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SandiX4 · 05-15-2022, 10:34 AM

Has anyone taken Rt 40 from Chapel Hill or nearby to Zion National Park through Tennessee and westward through Texas and New Mexico? We are Newbies with a 2018 Thor Four winds-28z.

Thanks for any tips and advise.

**hamm2018** · 05-15-2022, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandiX4

Has anyone taken Rt 40 from Chapel Hill or nearby to Zion National Park through Tennessee and westward through Texas and New Mexico? We are Newbies with a 2018 Thor Four winds-28z.

Thanks for any tips and advise.

We have been on I-40 between Kingman and Flagstaff coming from Las Vegas. The road is rough in places. We have also been on I-40 from Flagstaff to Albuquerque, rough road. Plus we have ran I-40 across Tennessee better road thru there.
We have friends to came out to meet us in Arizona last winter from Ohio. They took I-40 and said there was not allot out there, watch your gas gauge.

jcull · 05-15-2022, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandiX4

Has anyone taken Rt 40 from Chapel Hill or nearby to Zion National Park through Tennessee and westward through Texas and New Mexico? We are Newbies with a 2018 Thor Four winds-28z.

Thanks for any tips and advise.

The road itself is fine. As usual take it easy through the heavy traffic areas along the way and you’ll be fine. If you use something like RV Trip Wizard you can plan your driving and overnights in a manner that best suits you. For us, we’d have a long drive then overnight and plan a shorter drive the next day and stay at least 2 nts to rest and explore; then repeat.
A few trips from our travels heading West:
- Delta Ridge RV Park in Forrest City, AR is a convenient overnight stop just past Memphis. Nothing fancy, it just provides the basic and is quiet despite being not far off of 40
- oasis RV Park in Amarillo is the same and you can see Cadillac Ranch just up the road
- Homolovi Ruins State Park is a great little park for seeing Winslow and Petrified Forest NP. It’s very inexpensive. No sewer but a dump station

Safe travels

andy29847 · 05-16-2022, 05:05 AM

I've used I-40 to go west many times. It is a good road, but the scenery (like all of the interstates across the country) can be boring. I like I-40 because there are campgrounds that I have stayed in that are spread out to match my travel preferences. Anchor Down RV Resort in Danville, TN, Tom Sawyer Campground in West Memphis, AR, the North Little Rock KOA ion Little Rock, AR, KOA Sallisaw-Fort Smith in Salisaw, OK, the Route 66 RV Park in Elk City, OK, Oasis RV Resort in Amarillo, TX, Clines Corner RV Park in Clines Corner, NM, and the KOA Flagstaff in Flagstaff, NM are places we have stayed at that I would go back to. Traffic can be heavy near the big cities, especially around rush hours, but not any worse than the NC Triangle area. I'm guessing you will turn north on 89 in Arizona which will take you near the Grand Canyon. Available camping in that corner of AZ can be hard to find. Plan ahead. Cameron, AZ is home one of the best Indian Trading Posts I have been in. Plan to stop there and shop. Because I have grown tired of interstate travel, I'd be tempted to get off the interstate at Elk City, OK and work my way northwest through Raton, NM to Walsenburg, CO and Highway 160. Then west on 160 into AZ.

rfg9585 · 05-16-2022, 06:15 AM

Did this from NC to zion last year. We got off I-40 in Amarillo and hit Great Sand Dunes National Park then Mexican hat then Page,AZ then Grand Canyon North then Zion. Great trip.....

I40 east of Mississippi were worse than west. Don't take 840 around Nashville, go straight thru in center lanes. Enjoy.....

andy29847 · 05-16-2022, 08:28 AM

If you decide to go northwest somewhere between Elk City and Amarillo, Corral RV Park in Dalhart, TX, Capulin RV Park in Capulin NM, Chinook Cabins and RV Park in South Fork, and the Mesa Verde RV Park near the entrance of Mesa Verde National Park are places I have stayed that are very nice.

My wife and I like to spend a couple of days in Capulin to adjust to altitude before going to the higher elevations of Colorado. The Capulin Volcano Park is interesting, the nearby town of Folsom has an excellent town museum, and the drive along county road 72 over Johnson's Mesa is beautiful. We like to go up to the mesa late in the evening when the wildlife comes out.