Quote:
Originally Posted by Deafdude
St Louis, MO to Tampa, FL
I am looking for suggestion about traveling to St Louis, MO to Tampa, Florida.
• What is the best route to travel?
• Where to spend single nights?
• How far south do I travel before I can UN-Winterize my rig?
• Is 300 to 350 miles to far to travel in one day? (remember it is my first trip out)
Okay those are the main questions I have now here is the rest of the story:
First of all can’t change the dates except for maybe a day. We need to be at Tampa, Florida on the 1st of January maybe the day before.
This is the first time pulling my 5th Wheel so I want an easy route. Because of the time of the year and because it is my first time pulling my rig any distance I don’t really want to travel through the mountains in Tenn or GA. First time, winter and mountains – burr I shudder to think.
So I am thinking of heading south on I-55 out of St Louis to Memphis, then jump over onto I-22 (US-78) from Memphis to Birmingham, then getting on I-65 from Birmingham to Montgomery {here is where I am unsure of } 
How do I get to I-10 in Florida? It seems like I am going a lot out of my way to stay on I-65 back to Mobile. But I am not sure what US-231 is like going south-east out of Montgomery down to I-10.
Any suggestions?
Sonny
2009 Cameo
2008 Chevy Dually
Why drive a little truck |
Sonny,
My wife and I made this journey on an annual basis for the past six years, in a fifth wheel and ,lately, a class A. If you have no specific reason to travel the route you mention, I would like to suggest an alternative.
First, to answer your questions.
1. 300-350 miles per day is a reasonable expectation. We always traveled a minimum of 400 miles each day in our 5'er, and more in the class A. When we arrived at our overnight stop, we always had a pull thru site and did not unhook the fifth wheel to save time in arrival and departure.
2. While I have traveled this route, and it is acceptable, I don't think it is the best route. I would suggest the following route, all Interstate highways... Leave St. Louis in I-64 east to I-57 South. Take I-57 South to I-24 West. In Chatanooga, Tn, take I-75 South to Tampa.
This is an easy route, with good roads.
If you take I-55 out of St. Louis, be prepared to be beat to death with a very wash boardy road through the Mississippi delta country.
One caveat. We always made this trip in mid-October, with return in Mid-April. Never saw snow in the years we traveled through Tennessee or Georgia, and the mountain areas are only of any consequence from Monteagle to the Chatanooga area. By the time you reach the Georgia Border, the weather is rarely of any concern.
Good Luck on your trip.
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