Planning travel

[RooDude09]

We are currently on a week long road trip with our fifth wheel. I used some trucker apps to get the gist of what routes are good but still ended up getting on some pretty hairy roads headed to Death Valley from Sant Rosa CA. We are now down in Arizona and it may snow. What do people use to determine their route, fuel, and any diversions they may need to take along the way?

[doxiemom11]

When out west, we used Mountain Directory West. Available as an app for your phone, or you can order the actual booklet online. It was very helpful.

[Lwiddis]

California SR 190 into and out of Death Valley isn’t bad. Good pavement, moderate curves and climbing. Yes, you need to pay attention however.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

It is true that some of the places RVers want to go like Death Valley, Yellowstone, Yosemite and others can often only be accessed by roads many of us would describe as 'hairy'.

It is part of the learning curve.

Research, slow down, take your time.

[RooDude09]

Thank you for the good info

[valhalla360]

Download Google Earth (not Google Maps).

Once you have a route in, right click and select "show profile". This will give you the vertical grades along the route...if they are extreme in a twisty turny section, it's a pretty good clue that it's a hairy route...particularly if it's only 2 lane-2 way.

[CA_Traveler]

BTW The CA Bus maps clearly indicate the 190 pass areas are prohibited to buses and motorhomes over 40' and hence this is another clue about this and other roads in CA for any RV.

[CA_Traveler]

Mountain Directory West (available online) clearly indicates 190 is a route that I would not take as it describes the grades and lengths. Even taking 178 up still leaves the eastern pass and not for us.

Gas Buddy is my first source for stations. Sometimes I'll look up truck stops online. "gas" stations can be an issue with limited access or 4 wheelers going inside to buy food and leaving their vehicles at the pump, etc. But if you use gas then you likely deal with this often as truck stops often don't have RV lanes.

[JimK-NY]

I have been on CA190 in that area. It is a nice wide paved road with an excellent surface. There are some areas with curves but most of them are conservatively rated at 30 mph. Unless you were trying to go 55+ mph on the curves I cannot understand what would have been hairy.

[rr2254545]

RV Trip Wizard is the best out there

[Janss]

If I'm concerned about a road on my planned route, I ask on this forum (Roads and Routes section) before I leave.

I use GasBuddy for finding least expensive gas and then look at my chosen gas station on Google maps satellite view to make sure I can get in and out easily. I usually do this in the morning before I leave a campground for my drive that day.

Don't know what you mean by "any diversions".

[RooDude09]

Most peticularly sr-190 around Darwin falls wilderness area. May have been a better way to go?

[JimK-NY]

I cannot begin to imagine what "hairy" roads you found. It is a simple straight Interstate route from Santa Rosa to Bakersfield and then a open desert drive to Mojave and then up to DEVA.