Touring the US - South in the Winter; North in the Summer

[Yorick]

My family is considering fulltime RV living and traveling the United States for a few years. Click here to see the plan.

To avoid the extreme weathers, I'm planning a general yearly schedule of the following:

• Year 1
  • Oct thru Feb - Southern route (AZ, TX, AL, FL, SC)
  • Mar thru Jun - Park and live in Idaho
  • July thru Sep - Norther route (IA, IL, OH, PA, VA, etc.)
• Year 2
  • Oct thru Feb - Southern route (NV, NM, TX, LA, MS, NC)
  • Mar thru Jun - Park and live in Idaho
  • July thru Sep - Norther route (WA, Canada, Alaska)
• Year 3 - TBD

I'd love to hear advice, things to remember, what we're missing, etc... from all you amazingly experienced full timers.

 

[UTTransplant]

March in Idaho can be full of snow drifts and below freezing temps. Are you comfortable with that?

 

[Utclmjmpr]

We even got 4 inches of snow in August!,, in Idaho.>>>Dan ( There are no guarantees.)

 

[Kirk]

I would not move to Idaho before May at the very earliest. Even then you will probably get at least some snow. It also depends to some degree on what part of Idaho since it ranges from high desert to high mountains. We lived in Blackfoot Idaho a long time ago and we experienced as low as -30°F and as high as 110°F in July. We were there from Jan. 3 through July 15. Also, if you follow your plan you will see most things through the windshield as that is far too many miles. Using your year 1, July - September you will travel at least 3000 miles even if you just drive through the major cities along that route. If you actually visit anything off the route it will increase those distance dramatically. Your second summer is even more off base as Idaho to Alaska and back without touring much of anything will be 6,000 miles round trip and without seeing anything in Canada but the route to and from Alaska. And that ignores the 4,500 miles from west to east across Canada.

We lived fulltime in our motorhome for almost 12 years and in that time we visited all of the states but we didn't even get close to having seen everything.

 

[SeilerBird]

Typical newby who thinks they can see all the best sites in the country in a few trips. The reality is that if you full time 10 years you will still have a lot on your bucket list. Full timing is not touring everywhere, it is living in an RV 24/7. If you are driving over 500 miles a month that is not really full timing, that is full speed sight seeing.

 

[Skookum]

Ditto on the comments re: Idaho. Also, I'm not sure I would want to tour the Midwest and East Coast in the dead of Summer. Gross. Hot, humid, buggy, with tornadoes and hail. I'd do like...June through Sept in the West/ rockies and mountainous regions. Fall in the Midwest/East (fall colors!). Desert/south like southern CA, AZ, NM in the winter/spring before it gets too hot.

 

[donn]

Forget all your plans, instead follow the sun and what weather your comfortable in wearing shorts

 

[Laura & Charles]

Agree with Seiler and donn. We’re in our 6th year full timing. Spent first 3.5 years in our first coach and only put 22,000 miles on her. We have SO much more to see. Take your time and explore where you are for couple of weeks, don’t drive too far, then do it again. Meander your way north and south with the seasons, east and west on your whims. (At least that’s our style. It’s not a race.)

 

[Yorick]

March in Idaho can be full of snow drifts and below freezing temps. Are you comfortable with that?

Good point @UTTransplant . We will modify our plan to be in Idaho only April thru Jun and extend our Southern route journey to be Oct thru Mar. Thanks!

 

[Yorick]

I would not move to Idaho before May at the very earliest. Even then you will probably get at least some snow. It also depends to some degree on what part of Idaho since it ranges from high desert to high mountains. We lived in Blackfoot Idaho a long time ago and we experienced as low as -30°F and as high as 110°F in July. We were there from Jan. 3 through July 15. Also, if you follow your plan you will see most things through the windshield as that is far too many miles. Using your year 1, July - September you will travel at least 3000 miles even if you just drive through the major cities along that route. If you actually visit anything off the route it will increase those distance dramatically. Your second summer is even more off base as Idaho to Alaska and back without touring much of anything will be 6,000 miles round trip and without seeing anything in Canada but the route to and from Alaska. And that ignores the 4,500 miles from west to east across Canada.

