Down a truly rough road in my class C?

[wandering_bark]

Need advice please. I've been offered a FHU on a remote ranchette where I go horseback riding, but the easements, which are very rutted and rolling, sort of up-and-down lumps in the road, are enough to jar the kidneys out of an elephant(to put it graphically). I took my Ford Taurus, heavy duty car, up there and after that trip have the feeling that with my 27 ft. Class C it would jar and twist and perhaps not be the brightest move I ever made. It's got airbags, good tires, and is well-balance...now. But I'm apprehensive about going down that long horror of a road. Has anyone had this experience, and how did you deal with it, and give me an idea of what to check and look for before I decide to give up the site, which is really beautiful. I have no qualms about saying "NO" to it, just need some other C RV folks' thoughts on it. Thank you!
Donnis

[pnichols]

garyhaupt wrote:

PSW wrote:
Several years ago we took our Class C to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It was about 20 miles of some of the most rutted road I have ever driven. It took me about an hour and a half to get there and our rig was "shaken and stirred" but fine. The guy in front of me was pulling a nice travel trailer and he was oblivious to the road due to the fact his pickup could handle it just fine...but not the trailer. When we got to the campsites at the park, we camped close to the poor fellow and his wife.

I loaned him some of my tools for him to try to put his trailer back to gether. Cabinets had been knocked loose and stuff strewn over the floor.

The moral to the story is simple: drive slow and read the road. What was an hour and a half in and the same out as opposed to less time?? A rig that survived without any problems, that's what.

Heck of a drive, ain't it.

Gary Haupt

Gary IYHO ... is the drive into Chaco Canyon worse than getting down onto the valley floor loop in Monument Valley?

The whole valley floor road is signed as "Not Recommended for RVs", but we took it anyway and got by fine by taking it very careful in our Class C.

I'd like to try Chaco Canyon eventually when we're out that way.

[garyhaupt]

PSW wrote:
Several years ago we took our Class C to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It was about 20 miles of some of the most rutted road I have ever driven. It took me about an hour and a half to get there and our rig was "shaken and stirred" but fine. The guy in front of me was pulling a nice travel trailer and he was oblivious to the road due to the fact his pickup could handle it just fine...but not the trailer. When we got to the campsites at the park, we camped close to the poor fellow and his wife.

I loaned him some of my tools for him to try to put his trailer back to gether. Cabinets had been knocked loose and stuff strewn over the floor.

The moral to the story is simple: drive slow and read the road. What was an hour and a half in and the same out as opposed to less time?? A rig that survived without any problems, that's what.

Heck of a drive, ain't it.


Gary Haupt

[PSW]

Several years ago we took our Class C to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It was about 20 miles of some of the most rutted road I have ever driven. It took me about an hour and a half to get there and our rig was "shaken and stirred" but fine. The guy in front of me was pulling a nice travel trailer and he was oblivious to the road due to the fact his pickup could handle it just fine...but not the trailer. When we got to the campsites at the park, we camped close to the poor fellow and his wife.

I loaned him some of my tools for him to try to put his trailer back to gether. Cabinets had been knocked loose and stuff strewn over the floor.

The moral to the story is simple: drive slow and read the road. What was an hour and a half in and the same out as opposed to less time?? A rig that survived without any problems, that's what.

[pnichols]

wandering bark wrote:
Need advice please. I've been offered a FHU on a remote ranchette where I go horseback riding, but the easements, which are very rutted and rolling, sort of up-and-down lumps in the road, are enough to jar the kidneys out of an elephant(to put it graphically). I took my Ford Taurus, heavy duty car, up there and after that trip have the feeling that with my 27 ft. Class C it would jar and twist and perhaps not be the brightest move I ever made. It's got airbags, good tires, and is well-balance...now. But I'm apprehensive about going down that long horror of a road. Has anyone had this experience, and how did you deal with it, and give me an idea of what to check and look for before I decide to give up the site, which is really beautiful. I have no qualms about saying "NO" to it, just need some other C RV folks' thoughts on it. Thank you!
Donnis

We do it whenever necessary when out and about looking for rocks in our small Class C.

