I-26 or I-85 to Greenville, SC

Handbasket - This is very helpful. Thank you. What do you think of a 32-foot Class A on the Ford V-10/386 with a tow car taking I-26 from Columbia SC to Bristol TN?

Handbasket wrote:
You're going to encounter a 3-4 mile long 6% very curvy upgrade on I-26 leaving TN at the NC border. There's a roughly comparable 2-step downgrade on the NC side, but it's almost straight. _Great_ scenery. Then you've got a short stretch of "Future I-26" thru Asheville, where you have to exit once to stay on I-26, and I-26E is co-routed with I-240W (really). There's a pretty bad curve just after crossing the bridge over the French Broad, with very rough pavement (patches where a gas tanker overturned & burned). There's a bit less than a mile at 7% down to the Green River bridge (55 mph, IIRC). Last is the descent into SC, 4 miles of 5-6%.

I-77 is 4 miles down at 6% entering NC, and thick traffic in and past Hickory.

Your class C should have no issues with either, but stay alert and remember to downshift.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

wbwood wrote:
Don't forget about the pass just west of Old Fort on I-77.

That's Fancy Gap, Coming out of VA, Unless you are thinking about the Black Mountain / Old Fort grade on I-40.

At any rate. Once he gets down Fancy Gap into NC. There are no grades up or down, from there to Greenville.

Don't forget about the pass just west of Old Fort on I-77.

longtom1951 wrote:
Thanks for your responses. I never really thought of taking I-40 West from Statesville, but may do that, and hit 321 down to I-85. I have travelled I-77 many times and don't mind the Fancy Gap decline into NC, unless you hit it during a foggy time period. I came up it one morning, before daylight, and could not see 6 feet in front of me. We are not leaving until this coming Tues. PM, and heading to the Western panhandle of FL. I don't mind driving in hilly country-one road we take up to Canaan Valley, WV area, has a 9% grade. The only problem with those steep grades is that I am probably only getting 2-3 mpg.

But look at it like this. you may have to go up. But eventually, You get to come down, and then MPG evens out

Thanks for your responses. I never really thought of taking I-40 West from Statesville, but may do that, and hit 321 down to I-85. I have travelled I-77 many times and don't mind the Fancy Gap decline into NC, unless you hit it during a foggy time period. I came up it one morning, before daylight, and could not see 6 feet in front of me. We are not leaving until this coming Tues. PM, and heading to the Western panhandle of FL. I don't mind driving in hilly country-one road we take up to Canaan Valley, WV area, has a 9% grade. The only problem with those steep grades is that I am probably only getting 2-3 mpg.

You may want to wait out the storm front that stretches from PA to the gulf states. We're hoping the mtns eat it up before it crosses into VA... This storm had a pretty good kick in the St Louis area yesterday...

I think I'd do 26. 77, and 85 both go thru Charlotte, and you don't want to go thru Charlotte unless you just have to.

On the other hand. You COULD come down 77 to I-40. Run that just past Hickory, and then hit 321. 321 is 4 lane, and no stops all the way to Gastonia where you can hit 85 less than 90 min from Greenville

You're going to encounter a 3-4 mile long 6% very curvy upgrade on I-26 leaving TN at the NC border. There's a roughly comparable 2-step downgrade on the NC side, but it's almost straight. _Great_ scenery. Then you've got a short stretch of "Future I-26" thru Asheville, where you have to exit once to stay on I-26, and I-26E is co-routed with I-240W (really). There's a pretty bad curve just after crossing the bridge over the French Broad, with very rough pavement (patches where a gas tanker overturned & burned). There's a bit less than a mile at 7% down to the Green River bridge (55 mph, IIRC). Last is the descent into SC, 4 miles of 5-6%.

I-77 is 4 miles down at 6% entering NC, and thick traffic in and past Hickory.

Your class C should have no issues with either, but stay alert and remember to downshift.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"