Utah to Idaho

[jgb750]

Hello everyone,

New to RV'ing and have some questions about routes this time of year.

We are supposed to leave Nashville, TN on 10/10 and be in Indian Valley Idaho on 10/16. The route is doable at around 350 miles a day. Have RV Trip wizard and going through I-40 and New Mexico and then straight up through Utah as Wyoming is already shut down due to weather.

However i saw, 40 tractor trailers blow over this week in Utah. Is this trip just stupid with an RV this time of year?

Looking for any advice from seasoned travlers.

Pulling a 30' 6100# trailer with a 2500 suburban.

Thanks,

Jerrod

[Devo_the_dog]

Last week, we drove Utah thru Idaho and then to the Tetons and then back.

We had a steady headwind though on the drive back. The only issue was reduced fuel mileage due to the headwind.

[kknowlton]

I forgot to mention in my previous post, a handy set of websites to know about is the 511 series; each state (at least in the west) seems to have one. It gives road conditions, and if you look under travel information you can get updated info on road closures, construction areas, weather affecting roads, etc. Very handy!

[donkeydew]

there is a large fire out side of cambridge,id that might effect your plans

[ArcticFox_Cats]

All the roads are paved between "here and there". No worries. Have no idea what on earth they mean by "unpaved". (We tend to be a little civilized!! LOL)

[jgb750]

Thanks everyone! The advice is a big help.

One thing i have seen on RV Trip Wizard is that it says there is unpaved roads in a couple of spots on the route we chose. Can't really find any more information.

Those spots are around Gallup, NM and Moab, UT. I've driven through Moab before and everything seem paved...

Is it possible that Trip Wizard is just referring to getting into campgrounds?

[ArcticFox_Cats]

Welcome to the Forum!! Welcome to RV'ing!! I hope your travels will truly be wonderful for you!

Have lived in UT for almost 50 years. From State of WA, currently here, in WA, with my rig visiting family. Amazing to me that MOST people drive the speed limit here.

Albeit, you will find that people in UT have a lead foot. Just stay out of the "fast lane", don't tailgate, and be careful going thru the road construction thru Lehi. As said above, from Provo to just north of Ogden, will be a LOT of traffic. (Listen to KSL News Radio on FM 102.7, and they give traffic reports "on the 9's". If there is an accident, you will hear of it.)

The fluke winds that hit SLC and toppled all of those trucks were not the norm. Albeit, Hwy 80 thru WY, it CAN be the norm.

Take your time. Enjoy where you are, and let the rest of the world simply "pass you by". We who live in UT absolutely LOVE IT! But WE do not even enjoy the idiots on our roads. You have picked the best route, in my opinion. The Rockies ARE stunning.....but I would throw a little caution if you are not use to exactly where you are going.

Happy camping! Safe travels to you and yours!!

Lura

[F-TROUP]

The only unsafe part of your trip will be the 15 thru Salt Lake City's Hwy construction.

[kknowlton]

Those winds the other day were not a seasonal-typical thing, but a very strong backdoor cold front, its strength being unusual even for here. Agree with others that indicate that going north thru Utah is usually preferable to crossing Wyoming on 80, which is always windy (and sometimes dangerously so).

Watch out for TRAFFIC between Provo and Ogden, UT. By the time you get to Brigham City, it thins out enough to be tolerable again. 🙂

In October some of the areas you are going in central Idaho can get wintery - just keep on top of the weather forecasts as much as possible and wait it out if you need to. Be aware that a lot of campgrounds close down or go to very limited service after about October 10, certainly after the 15th, so be sure you have some alternates in mind. Good luck & safe travels!

[profdant139]

Traveling at this time of year is not stupid, as long as you stay alert. I recommend the National Weather Service long-range Forecast Discussions -- they are kind of technical, but they are right from the proverbial horse's mouth. Here is a link to the index -- choose the ones that pertain to your route:

NWS Index

Good luck!

[JimK-NY]

You can have windy weather at any time of the year. If the winds pickup past the point of safety, pull over and wait it out. Of course, also find a good location with some shelter and do not park so you have cross winds.

[jgb750]

Thanks for the info. It looks like my route through utah is mostly on 191/6 and doesn't hit 15 until about Provo. And then 84 from there into Idaho.

First trip out and it's a big one. Trying to be safe.

What do you watch for wind weather? Something better than just the weather channel app?

[Busskipper]

jgb750 wrote:
Hello everyone,

New to RV'ing and have some questions about routes this time of year.

We are supposed to leave Nashville, TN on 10/10 and be in Indian Valley Idaho on 10/16. The route is doable at around 350 miles a day. Have RV Trip wizard and going through I-40 and New Mexico and then straight up through Utah as Wyoming is already shut down due to weather.

However i saw, 40 tractor trailers blow over this week in Utah. Is this trip just stupid with an RV this time of year?

Looking for any advice from seasoned travlers.

Pulling a 30' 6100# trailer with a 2500 suburban.

Thanks,

Jerrod

No one can tell you what you are going to be comfortable with - I've driven to Colorado in every month of the year - and when in Colorado have driven to SLC/Southern Utah/Nevada/Las Vegas in every month of the year -........................

So not sure I see an issue with just going as direct and as Scenic a route as possible - Meaning just head to Denver and then on across to Utah and Up to Idaho. If it snows in October it will melt - IMHO September and October are the Two BEST months to be in the Rockies.

Best trip we ever had to Yellowstone was end of October first week of November - Beautiful weather and Great time to Visit.

We just drove back and went just north of Nashville into Kentucky - we are headed out in a day or two on I-70 to RT 36 to Buena Vista.

IMHO, I'm in the if you don't like the weather in the West - Just Wait - It Will Change!

Hope this is of some help, it would be a shame to drive all that way and not see those Beautiful areas in COlorado.

JMHO,

[Y-Guy]

The winds you saw hit a lot of the West pretty hard. That said I've been through both States a few times and you really need to pay attention to the weather reports for the area you are driving. We live in WA State and the Columbia River Gorge between OR & WA gets a lot of winds. My wife checks each of the areas along the route so we know what we're driving into.

We saw truckers and RV's taking the exits to park in under passes or rest stops when the winds picked up. Just be smart and know before you go.

I do agree with Dave, 15 is a better route IMHO. You might take 40 then grab 89 out of Flagstaff and to Kanab then 389 to 59 to 15. We drove that last section to Kanab and it was pretty good road the whole way.

[dedmiston]

In my opinion, the 15 north through Utah to Idaho is much safer than the 80 through Wyoming. Wyoming can be brutal and surprising. Plus trucks drive fast through that state, so when things go wrong, they go very very wrong.

Our kids went to school there and the weather was predictably unpredictable.

Last year right about this same time we got caught in heavy winds in Wyoming coming west from South Dakota. We stopped and pulled off the 80 when the winds got too bad, but then we got back on the road when we saw the truck traffic return fully. We stopped for fuel somewhere between Rawlins and Evanston and my wife went back into the fiver to use the bathroom and noticed it was really cold in there. It turned out that the heavy wind had blown our bedroom window out. It wasn't just broken, it was GONE. These windows are designed to be driven down the road at highway speeds, but the wind was just too much. We had to finish our trip with plastic and duct tape over the window, which wasn't so fun when the wind turned into snow.

I could be wrong, but I think the troopers and other drivers in Utah keep the speeds safer and don't drive as aggressively as in Wyoming. Maybe they aren't in as much of a hurry to get out of there.