We're hauling the camper from Cincinnati, OH to Richmond, VA. I'm trying to figure out the easiest path through the mountains. I assume that it's going to be staying on the interstate and sucking it up on paying tolls. Anyone have any experience with this? Help or tips would be most appreciated.
From Indiana to Virginia, we always took US 35 through Ohio and hooked up with I-64 in West Virginia at Point Pleasant. Ran it through WV. As stated there are some grades to negotiate and I hated the 7% at Sandstone Mountain. So we started to break off onto I-77 at Beckley and take it to I-81. You still have about the same grade, but it is friendlier, with several areas that flatten a bit to cut down your momentum. On 64, it's downhill with a couple 90* curves that I hated. And since I drove it, I made the decisions. To go that way is about 100 miles "out of our way" as my DH would say, but worth it in my view. At that time we had a 41' Phaeton towing a small truck. I do it now in my 25' Coach House not towing and have no anxiety over it.
If only there were devices that could tell you routes and grades and street views of every major public road and most minor ones.
Live in Virginia, family in Ohio, make the trip often. I have taken several of the available routes, and can second the I-64 recommendation. Any way you do it, there are grades reaching 6-7% or more. Remember to gear down on those to save your brakes for when you will need them. While US 33 and US 250 are both more scenic, they are not easier, especially with a camper in tow.
We usually go I75 south to I64 and then over to Richmond. I know, it's a little out of the way but in our Class A towing it has worked out fine for us.
