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

[NY_Dutch]

We leave upstate NY the first week of January each year after spending the holidays with friends and family. In 13 years of full-timing, we've run into exactly one weather delay on our way south for an ice storm that held us up one day. Oddly, coming back north in late March or early April, we've hit two or three one day weather delays that were easily managed with a little schedule shuffling. We do travel with our motorhome pulling our toad, which is obviously not a truck and trailer, but we live in our motorhome 365 days a year, so we leave for southern GA and FL in the winter fully stocked with food, clothes and water, just like any other trip. Our two furnaces keep us quite comfortable in cold weather.

 

[Ex-Calif]

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.

The Rocket Center is a great stop. If you haven't seen a Saturn V it's crazy big. Even laying on its side.

In the Apollo 8 documentary I think it was Anders who said something about looking down through the catwalk and thinking, "This is a big rocket"

Lovell said something like, "It struck me I am sitting on like 6 million pounds of rocket fuel."

When Borman was asked if he was concerned going to the moon after only 1 crewed Apollo mission he said, "No. Not at all. Well I was scared at take off." - He's either a liar, ignorant or has coconut sized cherries. I think it's a combo of 1 and 3 - LOL...

 

[memtiger]

The Rocket Center is a great stop. If you haven't seen a Saturn V it's crazy big. Even laying on its side.

In the Apollo 8 documentary I think it was Anders who said something about looking down through the catwalk and thinking, "This is a big rocket"

Lovell said something like, "It struck me I am sitting on like 6 million pounds of rocket fuel."

When Borman was asked if he was concerned going to the moon after only 1 crewed Apollo mission he said, "No. Not at all. Well I was scared at take off." - He's either a liar, ignorant or has coconut sized cherries. I think it's a combo of 1 and 3 - LOL...

The rocket stop was closed the last time I drove through several months ago for construction. Not sure if it has reopened or when it is supposed to reopen.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Hope it opens by February next year!

 

[Compadre1]

Agree with NYDutch that your trip back in March is likely to be more problematic, but nothings for sure. Bring RV antifreeze along as you can't be sure to find it down south and its likely you'll need to winterize on the trip back.
We leave the Adirondacks in mid Feb and try hard to get past Harrisburg Pa. on I81, almost 400 miles so we leave early in the am. There are a few campgrounds open there year round. We've had to spend an extra night there 2 different times as it can get snowy with ice thrown in, electric hookups in the campground keeps us warm. There are a lot more tractor trailers down there and I just don't like to hold them up driving slow, so road needs to be clear for me. A days drive from there and we'd be looking at daffodils, what a difference. Dewinterize after that .

We come back mid April and it seems we always hit bad weather be it in Ohio, northern Pa, western NY or in the Adirondacks. Have had to winterize in a hotel parking lot where we were spending the night twice. On the ride back, you can easily get impatient and try to do really long days. Try to fight the urge and be safe.

 

[Scott 3]

There are a number of KOAs in the Northern half of the states open during the winter. I check every winter as things change every year. You may find some in CT, PA, OH, etc. There are other private campgrounds that may be open but it takes individual site research.

You run a significant chance of snow on 84/81 from Scranton out across 80 to OH and/or down 81 into WV. I would watch the 10 day forecasts and hone it in when you are close to departure. If snow/ice is predicted variations all the way to 95 to at least Georgia could be the best bet.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

I81 is one road I don't like any time of the year. At times it can resemble a truck stop.

 

[Scott 3]

I'll take 81 over 95/295 through NY/NJ. 81 can be great, completely frustrating or white knuckle insane. Overall I've had better results on 81 than running 95 gauntlet.

 

[Scott 3]

If you chose 90 across beware/check for lake effect snow. The Northeast can be fine while somewhere between Utica and Erie PA is getting feet of snow.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Chosing 95 or 81 is like having the choice of hanging or firing squad.

 

[johnshenry]

We bought a 2024 Apex Nano 187RB. We had an Amerilite years ago with a very similar floorplan and same length (21'). They was just the 2 of us and our 2 dogs. We lost one of our pups last year, so this time traveling with one.

 

[johnshenry]

Chosing 95 or 81 is like having the choice of hanging or firing squad.

LOL. Well not quite IMO. I would rather shove bamboo splints under my finger nails (all 10) rather then doing 95 between DC and Richmond ever again. That being said, last trip down 81 (in a December ice storm, but in a Mercedes sedan, not an RV) wasn't all that fun. Construction, narrow 2 lane stretches and the TRUCKERS. Hands down the WORST drivers on the road. Up hill stretches, with a "slow lane" added on the right of 2 lanes, and these semis are in the LEFT lane, chugging up the hills, side by side with other truckers in the center lane going the same speed. I can't tell you how often I saw this (and of course, I had to pass them in that "slow vehicle" lane in the right).