questions on I-40 going west from NC to OK

Thanks Randy for letting us know how the trip turned out, and for the update on campgrounds and road conditions.

Best wishes and prayers for your daughter as she launches out into a new phase of her life.

Well just finished our return trip to Oklahoma and back to get my camper and baby girl back home.
NOT as big a deal with this trip.
We made it home in 3 days with stops in Jackson, TN, and Sevierville, TN.
Jackson Tn stop was a campground I found on RVparky. What a stop the website showed a nice campground and I was like cool, but I did not read the comments and I wish I had. IT was really a trailer park with 6-7 RV sites on the asphalt parking lot. Full 30amp hook ups but the water hookup was down in the ground and the hole to hook up water was full of water or dirt just depends on what hole you looked into. Because it was about dark I just hooked up power for the night and then next morning I ran all 30plus foot of water hose to get to the hole with nothing in it to shower and use our stuff. Sewer hookup was ok and covered with a roofing shingle. Never even saw that the night before.So lesson learned here, Read the comment before committing to an RV park for the night but it worked out, the next night we stayed In Sevierville at a nice campground we stayed at on the way out 9 weeks before. So that was great. Got up Monday morning and finished our ride home.
The camper is in its Rv port and it was glad to be home.
Just a recap of trips.
Going to Lawton, OK: Drove 2801 miles round trip, drove around Lawton area for 2 extra days
Avg 13.05 MPG, used $500.00 in diesel fuel at an Avg of 2.149 gals. 231 gal purchased
Coming back home from Lawton, OK: drove 2603 miles round trip, straight out and back
Avg 12.44 MPG, used $480.00 in diesel fuel at an Avg of 2.069 gals. 230 gal purchased
Observations of roads:
I-40 could use some work, NC roads seemed to be in better shape than other states. NC rest areas are some of the nicest and newest.
I-40 in Knoxville is awful as far as driving goes about had a wreck there coming home. I still don't how I missed it but did, thank God.
Nashville was ok to drive around on the bypass, Memphis has a lot of construction on the road before you get into downtown on the west and eastbound sides, EAST of Memphis.
Then once into Arkansas I-40 has major bridge rebuilding work going on plus highway paving. Lucky both trips with the camper in tow we drove on the weekends so construction was suspended. most of these zones.
once past this area west of Memphis the road was just a busy highway through Little Rock and Fort Smith. Rest areas were OK in Arkansas.
Oklahoma the roads were very broken up in places you bounced all around and if you could stay in the left-hand lane(inside) you were better off than the outside right lane. Construction around the OKC area on the 240 a bypass was bad. they are doing bridge work and road work. slowed down here just due to
the amount traffic here. once you get on the I-44 toll road it was not in that great of shape for a toll road, They must use that money for something else. Rest areas in Oklahoma were awful, old and nasty the two we used were anyway. both on I-40 east of OKC. nobody was even working them???
overall for these two trips, I drove 5405 miles in a 9 week period. Two of these days were long days both towing the 5er. I know now that I could pull this camper anywhere I wanted to go in the America but I should only drive no more than 7-8 hours a day. but I could go more if needed.
My daughter had the best summer of her life so far. She made new friends and life long relationships. She worked with our Native Americans and learned their culture. Heard stories from the elders of the Comanche Nations.
And just found her after college job. She was offered a job when she graduates in May 2017. We know that she will be the one that will spread her wings and soar to great adventures and new heights.
So I am prepared to take my 5er and visit her where ever she ends up at in a year or so. she could be back in OK or even farther out west, but God had His hand her and she has a better idea of her future career.
Again for those who commented on this thread with good advice and other comments, I again Thank you. Your information was invaluable for these 2 road trips.
Thanks,
randy

5 days until we make this trip again. Going out empty and returning my camper to its home under the RVport for 40 plus days until i get to use it.
randy

No updates but the youngin' is having a blast. Working, getting paid and a long holiday weekend. She covered 2600 miles over the holiday weekend, She ended up in Salt Lake City for the holiday. She met up with another girl from her college who was interning in New Mexico. They then drove to Durango, Co and then on up to Park City Ski Resort then over to Salt Lake City. then back home again to lawton, OK.
So she has seen the great salt lake, the rockies, new mexico, Amarillo, TX and all points in between.This young lady is spreading her wings and soaring. Gives me goose bumps.. She will be the one to leave the nest and travel to far away places.
oh yeah.. 3 weeks until we start our trip back to pick her and the camper up to bring both back home to NC.
randy

byrdr1 wrote:
Notification codes: (1, GATEWAY_TIMEOUT, www.rv.net)

My messages from internet connection???

rb

If you are using the RV.Net portal, the problem is probably related to characters you are using. For example, the RV.Net portal cannot process the percent symbol.

