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Old 04-25-2017, 10:35 PM   #1
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Towing thru the night Pros/Cons

Planning a trip from Vancouver BC to Tucson AZ. Trying to make some distance and planning the time to leave. Would it be a good idea to leave late at night and get to a RV park around noon. Most places check in is around noon. What I need to know is the Pros and Cons of towing thru the night.

Thanks
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Old 04-25-2017, 10:55 PM   #2
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Personal preference. There is the obvious things that it is harder to see things. Do you have an issue where there is smoke rolling off a rear wheel that blew out and you have no idea? How good is your vision and visibility? Are critters more active? Towing a camper you have longer stopping distance and at night you have shorter vision range so less reaction time.

Personally I like driving at night because it is harder for a car to hide in a blind spot unless they don't have headlights on.

I don't know if that out weighs the added risks. I really haven't done it myself but it depends. I would much rather pull through the Twin Cities at night vs rush hour with a camper. Mainly because there are not as many critters which reduces that issue. There are plenty of lights on the interstate which helps increase vision distance.
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Old 04-25-2017, 10:59 PM   #3
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Thanks, it was kinda answer i was looking for. Safety is first.
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Old 04-25-2017, 11:03 PM   #4
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If your planned route has you going south on I5 through Seattle, I would seriously consider doing it at night. Unless you like sitting in traffic.
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Old 04-25-2017, 11:12 PM   #5
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I was thinking I5 -I90 then I84. I don't know I90 and I84 well, its been awhile.
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Old 04-25-2017, 11:33 PM   #6
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If it were me I'd go I5 south at night to Portland and pick up I84 there. Once you hit 84 and get out of portland you will be traffic free until you hit Boise for the most part. Lots of Rest Areas and places to stop for Rest along the way and the fuel stations are truck/rv friendly.

The alternative over 90 doesn't connect you direct to 84 and you save yourself the fuel of going over the pass. Also not nearly as many places to stop and fuel up.

I90 has always got a lot of construction/traffic so I don't even bother anymore.

I live near Olympia and I make the drive to Richland WA, all the time. Going south to Portland adds about 70 extra miles, but it is my preferred route when towing even with the extra distance. Lots less stress, lots less traffic.
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Old 04-25-2017, 11:38 PM   #7
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Thanks, this is good info
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Old 04-26-2017, 04:15 AM   #8
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I've found an early morning departure (4am - 5am) minimizes many of the issues associated with an "all-nighter" tow.

Many parks will allow an early check-in (without penalty) if the park has open sites.

Bob
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Old 04-26-2017, 04:36 AM   #9
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Personally, If I am going to be traveling around big cities like New York, Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond, I travel at night. Traffic flow is much better during the night. If I am travelling on the open road and there are no expected traffic issues, we like travelling during the day to see the scenery as it passes by.
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Old 04-26-2017, 06:06 AM   #10
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In this part of the continent, driving at night is just another name for deer hunting....with a truck. We schedule all of our trips to be on the highway in the daylight. Watched a cow moose meander across my pasture yesterday. Would hate to meet her in the dark at 70 mph hauling the fifth wheel.
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Old 04-26-2017, 06:09 AM   #11
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My only concern about towing at night, besides falling asleep, is it is much harder to detect and deal with any trailer issues that may come up. It is bad enough changing a blow out or broken leaf spring in daylight. I don't want to think about what it would be like at 2am on the side of some dark interstate road.

Safe travels.
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Old 04-26-2017, 07:06 AM   #12
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not around here. Moose and trailer are a bad mix.


Some of the interstates get wicked busy with nighttime truck traffic.. I 81 is such a beast.

I'd rather go during the day and if NYC is a point I have to go through a Sunday is nice.

