First 2 weeks in Dec. heading from VA to TX any tips?

[streaminhope]

It's a 23 hour drive, so we plan to split this up in three days. We will be leaving from southwestern VA and by early December, I'm sure we will have winterized our trailer. We plan to drive straight through the first day to mid-Alabama, where our plan is to do a full hook up site at a campground, and then move on another 8 hours the next day to Lafayette, LA.

I guess my question is, would Alabama be south enough to de-winterize? It looks like the average temperatures at night in that part don't call for freezing overnight. Just a bit worried since we are newbies.

[doxiemom11]

Avoid Houston, Dallas/Ft Worth and Austin if you can. The traffic is horrible. We went to TX last winter and found that the US,and FM(farm to market) roads we all good. Most 2-4 lane and up to 75mph posted speed limit although we had very few vehicles pass us when we were doing 60mph. Easy driving compared to the x-ways.

[streaminhope]

I like to avoid Atlanta, and I'm sure I'd love to avoid Houston! Thanks for the tip! Will look into your route!

[John_Joey]

I try to avoid Houston. Seems like most of the times it will be bumper to bumper and stop and go.

Instead I get off of I10 at Winnie and go down the Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston Island. There is a free ferry that can handle any size rig you got with no problems.

From Galveston Island I head south to Surfside Beach then over to HWY 35 down to Hwy 77 to Harlingen. A fairly low stress route with things to see that seems to be just as fast as any other route. When you leave Galveston Island there is a pay booth that is next to a fairly narrow road with an overhang, be careful there.

I really don't mind I10. All our roads seem to need repair and I10 is not as bad as some I've been on.

[streaminhope]

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
I 10..... is like driving down stairs... for 50 miles...

it will beat you and your equipment badly..( Both Directions ) even semi-trucks go 30 mph..
Ground shifts under concrete slabs..

mostly Louisiana... April of 2017....

I will do a different route this fall.

Well, we plan on keeping this trailer for at least the next 5-7 years...possibly longer before we get something bigger, so um....I don't want a road to ruin it! Yikes.

[streaminhope]

alfredmay wrote:
I have been going from NJ to the RGV for years. I have used your route and dislike it due to I-10 being rough and having to go thru Houston. My suggested route for you is:

I-81 to I-40 to I-75 to I-24 to I-59 to I-20 to US 59 in East Texas.

In Texas many of us (including me) skip US 59 because it goes thru Houston. We take I-20 to Texas 43 to US 259 to US 79 to US 77

My RV stops for this route are Pell City, AL Gladewater ,TX Schulenburg, TX

If you would consider this route I can give you more info upon request.

If I10 is that bad, I will definitely consider a different route! Thanks so much for this!

[Chuck_thehammer]

I 10..... is like driving down stairs... for 50 miles...

it will beat you and your equipment badly..( Both Directions ) even semi-trucks go 30 mph..
Ground shifts under concrete slabs..

mostly Louisiana... April of 2017....

I will do a different route this fall.

[rv2go]

If you don't mine driving a few more miles south of Lafayette, Bettys RV Park is a fun place to spend a day/night or two.

[alfredmay]

I have been going from NJ to the RGV for years. I have used your route and dislike it due to I-10 being rough and having to go thru Houston. My suggested route for you is:

I-81 to I-40 to I-75 to I-24 to I-59 to I-20 to US 59 in East Texas.

In Texas many of us (including me) skip US 59 because it goes thru Houston. We take I-20 to Texas 43 to US 259 to US 79 to US 77

My RV stops for this route are Pell City, AL Gladewater ,TX Schulenburg, TX

If you would consider this route I can give you more info upon request.

[streaminhope]

Thanks so much guys. This is very helpful. Argh on I-10. What do I need to know? We were definitely going to use that to cruise into Texas. Going all the way to Harlingen, Texas.

Edit to add...I know we cannot use I-10 to go all the way to Harlingen. But it was the main route through Louisiana we were going to pursue.

[Second_Chance]

almcc wrote:
We transit the US from Canada a bit earlier, November not December. If the daytime temps are above freezing and the night time temps are below, we de-winterize and run off the fresh water tank instead of hooking up the hose. I've put a thermometer in the basement to check for temps when outside temps are around freezing just in case. Running the furnace overnight will keep stuff from freezing, don't use electric heaters exclusively as no heat gets to where the water pipes are.

If your water pipes are enclosed in the underbelly and there is some insulation there it shouldn't be a problem, running the HW heater will keep it warm.

X2 ^^. It takes hours of sub-freezing temps to cause problems. If the temps only drop below freezing for a few hours (usually 4:00 - 8:00 AM or so) and you don't have howling, 40 MPH winds, run your main heater and you'll be fine. Set the thermostat so the main heater cycles every so often - this is how heated air is circulated into the basement. We also do as almcc has suggested: we fill the fresh water tank and don't hook up the hose for overnighters. We have a heated fresh water hose we use when we're going to be in one place a while in cold temps. When the sun comes up and temps are above freezing, you're fine for travel during the day.

There are two ways to get across the southeast and Alabama - I-20 and I-10. If the forecast ends up calling for an Arctic blast during your travel days, you can drop down to I-10 and subtract a few more degrees from your latitude. (But be aware, I-10 through Louisiana has a reputation for being one of the worst roads in the country!)

Rob

[almcc]

We transit the US from Canada a bit earlier, November not December. If the daytime temps are above freezing and the night time temps are below, we de-winterize and run off the fresh water tank instead of hooking up the hose. I've put a thermometer in the basement to check for temps when outside temps are around freezing just in case. Running the furnace overnight will keep stuff from freezing, don't use electric heaters exclusively as no heat gets to where the water pipes are.

If your water pipes are enclosed in the underbelly and there is some insulation there it shouldn't be a problem, running the HW heater will keep it warm.

[streaminhope]

It does have an enclosed underbelly, (I had never been thought of the belly pan before:) and yes, we will be staying in it. Our plan is to staying the same campground on the way back from Texas and winterize it before we leave Alabama for Virginia.

[PghBob]

You may be OK. But remember, Mother Nature has a way to trick even the best of the weather forecasters. We have had below freezing temps in Orlando in Jan. and Feb. I suggest you take some fresh water in gallon jugs and don't de-winterize until you KNOW that you are OK temp. wise.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Most likely , yes, especially if you are going to be staying in the unit and it has an enclosed underbelly.