Heading out of New England mid-winter with a travel trailer

[johnshenry]

Just drove to OH and back and picked up a Coachman Apex Nano. This our 3rd RV, we're not newbies. Plan is to stay in New England until just after Christmas, then head southwest and spend most of winter in the SW US. Routes/plans still being researched.

I realize a few challenges here. Having lived in New England for 35 years, I know that December can be quite snowy. Departing with an RV mid winter will have it's challenges. The trailer will have to be "dry" and able to endure sub freezing temps until far enough south. It will also have to be kept accessible through whatever snowfall we have. Should we get heavy snow fall, my Kubota front end loader can help with that. Then, there is getting far enough south to be able to find campgrounds that are even open. So it is assumed that first few stops will be hotel camps leaving the rig in the parking lot. Tentative plans now are that New Orleans area might be the first camping spot, then heading west from there.

And we will probably return to New England in March sometime. So the same challenges in reverse. Winter and sub freezing temps are far from over in New England in March.

Wondering if any seasoned RV'ers here have experience here with transitioning from sub freezing regions, then back again. We tend to favor state and national parks, and have gotten good with boondocking if necessary for 3-4 days. Beyond that, we are pretty good with water and electric and "dump on the way out" type camps. New trailer has 200 watt solar panel on the roof. Running AC is probably a non issue this time of year.

So any tips/tricks, advice on pulling this off? Ways to find routes/camps in those fringe area between where parks close for winter and those that are open year round? We are thinking of spending the bulk of the days in Az and NM and possibly southern CA. But some anxiety about the transition routes to and from New England.

 

[Mountain high]

I've towed in the dead of winter from our home within the Rockies to both Portland, Oregon and Lynchburg, Virginia. The TV has to be a 4x4 with in excellent condition 3PMSF rated tires. Front and rear locking differentials are an added plus. Carry snow chains for both the TV and TT. Finding any campsites open isn't usually doable. We just look at the Google maps for rural places to stay the night. High elevations aren't your friend. Seek the lower elevation routes. That's hard to avoid if you cross the Continental Divide on I-40, I-70, or I-80. I've towed across each of these routes in harsh winter conditions. Stay further south.

Here's an elevation map of the lower 48. Nevada is the most mountainous state.

 

[LarsMac]

you are taking your Kubota with you?

Christmas/New Year time can be pretty dry in the East, BUT, there have been some big blows then, too.
And of course, hopefully, your schedule is flexible enough you can pick you travel days, and route according to impending weather.
As weird as the weather has been this year, it's likely to not be very predictable this winter.

I would not lock myself into a specific route. Be somewhat flexible and watch the weather.

This might prove useful: KOA Campgrounds Open All Year Round | KOA Camping Blog

 

[RayIN]

Since you plan to stay in the SW, I'd advise getting as far South as quickly as possible, depending on weather.
I 20 and I 10 are nearly always out of slick driving conditons. It will be a longer drive taking I 95 South to I 20 but it keeps you away from bad weather, normally. That route is more likely to have open CG's too, as the migration from Canada and the NE to Florida is in full bloom at that time. The downside is I 95 will be super-busy.

 

[JudyJB]

Plan on giving yourself a 2-4 day window of time, rather than a specific date, on which you will start your drive south. That way, you can watch the weather and look for a day to leave when roads are dry and no snow is expected.

Then start early and try to drive as far south as you can, but planning on stopping overnight if the weather gets bad. And depending on the weather, you are right that that first stop might have to be a hotel. Once you get to northern Georgia, you can probably head west on I-20. (Heading west any farther north will take you across a lot of eastern mountains. I-20 is going to be a lot flatter than I-40, overall.)

One issue I am concerned about is that you are planning on a long trip in not a lot of time, depending on when in March you will be returning. Just make sure you have given yourself enough time that you can stop for a day or two if weather is bad. Don't rush it.

 

[RedForeman]

Regarding travel routes: I regularly drive a semi from ATL to the Great Lakes region. For any storm system moving through, there's nearly always a route that's either just ahead of it, or enough behind, that the roads are clear when I pass through. Once in a while I may delay a trip a day if conditions merit. In the East, ice is a bigger problem than snow. Higher elevations in particular. Later start and daytime driving avoids most of it.

 

[Mountain high]

Both I-70 and I-80 across the Rockies get shutdown due to severe winter weather conditions much more often than expected. The good news is that Wyoming has built a new Commercial Vehicle parking lot to wait out the closures. The celebration is on September 20th.

The bad news is that towing a TT isn't a Commercial Vehicle. I've waited it out in Sinclair, Wyoming to get through to my family's home in Laramie. No fun. We tried really hard to not take up any of the Commercial Vehicle space.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Ways to find routes/camps in those fringe area between where parks close for winter and those that are open year round? We are thinking of spending the bulk of the days in Az and NM and possibly southern CA. But some anxiety about the transition routes to and from New England.

