Picking up my trailer from LAX to IN in mid-December

Yea the extra 200 miles to go down to I-10 isn’t that much. But it's a choice you don't have to make till after you leave Elkhart. If it's warm and clear go I-40, if not go farther south.

I routinely push 700mi legs with my wife. Sucks, but we split it and it works. This time, I'm with my brother. We both have several thousand miles of towing experience. I'm from New Hampshire. I know how to drive in snow.

General consensus is I40 furthest north. Preferably I10. The mileage difference is negligible, I'll go I10 and keep it safe. On the way home, I'm expecting to take at least 4 maybe 5-6 days on the road. I have days built in to allow for the unforseen...good advice, thanks for the tips.

That's 2,000 miles, give or take a little, in 3 days? That would call for 660 miles per day, more or less, which will take you AT LEAST 13 hours drive time each day. And that assumes no bad weather, which is really pushing your luck IMHO.

That's also taking I-40 to St. Louis, and that would be absolutely the farthest north route I'd even attempt at that time of year. Of course, all bets are off if you run into snow.

You don't mention what, if any, experience you have driving in snow. If none, I highly recommend flying and leave the RV at home. As for Vail Pass, no way, forget it towing an RV. Even if you were an ace driving in the snow.

You're already south so just do I40 to I35. If you were coming from San Francisco then there would be a decision to make, but from LA just stay south.

I would drop south as soon as you can and go that way. There is no ABS on trailer brakes, and if that puppy starts to slide it's taking the truck with it. Plus, if you hit snow, that salt/slush mixture is going to get kicked up on/under the trailer. Even it's a little it would be worth it IMO to not have to worry about your brand new trailer.

From 80, I would drop down to St Louis on 55, then 44 to OK City then 40 West to LA.

What will be the weather like on those days?

the farther south you go the less chances of bad weather