Avoiding the mountains of CA

[TChallenger]

Looking for help from San Diego to San Francisco to avoid some of the major mountains of CA

[Kayteg1]

I used to have a project in San Diego (Escondido) and was "commuting there" quite few times.
With car I was making the trip in 8 hr including dinner, but that was in times when radars on I-5 were rare and my Valentine One could detect them ahead of time. Now trigger-activated radars make the time impossible.
So you definitively don't want to cross LA area in afternoon traffic.
I was taking I-15/I-210 route as it turns much faster than others.
Coming afternoon to Bay Area you are mostly against the traffic, but still 4-6 PM most of the freeways are jammed.
My car technique was to leave 10-12 AM, pass LA before heavy traffic and come to Bay area pretty late when all the traffic gets easy.
Knowing the exact destination can generate additional advise.
Saturdays are usually the best days for the trip as semis do most of slow downs on I-5

[time2roll]

Least traffic is 4 am to maybe 8 am Sunday

When do you expect to go through?

[RayChez]

BobGed wrote:

TChallenger wrote:
Thanks for all the great tips! We will take the 5 from Seal Beach to San Fran. Any tips on avoiding traffic, or is this a lost cause? Any time frame better then the other. We are traveling in a 2015 40'Class A with tow, gas engine.

Without knowing your final destination in the City, my preference would be to approach SF from the south which will avoid crossing any bridges. To do that you would take Hwy 152 West at Los Banos to Hwy 101 North at Gilroy. Mornings would be the worst time.

Drove that route many times because I had to get to Fremont, but traffic in the morning when people are going to work and in the afternoon when they are getting off is worse then driving in Los Angeles.

[BobGed]

TChallenger wrote:
Thanks for all the great tips! We will take the 5 from Seal Beach to San Fran. Any tips on avoiding traffic, or is this a lost cause? Any time frame better then the other. We are traveling in a 2015 40'Class A with tow, gas engine.

Without knowing your final destination in the City, my preference would be to approach SF from the south which will avoid crossing any bridges. To do that you would take Hwy 152 West at Los Banos to Hwy 101 North at Gilroy. Mornings would be the worst time.

[RayChez]

Going through Los Angeles is crazy. And the climb from Santa Clarita up hwy 5 is a long climb for any coach. It might not be very steep, but it is long. I would go I-15 and avoid all that heavy traffic from Los Angeles. I-15 then you can get 395 just before you get to Victorville to Kramer Junction, 58 to Bakersfield and there you can get either 99 or I-5. They are both good interstate highways.

[Smitty77]

If your not in a rush, the mentioned 5 to 101 or 5 to 405 to 101, will give you a more scenic drive once you get out of the LA area. We enjoy this drive. We do try to time it to miss rush hour traffic in the LA area. Nice places to stop and spend the night on the way North, if you want to break it up into a few days.

If your in a hurry, 15 to 210 to 5 (Just take our time over the grapevine, and monitor for wind condition forecast before taking off.). You can take your choice between 5 and 99 once you are near Bakersfield, as they both can get you to the San Francisco area...

Travel safe, have fun,
Smitty

[bbaker2001]

getting thru LA is only bottleneck.
up over grapevine all the way toward Tracy should not be an issue where you will see the bypass to SF, I think it is 205 West to San Fran. same traffic as LA from there if in commute time
get to SF by either Bay Bridge or San Mateo
BTW spent much time at Seal Beach Huntington,
don't know how you handle the traffic.
I commuted from Montclair to LA airport everyday nuts

[TChallenger]

Thanks for all the great tips! We will take the 5 from Seal Beach to San Fran. Any tips on avoiding traffic, or is this a lost cause? Any time frame better then the other. We are traveling in a 2015 40'Class A with tow, gas engine.

[CA_Traveler]

The Grapevine is 4,000' and 4-6% grades so a small mountain. Lots of truck traffic.

[AstroRig57]

The OP doesn't mention, is the concern over hills due to concerns about the capabilities of his motor home, or is it because someone in his party has altitude limitations due to COPD or other pulmonary issues?

[kalynzoo]

You don't mention what you are traveling in. Anyway, the Grapevine (I-5 between Valencia and Bakersfield) is you one really big climb and drop. Any well maintained RV should handle it without a problem. If you have an older rig, turn of your engine Air Conditioner before starting the climb. Don't let the engine overheat, so keep your revs at a normal rate and enjoy the scenery. Going down on the other side watch your speed, don't let your speed get beyond your comfort level, and tap your brakes as needed to keep your speed down rather than trying to stop when going too fast. I usually keep my downhill speed at about 45 to 50 mph. It really isn't a bad drive at all.
If you are really concerned, or just uncomfortable, then take the lovely drive straight up highway 101. You will still have a few grades to deal with, but they are shorter, not necessarily flatter. Camarillo grade (steep down run), and Atascadero grade (short but steep up and down). The drive up the 101 is by far more scenic, but it will add at least an hour to your trip, probably more as traffic will be much slower. Again, if your rig is in good condition, the Grapevine should not be a problem.
Happy Trails.

[GPWayne]

I-5, 101, 99......No big deal. Done all these many times with gasers and DP. Get to know you rig. With a gaser use same gear going down as going up.

[Two_Hands]

There are no mountains between San Diego and San Francisco. Some hills maybe but nothing to be concerned about.

[RayChez]

I-15 north out of San Diego, then Hwy 58 to Bakersfield, then I-5. The biggest climb will be Cajon Pass, the next small climb will be Tehachapi, then it is all flat all the way to destination.