Need help with route north

[keyspring]

Good morning!

Headed home in a day or two and need suggestions. We are at Cherry Point in Havelock, NC and headed for northern Michigan.

Pulling a 29' travel trailer with a Ford Expedition EL with HD towing. Not a lot of RV towing experience.

We followed a fairly straight shot on our way down either on or paralleling 75/65 to Florida, then up to the base along the east coast.

Travel is most comfortable driving 55 or 60. That accounts for selecting a lot of non-highway routes.

I'm a bit apprehensive going across the Appalachians through West Virginia. One option I considered is going North along the coast then West at Maryland through Pennsylvania, but I'm wondering if that will avoid the mountains or add other troubles. Looping around through Atlanta and heading back up the way we came down adds 400 miles. Not something I'm eager to do, but if that is advisable I'd rather be safe.

Would really appreciate your input!

[ferndaleflyer]

Terry25 has given you the best, shortest route. By the time you got to Knoxville you would be 3/4 of the way home going his way. I went up I-77 last week to the Ohio river and back today to central NC and its 400mi but not a bad trip, just way to far out of the way. You could hit I-64 in Richmond over to I-77 at Charleston, WV and hit I-77 North there. That's not a bad ride either.

[ken56]

At the WV NC border on 77 there is a very long pull uphill, like 5 miles of fairly steep road. It's fairly straight though with only a few gentle curves. Going through WV on 77 is toll road and can be up and down the hills and lots of curves.

It would be my suggestion to get to I-40 and head to Knoxville. You will have the Pigeon River gorge to go through and it is curvy and mostly downhill going west and not terrible steep but somewhat steep in a few places. Hit I-75 from K'ville. Bypass K'ville on 640 to 75.

You have no real good options for a flat or flatter roadway when you're on the east side of the Appalachians. You gotta cross the hills somewhere. The Gorge is not hair raising but with minimum experience in mountain driving I'm thinking the I-40 way is the least of the bad options. You gotta start somewhere. I pull my 37 ft. 10K lb. trailer through there no sweat but I've done it quite a few times.

Formerly from the Flint, Flushing, Davison and Harrisville areas.

[Bob806]

keyspring wrote:
I've received a number of recommendations from RVers to go 77 to 80, and that it isn't that bad. Opinions?

I think that's a great option. Tolls will be high, but the Turnpikes are definitely well taken care of in WV & Ohio.

We just came home from Elizabethton, TN towing our 30' 5th wheel.. Took I-81 NE to I-77 North to Cleveland. We have the EZ Pass (will save you some money on tolls).

Other Ohio options are US 30, US 224, and Ohio SR 2 if you want to avoid tolls. Obviously, it may be slower going.

Safe travels.

[keyspring]

I've received a number of recommendations from RVers to go 77 to 80, and that it isn't that bad. Opinions?

[paulj]

The only way to really avoid mountains is to do as boaters do, and take the Great Loop. Up the coast to NYC, then the Hudson and Eire Canal to the Great Lakes. Or along the Gulf Coast to Alabama, and up the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

[Terry_25]

I'd suggest picking up I95 to Fredericksburg, VA, then US 17 west to I66 west to I81 north to Hagerstown where you pick up I70/68 west to Morgantown, WV then I79 north to your choice of westerly highways to home.

An alternate would be to pick up the PA turnpike off I70 but then you have tolls and the hills are about the same as I68. There is one tunnel.

People's take on hills is very subjective. I've driven these routes many times with an F250 with the 5.4l engine pulling a 30' tt. We didn't win any races up the hills but we got there. Once you get to Morgantown you're pretty much over the mountains,

I'd stay off US 50 in WV and forego US 30 east of Breezewood.

[Matt_Colie]

Welcome to the forum.

From some personal experience, avoid West Virginia. The scenery may be great, but if you are not experienced at mountain driving, even the interstates can be tough on you and the gear.

If from Greensboro you take I-240/I-40 through Asheville, you will have a short stretch of mountains until you get to I-81. South there to Knoxville and find I-75 to go north again.

How you go on from there is your call. I don't think I have to tell you about Michigan roads......

Matt

[dedmiston]

Welcome to the forum. I don’t have an answer for you, but welcome aboard.