Charleston, West Virginia Tolls

[KFX450RXC]

Next month we plan on heading from central NC back to Elkhart Indiana to have MORryde install some upgrades on our new toy hauler. Back in November we drove the car up there to do some factory tours. Driving through Charleston, West Virginia on I-64, we had to pay tolls three times each way at $4.25 each. Not a big deal. More of a hassle. But just to see, I called W.Va DOT to ask what it will cost us pulling the camper. She thought it would be $14.25 each time. She wasn't exactly sure but thats just what she thought. Thats $85 to travel there and back.

Does anyone else have much experience with this? That seem a bit excessive but what do I know? We have one toll road near us and we never have a need to use it as its never a part of our typical routes.

It sounds like using EZ-Pass wont be much different but I don't know and I don't have one of those transponders for now anyway.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

Don’t go through West Virginia. Find a Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio route instead. No tolls .

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There are alternative routes with no tolls or different tolls, but the lower toll cost may be offset with different miles or more difficult terrain. Just as an example, I asked Google to plot a no-toll route from Winston to Elkhart. Not saying it is the best choice, but though.

The WVA Turnpike tolls are relatively modest in comparison to others, but it's still an extra cost and maybe a bit shocking if you haven't encountered many toll roads before.

 

[Domo]

Next month we plan on heading from central NC back to Elkhart Indiana to have MORryde install some upgrades on our new toy hauler. Back in November we drove the car up there to do some factory tours. Driving through Charleston, West Virginia on I-64, we had to pay tolls three times each way at $4.25 each. Not a big deal. More of a hassle. But just to see, I called W.Va DOT to ask what it will cost us pulling the camper. She thought it would be $14.25 each time. She wasn't exactly sure but thats just what she thought. Thats $85 to travel there and back.

Does anyone else have much experience with this? That seem a bit excessive but what do I know? We have one toll road near us and we never have a need to use it as its never a part of our typical routes.

It sounds like using EZ-Pass wont be much different but I don't know and I don't have one of those transponders for now anyway.

We leave our Garmin RV-770 GPS on "avoid tolls, ferries" and then just take our time when going somewhere. Usually it's not terribly inconvenient to travel some local roads... plus, you can save enough to pay for a decent lunch in a little burb!

Here's what Google Maps! suggests with "avoid tolls" turned on - it skips W.Virginia entirely.

 

[KFX450RXC]

That is exactly the route I was pondering. We're coming from the Raleigh area. Going through W.Va by turning at Winston-Salem is definitely the straightest line.

From what I can tell, going to Knoxville and turning north will add maybe an hour and a half. But at least we'll be able to stop by a Buc-ee's!

 

[Mountain high]

A year ago we joined up in Nebraska to tow with our 3/4 ton truck during our family's Wyoming to Virginia house move. We drove entirely west to east through West Virginia with three vehicles all towing an entirely full Desert Fox toy hauler and 15 and 20 foot utility trailers. Our lead vehicle was avoiding I-64 toll expenses by taking the old route Highway 60, just trying to save money due to their SUV blew the engine in Nebraska. Highway 60 is winding, narrow, hairpin turns, mountainous, and time consuming. There's a reason I-64 was built and charges tolls.

 

[A Traveler]

I find it amazing that people will spend tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars on an RV and then complain about a few bucks in tolls.

 

[KFX450RXC]

I find it amazing that people will spend tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars on an RV and then complain about a few bucks in tolls.

Thank you for that amazing commentary. You really brought a whole new light to the discussion.

In regards to your comment, where do we draw the line for future posts? $1000 issues? $10,000 issues? I honestly don't know.

But for now, let's just say no more posts about fuel prices, any type of small RV accessories, campground rates, tolls (obviously), etc.

You really added some great insight to this thread. Maybe next time I have a question, I'll just PM you directly.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It never hurts to save a few bucks where practical. Put the savings in the gas tank and travel further or more often. That said, beware of being "penny wise and pound foolish", e.g. driving the RV an extra 10 miles to save 5 cents/gallon on fuel.

 

[Onyrlef]

It never hurts to save a few bucks where practical. Put the savings in the gas tank and travel further or more often. That said, beware of being "penny wise and pound foolish", e.g. driving the RV an extra 10 miles to save 5 cents/gallon on fuel.

You beat me to that, at 7.0 mpg. I'm not driving out of my way anywhere to avoid tolls, plus, toll rds are ordinarily in much better condition than State and locally maintained rds. I recently followed the DW onto a shortcut she takes off 1-20 which ran through Wiley Texas and then to Plano. By the time we got home I was suffering RVPTSD while she was chipper as though it were a walk in the park. All I could say was "never again".

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

I view toll roads as the fairest method for taxation: if you use it you pay for it. There are usually alternate routes available to avoid paying the toll so if you are adamantly opposed to paying a toll you can always take the alternate route - does it cost more in time and/or fuel? That's up to you to decide if it makes it worthwhile.

Here in our area the bridges charge $5 per vehicle, unless you're towing something, then it's $5 per axle. So, driving my motorhome over a bridge costs $5, but if I'm pulling the toad it becomes $20 to cross the same bridge. It's up to me to decide to pay the $20 or to drive an extra 20 miles to avoid the toll - I'll drive the extra miles in that case!

 

[A Traveler]

Thank you for that amazing commentary. You really brought a whole new light to the discussion...You really added some great insight to this thread. Maybe next time I have a question, I'll just PM you directly.

You're welcome. ;-)

 

[Tom]

Can't speak for other states, but we travel to Ohio from either CA or WY several times a year. By far the best roads we've encountered are toll roads in OK. The tolls are relatively cheap ($5 for a car for 50 miles or so), and the roads are very well maintained.

 

[DutchmenSport]

We travel that route at least twice every year, been doing this route for many, many years now. Yes, there are 3 toll stations, but towing the trailer is only $1.00 more than driving a 4 wheeled vehicle only.

When we go, we leave (near) Anderson, Indiana. We live just a few miles off I-69, but we travel to Mount Airy now, or in times past, to Charlotte (every year now, for probably the last 6 or 7 years). We take the same route back.

Here's our route from Mount Airy back to Indiana.

US 52 that dumps into I-77. Follow I-77 on up into West Virginia and it becomes I-64. Stay on I-64 until you get to Teays Valley, WV and then hit US 35 all the way from the Ohio River to Dayton, Ohio. You can stay on US 35 all the way to I-70 you'll come out just a few miles East of Richmont, Indiana on I-70, but it's slower driving, but not near the insane traffic if decide go through Dayton instead.

If you decide go the Dayton route, from US 35 you take I-75 North and then hit I-70 at Dayton. Actually, we hate this route.... we like the US 35 route just outside of Richmond, Indiana.

From there, you have multiple ways to get to Elkhart.


Your best route is to hit US 35 at Richmond (North) and go round Muncie, Indiana. Take Indiana 3 to Indiana 224 and go to Huntington. From there, hit 5, then US 30, then finally Indiana 13. (North).

From where we live, we take highway 13 all the way to Elkhart.

 

[KFX450RXC]

Thank you Dutchmen Sport. I appreciate you giving me some sound advice on something I'm not as familiar about as you are. I was wondering if I was wrong in my guess on the tolls. It appears I was, thankfully.

When we went on our factory tours back in November, we travelled the same way you recommended all the way to Dayton. US 35 was a nice choice the GPS gave us. It was all those two-lane roads getting to Fort Wayne that grew tiresome.

Thanks again.

 

[KFX450RXC]

We're back. It was a great trip and all went well.

Thank you Dutchmen Sport. It was indeed $5.25 per toll. Only an extra dollar for the camper.