Xcountry Move in January?!?

[RogueRV3]

We are planning a cross country move in January 2016. We have a 30ft. TT and are driving from NWA to Seattle, via i10, i5. Is this the best way to go considering the weather conditions? I've looked at 70 and 40 but those both run into quite a bit of mountains and snow. Time is somewhat a factor, as we are relocating for work. We have given ourselves 14 days. The maps suggest it should only take 10. We plan on spending 1 full day in Phoenix with friends but should we worry about snowbirds and availability or are there stops along the way to boondock? Anything we shouldn't miss?
Route throught Oklahoma City down to Abilene, then i10 to LA. Is it worth stopping in LA for Disney (day trip only) we have a 8 yr. Old.
Thanks!

[noFanofCB]

NWA =??? Northwest Alberta? Northwest Arizona? NW Albequerque? NW Atlanta?

[RogueRV3]

Sorry, northwest Arkansas... hence Oklahoma. We will be starting the journey on i40, thru Tulsa, then on to Ft. Worth

[RogueRV3]

Technically, the route currently is i44 to i20 to i10 to i5. And up California to Washington.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to RTA !

We have a 30ft. TT and are driving from NWA to Seattle, via i10, i5. Is this the best way to go considering the weather conditions?

There is just no way of knowing what the weather will be doing at the time you travel up until a few days before departure, but to assume going south will automatically mean you won't see winter weather is a common mistake and if they do see bad storms they are not as able to deal with it as those that see it more often. Adding miles in the hope of avoiding bad weather just puts you on the road for longer meaning the odds of seeing winter weather increase. Sometimes it's better to take the most direct route and in the event of a storm just sit and wait it out rather than spending time and money driving around it. If you want to take that route for other reasons than that's different.

We have given ourselves 14 days. The maps suggest it should only take 10.]

I am not sure where you are getting this information but a one way trip could be done in 4 days and 5 quite comfortably so allowing 14 days will give you plenty of chance to explore along the way if you want to. Why not wait and see what the weather is doing and go from there.

[noFanofCB]

Quick check with Google maps says the direct route is about 2000 mi while this route is about 2600. If you go by Phoenix you might as well go see Disneyland. Every 8 year old should get to go to Disneyland! (but I understand LA traffic might be the penalty)

Doesn't look to me like there's much choice in routing to avoid weather because different choices won't make much difference. Weather usually covers a large area. (at least the bad stuff seems to)

[glc]

Technically, the route currently is i44 to i20 to i10 to i5. And up California to Washington.

If you take I-44 into TX, take US-277 from Wichita Falls to Abilene. It's near-freeway quality most of the way. The other option is just take I-40 to Flagstaff and I-17 into Phoenix. If you don't have to go to Phoenix, just stay on I-40 to CA-58, see below.

If you want to avoid most of the LA traffic - and towing that rig I sure would want to - at Redlands take CA-210 to I-215 to I-15 north to Hesperia, then US-395 to CA-58 to Bakersfield. Take CA-99 north to CA-46 west to I-5. Trying to get anywhere near Disneyland with that rig is going to be quite difficult, much less finding any place to park it. The whole LA area is not very RV-friendly.

[DonnaR57]

Trying to get anywhere near Disneyland with that rig is going to be quite difficult, much less finding any place to park it. The whole LA area is not very RV-friendly.

While I would agree that LA traffic with an RV is no fun (it's no fun even without the RV), I am going to disagree with "finding any place to park it". There are three RV parks within a couple of miles of Disneyland - Anaheim RV Park (the top-rated, and Good Sam affiliated), Anaheim Harbor RV park, and Orangeland RV Park. Then there are a few that are outlying. With a TT, it's easy to leave the trailer at the RV park, go to DL for the day (use the car or the Anaheim shuttle), and come back to the trailer at night.

To do up Disneyland, allow a full day for the original park, and about that for the sister park, California Adventure.


Donna (big Disney fan, and former RV'er)

[glc]

Donna, what would you recommend as the best way from I-10 to Disney? 60 to 91 to 57 to Katella?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Trying to get anywhere near Disneyland with that rig is going to be quite difficult, much less finding any place to park it. The whole LA area is not very RV-friendly.

I have to join Donna on this, LA is one of the MOST RV-friendly major cities in America. The thing to remember is that if a city bus can navigate a given road, than it can accommodate any RV! Even some of the longer TT.

Routing from the I-10:

Sure the route that glc laid out is fine. CA-60 to CA-91 through Corona, south on CA-57 and west on Katella works fine.

Another RV park that I've stayed at several times in the LA area is found at the Frank Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas . The actual name of the campground is East Shore RV Park. The advantage of this location is that you can go directly south on CA-57 to Disneyland and it's considerably less expensive than staying at one of the RV parks nearer to Disneyland.

Mark