Good Sam recommended and Completely Unpassable Road

[HarleyOutlaw]

So sorry for your situation, sucks.

We have been work camping in New Mexico since December 1st. One thing I have learned here is that dirt roads are pretty normal everywhere. We are maybe 1 mile off of I25 and if we take it the closest town north is 25 miles away. We can also opt to go through the desert and not touch a paved road until you enter the town. Some of those dirt roads are pretty hairy to say the least.

We are just off of a "maintained county road". Read that as 2 lane dirt road that gets some attention after a rain but the remainder of the time is a rough wash board affair.

Knowing what I now know about this state I would be leary of any routing directions. Wouldn't have believed it if we didn't send some time here.

[brobox]

What a hidden secret. I found this on Mount Verde RV Park web site. Hard to believe the NM DOT does not post this information on their web site. Where was the rerouting for the OP?

From Las Vegas Via Mora




ATTENTION: A NM roadway project will be effective from February 17th, 2017 through December of 2017. The project will make RV travel between Mora and Angel Fire on Highway 434 impossible; authorities will reroute any vehicle over 10 feet until the project is completed.

Map

[44Rche]

I have been using sygic truck nav and smart truck route ver 2. Sygic takes 434 smart truck route ver 2 avoids it entirely. While I like the sygic interface, smart truck route provides the better route overall.

[rogelling]

NM434 has always been a paved road. The only reason the OP encountered a section of gravel is the construction project. This road is perfectly good for a coach and a toad when not under construction. He should have turened around at Coyote Creek State Park, plenty of room there. It looks like the construction zone is just beyond it northbound.

[WallyRover]

Originally Posted by rogelling

NM434 has always been a paved road. The only reason the OP encountered a section of gravel is the construction project. This road is perfectly good for a coach and a toad when not under construction. He should have turened around at Coyote Creek State Park, plenty of room there. It looks like the construction zone is just beyond it northbound.

Not to start an argument, but that is just not correct. Most nearly all of the 35 miles was dirt. And by the time we knew we were in trouble, there was absolutely no way to turn around.

[Triker56]

Probably takes a lot of room to turn around the OP 44.92' long and 8.42' wide with a tag that has air dump. Would have problems on a 10' wide road.

Really don't know why he couldn't see with the rear and 2 side camera's that there was going to be body damages. With a 55 degree wheel cut on it. Before contact was made with the barriers. Did he cut the wheel too soon or late? For the wheelbase of the MH.

Now can he sue the state because he had damage on his less then 10' wide MH? And should they had a 8' limit on width for the road, not 10'?
Was the OP pulling a Toad also?

[WallyRover]

Originally Posted by WallyRover

Not to start an argument, but that is just not correct. Most nearly all of the 35 miles was dirt. And by the time we knew we were in trouble, there was absolutely no way to turn around.

Well, DW corrected me. I guess my gray cells are turning white. I was so tense during the whole episode, I remember it badly, I guess. I have it on video on my dash cam, but can't currently find my micro to sd adapter so I haven't seen the video yet.

She confirms that while the road got worse and worse, it was only dirt for 9 miles. Making me remember (as she always does), the asphalt was removed and piled up on either side of the road.

[WallyRover]

Originally Posted by Triker56

Probably takes a lot of room to turn around the OP 44.92' long and 8.42' wide with a tag that has air dump. Would have problems on a 10' wide road.

Really don't know why he couldn't see with the rear and 2 side camera's that there was going to be body damages. With a 55 degree wheel cut on it. Before contact was made with the barriers. Did he cut the wheel too soon or late? For the wheelbase of the MH.

Now can he sue the state because he had damage on his less then 10' wide MH? And should they had a 8' limit on width for the road, not 10'?
Was the OP pulling a Toad also?

This is something I take full responsibility for. To be honest, I thought it would be a miracle to get through without damage, and I made the decision to go through anyway because I didn't see any other alternative. We were in the middle of nowhere, and I couldn't think of a single thing anyone could do to get me out of the jam. I almost made it, and I am convinced that the only way I made it through was because the damage moved the barriers a few inches. Baring my soul here, but I am at fault because of the series of bad decisions.

