Community Forums

happycookin · 06-17-2018, 08:28 PM

Hi Everyone!

We (my DH and myself) have a tandum axle Newmar Mountain Air 2002, 43 ft and a toad and are traveling around the eastern states this summer from Florida. We have been stopping at various RV campgrounds through the states of Indiana and currently in Michigan travelling northerly for the next 3 weeks. We have found the roads: city roads, back roads, Highways and even Interstate Freeways really rough with lots of bumps, cracks, pot holes and bumpy seams! I'm (Liz) recovering (2 yrs now) from a lower back injury and was doing rather fine but these roads are killing my back! Where are the smoother roads? Any suggestions are a big welcome!
Thanks!
Liz

FIRE UP · 06-17-2018, 08:45 PM

Liz,
Well, you're duplicating EXACTLY what we did last summer. We started from our home in Lake Havasu City AZ, headed N all the way to Montana, then east all the way to Niagra Falls and, we wanted to go all the way to the east coast but, by the time we hit Nigra Falls, we were already beat to death by severely poor condition roads/freeways etc. We then headed south 'till we hit I-40 and turned west. 40, for the most part, was one of the better of the longer distance freeways, even though it, like most of the highly traveled interstates, is massively loade with TRUCKS!!!

Both of us voted Michigan as having the worst roads/freeways in all the 20 states we traveled in. There are bad roads/freeways in all 50 states. Some will have more, some less. The back east states have a hard time repairing them because of the limited time frame of seasons and, the high traffic content. I posted a thread almost exactly like yours when we returned from our 6,500 mile, 20 state, and 6.5 week trip. And I recieved a large amount of agreement that our roads SUCK severely.

Too bad on your back. That makes it double worse. Our backs were hurting and we never had any surgery on them. Our coach, is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT. It's a pretty good riding diesel. Probably not as good as your tag but, still pretty good. And even it was suffering. I definitely feel your pain. I doubt seriously, things are going to get better any time soon.
Scott

aguablanco · 06-17-2018, 09:30 PM

Generally, where there is winter there are all of the issues you mentioned with the roads. I have found the roads reasonably good in the Southwest. Unfortunately, government seems unwilling or unable to make progress on maintenance and improvements.
RichH

Arch Hoagland · 06-17-2018, 10:08 PM

The smoothest roads are in Florida. Best we've seen all around the country.

AnotherMike · 06-17-2018, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happycookin

Hi Everyone!

We (my DH and myself) have a tandum axle Newmar Mountain Air 2002, 43 ft and a toad and are traveling around the eastern states this summer from Florida. We have been stopping at various RV campgrounds through the states of Indiana and currently in Michigan travelling northerly for the next 3 weeks. We have found the roads: city roads, back roads, Highways and even Interstate Freeways really rough with lots of bumps, cracks, pot holes and bumpy seams! I'm (Liz) recovering (2 yrs now) from a lower back injury and was doing rather fine but these roads are killing my back! Where are the smoother roads? Any suggestions are a big welcome!
Thanks!
Liz

You need to replace your drivers seat with an "Air Ride Suspension Seat", sometimes called just an "Air Seat". Every long-haul tractor/trailer rigs has one. I've seen them in school busses and even in the little "Bobcat" bulldozers.
Look on Craigslist or on the bulletin boards at truck stops.

FIRE UP · 06-17-2018, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnotherMike

You need to replace your drivers seat with an "Air Ride Suspension Seat", sometimes called just an "Air Seat". Every long-haul tractor/trailer rigs has one. I've seen them in school busses and even in the little "Bobcat" bulldozers.
Look on Craigslist or on the bulletin boards at truck stops.

AnotherMike,
Well, yes, that MIGHT help with the immediate effect on the driver but, the hammering effects are not lessened any. Watching the dash, wind shield shades etc. bounce around, the steering wheel and everything else bounce back and forth is tough to watch, especially when we've all paid as much as we have and to see it get hammered, mile after miles, is tough to take.
Scott