jwakeman
Johnston, IA
New Member
Joined: 01/26/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
 Offline
|
We will be leaving from Des Monies IA on Dec 27 for the first time going south to the RGV.
Looks like 70 miles longer using the York vs I35 south.
What kind road is it south from York?
What do you do with the items that will freeze in the trailer before you get far enough south to not be an issue?
How do I find out about overnight options on the way down?
2003 Silverado LS 2500HD 4X4 Extended Cab Durmax Diesel/Alison
2009 Montana 3465SA
|
skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
We've never had anything freeze while towing but I suppose it IS possible. You could always leave the furnace set on 40 degrees or so with MOST RVs but do make sure your slides don't cover the vents and cause an overheating issue. As for overnight stays, you're not that much further north than we are in Topeka so you should get to safely warm condition MOST of the time on the first night. We stay at pretty much the same place each year and all the way from Topeka south (and probably a lot further north than that) there are RV Parking Lots that are open during winter months. We make it a habit to stop at Lake Murray State Park near Ardmore Oklahoma each year and that's where we will de-winterize if necessary. It's usually nice enough in that area that we spend a few days at Elephant Rocks campground but on those rare occasions when it's too cold there in late December, we just head on south the next day.
Good luck and enjoy the trip / Skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
|
jrs1871
Kansas
Full Member
Joined: 11/22/2007
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
We haven't been on 81 in Nebraska lately but 81 in KS from the state line to Salina is a good road. They have redone virtually all of that road and parts of it are 4 lane. The part that is not 4 lane is a super 2. There was some construction on I135 in Wichita earlier this year but that should be done by now I would think. KS doesn't generally let them have one side of the interstate closed over the winter.
The only time we ever had anything freeze in our RV, it was 4 below the morning we left and never warmed above freezing until we got to the TX border. We had to put the pop and adult beverage in the truck as we were afraid it would blow up in the RV. That evening when we stopped, the stuff in our fridge was even frozen, although not solid.
|
shooker99
Hwy 30 west (Iowa)
New Member
Joined: 03/24/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
We live in western iowa, been going to the RGV valley since 92 almost every year. We leave around Jan4th. Check the weather first, but our plan is SOUTH as soon as possiable. Most of the time 250 miles south gets you out of the ice and snow on the road. We have a artic pac so we fill with water turn on tank heaters (12volt)and get going. Good luck. We LOVE the valley
|
Tripalot
Golden Horseshoe, Ont. Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 02/06/2001
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
jwakeman - you asked about finding overnight sites
Since you are a Good Sam member, go to the Woodalls link - type in a city you will be passing through. When you get the page that asks what facilities you require, check off "open all year". Then I recommend you call ahead and confirm that they really will be open when you arrive.
2007 Holiday Rambler Admiral 30 SFS with lots of good stuff!
|
|
|
Retired andLoveIt
Charles City, Ia
Senior Member
Joined: 08/18/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
jwakeman wrote:We will be leaving from Des Monies IA on Dec 27 for the first time going south to the RGV.
Looks like 70 miles longer using the York vs I35 south.
What kind road is it south from York?
What do you do with the items that will freeze in the trailer before you get far enough south to not be an issue?
How do I find out about overnight options on the way down?
We are going to try to leave the 29th or 30th. We will minimize taking anything that will freeze. I will have the heat on until the time we leave and maybe it will stay warm enough to keep anything from freezing. I'm not too concerned about de-winterizing right away. We just hope to get far enough south to sleep in the 5er at a truck stop, Walmart or whatever. We can get at everything we need without extending the slides and the slides don't block any heat vents. We may be traveling with friends who have experience so we will follow their lead. I will be stopping in San Antonio. We will visit relatives there and if the weather is not too bad we will stay for a while.
Randy & Dianne
2006 F-250 Lariat Superduty 6.0
2008 CrossRoads Cruiser CF30SK
|
grey`eagle
N31° 55’ W95° 30’ ----- ESE of One Tree, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 07/06/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Departing that time of year and with not too much construction, I'd elect to use I-35 in a heartbeat.
First reason - it's shorter by some 70/80 miles which reverts to 1hr 20 minutes further south of Wichita, KS. That's almost to Oak City.
If you do hit serious snow and or ice, you'll be much better off on a divided, limited traffic access that on US81. No question US81 is a good road, but, it not an Interstate.
As far as freezing is concerned, about he only thing you'll have a problem with is canned soft drinks. Even then you can place all the canned drinks and or items that you think will have a tendency to freeze in a large cardboard box something like an apple box.
Put a folded blanket under the apple box, then place another folded blanket on top of-the box and you're good down to -20* below.
We use this technique on the airplanes in places that get a heck of lot colder than IA, NE, KS or OK, and never have a problem.
A couple of winters ago, we spent almost all winter camped in our rig.
There were several days in East Texas where the temps got down to 14/15* at night. The only problem we had was where the water connection was hooked up going into the 5ver. Even then we had water from the stand-by pump. After I finally figured out where the water was freezing, I threw an old blankest over the connection and that stopped the problem.
'04 F-250 PSD TV
'04 CF28CK Cruiser
Now enjoying mother earth at ground level and one mile per minute.
|
jwakeman
Johnston, IA
New Member
Joined: 01/26/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Thanks to all. You are making some of my unknowns disappear. See you in the warmer weather.
|