[Matt D]

Pete, that stinks! For both you and Linda.

Right or wrong, that stinks.

Bottom line here, accidents happen and I credit your integrity for sharing what is clearly a difficult memory.

Your story reinforces my desire to stop anytime things start to get hinky.

There have only been a very few times I regret moving the coach without taking a closer look, and simply stopping would have saved my bacon both times.

Thanks again for sharing the lesson,

-Matt

[WallyRover]

Originally Posted by Matt D

Pete, that stinks! For both you and Linda.

Right or wrong, that stinks.

Bottom line here, accidents happen and I credit your integrity for sharing what is clearly a difficult memory.

Your story reinforces my desire to stop anytime things start to get hinky.

There have only been a very few times I regret moving the coach without taking a closer look, and simply stopping would have saved my bacon both times.

Thanks again for sharing the lesson,

-Matt

Thanks for the consoling Matt. Perhaps a cooler head would have helped.

[brobox]

Trying to use this post as a learning experience, thank you Pete, I traveled all of 434 at street level this morning on Google Earth. I travel these kinds of roads a lot and wanted to see what I would do if it happened to me.

Before the State Park, lots of place to turn around, but no need to at that point. Where I believe the OP got into the problem was past the point of no return, north of the State Park. By the time the warning was posted it was too late. I don't think I could have turned around with a 22 point turn when the road was not under construction. After studying this situation, if I run into one, I will stop when the pavement stops. Thank you for sharing this learning experience. I had a similar one in Oregon where the highway worker held traffic up so I could unhook and turn around. Come to find out they were chipping the road for 20 miles. Found out that night, at the next RV Park, lots of MH windshields and paint damaged. We took a 90 mile detour and glad we did. It was a post like this that told me the damage chipping does to MH's.

[George Schweikle]

Me, too. I need to file this away in my memory bank.

I guess we tend to think "It will be OK" then sometimes it isn't. I lucked out several years ago, turning off of California 101 to take the "Scenic Drive" into Trinidad. The sign stated not for large trucks but dumb me just drove on. No damage, but going from narrow two lane to one lane to gravel made me think this wasn't gonna end well. Luckily it did

Originally Posted by brobox

Trying to use this post as a learning experience, thank you Wally.....

[EdInArk]

Originally Posted by Matt D

Pete, that stinks! For both you and Linda.

Right or wrong, that stinks.

Bottom line here, accidents happen and I credit your integrity for sharing what is clearly a difficult memory.

Your story reinforces my desire to stop anytime things start to get hinky.

There have only been a very few times I regret moving the coach without taking a closer look, and simply stopping would have saved my bacon both times.

Thanks again for sharing the lesson,

-Matt

Well said, Matt.

Wally, I also thank you for sharing. My wife and I have discussed this thread, and I have to admit I've gotten into places where I felt I had no choice but to push on while she was agonizing over my decision. So far, we've made it, sometimes by the skin of our teeth.

We pull a car on a tow dolly, so it'd be a serious pain in the rear to unload, unhook, and turn around. Add to that having to back the RV for miles, and I don't know what I would have done.

Prior to reading this post I've thought nothing of driving on a narrow road for miles. Heck, I live in a place where I have no choice but to drive narrow two lanes to get to my house. But ... I KNOW what to expect getting home. In the future, I won't worry so much about going several miles out of my way to avoid them.

You learned something, and by virtue of your sharing, maybe some of us did as well

[rogelling]

So sorry again Pete, but I know the road was paved but in poor condition the last few years which is the reason they are repairing it I guess. This is from a motorcycle blog:

From Mora, enter Mora Valley witness a humble Alpaca herd. Continue north through the valley to Guadalupita where you'll carry the Coyote Creek basin all the way to Black Lake, New Mexico south of Angel Fire and Aqua Fria, New Mexico. The Aspen leaves in the fall of the year give Angel Fire it's name. A great winding black top road with surprising curves and twists with no center line stripping part of the way. Not for winter access or timid riders. - Jeff Hayden.

Other riders have complained about MM 18 being site of multiple motorcycle fatalities.

The lack of signage about the construction zone is inexcusable.