Best route Kansas City to Harlingen, Tx with 5th wheel?

I would guess leaving after Christmas you are looking to get there rather quickly rather than moving along slowly and sightseeing along the way, particularly considering weather uncertainties that time of year. If so, I would keep it simple and easy and just take I-35 to OKC or I-49/I-44 to OKC. Then I-35 to San Antonio And I-37 on down. You would have some toll road, about $25 worth, in Kansas or Oklahoma depending on route. You would have a few miles of construction in north Ft Worth, do that mid day and probably little problem. About 30 miles of construction between Waco and Salado, but generally not a problem barring an accident. Then you can either tolerate the traffic thru Austin, or take the bypass toll road at Georgetown to I-10 and skip it altogether.

There are numerous slower, more rural, more scenic routes on smaller highways and thru many small towns that many people prefer if they are in no particular hurry.

Haven't stayed at any RV parks on the route so can't make any recommendations.

One of those possibilities would be to take I-44 at Oklahoma City down to Wichita Falls, TX, then pick up US 281. This has the advantage of completely bypassing Fort Worth/Dallas and Austin. A situation "devoutly to be wished" in my opinion--especially Austin.

There is an almost free municipal park in Wichita Falls. The commercial Wichita Falls RV Park is an older park, but it's always been a good overnight for us. About 4 hours down the road is Lampasas, Texas and the Boone RV Park. We've never stayed there because on our trips south we have a different sequence of overnight stops, but it looks like a really nice park, handy to US 281.

Four hours the next day will allow a stop at Choke Canyon State Park, Callahan Unit. It will require a few miles off the route, but it's a few miles we always take. We have stayed there many times on our way to the Valley.

A little less than four hours the next day would put you into Harlingen.

There are many alternative routes, but I just give this as one example.

Thanks for the info. Padre, are the highways using your route all multi-lane?
281 from Three Rivers on down looks pretty lonely and desolate. Is it really like that? Or is it a pretty common route for RV/Trailer traffic into the Valley?

I am sure Padredw will verify it later. But I do know that US 281 is two lane from Wichita Falls to Lampasas, and then 4 lane undivided to San Antonio. Don't know about south from there.

I will add that 281 is a good highway, mostly rural, very little traffic, and certainly more scenic than an interstate. I often travel the section between Lampasas and Johnson City and frequently see RVs of all sizes going both north and south.

My friend BB_TX is exactly right. Sorry I was out all morning--funeral in the family.

Texas has an excellent system which includes many two lane highways. We even use the Farm to Market roads often, but we know what to expect: strictly two land, often curvy, follow land contour, but usually very good surface and little traffic.

Often the state highways have passing lanes along the way.

Anyway, BB_TX is right on the answer.

EDIT TO ADD: Yes, 281 is pretty desolate down to the Valley, but so is US 77 through that same area. We've gone both ways, somewhat depends on where you are going in the Valley--and there are places you can switch over: EXAMPLE TX 141 over to Kingsville or vice versa.

You say KC east side or west? You did not say if you mind toll roads? Also not sure where Wichita falls came from you don't go there it is Wichita, Ks you go if west side.

If west side take I 35 to Emporia then toll road to Wichita, or take US 50 "2 lane road" to Newton keep south on I 135 to Wichita. Wichita south on I 35 toll road app 40 miles when you get to US 166 get off half mile west is very small camp ground. In OKC keep an eye on road, once you turn west get in south lane as you will soon turn south to stay on I 35 south. Before Dallas take I 35W then back to I 35. At San Antonio I 37 SE & just before you get to Corpus Christi take US 77 & you will get to go by the famous King ranch and a few hr. you will be at your winter home.

