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Old 03-10-2014, 08:03 PM   #1
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Exclamation Death valley to sequoia park

We are planning a trip this fall, we are going west on I 40. I have been able to determine out roads, we would like to stay in Death Valley a couple days. We have been there before but would like to more or less drive through, we then wanted to continue on to Sequoia Park and Yosemite, my maps routed me from Stovepipe Wells to Bishop on Hwy 190. I was wondering if anyone drive that route in a 43' motorhome towing. If you have made that trip I would love to get some good advise on this route.
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Old 03-10-2014, 08:53 PM   #2
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We did this trip in reverse in November 2012 with our 36 FT Endeavor towing a little 12' enclosed with 2 Harleys. NEVER again.

Very windy and little room on the corners. Meet another rig like yours going the opposite way in the wrong corner and somebody will have skid marks on the side of their coach. Pretty steep too.

There were signs posted limiting the size of rigs but I don't remember now what the limits were.
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Old 03-10-2014, 09:16 PM   #3
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We ride motocycles out there quite a bit, stay at Panamint Springs resort. It's over the hill west of Stovepipe before you get to Darwin. The place has plenty of dry camping but only 12 full hookup sites.

Between Panamint Valley Road/ PSR the hiway takes you up over the White Mountains there and into Owens Valley and it's about as twisty and steep road as I've seen.

I suppose you could make it, but I'd drive with a car first to see what you're in for. Some of the switchbacks are really tight. Elevation gain is about 3K feet as well, it's really steep in some places. Add steep grades and hairpin turns and you get a white-knuckle trip.

I would recommend you go out Panamint Valley Road to Ridgecrest and then north on the 395, or west or whereever you're headed.

Did a quick search for you....from the CA DOT on that section of 190 from Panamint Springs to Olanch in Owens valley:

Traffic Analysis Comments

Buses and motorhomes over 40 ft (12.20 m) are prohibited from the Junction of SR 190/136 PM 24.550 (KP 39.53) to the
Panamint Valley Road turnoff (2.6 miles (4.2 km) east of Panamint Springs). Trucks over 30 ft (9.14 m) kingpin to the rear
axle are not advised from the junction of SR 190/136 PM 24.550 (KP 39.526) to the Panamint Valley Road turnoff (2.6 miles

(4.2 km) east of Panamint Springs).

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Old 03-10-2014, 10:28 PM   #4
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I live in the area and have driven that route quite a bit. I'm kind of perplexed at the CalTrans warnings - while it's a bit curvy, its less so than the backside of CA 178 at Walker's pass, and quite a few other places for that matter. You want something really scary in a motorhome - try the Kennedy meadows road east of 395.........

I always suggest people do road recce via Google Earth. Take the worst spot you've ever been on and compare it to the road you want to go on using the same scale (altitude). In the case of 190, there are lots of cars in the imagery for scale, and in my opinion it's not that bad - lots of Semis use it, and since you are climbing vice defending, a lot less worrisome.

As previously mentioned, there is an alternate - go south thru Panamint valley to Trona, and on to Ridgecrest. If you want Sequoia from the west, take 58 to B'field and 99 up, or 178 to Kernville, up the kern river road, and into Sequoia from the southeast.
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Old 03-11-2014, 08:36 AM   #5
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You want something really scary in a motorhome - try the Kennedy meadows road east of 395.........
Have driven that one many a time. I don't think I'd do it with a 43' and trailer.

190? Maybe, if I absolutely had to. Never seen a semi on it. Have seen a couple of sub-40 motorhomes on it though. Panamint Valley road has been closed since last August from a big rain storm that washed out the road. I understand the road is rebuilt but not paved yet. I was contemplating having to come over this route in two weeks for a big rally at PSR.

I would hate to send a guy out on a route where he stalled out, high centered, got hit, or otherwise had some major issue because we all said yeah, no problem. Just sayin'.

My b-in-law won't drive their 45 anywhere but on an interstate. He has taken out bollards at gas stations, RV parks, hit rocks on narrow drives, and it's always somebody's fault.
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Old 03-11-2014, 11:41 AM   #6
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Thanks guys, I will reroute. If you was staying in this area to see the trees and Yosemite where you you stay to be convenient as possible to both. Would like 50 amp but 30 would more than likely do if I don't need AC. And how about a campground in Death Valley
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Old 03-11-2014, 11:48 AM   #7
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Thanks guys, I will reroute. If you was staying in this area to see the trees and Yosemite where you you stay to be convenient as possible to both. Would like 50 amp but 30 would more than likely do if I don't need AC. And how about a campground in Death Valley
There are campgrounds in Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells. I have not stayed in either so can't comment, but you do see a lot of RV's in them. I don't even know if they have power.

There's Panamint Springs Resort as I mentioned, we like it because it's not as far from the LA area as either of the others. And we spend a lot of time in Panamint Valley and Saline Valley and it's closer to both. For sure there is 30a service, not sure about 50 but I have my doubts.

