Newbie requests help on solo trip across the U.S.

[Lifemagician]

I imagine experienced RVs have their route planning down to a science.

This line really stuck out to me, because I really think it's at the heart of your problem: Planning your route isn't a science, and in fact, most people don't plan everything out to every last detail. There are people who don't make their plan until they wake up that morning - or change their plan because they feel like turning right instead of left.

The beauty of being on the road is the ability to discover what's out there. People frequently come on this forum and ask things like, "tell me where to find the hidden gems," when by their very nature, anything that people would respond with is no longer a hidden gem. The hidden gems are what you find by allowing the road itself to be your guide, and stopping when something catches your attention - even if it wasn't in your original plan. If you are focused on scheduling out every last detail, you're going to miss a whole lot.

Openmind, that sentence jumped out at me too. As Michael explained, some of us just get in the car and head for the horizon, just to see what is beyond it. Countless are the gems and sights upon which I have stumbled without any planning. In fact, whenever I have planned any leg of my many trips across the US, something always happens to make that plan go awry. I too travel solo in a small RV, in the form of a conversion van.

Part of the adventure is to get out there and take it as it comes, See how you cope with difficulties. That is not to say that I would deliberately head into a huricane or tornado. Keeping the radio on will alert you to any weather issues. Then you can decide whether to detour or stop. When carrying good paper maps, you should always be able to cope with weather and road closed, and find a detour.

I like your user name, and with an open mind you should be able to cope with everything you come across. Document everything, it will help you in future trips.

Lifey