Switch to the Woodall's portal, which is not having the same issues. Same forum, same login.

Tom

deleted this post.
finally got it to post the whole thing.
Thanks pulsar,
rb

Oklahoma trip report:
I got back from Oklahoma Friday night 6-3. I left work on Friday 5-27 at 3:30 heading owards Lawton, OK. We drove I-40W, US52N up to MT Airy, NC over to I-77N then grab I-81S back to I-40 around Sevierville, TN. with thoughts of bypassing the I-40 gorge past Ashville. So this was my chosen route. Made it up I-77 and Fancy Gap Mountain on I-77. Truck pulled this fine with camper attached. Got to Bristol, TN with thought of staying the night here but was feeling good driving so we drove all the way to Sevierville, TN and found a a campsite for the night (NOW remember this is Memorial Day weekend) took me 3 campgrounds before finding a site got set up just before dark. And then went and ate supper at like 8:30/9pm. Great site pull though and full hookups and only $30 for the night cash. 303 miles of my trip under my driving belt.
Got up and on the road around 9:30 am, We(I) drove all day and called around looking for a place to stay the night by the time we found a spot I have been driving all day, I mean all day. We ended up in Sallisaw, OK at the KOA there. In case you wonder… that’s like 726 miles and almost 12 hours of drive time with stops for lunch in Jackson, TN, fuel stops along the way, We stopped and ate Supper(chips, cookies, junk food) at A Walmart and purchased diesel in Clarksville, AR. Should have stopped here for the night. First Walmart I have seen with a truck parking (15-20 spots) around near the fuel pumps. BUT we had a place to stay with limited hookups? Not too far I hope. Wrong another 80plus miles but I did it.
So we arrive at this KOA with plans to hook up and go to sleep. BUT I have found a new meaning of limited hookups. (I.E. TENT SITE in the owner's of the KOA front yard) Luckily I had brought my Champion 4000 generator with me, got leveled and hooked with power turned on, AC running and away to sleep we went around 12 midnight. Woke up at 6:30 to no generator sound, IT had run out of fuel during the night and we were never aware of it.
BUT it was all good I slept well and we used the showers and toilets as good as a $30.00 tent site would allow. After showering we got the truck hooked and turn around in the front yard and used my daughters car to get breakfast at local dinner, Its Sunday morning and we are not that far from our final destination (we are 239 miles away from Lawton, OK) and we are a day ahead of time as far as routing and driving go due to my hard headedness about driving. I will confess I had made plans and bought a seat cushion that was not too cheap to ride on while driving. IT worked for my back, hind end and everything else. I was tired but not worn out. I was excited to be going out west.
The rest was getting camper set up (Sunday afternoon) on the rented RV lot and checking out all the sites around Lawton, OK which are pretty neat. We used Monday as a tourist day. Tuesday was mama and me riding around checking out the town of Lawton (3 Walmart’s) and surrounding area. My daughter had to report to work that am.
Wednesday morning my daughter left for work and mama and I left for home with no camper in tow for this return trip. We drove to Jackson, TN that day ate along the way and fuel stops and stayed for maybe the first time in 12 plus years at a hotel, we have always had our camper, so this was different for us. BUT it was nice and we had driven 633 miles this day.
We got up the next morning (Thursday) to the very nice breakfast (not a simple thing but a real eggs, sausage, muffins, etc.). So we got ready and drove back to Sevierville, TN (328 miles)as this was a stop where my wife wanted to spend some time(Shopping, just chilling). We had a great day as we got there around 3pm and chilled, spent some time around Pigeon Forge (checked out 3-4 campgrounds) and got back to the room and spent some time in the pool and hot tub. Slept like a baby that night. We got up Friday morning with plans to stay another night but mama said let’s do Gatlinburg, TN and head home later in the day. So again we had a full breakfast at this hotel, we got checked out around 10am and headed to Gatlinburg, TN for the day. We shopped, walked, talked did the touristy things again. Left Gatlinburg, TN and decided to go by Anchors Down RV resort on our way back to I-40E because we have read so much about it. All I can say it lives up to its billing. Very nice campground. One thing is its FULL SUN no shade anywhere and it you have a boat Douglas Lake looks very nice. IT is all it says it is. (JMHO).
So we jumped back on the highway for our trip home. Home was another 291 miles away. We left Lawton, OK on Wednesday around 9am and we made it into my driveway at 9:05pm on Friday night.
We had left the previous Friday at 3:30pm from work and drove all the way to Lawton, OK and returned home covered 2802 total miles with 1242 from home to Lawton, OK one way and back with the extra miles running around here and there in a 8 day period. I drove like a trucker and I wasn’t tired at all. Worn out yes, Had two days to recover, spent Saturday am mowing and doing yard work and then we had a nice supper Saturday evening and a great worship service on Sunday and Sunday dinner with family. I will do this round trip again towards the first week in August. With less time to use at work only 3 weekdays and 2 weekend days. So this will be a go out, turn around and burn the roads to get back home with NO recovery time to go back to work.
Lucky I have a great boss and he is very understanding that these two trips have fallen on month end close weekends. Logistics’ paper work is due each close out weekend. I was able to get it done before month end deadlines this JUNE for May and I will have more time In August to get it done for July’s close out. .
I do have a fuel mileage reports too. JUST a heads while up towing I averaged 10.15 MPG, Not towing averaged 17.87MPG, with one tank of fuel 18.8MPG. Average speed towing was 65-67 MPH, not towing was always 5 over posted speed limit (so around 75MPH) pushed 81MPH once(GPS said so).
I want to thank all you who have answered my questions about roads and routes. NOW that I have driven them I am better prepared for this return trip. THANKS again..
randy

