Well, just make sure you don't let the important parts freeze up. Here's the route Lorne told me about and which he said has the fewest big hills. However, someone(?) told me it can be a pretty empty route in sections. As for coming down hills, you've got a gasoline engine so you can get a lot of drag by dropping into lower gears, even if you have to go into 2nd gear. I don't think any of the hills I met would cause any harm to your 34 foot motorhome, especially since you don't have near the load weight that I was handling with the 38ft motorhome, the 12 foot trailer and the Goldwing plus all the shi...cra...stuff we brought along. And you've got a newer motorhome. As for snow and ice, all I can suggest is keeping a regular eye on the local weather either by TV, radio, or via
National and Local Weather Forecast, Hurricane, Radar and Report . You may have to wait somewhere for a day or three to be sure you're safe but, so what, right? Also, the truckers at the truck stops would probably not mind talking to you about that since they tend to keep a real close eye on the weather for their own same kinds of reasons.
Anyway, Lorne suggested ...
Hwy 97 South to connect with Hwy 17 South at/near Bridgeport WA (before Brewster).
Hwy 17 South to Pasco WA to connect with I-82 East (or South) right through to Hermiston WA and on through to I-84 East in Oregon.
I-84 East to just past Ontario ID and Hwy 95 South. It will slip back into Oregon, through Jordan Valley OR and a left at Burns Junction staying on Hwy 95 South to McDermitt and the border with NV.
Hwy 95 South in NV to Winnemucca OR and conecting with Hwy 95/I-80 West.
Hwy 95 South/I-80 West to where Hwy 95 South in Oregon breaks off.
Hwy 95 South to Fallon, Hawthorne, Tonopah, Goldfield, Beatty, Las Vegas and on through to Bullhead City AZ, Lake Havasu City and points south.
According to Lorne, this has fewer big hills than Jim's route that I took but I wasn't overjoyed at going through Los Angeles to get to Phoenix. From looking at the map, I don't see where there are much fewer towns along Lorne's route than along Jim's route. Maybe you could poke around on the 'Net with Google Maps and check out steep elevation changes, if you want to be sure.
As for us, I'm trying to get some work done on the motorhome so I can head to Yuma on Nov. 15th or so instead of waiting for the end of Nov. I've heard about something called the Valley Virus (or something) that is strongest in the Flagstaff-Phoenix-Tucson corridor. Apache Junction is on the eastern edge in the pink zone just outside of the Phoenix red zone. Apparently not everybody contracts it but when they do, there's no cure, only a treatment of drugs to clear the lungs. It's actually a fungus that attacks the lungs and they don't know much about because it's such a localized disease phenomenon and hasn't qualified for a lot of research dollars. So, it's the Yuma area for us.
I hope this helps. Have you asked anyone else on the site by starting your own thread? Any clearer suggestions than I've been able to offer? Or have I already said too much and you were just looking for some sympathy and commiseration. ;-)
You just take care of yourself and the rest will fall into place with perhaps a few delays for the sake of safety. Keep us posted, 'kay?
Road Ranger & Geminimajic
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