We lived fulltime in our motorhome for almost 12 years and in that time we visited all of the states but we didn't even get close to having seen everything.

I love your detailed replies to all my posts, @Kirk! Thanks.

I don't see why 3000 miles is an issue. Maybe I'm missing something. As an example, here is a rough draft of what we're planning for Year 1:

Northern Route Trip (July thru Sep - 13 weeks)

• Jul 1, 2023 - Starting in Boise, ID
  • Drive 350 miles to SLC (1-day trip)
• Two weeks in SLC area
  • Drive 450 to Fort Collins, CO (2-day trip)
• One week in Fort Collins area
  • Drive 460 miles to Lincoln, NE (2-day trip)
• Two weeks in Nebraska
  • Drive 450 miles to west of Chicago, IL (2-day trip)
• Two weeks in Illinois
  • Drive 400 miles to Columbus, OH (1 or 2-day trip)
• Three weeks in Columbus - we have family there
  • Drive 400 miles to Bowie, MD (1 or 2-day trip)
• Three weeks in the MD and VA area - we have family there

We then start our Southern Route Trip (Oct thru Apr - 26 weeks)

• Oct. 1, 2023 - Starting in MD/VA
  • Drive 330 miles to Greensboro, NC
• Three weeks in NC - we have family there
  • Drive 320 mile to Savannah, GA
• Two weeks in GA
  • Drive 281 miles to Orlando, FL (2-day trip)
• Three weeks in FL
  • Drive 500 miles to Mobile, AL (2-day trip)
• Two weeks in AL
  • Drive 250 miles to Lafayette, LA
• Two weeks in LA
  • Drive 200 miles to Galveston, TX
• Two weeks in Galveston
  • Drive 200 miles to San Antonio, TX
• Three weeks in San Antonio
  • Drive 350 miles to Midland, TX
• Short 1 week in Midland
  • Drive 350 miles to Albuquerque, NM
• Two weeks in NM
  • Drive 320 miles to Flagstaff, AZ
• Three weeks in AZ
  • Drive 480 miles to San Diego, CA
• Stay in California for as long as we need before returning to ID. We have family all over California.

Do you you think 2 and 3 weeks in each location is not long enough?

 

[SeilerBird]

I don't see why 3000 miles is an issue. Maybe I'm missing something. As an example, here is a rough draft of what we're planning for Year 1:

That is probably because you have never had a long day of driving an RV. Most of us have and that is why we are all negative about it. Doing that trip in a car is a piece of cake. Doing it in an RV is hell on earth.

 

[Yorick]

That is probably because you have never had a long day of driving an RV. Most of us have and that is why we are all negative about it. Doing that trip in a car is a piece of cake. Doing it in an RV is hell on earth.

Thanks @SeilerBird, that's why I love asking here to learn from everyone so that my thoughts would be challenged and I can learn.

"The way of man is right in his own eyes..." - Proverbs 14:12, "But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." - Proverbs 11:14

So, I'll be driving a Dodge Ram 3500 Dually which I've recently test driven and will get myself more familiar with. I've done tens of thousands of miles with many long trips (300-500 each) in my sedans, SUVs, and light trucks. So, you're right in that I've not done a long trip in an RV (200 was my longest in a rental RV).

So, I'm curious, given that I'll be driving a Dodge Ram 3500 Dually for these trips between cities, what challenges can you enlighten me on? I'd love to hear so that I can adjust our plans accordingly.

There are a few things I'm expecting such as the following:

• Very limited options of where to stop for gas and food since we are hauling a 5th wheel
• Need to have food ready and available since we can't just go through a drive-thru
• Highway detours may require a less spacious route causing us to stop and re-evaluate our path or go around the LONG way
• Fuel capacity of the Dodge Ram 3500 (32.0 gal) only lasts 300 to 400 miles hauling the 43-ft 5th wheel
• Please add to my list so that I can adjust my plans... I'm sure I'm missing so much more.