I avoid some cities at all costs.. Washington and Chicago.. Boston is easy to circle around.
Portland ME has no rush hour at all.
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Old 04-26-2017, 08:18 AM   #13
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Wildlife dashing out in front of you would be my #1 concern.
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Old 04-26-2017, 08:25 AM   #14
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Thank You All, These are all good tips
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Old 04-26-2017, 08:27 AM   #15
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"All night long" as the song goes. Don't have moose where I frequent but plenty of deer. They tend to be most active an hour or so before and after sundown and sun up so the rest of the night is clear sailing. On major hwys and interstates with wide shoulders and medians risks at night are fewer than during the heavy traffic times. If you are a night person then do it. If you have to be in bed at 9:30pm and can't keep your eyes open a minute later, then don't do it. Personally we did a lot of night driving when we headed out on a family vacation so we could get a jump on a 2 week vacation and to allow the kids to sleep on a 5-8 hour trip. Now that we are retired and traveling without kids we do less night driving for lots of reasons. There is a lot to be said about traveling Mon - Thur when most are at work or in school.

Safety is a factor on any trip, but night driving is just as safe as days and in a lot of ways its safer [traffic, visibility, and stress levels]. As for dealing with tight places, just avoid them although rest areas and fuel centers are typically well lite and you won't be fighting to gain access to the best pump island which is a factor when you are 50 plus feet long or limited to a single diesel island. Do you want to try and park your rv on a site at night? No. But general driving, rest areas, fuel stops, and picking up supplies at Walmart are wide open for your use.

While dealing with a blown tire is never a fun experience on the side of a hwy it is for sure something you don't want to do a 3 am. In a pinch slow to a crawl and turn on your flashers until you can get to a siding where you can safely pull over. Call 911 and get help. As for a broken leaf spring, I wouldn't know how to deal with that day or nite.
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Old 04-26-2017, 08:48 AM   #16
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Critters would be my biggest concern.

We drive at night a lot on longer trips because that's when the toddler is asleep. And while many critters are most active just before and just after sun up or sun down, some are out all night. I almost clipped a coyote last time I was driving at night. Probably wouldn't have done too much damage, but it scared the crap out of me.

Lots of trucks on the road at night too, and they're often moving at a pretty good clip in our area.

All that being said, I actually prefer to travel at night because of the general decrease in traffic. I still do walk-arounds when we stop looking for any issues with the rig and doing temp checks on the tires and hubs. Because the fuel tank still gets empty whether the sun is out or not, and my body tends to think it's time to sleep when it's dark, so I use every opportunity to get out and get some fresh air.
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:33 AM   #17
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When SWMBO worked full time we HAD to leave after she got home. Heading out at 6:00 or so. Arriving at our destination before midnight. Just enough setup to sleep until good daylight.

Never had an incident with large critters or equipment fails. One particularly rainy night got us to nap in a rest stop.

Now we ONLY travel in daylight.

My preference: Daylight and traffic is much better than being surprised by what was not in your headlight beams half a second ago.
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Old 04-26-2017, 10:11 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 87Yugo View Post
Planning a trip from Vancouver BC to Tucson AZ. Trying to make some distance and planning the time to leave. Would it be a good idea to leave late at night and get to a RV park around noon. Most places check in is around noon. What I need to know is the Pros and Cons of towing thru the night.

Thanks
When going cross country, we team drive. I take the night shift. Cons are trying to stay awake and alert. I stop at almost every rest stop to stretch the legs and get one of those starbucks coffee's out of the cooler. My other major concern is hitting wild-life. I've hit several deer, all at night, or just as the sun is starting to come up.
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Old 04-26-2017, 01:59 PM   #19
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For the route through WA... if you do go I-5 to Portland and pick up I-84, it's mostly flat, cruise control driving all the way to Pendleton, OR - but add an extra 1.5-2 hours to your time.

If you go I-90 to I-82 (Richland/ Kennewick bypass), you have the Snoqualmie pass and also a big hill just after Ellensburg on the way to Yakima to deal with. The trek between Ellensburg and Yakima also is a bit hilly (and a white-knuckle area for me when freezing conditions exist). It's all 4-lane, and completely do-able, but not cruise-control territory. You pick up I-84 just before the next big hill at Pendleton. Once you're "up top" after the Pendleton hill, you're good (cruise-control-worthy) all the way to Salt Lake City.

If you're comfortable driving at night, traffic should be better, for sure.
Both Seattle and Portland can have issues during rush hour. And you don't want to be headed out of the city on a Friday afternoon, either, in any direction.

Also avoid heading into Seattle (from any direction) on a Sunday afternoon, at all costs. It can add 3-4 hours to your drive.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:58 PM   #20
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Lots of Deer on that route...
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