Hello fellow RV folks. Looking for an opinion. My family and I are from Northern Maine. We have traveled to California with our 2004 Forest River Sierra 27' 5th wheel RV (is not a 4 season rv)Family and I are getting a bit homesick. Was thinking to drive home. Any thought? I had studded snow tires on my 4x4 truck but removed the studs because they are against the law in most of the states out west. Worried about the roads with the RV. We could store the RV and then just head back home doing the hotel thing. I was just thinking it was worth the post to get some experienced ideas.Thanks a bunch

Store the truck and trailer and fly back home during the week to get a good price on the flight. Come back in the spring and get everything. Maybe a storage yard that the trailer can sit outdoors and a garage unit for the truck? Maybe in the spring you'd be ready for an enjoyable trip back home with the trailer.

Depends upon how much time you have to make the tip and where you will be staying once you get there, and why are you where you are now? Work, school? What's holding you or keeping you there. If the answer is "nothing" and you have the time ... take the camper. You have your house with you, and if you decide to stay and not return, you'll not have to make another trip to get the camper, or try to sell it long distance.

It would depend on if you want to use the 5th in California again.If you don't want to use it in California again, head east along the southern US. When you get in the eastern US, start heading north and see what the weather is doing at that time. If the roads are bad, winterize it and put it in an RV storage place. You can make a run down from Maine when the weather is suitable.If you want to use it in California again, no need to drag it all the way to Maine and back. Put it in storage and drive on home. If you have other vehicles at home, leave the truck there also. The fuel, food and maintenance savings will pay for most of the plane tickets - depending on how many of you there are.We're in Alaska, so we never take our MH home, we usually leave it in the EL Mirage area west of Phoenix under covered storage and then just catch Alaska Airlines in and out of Phoenix. Pretty painless and a lot cheaper than driving the MH home all of the time.Studs are nice on really icy roads, but not necessary. When I went to buy new winter tires for my truck the dealer had studded all of them so I had to go with studded tires to get the ones I wanted.Bill

When you say you're all getting homesick, what exactly do you mean?Do you mean you're missing friends, familiar places, etc.? If so, maybe a short stay at home (flying there and back) will be enough to satisfy you. Then you can continue on your journey.Do you mean that you're tired of being in the small space? Maybe renting a condo/house for a week or two could give you some relief. Then you can continue on your journey.Do you mean that you're just tired of traveling? If so, are you through with the RVing or do you think you'd enjoy it in shorter bursts? If you're through with RVing, then perhaps seeing about selling it in California and then driving home using hotels would work. If you still want to RV in shorter bursts, then I'd drive it back home - you can always stay in hotels/motels while you travel. At any time, if the weather makes towing it too uncomfortable for you, then you can "drop it" and come back later for it. Then when you do go to pick it up and take it home, it will be a shorter trip and you'll all be refreshed.

Not a good time to be going to Northern Maine by any means of travel, in my opinion.Where is Grand Isle .....assuming that's where you are now.As was said, your initial post leaves out a LOT of details and is somewhat confusing.

Need opinions .....Drive the RV home? | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

lakeside013104
Explorer
Jan 29, 2016
Sam Spade wrote:
Not a good time to be going to Northern Maine by any means of travel, in my opinion.

Where is Grand Isle .....assuming that's where you are now.

As was said, your initial post leaves out a LOT of details and is somewhat confusing.

Grand Isle is between Van Buren and Madawasaka near the border between the US and Canada. A very homey little town filled with kind and mostly hard working folks. A great place to visit during the fall "leaf peeping" season.

Lakeside
Fixed_Sight_Tra
Explorer
Jan 26, 2016
If you stay in a motel you still need to heat the RV unless you winterize it. Even if it's not four season it will still heat up, you will just use some extra propane. Or if it gets nasty find a place with hookups and use electric heaters. States that have snow have snow removal equipment and the roads are only bad for a day or so.

I comes down to do you want the RV in California or Maine.
Tom_Diane
Explorer
Jan 20, 2016
Plan ahead and watch the weather.
I like the idea of storing the RV and TV, But since you indicated that you could motel along the way then I would go with the RV and plan for hotel stays. I would be making some reservations at the first report of bad weather!
I suppose you could store it along the way then you would have it closer when you decide to go back to RV'ing. Not sure how storage space would be available but you could check it out.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jan 13, 2016
forhumanservices wrote:
Awesome...Thanks for all the replies....truly thankful for all the advise. Is helping us make a good choice!!!!!

Ok no problem!
Still not sure what the q was??
Whether you could tow without studded tires or life decisions???
dave17352
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
You will be fine unless you get on ice. I have driven a lot on snow and ice. Ice of course is the worst. You have to be real careful braking on ice. You may end up with the bumper of your 5th wheel in front of the windshield. On dicey slick roads you had better be way behind the next vehicle with you trailer brakes maybe turned up a notch and brake very very easy. I myself would avoid driving untreated slick roads in the winter. It can make for a real white knuckle experience. JMHO

JMHO
forhumanservice
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
Awesome...Thanks for all the replies....truly thankful for all the advise. Is helping us make a good choice!!!!!
Terryallan
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2016
I'd take it home. Never know when you may want to use, and you won't be able to if it is stored 6 days away. Sort of makes owning it, pointless
cmcdar
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
I am currently in Florida but live in Upstate New York. In October I towed my camper down to Kentucky to a torage facility that charges $1.00 per foot to store it per month.

When January came I drove down there and picked it up on the way to Florida. This arrangement made traveling in winter less troublesome.

If I get homesick and want to go home early, I can just drop the camper off in KY and drive home. I can pick it up in May if I want.

It was my AFFORDABLE solution to dealing with unpredictable North East winters.
mgirardo
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
Just fill up and go. Take I-10 East to Jacksonville, FL and then head north up I-95. Things should be snow/ice free until you get to Virginia, then just use caution. I-95 doesn't stay snow covered long, so you may have to wait it out a bit at a truck stop.

The Weather Channel is claiming temps will be above normal at the end of January and for February for the northeast, so you might not see much snow until you get to New England. By then, you can put the studs back on the tires and you should be good to go.

-Michael
wing_zealot
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
Your from Maine, you've driven in snow before. Its no big deal. If the 18 wheelers are moving, you're good to go - just use due care. If the 18 wheelers are parked you should be parked.