 

[Yorick]

Agree with Seiler and donn. We’re in our 6th year full timing. Spent first 3.5 years in our first coach and only put 22,000 miles on her. We have SO much more to see. Take your time and explore where you are for couple of weeks, don’t drive too far, then do it again. Meander your way north and south with the seasons, east and west on your whims. (At least that’s our style. It’s not a race.)

Thanks @Laura & Charles, "meandering" is our plan. What do you think of the plan outlined here in my post above?

Do you think 2-3 weeks in each location is enough?
Is my plan of driving 300-400 miles to the next location then staying for 2 to 3 weeks okay?

What would you adjust in my plan?

 

[Yorick]

Ditto on the comments re: Idaho. Also, I'm not sure I would want to tour the Midwest and East Coast in the dead of Summer. Gross. Hot, humid, buggy, with tornadoes and hail. I'd do like...June through Sept in the West/ rockies and mountainous regions. Fall in the Midwest/East (fall colors!). Desert/south like southern CA, AZ, NM in the winter/spring before it gets too hot.

Since I was born in and my wife and kids have been in the Philippines most of our lives, hot and humid is actually totally fine. We deal with 90+ heat with 90%+ humidity 8 months out of the year in the Philippines.

It's the winters in the north that I'm more concerned about and want to avoid for them. Hence, We'll only stay in Idaho April thru Jun then travel the rest of the months according to the plan. You can see a draft me my first tour here:

 

[Kirk]

I don't understand why you want to travel so far, then sit. Do you plan to drive back over the route on day trips? Why not slow down and see the things that you would drive past? What will you be doing for 2 weeks in SLC? Do you plan to ignore Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks? Dinosaur Natl. Monument? Will you just see a narrow strip along your route, or travel vast distances on day trips? Do you realize how many things that there are to see and experience along the way? This sounds to me like one of those trips where you rush from place to place and take pictures to prove that you were there and little else.

When you plan a trip, I suggest that rather than picking two towns to drive between and then try to figure out where to go and what to see, there are excellent tour guides for any community that you can name available on the internet. Rather than planning a trip from SLC to Ft Collins, do something like a trip to Yellowstone/Teton NP, and then figure out how long to stay. Most of us plan at least 4 days and it is easy to spend 2 weeks there. Or perhaps you think you would enjoy Dinosaur Natl. Monument for a visit? What about Bryce Canyon & Zion Natl. Parks? Will there be time to visit Antelope Island State Park? We spent 4 days there alone. Will you fit in a visit to Monument Valley while you are in Utah? How about visiting Bear's Ears Natl. Monument?

I could go on and on. And I could do this same thing for pretty much every stop that you have listed. Remember also that travel by RV means that you must break camp each morning of travel and set back up upon arrival. As such there is at least an hour of time at each end of each day's travel that you do not have in a hotel or motel. The fact is that it takes years to actually see this great country. We have friends from Australia who owned and RV kept in Dallas and traveled this country seasonally for between 3 and 6 months every year for more than 20 years and they would tell you that they may have seen half of the good things.

 

[Yorick]

Typical newby who thinks they can see all the best sites in the country in a few trips. The reality is that if you full time 10 years you will still have a lot on your bucket list. Full timing is not touring everywhere, it is living in an RV 24/7. If you are driving over 500 miles a month that is not really full timing, that is full speed sight seeing.

Hi @SeilerBird, yup... definitely a newbie here. That's why I love this forum. I can gain wisdom from the experienced Fulltime RVers. I love the insights you all are giving me. Your feedback is what I'm looking for so that I can find holes in my plans and adjust accordingly.

I don't actually plan to drive much more than 400-800 miles a month because we'll be staying in each place 2 to 3 weeks each. As you can see in this plan, I'm driving 300-400 only every 2-3 weeks. What do you think? I would love your input.

 

[SeilerBird]

So, I'm curious, given that I'll be driving a Dodge Ram 3500 Dually for these trips between cities, what challenges can you enlighten me on? I'd love to hear so that I can adjust our plans accordingly.