There is gas at all three places as well, regular only at Stovepipe, and all very expensive.

You can also dry camp in Ballarat - Panamint Valley, halfway from 190 to Trona on Panamint Valley Road. It's like $5 a night, pretty remote. And most of Panamint Valley is BLM so you can camp pretty much anywhere off the road. Nadeau road comes to mind, that's where they have the jeep clubs Panamint Valley Days.

I wouldn't recommend going thru there after about May or before October or so. It gets bloody hot!
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Old 03-11-2014, 11:49 AM   #8
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Furnace Creek campground at Death Valley --the campground at the main headquarters has 30 full hook up sites now. I believe they are all back in sites. All 50 amp sites.

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Old 03-11-2014, 08:40 PM   #9
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Have driven that one many a time. I don't think I'd do it with a 43' and trailer.

190? Maybe, if I absolutely had to. Never seen a semi on it. Have seen a couple of sub-40 motorhomes on it though. Panamint Valley road has been closed since last August from a big rain storm that washed out the road. I understand the road is rebuilt but not paved yet. I was contemplating having to come over this route in two weeks for a big rally at PSR.

I would hate to send a guy out on a route where he stalled out, high centered, got hit, or otherwise had some major issue because we all said yeah, no problem. Just sayin'.

My b-in-law won't drive their 45 anywhere but on an interstate. He has taken out bollards at gas stations, RV parks, hit rocks on narrow drives, and it's always somebody's fault.
I understand the 45 hitting things, I wish I had my 40 back, even though it is not as bad as a 45 you still have a lot of places that you cannot get in, they say you can but they have never drove a 43 or 45. I have only hit one thing, a Honda Civic, I just touched the back fender, no damage except where the exhaust scraped the rubber bumper. If I could find a 40" tag axle that would be perfect
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Old 03-11-2014, 09:49 PM   #10
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I've thought it would be nice to have a Journey or a Knight, but we get into the darndest places with our little 31 footer. Even used to ramp-launch the boat when we had it. Pretty much if a truck and camper can get into a place we can as well. This one place up in the Los Padres mountains here says 27' max but we can make it. Just 190" wheelbase.

It's enough room for a camper, but wouldn't be even for a part-timer. LOL

Ten years this year, 30K miles of exploring, and we still love it. Them new DP's sure are nice though!



Stopped in Trona on the way to Death Valley...

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Old 03-11-2014, 11:12 PM   #11
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Chris - my wife works in the tan building directly behind your motorcycles in the picture.

I can't say there are any campgrounds that one could consider convenient to both DV and Yos. Consider that from Stovepipe wells to the 190/395 junction south of Lone Pine is about 2 hours. There's a nice campground in Lone Pine - Boulder Creek. From Lone Pine it's another 2 hours, maybe 2.5 to Lee Vining and the bottom of the climb to Yos. From there it's about 1.5 to the valley floor, and you have to come back out on the east side.

If you have the time, do death valley and camp there, spend a couple of days exploring the east side of the sierra (horseshoe meadows road from the movie the long, long trailer) Bishop, the bristlecone pines in the white mountains, hike to palisade glacier before it disappears, See Mammoth and the volcanic tableland around it, and then camp at Lee Vining or Mammoth, or boondock around Deadman Summit, before exploring Yos.

North from there there's a lot of beautiful country.
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Old 03-12-2014, 09:18 AM   #12
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Chris - my wife works in the tan building directly behind your motorcycles in the picture.

>snip
Wow. That place is like a ghost town. I hear there are two gas stations now. LOL. For the longest time we had to haul gas from Ridgecrest.

Good advice on camping and exploring the area. It's a BIG area.
Some of the riders don't like DV just because of the distances...you ride 60 miles to see something, then another 80 to something else, and then 50 miles to get back. Some of our loops are over 200 miles. Most bikes have about a 120 mile range, so we have to haul extra gas. There are NO gas station is the backcountry.

We have 200 riders taking over Panamint Springs Resort end of the month here. We call it the Noob Rally - lots of new riders. We rent out the whole resort. Which is funny that they call it a 'resort', it's a patch in the desert, rocks and brush, definitely a desert camp site. The restaurant and bar are pretty cool, but really expensive. The place runs on generator power.

One of our favorite trips is out Saline Valley to Warm Springs. Only accessible by motorcycle or 4x4. The place is pretty cool. Natural hot springs, clothing optional.



Tea Kettle Junction



Panamint Valley

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Old 03-12-2014, 09:23 AM   #13
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Trying to analyze all this information is to much for me, am I to understand that I need to go back to I-15 and then go around and take 395 to Bishop or can I go North and hit 95. That does not look to good either. I think I will stay around Las Vegas and drive over to DV
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Old 03-12-2014, 09:51 AM   #14
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Racetrack. Sliding rocks.
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