Phoenix to Seattle in January

[BlackButte]

Will tow 36 foot DRV fifth wheel thru Phoenix to Seattle via California this January. Any suggestions for routes would be greatly appreciated as well as considerations for passes we'll encounter.

The DRV is built for winter with good insulation, heated tanks and a generator. I'm aware unexpected delays can occur for days at any time in the mountains.

I have experience hauling a heavy truck camper thru snow but not pulling a heavy trailer.

Any helpful thoughts, comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[BlackButte]

Thanks again for all the information!

[Tom_Barb]

Jan is the wrong time to be on the high country. stay on the flat lands as long as possible.

[Tom_Barb]

paulj wrote:
I29? Isn't that too far east? Kansas, Nebraska, Dakotas? Or are you thinking of I15?

he is leaving La. that's direct north to I-90

[PaisleyDale]

I like to travel the back roads, and I don't like I-5 from Shasta, CA to Roseburg, OR, to many steep climbs. Wouldn't getting to I-5 from Phoenix be out of your way?

I would take US-95 to Reno, NV, then US-395 to Susanville, CA, CA-139 to Klamath Falls, OR, US-97 to OR-58 to I-5 and then north to Seattle.

Very few passes to cross, and OR-58 is just a little over 5000' high and almost all down hill from US-97 to Eugene, OR.

[obgraham]

All your alternatives require weather watch.
Denver to SLC, well just look at it and you'll see why.
I-84 through Idaho and Oregon can also be miserable in snow and ice.
There's no way I would be pulling a big ole' fiver or trailer through significant snow. Just stop at an RV park, turn up the heat and the TV, and wait for it to clear out.

[paulj]

I29? Isn't that too far east? Kansas, Nebraska, Dakotas? Or are you thinking of I15?

[OLYLEN]

I do this trip in reverse every year in Jan about the 10th. Comming north Stage at Rolling hills casino, good big pull throughs, good hookups if you would need to stay a day for weather. Next stop Seven feathers Casino, again good pull throughs and all the casino fun and eats one can stand at either. In the last 10 years going south I delayed departure until 9:00 to allow for the pass to be taken care of before I got there and have never chained up. Would not anyway I would just wait out the weather.

LEN

[Tom_Barb]

troutrod wrote:

Tom/Barb, I do like your suggestion to arrive by I-90. I’d love to see the Yellowstone in winter! Regarding towing in cold weather, what do you mean by “power it up in electric?” and what kind of heater would you recommend?

I-29 north to I-90 is the lowest route with a pass over the continental divide, and a pass in Idaho. then the last is the one over the cascades. This route is a heavy truck route and continually plowed and sanded. you may encounter short delays for plowing/sanding but they are never over a day. I-5 thru Or. can be days of ice storms, I-90 on the other hand may be colder but drier. blowing snow is the rule, not the wet sticky white ice we see nearer the coast.
I do not know how your 5th wheel is equipped, but if you can keep the electrical system powered up and still tow. do it. and use any small electrical heater to keep the water system above freezing. You may even run a generator in your truck bed to power up the heater on a extension chord.

[BlackButte]

Jamesu, Our total trip in January will be from New Orleans to Seattle. We have to be back up there for family Jan-March. Our truck chains are the easy-breezy ones you can put on without having to drive over them. I'd like to get the same kind of design for the trailer.

Google says to travel to Denver then take I-80 to Salt Lake City, I-84/82/90 to Seattle.

The Google alternate is Dallas to Albuquerque then take US 491/191/6 and I-15 into Salt Lake City and on to Seattle as above.

Enblethen, thanks for the suggestion. I would’ve thought taking the Southwest route thru NM, AZ and CA would have lower passes and more year round RV sites. Although we’d rather travel thru Idaho and Utah for the winter view, we have no experience pulling a trailer thru winter mountains. I’d like to ease into it by taking avoiding as many steep mountain roads as possible.

Korbe, thanks for the specific mention of Mountain Gate if we go thru California.

Tom/Barb, I do like your suggestion to arrive by I-90. I’d love to see the Yellowstone in winter! Regarding towing in cold weather, what do you mean by “power it up in electric?” and what kind of heater would you recommend?

I would think I’d need to heat the bathroom, the kitchen island with the kitchen faucet and the underbelly plumbing area.
Will the fresh water tank be OK with 30 gallons of water and no heat?
How can I run the holding tank heating pads?
What else should I consider while towing?
How else should I prepare the trailer in case I get stuck on an incline too steep to open the slides to operate the floor furnace?

Thanks again , everybody! This is some great information.

[korbe]

If I had to do it, I would get over to 5 and go straight up. If storms are coming through in our north state, you could stay at Mountain Gate RV park just north of Redding and wait.

[jamesu]

Just wondering why you want to pull a 5th wheel into the northern climes during the dead of winter. Unless you "have" to be up here then, is it possible to make the trip a couple of months later? Moving into spring is a beautiful time in the Far West and hopefully weather conditions will be more stable.

I am an experienced winter mountain pass driver and have had to chain up a number of times over the years heading to college or visiting relatives east of the Cascades. Chaining up in the snow or in the slush/sleet of lower elevetations while heading into a mt pass is a real chore which would be multiplied several times if needing to chain up a 5th wheel well. If you're young and haven't experienced this it might be a new adventure for you. If you're my age I can pretty much guarantee you will not enjoy it.

[TyroneandGladys]

Up the 101 hugging the coast?

[Tom_Barb]

Were it my trip, I'd go up I-29 to I-90, and west. it is a lot lower and easier transition.

[obgraham]

You might think about US 93 or other routes through the high desert country

93 is a good road, a lot less traffic than the Interstate.

But if it's snowing, it's not the place to be. Poor visibility, and very remote from help if needed. Believe me, done that and would lay up next time!