Dallas get around

[Kodiakan]

Hello,
We are driving a 36' DP with no pull behind from Missouri to Austin, Texas. Will likely be coming into Dallas from the North on 75. Does anybody have a good route to take you around Dallas/FW and back onto 35 into Austin. Thanks.

[fagnaml]

Kodiakan --

To route around Dallas would mean using state highways and farm-to-market roads several miles to the east of Dallas. Those roads are typically narrow and not in the best condition. Driving through Dallas with a motorhome is easy to do if a person has the patience required for big city driving. I have driven my 41 footer with four door Jeep Wrangler in tow into and through Dallas with no problems. As with all big cities, the best time to drive through Dallas is in the 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. period.

If you want to spend a day or two in the Dallas area, there is a fantastic RV resort on Grapevine Lake on the north side Dallas named "The Vineyard Campground and Cabins" that I highly recommend --> https://www.vineyardscampground.com/ This RV resort has very spacious, paved sites with beautiful views and nice amenities.

[Kodiakan]

Originally Posted by fagnaml

Kodiakan --

To route around Dallas would mean using state highways and farm-to-market roads several miles to the east of Dallas. Those roads are typically narrow and not in the best condition. Driving through Dallas with a motorhome is easy to do if a person has the patience required for big city driving. I have driven my 41 footer with four door Jeep Wrangler in tow into and through Dallas with no problems. As with all big cities, the best time to drive through Dallas is in the 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. period.

If you want to spend a day or two in the Dallas area, there is a fantastic RV resort on Grapevine Lake on the north side Dallas named "The Vineyard Campground and Cabins" that I highly recommend --> https://www.vineyardscampground.com/ This RV resort has very spacious, paved sites with beautiful views and nice amenities.

Thanks Mike. You confirmed what I thought on the state roads used to skirt Dallas. I will likely not be in a hurry so will take a look at the Vineyards Campground. Sounds really good.... Driving through Dallas google maps has me on 75 coming in with a few exchanges and 35 going out to Austin. Is that the easiest route?

[Isaac-1]

The problem here is your direct route puts you going straight through the center of downtown Dallas, the alternative is to spend many miles on the loop going around the city, or even further out on the secondary highways, which tend to be fairly built up with stop and go traffic. To avoid the urban sprawl around DFW these days means going to some point east of Terrel, west of Mineral Wells.



We tried to avoid Dallas when coming in from the south, and heading west a few months ago, we drove in from the south on I35W, and cut across on TX171 to Weatherford on I-20. This looks mostly clear on the map, but in reality is non stop housing and new road development along much of that route, and will be just an extension of Dallas cityscape within the next year or so.

[rodekyll]

I spent a couple of years travelling on the FM and state highways. I was mostly on a motorcycle. The roads were hard on it. The condition of the roads and their narrow design made for some unnerving situations, even on the bike. I plan to return to the Tyler/Lindale area with the Tardis this summer. I don't plan to get off the major highways until I have to.

Metro Dallas will be a pain, but at least it's a minor distance and the interstate system there is designed for a big rig. the FM's on the other hand were laid out when the Model A was the going thing. They're not real forgiving of widebody pilot errors. There are deep ditches for microburst runoff and narrow or no shoulders. There are few places to pull a big rig off the road and fewer to turn around. They're also populated with critters like cattle and buzzards. They're hard to dodge on those narrow roads, and either could do a lot of damage to a motorhome. Did I mention that many state and FM's have 70mph speed limits?

When I had to go through Dallas or Houston I'd try to time it for the wee hours and when possible, for good, dry weather. Austin isn't as intimidating.

Enjoy the trip, whatever route you choose!

[txcpl]

Timing is everything when traveling through DFW towards Austin. After 9 am and before 3:30 pm are the best travel times. The Vineyards are in Grapevine and a nice place to visit. Also look at Loyd Park in Grand Prairie on the southern end of DFW.

[fagnaml]

Kodiakan --

The path Google Maps suggests is good if not in the middle of rush hours. I use Waze very successfully to navigate Dallas and other cities that I don't know well (I do avoid non-major highway route that Waze might suggest).

Where are you staying in the Austin area? If you haven't made a reservation, the La Hacienda RV Resort on Lake Travis a short distance west of Austin is a great place to stay --> https://www.sunrvresorts.com/resorts..._campaign=yext

[Healeyman]

Originally Posted by Kodiakan

Does anybody have a good route to take you around Dallas/FW and back onto 35 into Austin.

I live in north Dallas and there IS NO drive-around. Our daughter and MIL live in Temple and Georgetown so we go that way quite often.

You have a 7-8 hour drive from Branson to Dallas and as others have said, try to hit Dallas between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM.

There are NO good places to stay overnight in the Dallas area, so if you are going to stop, try to make it between the OK-TX border and McKinney, TX. Choctaw Casino just north of the OK-Tx border is EXCELLENT.

US 75 is 3 lane from the OK border all the way to Austin. It is a pretty easy drive.

I've been in all of the lower 48 and Dallas traffic is MUCH easier than a lot of other cities.

On I-35, there is LOTS of construction between just north of Waco (Mile stick 340) and just south of Temple (Mile stick 275).

Just try to avoid rush hours and take it easy.

Good Luck to you.

Tim

[F4Gary]

At Sherman take 82 across to I35 and take that through Ft. Worth or take 820 around Ft. Worth. You could even cross over at Mckinney to Denton.
I'd take 82.
Are you staying in north or south Austin. You could even take 820 around to 377 then go through Grandbury, down to Glen Rose and then over to Hico to catch 281.
Then you can cut over to Austin at Lampasas, Burnet, or Horseshoe Bay.

[Trekkar]

We try to avoid the I35 corridor whenever possible. It's out of you're way for Austin, but our drive up 281 last year was very relaxing.

[Kodiakan]

Thanks to all for your help. I much appreciate it.