There are a lot of folks more experienced in the states you are from but I am sure you will find a departure date with clear skies and well plowed freeways. I personally would take I95 as far south as soon as possible probably not westing until Columbia SC.

I am a chicken and would even consider Jacskonville --> Houston over Atlanta --> Dallas.

 

[UTTransplant]

We leave Iowa every year after Christmas to head to Arizona. We don’t decide a specific day in advance, but we watch the weather. I want two snow-free days - one to pack the rig and one to drive it far enough south to dewinterize. We have a heated underbelly, so we turn on the propane furnace while packing, then we only drive to southern Iowa or northern Missouri to dewinterize the rig. If your belly/wet bay isn’t heated, you will need to go farther south than we do, but I doubt you need to drive as far south as New Orleans! You might even be able to stay in your rig a few nights. Just flush the toilet using RV antifreeze, keep the drinking water in bottles instead of the tank, and keep the heater on.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

We left WNY State in February two years ago for a Southern trip down to Key West. On the selected departure day we got 4" of snow so we delayed to the next day. I already had the rig positioned in the driveway with our tow dolly and toad hooked up, bicycles on the RV ladder, and our kayaks atop the toad. The next day it was snowing also but we decided to "go".

Driving along I90 through Erie, PA was in blizzard-like conditions. I just took it slow and kept a distance from the vehicle in front of me. This continued on I79 until around Mercer, PA where the sky suddenly cleared to pure blue! We drove South to Wytheville, VA 535 miles, staying at a Walmart where the early evening temps were in the mid-50s. From the next morning on until we headed home almost a month later I wore shorts every day except for one evening going out to dinner with friends in Charlotte, NC.

The moral of the story, get as far South as you can as fast as you can weather permitting and the rest should be an excellent adventure!

 

[johnshenry]

Thanks for all tips.

We are both retired and have total flexibility on dates and routes. I agree that just watching the weather for the next 1-3 days will be key.

We have been doing the I-95 east coast corridor for 30+ years in other travels. More recently have opted for I-81 from New England to the Carolinas, a bit longer, but way less traffic. But I realize that that route brings elevation. So again, weather conditions/foercasts would be key.

The other thought is to get to the west of the Appalachians via I-90 then drop down into Ohio and take a eastern/midwest route to the south.

Avoiding elevation is also important as we want to reduce load on the tow vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The New Orleans area idea is that would be (minimally) the first stop where we would expect to find a campground open and stay for several days. It is a given to me that the drive out of the cold will be at least 2-3 days. I do not like to drive long days. Anything over about 8+ hours/~500 miles and I am ready to be done for the day.

As for the poster who asked if I am bringing my Kubota, no. The Kubota stays and is the reason I am comfortable coming back in March and being able to deal with whatever snow is present on our property (including frozen slush plowbanks at the end of the driveway that my snow blower couldn't touch).

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

For years before I retired we left Nova Scotia around Christmas. If bad weather was predicted, we stuck to I 95 all the way to Florida. If no bad weather we would pick up I84 to I81, but that route has several hills, yet avoids the parking lot of I95 from NY City to Richmond VA. Lately, in our SUV, with no RV we go I95, I495, I90, I91, back to I95, cross the Cuomo Bridge, I287, I78, to I81.
You don't say where in New England you are, but these were our normal overnights. The ME Rest Stop/Service Center on I95 in York ME or the CT Rest Stop just on I91. From there we stayed in Flying J's free RV sights.
As you stated, you should not de-winterize, but we carried several gallons of water, one to flush the toilet, the others to use for cooking and to make coffee. If you are concerned about using the facilities, dump some RV antifreeze into the black tank, but we never did and never had a problem. By the time you get as far south as Harrisburg you should be beyond any risk of severe freezing. From there south or west, there are plenty of Walmarts and Flying J's until you want to set up at a campsite.
The worst conditions we ever encountered was in mid April when I went to pick up the wife and the RV. We had clear sailing until the front tires hit the I495, the ring road around Boston, and it started to snow heavily. I pulled behind an 18 wheeler doing about 30MPH and watched to idiots fly by us, only to end up in the median a few miles ahead of us. We got to a rest stop in NH a few miles north and set up for the night. As Pam said, watch the weather, judge accordingly, and stay put if you do get a heavy storm. For the most part the Interstate Highway systems are well plowed once the storm has subsided.
I see that you posted while I was typing. The I287, I78 gets you to the I81 with few hills,

Ed

We spent a week at a State campground across the river from New Orleans, I think the town was Westwego, and the park was Bayou Signette

 

[Professor David]

Great topic. Reading carefully since we are going from North to South for the first time this coming season. We have plans to leave South Dakota at the end of December to spend a couple of months in AZ (Phoenix) and Texas (Austin). We plan to be flexible about start dates as suggested above, which is good to hear. The first day of this trip we will need to remain dry since we will meet my sister at her house in Lyons, CO to caravan South together. Going from Rapid City to Lyons can be tough in the middle of winter...with high winds in WY or western NE....not looking foward to this part of the trip. The second day destination will possibly be Albuquerque, NM, which it may be possible to water up the rig with heat on in the belly and house. We will spend about a month and half at Mcdowell mountain county regional park, which sound like a nice place.