There are a few things I'm expecting such as the following:

• Very limited options of where to stop for gas and food since we are hauling a 5th wheel

If you stick to the Interstates there will not be a problem finding places to gas up. There are usually plenty of truck stop stations. Get an app like Gas Buddy if it makes you nervous.

• Need to have food ready and available since we can't just go through a drive-thru

Once again truck stops usually have a restaurant and plenty of food ready,

• Highway detours may require a less spacious route causing us to stop and re-evaluate our path or go around the LONG way

A good GPS will alert you to detours. Get a fairly new Garmin.

• Fuel capacity of the Dodge Ram 3500 (32.0 gal) only lasts 300 to 400 miles hauling the 43-ft 5th wheel

That will be good enough.

• Please add to my list so that I can adjust my plans... I'm sure I'm missing so much more.

Get a NPS park pass. $80 gets you into over 400 park service places.

 

[Yorick]

I don't understand why you want to travel so far, then sit. Do you plan to drive back over the route on day trips? Why not slow down and see the things that you would drive past? What will you be doing for 2 weeks in SLC? Do you plan to ignore Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks? Dinosaur Natl. Monument? Will you just see a narrow strip along your route, or travel vast distances on day trips? Do you realize how many things that there are to see and experience along the way? This sounds to me like one of those trips where you rush from place to place and take pictures to prove that you were there and little else.

When you plan a trip, I suggest that rather than picking two towns to drive between and then try to figure out where to go and what to see, there are excellent tour guides for any community that you can name available on the internet. Rather than planning a trip from SLC to Ft Collins, do something like a trip to Yellowstone/Teton NP, and then figure out how long to stay. Most of us plan at least 4 days and it is easy to spend 2 weeks there. Or perhaps you think you would enjoy Dinosaur Natl. Monument for a visit? What about Bryce Canyon & Zion Natl. Parks? Will there be time to visit Antelope Island State Park? We spent 4 days there alone. Will you fit in a visit to Monument Valley while you are in Utah? How about visiting Bear's Ears Natl. Monument?

I could go on and on. And I could do this same thing for pretty much every stop that you have listed. Remember also that travel by RV means that you must break camp each morning of travel and set back up upon arrival. As such there is at least an hour of time at each end of each day's travel that you do not have in a hotel or motel. The fact is that it takes years to actually see this great country. We have friends from Australia who owned and RV kept in Dallas and traveled this country seasonally for between 3 and 6 months every year for more than 20 years and they would tell you that they may have seen half of the good things.

I love it, @Kirk! I love your insights. Our plan is not to exhaust all the places to see in each area but rather see one or two. Then the next year, hit the same general area again focusing on different places in that area. For example, in our first trip to SLC, we'd see the temple, visit Provo, and that may be it. The next year, we may park closer to Dinosaur National Park and enjoy that area.

So, we'd return to the general area again.

But you bring up a great point. Maybe we should just make the first trip (Summer) a shorter destination then head south. For example. we can do Idaho to Ohio in 13 weeks then start our Winter (26-week) from Ohio, head south through Kentucky to Texas, to San Diego.

That would allow us to stay 3 to 4 weeks in an area.

What do you think?

 

[Kirk]

What do you think?

That would be a big step in the right direction, but you should still use the available travel guides to plan what to see and where to stop. Use the cities as way points and then look at the travel guides to plan the actual travel. By doing that you can make your stops in places that are more enjoyable than in some city. For example, Antelope IS State Park is only 42 miles from downtown SLC but is much more relaxing with their nearly 100 campsites spread over several campgrounds. Find your stops that way and then visit the cities rather than the other way around.

Also I can tell you from experience that you will need to have advance reservations for the Ft Collins area. Last spring I reserved in May for a site for early July and still had difficulty finding one that we could stay in for 4 nights without changing sites.

 

[UTTransplant]

Picking cities to stay in seems odd. For example, I lived in SLC for 6 years. I couldn’t imagine recommending someone stay there for 2 weeks sightseeing. Temple Square, Provo (why? It is full of all kinds of odd MLMs mostly), Antelope Island, Park City, Snow Basin. Five days, done. Generally we recommend going to National and State parks, not cities. It just seems so odd.