Planning a cross country trip

[Big1]

I don't know when but I want to start ahead of time but I want to plan a trip from Washington State to North Carolina, I put a link in and tell me if this is good?

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Taco...35.7236251!3e0

[Kim Gass]

Serious hills in Idaho and western Montana and NC. Were you wanting to see anything in particular? The most interesting thing on your route is Black Hills.

[Scoutmaster253]

Originally Posted by Big1

I don't know when but I want to start ahead of time but I want to plan a trip from Washington State to North Carolina, I put a link in and tell me if this is good?

Unless you have a reason to go through Chicago, I would avoid it by swinging south a bit. The traffic there is always the worst, and it adds an hour or more to any estimate.

You didn't give us any clue as to your timeframe. Will you be stopping and spending time along the way, or do you have a schedule to keep?

[TxLoser]

As you cross through Wyoming, there’s a nice KOA in Buffalo just south of your route. From there, head straight to the Black Hills and stay at Rafter J Bar RV resort. Both are nice as RV resorts go.

[NewBlackDak]

Do you plan on seeing anything along the way? You’re in spitting distance from Glacier, Lewis and Clark Caverns and many more along the way.

[Joan617]

We are pretty happy with RV Trip Wizard. You get to program your rig's length, height and weight. It also indicates elevations and grades, and allows you to drag a route across the map to evaluate options. We use it to cast driving distance radiai of 175, 200 and 250 miles (you can set your own). Then we filter RV parks for 4 stars or better and start making phone calls...


Angus

[Radar57]

Gotta stop at Wall Drug in SD, real tourist trap but interesting place. Plan carefully what time you hit KC, St Louis and Nashville if you take that route. Traffic can be a bear. Agree with avoiding Chicago. Also I-65 through Indiana is terrible. Truck traffic from Chicago to Indy is heavy and a lot of it is 2 lane with pot holes. We Hoosier pay a lot for crappy roads. I look forward to making a trip like that someday.

[Big1]

Thank you guys for all of your comments, no I wasn’t planning on seeing any of the sights, just straight through our plan was to go see my mother in N.C.

We will be driving until just before night and stay at some campground along the way, when I put in my route to and from it routed me around Chicago, I have heard about that place and I want to avoid that like the plague.

In N.C we are planning on staying at Seymour Johnson AFB since I’m a retired military with twenty-eight years. We would have a set time to get there and I was thinking maybe stay at a campsite for two days half way.

I will be taken down all of your comments and see if I can put it in my travel plan if and when we do go, I just want to have everything done and out of the way come time.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by Joan617

We are pretty happy with RV Trip Wizard. You get to program your rig's length, height and weight. It also indicates elevations and grades, and allows you to drag a route across the map to evaluate options. We use it to cast driving distance radiai of 175, 200 and 250 miles (you can set your own). Then we filter RV parks for 4 stars or better and start making phone calls...


Angus

Oh, okay, did you get this through this forum and can I just google it?

[Radar57]

Originally Posted by Big1

Oh, okay, did you get this through this forum and can I just google it?

RV Trip Wizard is a website. Google it. A lot of RV YouTube channels use it. I believe it requires a subscription but it has a lot of info for trip planning once you figure it out.

[Big1]

Okay, what about this https://www.goodsam.com/trip-planner/trip/default.aspx

[Big1]

This is with Sam Trip Planner with the height of my rig.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by Radar57

RV Trip Wizard is a website. Google it. A lot of RV YouTube channels use it. I believe it requires a subscription but it has a lot of info for trip planning once you figure it out.

Okay, great I will check it out, thank you.

[Flyrotor]

I can speak for I-90 from Ritzville, Washington to Gillette, Wyoming, yes there are hills and inclines, but nothing to challenge your RAM should be smooth sailing!

[Big1]

Yes sir and this is what I want to hear that I will have clear.

[NewBlackDak]

My only other advice is go easy. It’s a long trip. Settle in at 60-65 mph, so you won’t overwork the equipment too much and you’ll get better mileage. I’ve done the math, and if you can get 10-12 mpg on a long trip as opposed to 7-8 driving faster you will save time from the fuel stops.

Personally, I’m good for 6-7 hours of towing, depending on the terrain. I also hate setting up in the dark, so I try to allow myself a half hour of setup time before dark.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by NewBlackDak

My only other advice is go easy. It’s a long trip. Settle in at 60-65 mph, so you won’t overwork the equipment too much and you’ll get better mileage. I’ve done the math, and if you can get 10-12 mpg on a long trip as opposed to 7-8 driving faster you will save time from the fuel stops.

Personally, I’m good for 6-7 hours of towing, depending on the terrain. I also hate setting up in the dark, so I try to allow myself a half hour of setup time before dark.

Yes, and this is what was on my mind also I figured 6-7 hours of driving we both are retired so I don't have to hurry up and get back before my vacation run out, but we both do have a commitment for we both are pastors.


I know at first leaving the PNW it might be a little rough because we have a lot of mountains and a lot of upgrade hills but once we get out of that it should be clear sailing. I'm like most I don't like to setup in the dark we did that once and man it was a nightmare after having driving for 7 hours and have to setup, it was not good never again.

Thank you for your comment I appreciated.

[Murff]

Well Big1, as your neighbor to the north, your trip looks well planned.

However, the mountains between our homes and your destination are the easy part, in my humble opinion. The tough part hits when you get to the flatlands to the east of the Rockies. That's where the infamous winds will hit your rig from all directions.

I swore I would never drive across Nebraska again, and haven't. After complaining about it here, one fellow member here commented that "driving across Nebraska isn't an adventure, it's a career!"

We actually got better gas mileage crossing the mountains in Wyoming than we did fighting the wind in Nebraska.

The trip is exciting, though. As NewBlackDak states, 60 to 65 and stop about every two hours to stretch or water your pet, if you have one.

Murff

[Big1]

Originally Posted by Murff

Well Big1, as your neighbor to the north, your trip looks well planned.

However, the mountains between our homes and your destination are the easy part, in my humble opinion. The tough part hits when you get to the flatlands to the east of the Rockies. That's where the infamous winds will hit your rig from all directions.

I swore I would never drive across Nebraska again, and haven't. After complaining about it here, one fellow member here commented that "driving across Nebraska isn't an adventure, it's a career!"

We actually got better gas mileage crossing the mountains in Wyoming than we did fighting the wind in Nebraska.



The trip is exciting, though. As NewBlackDak states, 60 to 65 and stop about every two hours to stretch or water your pet, if you have one.

Murff

Okay thank you for that, so is their a time of the year that when I have to watch out for that?

And yes all of your comments are deeply appreciated and well inform, I have never cross Nebraska crossing towing some this big but I want to thank you.

[LuckyDuck]

We’ve done the I-90 stretch from about Ritzville, Wash., to Butte, Mont., a few times in recent years. there are some decent climbs between Spokane and Missoula, but the highway is good and you’ll have no problems. And the views are beautiful. That may be the best part of your trip. Like another poster said, you’ll only be about two hours from Glacier NP, which is a must-see. Enjoy!