Community Forums

Robert T · 07-07-2019, 10:12 AM

Winter Escape
What experiences have you had traveling south in a large motorhome from Kentucky through Memphis to Texas. Plan on leaving after Christmas and into January. Thinking of taking our first trip out of winter after Christmas and January heading south and returning to NE Ohio from Texas in early March. Plan on taking I-71 through Bowling Green, I-65 through Nashville, I-40 into Hot Springs, I-30 into Dallas, and farther south. We anticipate the threat of snow/ice may dissipate once we get into Memphis. Maybe I am wrong. Looking for experiences anyone here has had during those months of the travel year. I want to avoid extremes in cold and slippery roads while driving a 40 foot DP motorhome and towing a car. Many considerations. I need to think safety. Thank you.

Sue46 · 07-07-2019, 06:41 PM

There are no guarantee as to weather. If you encounter weather you are uncomfortable with just pull over and stop. Plenty of truck stops etc. You may incunter cgs not open in the northish during that time of year.

Sbrownstein · 07-07-2019, 06:46 PM

You should be fine. I have done upstate NY to Florida in January. However, one caution. Make sure you have a full tank of propane and make sure you have a bucket of water to flush with until you get south or have some water in your tanks. Took me almost 700 miles to find a place to get water and it was an RV dealer outside Nashville. The rest of them don't understand that freeze-proof faucets are built to be left on in cold weather!!!

Oh...and if it snows heavily and you hole up nice and warm in a truck stop, heavy snow may prevent your slide toppers from coming back in when you decide to leave. I had to bribe a couple of guys with a bucket truck with a $20 bill to clear mine off in the morning.

Mr.Goodbar · 07-07-2019, 10:51 PM

Not sure how KY is on getting roads cleared. Depending on when you are traveling thru Nashville, avoid doing so during the weekdays 6:30 AM-9:30 AM and 3:00 PM-6:30PM. Even in good weather going south on I-65 to I-40W thru downtown traffic is terrible. If there is any precipitation falling or an accident or road construction, all bets are off, almost total gridlock, to me way worse than Atlanta.

You might bypass downtown by taking TN-155 Briley Pkwy West from I-65 and follow it to I-40 west. It's a pretty decent highway, almost like interstate, with just 2-3 interchanges, no bridges with height problems.