Its probly shorter distance but probly not quicker. Depends what your looking for,
Pretty drive. Easy drive with your rv. We have a house in Payson and I would say one of the things to watch for is the traffic on the weekends in Payson. Alot of people come up from Phoenix to escape the heat and it creates a pretty good traffic jam. The other thing is to watch for elk early in the morning or in the evening. We use that road all the time heading for Flagstaff from Payson. Not a problem.
Stop in at the town of Strawberry and have an elk burger.