Ok made my first trip out and back. I have a review but can't get it tpost yet. Working on that NOW. As soon As I hear something I will post it.
thanks for ALL the words of wisdom.
randy

I have driven 40 from Tulsa to East of Nashville. You will find areas of construction along the way, but the road is generally in good condition. There are hills but very few long mountains climbs once out of the Smokey Mountains.

Well the time has arrived this trip, it is 3 days away.
holiday weekend travel I-40 1250 miles.
GOT the days planned and will try to arrive by Monday around 12noon. BUT weather, traffic, etc will determine that more than anything.
I had an interesting past few days.
First we vacationed at the coast for 8 days the weather was iffy, rainy, windy, cloudy, maybe 2 days of good sunshine. We drove home this past Saturday 250 miles give or take, averaged probably 62-63 MPH, mostly 4 lanes road and some interstate driving. GOT to my neighborhood and turned off the main on to my road. we heard this gosh awful noise the windows were down due to nice cooler weather. the wife asked what is that? I am not sure! as we are traveling down my road going maybe 5mph my daughter and SIL are behind us and they call and say the back tire is wobbling.. OH cr*p. I knew it was wheel bearing. slowed down to a crawl, eased it to the road in front of my house by this time I can see in the mirrors the tire is coming off the axle.
Holy batman this aint good. BUT we are out of the one lane of traffic lucky we live on loop and no one except neighbors drive our street. We get the jack out and jack it up and the tire comes off in my hands. I can see the wheel bearing is shot to cr*p. Spent the better part of Sunday looking for parts and then into monday. Got it backed into the driveway last night around 6pm. Great job!!! I had already called a local shop for them to look at it today and check the rest out. JUST in case. In pulling the tire off there was nail on the inside thread. That tire might be Ok but maybe not. So we cleaned everything we were taking out for this trip and moved to into the storage building. DID YOU know you an have a lot of cr*p over the 6 years of camping..
So I had some water in gallon jugs from the camping trip. I placed them on the kitchen counter, and forgot them until i was about half way to the garage this morning let me pullover and get them hoping they had not come off counter top. coming up on a loop road I can turn here and go right around, GUESS What I misjudged the turn and ran my camper through the ditch. IF it wasn't in the floor before it is now! OK we are stopped open the door two gallons of water all over the floor. lucky we have old towels in the linen closet for these things. 3-4 towels and 15 minutes later its all mopped up I am a little POed about my dumb mistake. BUT alas this story doesn't end here. I look back and see my curb side scissor jack bent straight back, CR*P, CR*P... BUT wait I have Steady-Fast stabilizers on my camper, guess what the straight down screw head thin with the giant wing nut is bent as far as the jack is. SO not only did I miss up the jack, I bent the cr*p out of the one thing that I had to weld onto my camper with I guess no way of straightening it up before Friday pm. So now I am beyond POed. I drive on to the repair shop the guy had told me where to back my camper and truck and I did but he wanted it closer to the building so I had to re-park it. NOW this is side street in our town that was a J O B. He comes out and looks and I tell him about nail in tire he can see it. MIGHT need to replace tire now too. plus I have all this bent to cr*p stuff to try and fix tonight...
SO MY adventure begins..
add to this a copy of a piece of an email my daughter got yesterday from her job assignment: "We are in for some tornadic weather this week and possibly this weekend I will forward you some weather related information later in the week so that you can be aware of the weather when you arrive."
As stated before this adventure begins..
Thanks for the vent and please keep me and my wife and youngest child in thoughts and prayers. as we travel these 1250 miles out with the camper, for traveling mercy's and our return trip home without my baby girl. then 10 weeks later do it again to hopefully bring my camper home 5000 miles worth of trips in ten weeks... OH yeah we are in two vehicles.. the tow rig and camper and my daughter has to drive and have her car too.
thanks
randy
ps I hope spell check worked well, rb