Recommendations - Portland - Banff - Glacier - Yellowstone
We are new RVers, having purchased a used 2005 Coachmen Mirada QB30 last year. We've taken quite a few short trips, and one longer one, where we went to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Los Angeles, Pismo and home. The latter trip was pretty grueling, for the following reasons:
1) My husband was recovering from hernia surgery - we probably shouldn't have done such a strenuous trip that soon (we are in our early 60s, in reasonable shape) and I had not learned to drive the RV yet (I've now learned a LITTLE, but in no way feel comfortable doing anything but flat driving in light traffic). We also had just gotten a very high mileage 2003 Jeep Liberty as a toad.
2) The RV is not easy to drive under the best of circumstance, but mountain driving was particularly scary, especially from Bakersfield to Las Vegas, and Sedona into Phoenix. We have since gotten a sway bar installed, which has improved things some, but the fact is, the Mirada is a light, underpowered low end rig, and we have to deal with that.
But I want to get at least one more big trip out of this rig before we consider selling it and upgrading, and my heart is set on a trip roughly following this route:
But I am very worried about the mountain driving parts of this trip, and I haven't seen a guide that explains how difficult the driving might be for underpowered rigs with a toad - how steep the grades are, how windy the roads, and alternate routes that might be more advisable, even if longer. I have already told my husband I am more than willing to unhook the Jeep and drive it separately to make the scary/difficult parts of the trip easier, but I'm looking for recommendations from those of you who have experienced these areas.
Recommendations for side trips, particular campgrounds, warnings (e.g., we're traveling with two cats), and other information is also very much appreciated.
1) My husband was recovering from hernia surgery - we probably shouldn't have done such a strenuous trip that soon (we are in our early 60s, in reasonable shape) and I had not learned to drive the RV yet (I've now learned a LITTLE, but in no way feel comfortable doing anything but flat driving in light traffic). We also had just gotten a very high mileage 2003 Jeep Liberty as a toad.
2) The RV is not easy to drive under the best of circumstance, but mountain driving was particularly scary, especially from Bakersfield to Las Vegas, and Sedona into Phoenix. We have since gotten a sway bar installed, which has improved things some, but the fact is, the Mirada is a light, underpowered low end rig, and we have to deal with that.
But I want to get at least one more big trip out of this rig before we consider selling it and upgrading, and my heart is set on a trip roughly following this route:
- San Jose
- Portland
- Banff
- Glacier National Park
- Yellowstone
- Crazy Horse
- Santa Fe NM
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Los Angeles
- San Jose
But I am very worried about the mountain driving parts of this trip, and I haven't seen a guide that explains how difficult the driving might be for underpowered rigs with a toad - how steep the grades are, how windy the roads, and alternate routes that might be more advisable, even if longer. I have already told my husband I am more than willing to unhook the Jeep and drive it separately to make the scary/difficult parts of the trip easier, but I'm looking for recommendations from those of you who have experienced these areas.
Recommendations for side trips, particular campgrounds, warnings (e.g., we're traveling with two cats), and other information is also very much appreciated.
