I have lived in SoCal (LA and Orange counties) for 70 years and the traffic is always bad, except in the middle of the night. Watch out for the drunk drivers and you will be fine.
Or just dive into the daytime traffic and be prepared to spend an extra hour on the road. That's not so terrible. It's only this one time.
Think of those of us who deal with this every day of our lives. We just accept the traffic as the price of living in a place with beautiful weather and year- round camping. Mountains, deserts, beaches. Heaven on Earth, and 40 million people crammed into a crumbling freeway system.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and textAbout our trailer"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."