Fly or Drive?: 2500 miles from NW to Carolina's in June

Asheville, Aiken, Savanna, Charlotte, Wilmington, Pinehurst, etc...
Boomer towns

Why not wait till next year. The list will change and maybe have some "cooler" cities on the list.:)

I have taken our 27 footer through heat of all sorts. In 2013 we happened to be in Las Vegas, with outside temps reading 130. Our AC struggled to keep the inside below 100. Part of the adventure. A big part of the west had that kind of heat then, we were in it from Salt Lake City to LA. Last summer, we drove to Florida in August with no heat issues. The point is, it is really hard to plan a trip based on weather. Yes, it will be hot in the South during the summer, and it will be cold here in Western PA in the winter. Will these kind of temps. keep you (or us) from enjoying the RV? To the OP, I would focus the THE purpose of your trip. If you can move from town to town, or certain areas of a town, without the size of the RV being a factor, then the RV might serve you well. However, given you are looking at areas around cities or large towns, a vehicle the size of a car might serve you better. Best wishes for success.

Perfectly healthy vehicles, from what year? 1972, or 1973?

Nope-from the 90's up.

If you look at the original poster's signature/profile,

Didn't look. My reference wasn't necessarily to that, but more generic.

Crowe wrote:
Then your vehicle has a cooling issue

Not necessarily. I have had perfectly healthy vehicles have this problem in extreme conditions.

Perfectly healthy vehicles, from what year? 1972, or 1973? :)

I also remember this being an issue on older vehicles from the 70s and 80s with big block V8s and/or cooling systems that were not designed well. However, I have NOT seen or heard of any vehicles having this issue, that were built in the last decade or so (unless there was something wrong, like a malfunctioning cooling fan, clogged radiator, etc).

Regardless what you decide, don't let the (incorrect) comments about RV traveling in the South

Sorry, but experience has dictated these comments are not incorrect. I have traveled many times through the DC area in multiple vehicle types. On multiple occasions due to extreme heat and extreme traffic with perfectly fine vehicles it has been necessary to shut down the a/c to avoid the engine overheating. If there's a TT or 5'er involved a generator is totally irrelevant.

If you look at the original poster's signature/profile, you will see that he owns a Motorhome, not a TT or 5er. Sooo, I doubt shutting off his overheard air conditioners will ever be necessary to help the chassis engine cool off. :)

Will

nomad 289 wrote:


Secret agenda is to get her hooked on RV'ing then we'll full-time and never need a home base;) More likely snowbirds or sunbirds 2 mo twice a year and a bigger RV. Looking for mild climate, seldom much below freezing.

Here is my take. I would fly for this trip. If you are trying to get her hooked on the RV lifstyle and you have an issue or two you are stuck on a multi week venture and that could set the tone. With shorter initial trips that would give more time for her to warm up on the lifestyle. Of course she could love it right off the bat and the time distance would not be an issue.

If the OP really wants to consider living there he should experience the heat for himself.

One step outside of ANY air-conditioned building is enough for me to say "nope, not for me!". I don't need the RV to tell me that! I truly don't think you'd get a much better feel for living there if you spend time staying in an air-conditioned RV vs. an air-conditioned hotel room.

Then your vehicle has a cooling issue

Not necessarily. I have had perfectly healthy vehicles have this problem in extreme conditions.

Regardless what you decide, don't let the (incorrect) comments about RV traveling in the South

Sorry, but experience has dictated these comments are not incorrect. I have traveled many times through the DC area in multiple vehicle types. On multiple occasions due to extreme heat and extreme traffic with perfectly fine vehicles it has been necessary to shut down the a/c to avoid the engine overheating. If there's a TT or 5'er involved a generator is totally irrelevant.

willald wrote:


...Why would you have to shut the air conditioners off that are powered by your coach's GENERATOR, to keep the CHASSIS engine from over-heating?? The two (generator engine and chassis engine) are totally separate on a Motorhome. That makes no sense.

Now, if you're towing an RV with a truck or whatever, and it requires shutting off the a/c in traffic to keep from overheating.. .

I hadn't thought of that before but it is another reason to prefer a Class A,etc., rather than a 5er, etc.
bumpy

Crowe wrote:
For those that think RVing in the south in June shouldn't be a concern, let me explain why it could be. If you get stuck in traffic even on a moderately warm day, sometimes it's necessary to shut the a/c off in order to keep the engine from overheating.

...Why would you have to shut the air conditioners off that are powered by your coach's GENERATOR, to keep the CHASSIS engine from over-heating?? The two (generator engine and chassis engine) are totally separate on a Motorhome. That makes no sense.

Now, if you're towing an RV with a truck or whatever, and it requires shutting off the a/c in traffic to keep from overheating....Then your vehicle has a cooling issue, that needs to be fixed, regardless. I've not seen a vehicle built in the last 30 years, that would have that problem (unless, like I said, there was a maintenance problem that needed to be addressed).

Large windshields magnify the sun. I will probably never own a Class A for that reason..

We have a Class A, live in the South, and been traveling around the South in our Class A for years. Yes, that large windshield does allow more heat in, but its nothing our dual overhead A/C units (powered by a generator, separate from the chassis engine) don't handle just fine. We all stay plenty cool on the road. Especially if we run the dash air conditioner as well (which BTW, we have NEVER had to turn off even on the hottest days in heavy traffic).

Bottom line: Traveling in the South in an RV is NOT an issue, provided your RV's air conditioners, generator, cooling system, etc. is functioning properly. If it was an issue, there wouldn't be the zillions and zillions of RVs you see on the highways traveling all through the states in the South. Florida in particular, seems to have more RVs on the road than regular cars (and its the hottest state in the South, haha).

Anyway, I'm not sure what to say on the decision whether to fly or drive, except this: Regardless what you decide, don't let the (incorrect) comments about RV traveling in the South sway your decision one way or the other. RV traveling in the South is great, you will like it.

The thread title says you are starting in the NW. Oregon/Washington I assume. You could take the northern route cutting thru montana the Dakota's and Wisconsin slicing down thru Michigan. Granted it is the long slow way to get there but far more scenic. The drive across the plains can be hot but any time from June till mid September. It is a roll of the dice. The weatherman can't get it right so when we are planning our trips we just do it and prep the vehicles the best we can and go.
p.s. you are on a rv site where people "like" the driving part. The answers you get will be biased.

Since time is not a problem...a six week ROAD TRIP comes to mind with seeing and doing on the way. Your rig is small enough to get around in and at the end you will have a better idea if a larger RV is in your future. Letting her fly will not help in deciding your RV future and this is a RV forum.
As for where you should look, it's about the same as what RV should I buy... the same as I bought. I admit that I'm partial to the GA mountains (yes mountains close to 5K) especially now that at age 62 you do not have to pay GA income tax on $35K/person and at age 65 it increases to $65K/person. While none of the 21 Boomer towns are here, we get plenty of retires escaping the cold north and the hot summer Fla weather with a low cost of living. In winter warm WX is only a days drive south. Good luck on your choices.