Forum Discussion
28 Replies
- What a strange list. Some entries are clear, because many/most RVs are legally excluded (e.g. Going to the Sun Road). Some may be sort of reasonable general advice (driving I-90 through Chicago isn't particularly fun...well, yeah.) And some are just plain silly (CA route 1, Dalton Highway--while not for everyone, and particularly in the case of the Dalton Highway making some advanced preparations would be recommended, there's no inherent reason why many/most RVs couldn't traverse the routes).
I was kind of hoping they'd mention Smuggler's Notch (VT route 108 between Jeffersonville and Stowe). There are usually a few vehicles each year--tractor trailers or large motorhomes, typically--that get stuck between the rocks at the top. It's a very pretty road, but also very narrow and very twisty. - ??? already done four and most of the others I would not hesitate.
Just the legal length restrictions would stop me. - Gosh, in my first year of rv'ing, I managed both St Louis and Chicago. The article's argument against St Louis is based mostly upon crime, and certainly one always should be aware of one's surroundings. Plenty of nice areas around that city to visit the sights.
Chicago traffic is heavy, but with relatives in Indiana and Wisconsin, passing through Chicago, traffic delays and all, is still faster than going more than a hundred miles out of the way. I am perfectly willing to pay tolls if traffic is flowing better on the tollways.
Interstates in the Midwest are often rough. All those freeze-thaw cycles and all those deicing agents take their toll on the roads very quickly. Admittedly, I have no way of knowing if the quality of construction is all it should be but I have watched those road go from new and smooth to rough very quickly. That is not reason enough to avoid visiting relatives in the area. Fizz wrote:
This article was obviously written for people who blindly follow their GPS.
St Louis ?? Really ??
Or Chicago or any other major city, unless you stick to the Interstates. And in St Louis those looked like they were poorly repaired after a bombing run.- We've been thru St Louis and have since done our best to avoid the place. We usually cross the river in Iowa.
I've been down Hwy 1 in CA several times but never towing, but I'm not sure what would make that worse than some other roads out west. I recall being with a friend in his car and almost burning out his brakes on that road but neither of us knew enough to downshift. I recall very well my first lesson in downshifting, I think it was in CO some police office stopped us when we were going down a downgrade too fast. He lectured me on the benefits of downshifting and that lesson stuck with me over the years.
As for Death Valley so far as I know the DV rangers close a lot of those dirt roads during the hot season. I looked at the DV site but could not find mention of that tho, so it may have changed. But in general from someone who does explore a lot of those back country roads, I would never think of pulling our 5ver down one unless we checked the road out first with just the truck. We did not make it to Tuweep on our last trip to the North Rim because the rangers warned us off saying the road had damage that was impossible to bypass. - This article was obviously written for people who blindly follow their GPS.
St Louis ?? Really ?? - I'm glad I read that. Most of those are on our To-Do list.
They still would be. California Route-1 still would be, but going there, I would be going to a couple of matches in Idaho and Montana. All of what I would have to transport is now illegal to posses in California and they have negated the "Peaceable Transit" with the new rules. If what I have gets confiscated and destroyed, that would be a very bad day. I guess that fixes SanFran and LA both as well as the SD Zoo and the Monterrey Aquarium.
Nobody with any sense drives anything nice in NYC. I did go to school there for one of first bachelors degrees. Chicago is only a little better. You can go around both.
They don't allow vehicles larger than a van on the Going to the Sun Road and for good reason.
We have been through St. Louis on a few occasions, there have been worse.
Toroweep, Death Valley and Dalton Highway are just places that one should be very prepared for before going. Friends with similar coaches go to Toroweep regularly.
Matt - Most of the places listed are common sense and well known places to avoid. I don't think the author had to dig too deep. I'm sure there are other areas depending on how large your rig is. If you travel , you learn of more places everyday. We have added large cities and expressways as things to avoid in our travels.
