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Cross country routes
Yahoo Message Number: 19695
We are in the planning stages of a trip from California to Washington, DC in our 26.5 MB towing our Jeep Wrangler.  Since we haven't gone that far before I'm interested in recommendations for the best cross country routes and any descriptions regarding mountains and elevations we would have to go through.  From a quick look at maps it looks like the choices are Interstates 80, 40 or 10.  There may be others.
Some of the questions would be, which route provides the lowest elevation that would have to be climbed, which is the shortest, most scenic, roughest, tolls along the way....etc...Appreciate any advice, comments and recommendations you would have.  I know we will need a ton of money just to pay for gas, but you know what, we are not getting any younger so we are going to do it before its too late!  We plan to leave around May 5 or 6 and want to be in DC for Memorial Day.  We also plan to stop in Preston Iowa to visit the family of my best friend in VietNam.  Unfortunately he didn't make it home.

Thanks in advance, Bob Nunes (nunesb at mindspring dot com)

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Re: Cross country routes
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19707
Quote
We are in the planning stages of a trip from California to
Washington, DC in our 26.5 MB towing our Jeep Wrangler.  Since we haven't gone that far before I'm interested in recommendations for the best cross country routes . . .

First, if you have the time, I'd skip the Interstates to the degree possible. Someone once said that the great advantage they offer is the ability to drive from one end of the country to the other without seeing anything in between.

Here is a Web site and book that would help you choose a more interesting route. I have an earlier version of the book. It's called Road Trip USA. It's excellent.
 http://www.roadtripusa.com/index.html

If you do travel the Interstates for speed or convenience there is a National Geographic book that addresses them. It's called Crossing America, National Geographic's Guide to the Interstates, Third Edition.
 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/books/travel/0792274733.html

If you're in a Ford V-10 (or even most LD V-8s) I wouldn't worry about your ability to make it up or down various grades (just downshift and accept the reduced rate of travel, as I've learned to do in my VW camper), but Camping World and others sell books that list most highway passes in the US, their elevations, grades, etc.
They're for truckers but work for RVs too. They're called Mountain Directory East and MD West.
 http://www.campingworld.com/browse/products/index.cfm? prodID=1817&src=SRCH&tcode=37

If you take a southern route, stay at the Shady Dell RV Park in Bisbee, Arizona.
 http://www.theshadydell.com/

Have a great trip.

Terry

Palo Alto, CA
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Cross country routes
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19712
Bob,

You don't mention where in CA you are starting from.  I've driven both 80 and 40 in my '91 MB.  40 definitely has less extreme elevation than I-80.  I-10 being the flattest by far.  But like Terry mentioned, you should have no problem getting over any interstate grades.  Taking scenic routes is also a great idea.  If you were coming from the south, I highly recommend taking I-15 to I-70.  That area just before leaving Nevada all the way up to the Rockies, is gorgeous scenery.  Well, there are some pockets of nothingness, but overall it's nice.  Outside of that, I don't have much to add.  I've been on I-80 through Nebraska, it's as flat and boring as can be.

Good luck, sounds like a nice trip.

-Victor