Route 50 West Virginia

Thanks folks, back to the drawing board (MAP)

It's a fun drive if you have a motorcycle or a sporty car. For anything else, it's a drag.

From Parkersburg to Clarksburg is fine. It has 4 lanes with intersections, not off ramps. East of Clarksburg, you are in for a long ride. I dread that drive in an automobile.

I made the mistake of driving US50 across WV this past fall. Normally, I go through WV on the interstate. This time I didn't. I was a fool.

I was pulling the Koala 21CS which is a relatively small TT with my new 2014 F150 Supercab, 4x4, HD long bed w/ 3.5L Ecoboost.

I had no trouble with power to pull the trailer. The problem was driving 30 mph on that road up those mountains that could give back strain to a snake. And then the sometimes 9% down grades.

The towhaul did what it was supposed to do. Depending on my braking, it definitely down shifted way down in order to get engine braking.

The 1st 1/3 is a piece of cake, mostly 4 lane road. But the eastern 2/3 is in rual WV, and is 2 lanes only. It might be fun driving a motorcycle, or sports car during the day. But I was going through pulling a TT and it was dark.

I will say it again, I will never do that drive again. I'll stick to interstates in WV.

East of Clarksburg can be a real challenge.

Mark

Johno02 wrote:
I have driven across from Parkersburg to Bridgeport in our small class A, V-10, with toad. Not an easy drive, but passable. Bridgeport to the VA line, I have not driven, but have heard that the best way across there is by mule. I think our v-10 would be sorely taxed.

Very true. I regularly drive from Parkersburg WV to Gaithersburg Md. I always get on I79 at Clarksburg. The only time we continue on 50 is to go leaf peeping, then we usually ask ourselves why we did it :) Good way to cook a transmission or brakes.

I have driven across from Parkersburg to Bridgeport in our small class A, V-10, with toad. Not an easy drive, but passable. Bridgeport to the VA line, I have not driven, but have heard that the best way across there is by mule. I think our v-10 would be sorely taxed.