The method is to GO SLOW!! We once went 25 miles into and out of the Oregon Outback at only 7-10 miles per hour each way.

Also, you can cross road washouts far easier and safer by taking them at a slight angle ... if the road width/shoulders permit taking them at an angle.

I consider our 24 foot Class C as just about no different than a 2WD pickup truck when on dirt/gravel roads ... except that our Class C has far better traction than a 2WD pickup because of the tremendous weight on it's rear dually tires.

Camping out there on the far side of beyond with all the comforts of home is way over the top and well worth it!

[ron_dittmer]

Here is an interesting related story with our little red Toyota MR2 Spyder shown.

In Escalante National Monument, we drove the MR2 Spyder to a slot canyon trail head, a 7 mile long, very primitive road limited to 4x4 Jeep types. We drove in and out of deep river washes and a road surface that resembled miniature canyons. We parked at the trail head which had only Jeep Wranglers. The look on the faces of the few people we seen was priceless.

With the MR2 Spyder, what made it work was having the tires close to the bumpers, reducing bumper over-hang. We never scraped the car on anything, even when entering and climbing out of those river washes.


Though 100% successful including no damage of any kind to the car, it was back at our base camp that night when we decided it was time to get a 4x4. My wife loves her 4x4 Jeep Liberty.


My point here is, you can do almost anything as long as you are very careful, and prepared to give up and turn back if the conditions call for it

[johnwalkerpa1]

Grit dog wrote:
Aside from breakover angles, width and overhead hazards, I’ll wager that any road that you got through with a Ford Taurus and didnt bottom out hard or repeatedly will be fine for what is essentially a 1 ton dually truck.

I was thinking the same thing....a Ford Taurus is not exactly what I'd consider to be a premier off or rough road vehicle 🙂

[ksg5000]

I have 27/28 ft Class C RV with new shocks etc and there is NO WAY I would knowingly take my rig down a road that you describe. Just My 02.

[Lwiddis]

I second going slow...and slower.

[wandering_bark]

My plan is to only travel that rough road only once or twice a month, staying only a week at the time, roll in and roll out. Touring Florida into Georgia a lot, and loved every minute. Full-timed in this rig for ten years now and hope to get another bunch of years. No leaks, no real problems except replace the refrigerator and air conditioner, new tires, re-did the inside a bit with lighter sofa, desk, little stuff. There's a fellow in the horse club that offered to check the caulk and alignment. I will do the trip ONCE, slowly inching along, but if it looks like it's too much, will get it pulled up on a wrecker's platform and make other plans. You all have given me a lot of good advice and ideas and I thank you very much.
I remember MockTurtle from years ago. Didn't you have a Born Free? And then a 4-wheel drive RV of some sort? Always had good ideas.
Thanks again. Lift a glass of "good cheer" to the New Year and enjoy.

[T18skyguy]

As much as possible try not to twist the rig. The frame is designed to twist, but the house does not like that. That's when things get loose, caulking joints open up etc.

[bobndot]

I have the pleasure to navigate dirt roads and hard packed dirt can be a bit of a challenge when its soaking wet. IMO, mud will be your issue some of the time. My 25 ft rig has slipped sideways at times due to the crown in the road.
The road I travel is 2 miles each way, it helps a lot if you can remember what you forgot to buy while out at the store so you don't have to make the dirt-path trip '4x' a day. :S 🙂

[mockturtle]

You may lose a few dishes...

[Grit_dog]

Aside from breakover angles, width and overhead hazards, I’ll wager that any road that you got through with a Ford Taurus and didnt bottom out hard or repeatedly will be fine for what is essentially a 1 ton dually truck.

[PartyOf_Five]

x2 Gary & Drew. We found ourselves moving as show as 15 mph west from Glennallen, AK - and that was sometimes too fast. It was the longest 3 hr drive we ever did, but the rig survived just fine.

[ron_dittmer]

If you have heavy duty front and rear stabilizer bars and shocks, they will reduce side-to-side motion and dipping deeper down. You have rear air bags which should also help. I would fill them up to help stabilize.

And as previously mentioned, don't drive, rather creep down the road....your speedometer needle might not even move.

From your description, it sounds like you can do it.