 

[johnshenry]

Ed, I know those New England routes well. We are in south central NH. Our usual out of New England is I-93S, I-495 to I-90/Mass Pike. I-84 all the way to I-684 in NY, then down to I-287 and across the (former) Tappan Zee bridge. Then, if going the I-95 route, well take the Garden State Parkway to 295/95. Else, pick up I-81 (off I-87?).

But this idea of dry/cold camping for 1-2 nights is intriguing. Hadn't thought of rest stops/service areas. This time of year it is dark quite early. I could see parking in the best spot, not leveling, stabilizing, unhitching, etc. but just firing up the furnace in the trailer, cooking some food we brought along and using bottled water, and getting some sleep before getting back out, and farther south the next day. Flying Js might work as well (although tonight the wife said "no way"). Those options vs paying for a hotel to leave you rig in the lot when you have a perfectly comfortable setup in your trailer and all you need to do is keep it warm for the night.

Wondering if those who have just parked and slept in those non-RV park "dead" spots have tips about how to choose, safest, less noise, etc. Not my ideal camping, but if you just need to get a nights sleep before hitting the road again the next day.....

 

[UTTransplant]

Johnshenry, we did that with our trailer, and we do that now with our motorhome. We prefer big box stores in small towns. Walmart is the classic, but Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Sam’s Club, etc, are also possibilities. More Walmarts in small towns than the others though. Truck stops are way too noisy and bright for me, and truckers need the spots for their legal rest stops. I leave rest areas for the truckers for the same reason..

 

[Ex-Calif]

But this idea of dry/cold camping for 1-2 nights is intriguing. Hadn't thought of rest stops/service areas. This time of year it is dark quite early. I could see parking in the best spot, not leveling, stabilizing, unhitching, etc. but just firing up the furnace in the trailer, cooking some food we brought along and using bottled water, and getting some sleep before getting back out, and farther south the next day.

I do rest areas a lot. 6-8 hours is enough to eat, get a nap and then head out again. I usually plan to stop about 9pm and hit the road by 4 or 5am.

I usually snag a spot between the semis and don't worry too much about running the genny for some A/C and microwave. Many of the trucks are idling anyway.

I am mindful that the rest stops often fill up the semi slots pretty early and I always try to avoid taking the last of the slots - those guys are making a living after all...

 

[PancakeBill]

Just took a look at the Apex line. Which one did you get? The 21 something has a really nice floorplan.
Lived in RI until retiring, very familiar with the winters and driving there. Which state? Northern Maine would need more tips than SW CT.
Familiar with the 81 route, my folks would take that to avoid the horrors of 95 around NY/NJ and western CT. Once you get past the NE snags though I think you could be ok for overnights, but as others said, use bottled water and anti freeze (pink) for flushing.
Angling down 81 to 20 looks to me the better of the routes.
I would get RV Trip Advisor for route planning, they even have a weather along route feature which is good for the next day to maybe 3 days driving. Will show you open CG's etc.
Where in SW are you headed? We ended up settling in Benson, AZ, it is along I-10.

Passport America is a good thing to get if you don't already have it, 50% off, good for many overnghts just not many real destination type CG's.

Safe travels

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Like others posted when we made our trip we carried 5-6 gallons of bottled water to flush the toilet, make coffee, and drink. I didn't de-winterize until we were in South Carolina at a quiet campground with fenced-in donkeys, funny. The CG even allowed us to wash our car.

I will be leaving again this February (2024) around the 10th heading south eventually down to Pensacola, FL, and then traveling along I10 to hit New Orleans and several Texas cities. Our route looks like we'll be heading through Ohio I271-71 South to Louisville where we pick up I65S, with a couple of day stops in Huntsville, AL to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

For the OP once you get into Kentucky you should be able to find campgrounds that are open year round. One such place near Frankfort, KY is Elkhorn Creek CG, and a bonus they are near Buffalo Trace Bourbon Distillery!

 

[LarsMac]

I-81 is a good route, as long as you have a couple, or three days of clear weather.
But, it goes through a lot of country that can get nasty if it gets really wet in the Winter.
I would only follow 81 to I-77, then to Charlotte, and pick up I-85 to Atlanta or Montgomery. Or even Mobile.
Again, keep a close eye on the Weather Map the whole trip.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Forgot to mention there is a great phone app called Drive Weather where you can check the weather along your driving route. I used this a lot last summer out West to check for high wind warnings along I70 and I80.