive the toad. Forecast is for a 94% chance of heavy rain and limited visibility on our day of travel. I think we'll go around as BB_TX suggests. Thanks again!