SouthEast Virginia to Elkhart Indiana

[summersaway]

We are planning a trip to Elkhart Indiana in August with our 36' fifth wheel. We need planning advise for a good route. We are trying to decide between swinging south through NC and I40 or going north through West Virginia. We are also not sure which way to approach Elkhart. Any suggestions on routes and roads would be greatly appreciated. It would also be nice if anyone has any suggestions on possible stops along the way. We are Thousand Trails members and we have a free summer with Encore so it would be nice to use those campgrounds when possible. Thanks for your help.

[cbshoestring]

Atlee wrote:



I'll drive across the Colorado rockies two or three times before I'll try to drive across West Virginia - WV is a North South State not an East West State.

West Virgina isn't that much fun going north and south either. I make a lot of trips south out of Pittsburgh down into NC, SC, GA, TN, AL...you get the picture..... Direct route is I-79, rt 19, I-77 to I-81. Being heavy, it normally goes like this....brake, brake, brake..turn...throttle, throttle, throttle...brake, brake brake...turn...throttle, throttle, throttle, brake, brake brake.

Can't run for a hill that has a turn in the valley

The only part of WV that is ok to drive thru is I-70....only 14 miles, and it still has three hills and four sharp turns.

[cbshoestring]

summersaway wrote:

kerrlakeroo wrote:
With the limitations youre putting on the route 64 to 81 to the Pa Tpk. would seem the easiest way left, and you could get a nice day or two around the Shenandoah valley and Harpers Ferry.

We decided this might be the best way too. We want to go through Dayton and see the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson on the way.

As others have said...64 is not fun east of I-81, but I would do that over heading north into the DC area.

If you are going to take I-64 over to I-81...

Keep going West on I-64, it will run right into I-77 north and you can run that clear up to I-80 in Ohio. Save you a bunch of PA & OH tolls.

It also opens up more options, like.....Running west on I-70 thru OH before turning north. Maybe pick up rt 30 in Canton, take that over to 69, then turn north (the slower paced, rural route).

Most 2 lane solid black lines on a map going thru OH and IN are large truck (RV) friendly. I wouldn't hesitate to cut the corner on most of those roads. It is the little squiggly red lines that scare me.

Speaking of cutting corners.....522 north of Winchester, VA thru Berkley Springs is a great way to avoid the Haggerstown area (I-81/I-70 junction) if you plan to do the 81-70 route.

[Atlee]

That map is silly. It labels the road form I-81 at Lexington, VA to I-77 in WV as US60. Incorrect. That road is I-64. Of course, it also has US58 on I-81 that runs the length of the Shenandoah Valley with out the I-81 label anywhere. On top of that it routes one through Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland. I always avoid that place like the plague. I'd be a very desperate man to go near that place when going from point a to point b.

I agree that I-68 across WV is not my favorite interstate.

Busskipper wrote:

summersaway wrote:
We are planning a trip to Elkhart Indiana in August with our 36' fifth wheel. We need planning advise for a good route. We are trying to decide between swinging south through NC and I40 or going north through West Virginia. We are also not sure which way to approach Elkhart. Any suggestions on routes and roads would be greatly appreciated. It would also be nice if anyone has any suggestions on possible stops along the way. We are Thousand Trails members and we have a free summer with Encore so it would be nice to use those campgrounds when possible. Thanks for your help.

Look this over - MAP

I'll drive across the Colorado rockies two or three times before I'll try to drive across West Virginia - WV is a North South State not an East West State.

Having driven out and Back too many times this has been the easiest route from Annapolis.

Hope this helps.

Best of Luck,

[blknomad]

You do know I-64 goes over Afton Mtn.?

[summersaway]

kerrlakeroo wrote:
With the limitations youre putting on the route 64 to 81 to the Pa Tpk. would seem the easiest way left, and you could get a nice day or two around the Shenandoah valley and Harpers Ferry.

We decided this might be the best way too. We want to go through Dayton and see the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson on the way.

[kerrlakeRoo]

With the limitations youre putting on the route 64 to 81 to the Pa Tpk. would seem the easiest way left, and you could get a nice day or two around the Shenandoah valley and Harpers Ferry.

[summersaway]

Thanks for the replies. We also don't really want to drive through West Virginia, although a beautiful state, the mountains are so difficult towing the fifth wheel. And we were trying to avoid going north through Washington. The drive from our area to Washington can be four hours or eight depending on traffic so that's why we were looking at maybe going I40 through North Carolina to Knoxville (which we are familar with) and then up 75 to Cincinnati but then what? Or go up 75 to 64 through Louisville and then what? We have about 2 weeks to make the trip if we want to stop and tour the areas so time isn't the problem. We just want the lest aggravating travel route. Any places we shouldn't miss if we went that route? Any places we should avoid on that route? And what is the best way to Elkhart after we are in Indiana? Thanks again.

[Busskipper]

summersaway wrote:
We are planning a trip to Elkhart Indiana in August with our 36' fifth wheel. We need planning advise for a good route. We are trying to decide between swinging south through NC and I40 or going north through West Virginia. We are also not sure which way to approach Elkhart. Any suggestions on routes and roads would be greatly appreciated. It would also be nice if anyone has any suggestions on possible stops along the way. We are Thousand Trails members and we have a free summer with Encore so it would be nice to use those campgrounds when possible. Thanks for your help.

Look this over - MAP

I'll drive across the Colorado rockies two or three times before I'll try to drive across West Virginia - WV is a North South State not an East West State.

Having driven out and Back too many times this has been the easiest route from Annapolis.

Hope this helps.

Best of Luck,

[Snowman9000]

I put it into Google Maps, and it said to go up by DC, into Maryland, PA, etc. And that's not even in your choices. 🙂 The other choice it gave was your WV route.

I can't help you there, but on the Indiana end, you don't have to worry about which way to come into Elkhart. It's basically rural, and you'll either be coming in on I-80, or on a rural state or federal highway. Whatever meshes up with your main route. Just don't go through Ft. Wayne, go around it. (There is a bypass.) The secondary state highways in Indiana can be a bit tight and bumpy. The federal ones are usually great. If you come in from the southerly side, you will see Amish folk, buggies on the roads, etc.