Need some traveling help using HWY 101

[mga60tw]

I will be in Vancouver, BC near the end of August. I am pulling a 30ft 5th wheel with a 2500 Duramax. Can I make it down the Washington,Oregon and California coast using HWY 101 with out any problems? In California I have been advised to stay off CAL 1. Thanks for your advise.

Tom and Suzanne

[traveler of california]

Not a problem. It will be a slow drive and some impatient auto drivers will ride you, but I've done the entire trip and it is beautiful. You will get different opinions regarding Hwy 1 and parts of it are fine and there are parts I would not personally do.

How far south are you intending to travel?

Nick

[mga60tw]

traveler of california, probably south of San Francisco as we are heading over to Las Vegas. Will we be okay on 101 to there?

Thanks, Tom

[traveler of california]

You can go that way, I have, but I prefer to go around the city (SF). I usually go around by using 101 to 580 to 680 and then back to 101. It is a little longer but 101 thru SF can be narrow in spots and if you go this way make sure it is not during rush hour. If you go thru the city pick up 280 as you head south (better and prettier drive) and pick up 101 in the San Jose.

Much depends on your plans and what activities you would like to pursue. If your ultimate goal is Las Vegas I would stay on the 580 and go to Interstate 5 to the 46 to the 99 to the 58 and then Interstate 15 to Las Vegas.

Nick

[Alan_Hepburn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by traveler of california You can go that way, I have, but I prefer to go around the city (SF). I usually go around by using 101 to 580 to 680 and then back to 101. It is a little longer but 101 thru SF can be narrow in spots and if you go this way make sure it is not during rush hour. If you go thru the city pick up 280 as you head south (better and prettier drive) and pick up 101 in the San Jose.

This is my preferred route - if you stay on 101 through San Francisco not only do you have to deal with traffic in that cesspool, but you have to pay a toll on the Golden Gate Bridge - somewhere around $10 or so? But if you take the I580 route you'll stay on a freeway the entire way, and the Richmond Bridge is free in the eastbound direction.

[num1dgh]

101 yes, Hwy 1, only if you have nerves of steel!

[Guy an a dog]

If you think you can make it down 1 safely it is beautiful. That is my preferred route when I travel from Seattle to Sacramento.

[cliff841]

I'm not sure how far south of San Francisco you are planning on going on Hwy 1. The road south of Carmel to San Simeon (Hearst Castle) is absolutely gorgeous but I wouldn't want to drive it with your rig, particularly southbound.

I drove it a few years ago with my 25' 5th wheel without any problem but I drove northbound. My reasoning for this was if I screwed up and crashed it would likely be in to the side of the mountain rather than over a cliff with a fiery crash at the bottom on the rocks. DW was nervous the whole trip and didn't enjoy it which was a shame as beautiful as it is. We decided that next time we wanted to drive that highway we would use a campground as a base camp and take our tow vehicle (now toad) on a circle loop of Hwy 1 one direction and Hwy 101 the other direction as a day trip.

With all that said, I saw people with bigger rigs than your driving southbound on Hwy 1.