East side I would take US 71 now I 49 to I 44 "toll road in OK" to OKC & I 35 remember south lane. Now Google will tell you to I 49 to I 44 then US 69 to US 75 then in Dallas I 35e to I 35 never been that way. I know some truckers who run KC to Dallas take US 69 to US 75 into Dallas "2 lane"

Mom & Dad were down in Weslaco for 18 years so made a few trips down most of time would go south at Three Rives on 281 but also would take US 77 some times as it is a better road.

padredw wrote:
One of those possibilities would be to take I-44 at Oklahoma City down to Wichita Falls, TX, then pick up US 281

This is where Wichita Falls came from. It was an alternative route that avoided Fort Worth/Dallas (and Austin) entirely.

I still think it is a good choice--there are others as well.

reddwar wrote:
........... Also not sure where Wichita falls came from you don't go there it is Wichita, Ks you go if west side.
...............

padredw wrote:

padredw wrote:
One of those possibilities would be to take I-44 at Oklahoma City down to Wichita Falls, TX, then pick up US 281

This is where Wichita Falls came from. It was an alternative route that avoided Fort Worth/Dallas (and Austin) entirely.

I still think it is a good choice--there are others as well.

I-44 from OKC and US 281 from Wichita Falls is often quoted by RVers as their preferred route in order to bypass DFW and Austin traffic and I-35 construction.

Thanks to all for your advice. Our trip down was fine but hated that DFW meds for sure. We're thinking we'll try the Wichita Falls route come January. We found a place to stay in Brownsville and are really looking forward to it.

Depends on how much of a hurry you are in. The fastest and most direct route is I-35 to San Antonio, then I-37/US-281 to Edinburg-Pharr-McAllen area.

If you are enjoying a leisurely migration, then I-44 out of Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls, then US-281 south to San Antonio. My daughter's family got transferred to the air base in Wichita Falls about the time we retired and started RVing, so this became our snowbirding route. It avoids the heavy traffic on I-35, not just Dallas-Ft Worth, but also the traffic problems of Austin, Waco, and the suburban sprawl around San Antonio, which along I-35 extends to New Braunfels.

Starting at Wichita Falls, there are a number of good communities for enroute stays in Hill Country: Lampasas, Johnson City, Mineral Wells, with several state parks along the route. Most of the route is two-lane with "passing" shoulders, and in the rural sections higher speed limits than you probably want to use. The towns will slow you down.

It comes back to how much of a hurry. We can drive San Antonio to Tulsa in a single long day, using I-35 to OKC, I-44 to Tulsa. We did this for many years, to have Spring Break vacations in SA. Using 281, I've never gotten to San Antonio in less than a day and a half. Can't measure this for the RV because we always did a lot of sightseeing on the way to San Antonio, and on to the Gulf Coast.

A good first stop, but more than five hours out of KC, would be Twin Fountains in Oklahoma City, right after the I-44/I-35 split, by the exit for Remington Park race track. I'm not sure what you might find open in winter further north. Probably Cedar Valley just west of Guthrie, some folks snowbird there. I've driven KC to Wichita a few times, I've not noticed any camping facilties or used them. An OKC stop sets you up for stops at Wichita Falls, then somewhere north of San Antonio (visiting that for a few days can be nice). From SA you should be able to reach your destination in a driving day.

I can't vouch for US-281 breaking off south from I-37, as I've always used US-77. I expect 281 would be pretty desolate, if by that you mean there is not much between the towns, which tend to be 30 minutes to an hour apart. That's Texas, some big areas of empty separating the river valleys, along which the towns and cities string out; no water, no settlement.

For a really slow trip, come down US-69 from the KC west side, or US-71/I-49 from the east side, down to I-44, then get off at Afton (US-59/60) to stay at one of the several RV parks around the north end of Grand Lake. We like Cedar Oaks on the east side on US-59 just north of Grove, but there are several other year-round "resort" RV parks in the area, and the state park campground at Bernice stays open all winter unless the water is high.

But this would not be for a January departure, we start getting winter in January. Grand Lake snowbirds are usually there in late October to late November, for a stop-over enroute to their next stop in Texas Hill Country or San Antonio, where they either winter or stay for a while before moving on the the RGV or Corpus Christi.