Hello. Was hoping I could elicit some advise on winter travel with a 5th wheel. While we're not really rookies with 5th wheel travel, I still consider myself at best a sophomore. We've camped with tents, thru p/u campers, thru small trailers, thru p/u campers, onto motorhomes, and settled on 5th wheelers, as we enjoy parking the rig, then exploring with the truck. We have antique tractors in the family for decades, and I tandem up the rig for tractor shows. We've visited our daughter/grandkids while they lived in N.Carolina (son-in-law in military) pulling rig down I-77 several times from Michigan, but always in fall or spring weather. Now, they have moved to the bottom of Arizona!! I'll winterize probably in October, and we'll be leaving Michigan in late January, spending February in Arizona, returning in March. I know we're at the weather gods mercy, but hopefully we're make St. Louis the first night, and probably refresh the system there? Is the freezing temps going to be a concern the whole trip? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

drop down south and go thru ky thru texas much flatter and better weather.

I don't know where you plan to travel but you will probably have freezing weather most of the time until you get to southern Arizona. I winter in Salome, about 100 miles west of Phoenix. It froze at least a dozen times hard enough that the water hoses and some park water lines were froze in the morning. It even froze and snowed in Phoenix last winter during January.I typically leave Wisconsin during the third week of October. I sometimes run into snow along I40 in the Albuquerque thru Flagstaff areas even then. I definitely did last October. In the south, they do have some snow plows but I have never seen a salt truck so you either lay over until it melts or you just have to drive thru snow and slush.If you take what I call the southern route (I30, I20, and I10), then you run the chance of heavy ice storms.LeRoy

I've had freezing rain and sleet in Texas in January. The important issue is the road conditions.Everything depends on the weather. Your plan to water up at St Louis may work well, but be prepared to change the plan as needed.We've driven the RV at 10 below with no real problem, though I wouldn't be happy in a heavy snowstorm. We delayed watering up till things warmed up, used jugged water, and dumped some antifreeze in the holding tanks.

you will have freezing weather much further south then St Louis.Missouri. we just used RV antifreeze to flush the toilet.

I live in Lexington,KY and Dec seems to be our bad month. Last Jan it was a pretty mild winter and for the most part winter was pretty calm. Like you said it's a roll of the dice as to what weather will be in January in AZ and TX and all the good points you'll pass thru. Say your prayers and hope for the best at this point. St Louis is always freezing in Jan .. my brother in law lives just outside there and when we visit we always expect the worst..Don

Leaving Michigan in Jan. to head south to Arizona.

BarbaraOK
Explorer
Aug 13, 2013
Leave earlier and spend more time in the desert! Seriously, go spend Christmas with them, better traveling weather. Head straight down I fil you get to I-20 then head west, it will run into I-10.

Barb
Dennis_M_M
Explorer
Aug 13, 2013
I agree with the "get south as fast as you can" crowd. Also the idea of flying home. We did the after Christmas trip once, now we leave Thanksgiving weekend for Tucson, then fly home in late Dec for Christmas.

If the weather is holding we prefer I-55 to St Louis, I-44 to OK City, I-40 to Amarillo, then drop a short ways down I-27, to US 60 to Clovis and then US 70 to Las Cruces. US 70 across NM is good four lane all the way with very little traffic.

For what it's worth we usually stop at Trailer Village in Roswell and get a good dinner at Pepper's Grille
mjb0908
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
@dennis mm, thanks for the route info. and we still have other grandchildren here in Michigan also. it's a real cluster sometimes!
mjb0908
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
@ snowman 900, thanks for your advice. the route you described sounds better already than I40. appears to be another 120 miles or so further that way, but sounds a safer way to go. thanks again
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Aug 14, 2013
Definitely head south to I-10 as soon as you can. I-40 can be treacherous.

Sierra Vista is a pretty little town and you're probably staying at Fort Huachuca but in January you're going to have cold nights there, too. 20s & 30s can happen. Not so that you have to stay winterized because it warms up nicely by 10 am but best to not leave your water hose turned on - better yet, fill your fresh water tank and run off that and store the hose. Also sewer hoses can get brittle in cold temps. Don't try to curl it up or move it around while it's really cold. It could crack. We just get it out when we need to dump and then store it right away.

We would also recommend that you watch Michigan's weather and your immediate route for the first day or two and if you see a nice break in weather, leave at that time. Don't plan for a specific date. (We've lived in Michigan)

That's a lot of driving for only one month in AZ. Can you leave in April instead of March? March is a gorgeous time and it's too early to return to Michigan. :) Have a good one!
Gemstone
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
As for cold temps....I've experienced snow in El Paso and 0 degrees in Deming NM in early February....both on I-10. Sierra Vista and Benson can both get snow at that time of year, but it won't last long.

Regards
Gemstone
alfredmay
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
Get an electric blanket for your bed. When you get to the CG for the night turn the blanket on maximum for a few hours prior to going to bed. The forced air heat in the RV will warm the air up quickly but the furniture and bedding will stay ice cold.

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