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Old 08-30-2016, 08:04 AM   #1
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Travel in November

Morning All,

We had some unfortunate luck a few weeks ago, with a couple of blowouts on our Forest River 5th wheel, so she's now in the shop getting repaired. Having that bit of bad luck has thrown us a curve regarding travel plans from here in central VA to see my folks in NM.

We are now contemplating taking the trip in early November. Since my wife and I are very green at this, is it feasible to drive with big rig through a fairly southern route in November? I think the weather is considerably mild, but my big concern is ice or snow.

I'm sure there are lots of folks that have done something similar, so I'd love to hear some thoughts. Any help or advice would be welcome.

Kenny
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Old 08-30-2016, 09:32 AM   #2
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Sorry to hear that you've had blowout issues.
I can't help with your route /weather question , but I'll ask if the cause of the blowouts was determined and dealt with ?
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Old 08-30-2016, 09:43 AM   #3
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FWIW I would not think so if you pay attention. Most of the time November is hit and miss. Sometimes something nasty comes in early. sometimes the sun shines warmly, most of the time it's something in the middle. Keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to tuck in someplace if things get nasty.
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Old 08-30-2016, 10:21 AM   #4
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When we employed (Pre Depression), we were forced into late fall travel. Even plotting a course as far south as practical was not a guarantee of good travel weather. I quickly adopted a plan used used when sailing.

Let the weather win. (It will, but if you fight it you will lose.)

Add weather hold time to your travel schedule.
Keep provisions and fuel for a three day hold. (see below)
Remember your house is right behind the driver's seat. If your coach is more or less typical, it can operate and be comfortable as self contained.

When the weather turns bad, find a flat spot and let all those still out there have their accidents and go home.

If you are traveling on interstates, the longest hold up you can expect is about a day. We lost two days just once. So, we now carry stock for three days - Just on GP.

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Old 08-30-2016, 10:53 AM   #5
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Traveling to New Mexico in November is very doable. Just keep a watch on weather forecasts and stay put for a day or two if issues arise. Wondering where in New Mexico you're heading? If south, you might want to drop down to I-10 and take that across.

As far as the tire blowouts, definitely find the answer before traveling. Was it the tire age or was the trailer overloaded?

Good luck...I'd take the trip.
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Old 08-30-2016, 11:02 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skip426 View Post
Sorry to hear that you've had blowout issues.
I can't help with your route /weather question , but I'll ask if the cause of the blowouts was determined and dealt with ?
The blowouts were a result of several things. Primarily old tires, but secondly a very hot day (95 degrees or so), and highway speeds. One on each side of the rig. A normal 1 hour drive home took about 8 or so. The trailer was a recent trade up from a local dealer - we had it about a month when it happened. When I did the walk through, I did a look see at the tires but failed to check the date codes. Lesson learned the hard way.


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Old 08-30-2016, 11:11 AM   #7
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Thanks everyone. I'll definitely take a look at possibly using I-10. I always try to overplan especially when it comes to preparedness. We're planning on taking a leisurely trip to see my folks down in Las Cruces NM. Also was thinking about driving through central TX to show my wife some of the places I lived and where the family was from - Jacksboro, Denton, Wichita Falls, Bryson. The rural parts around Fort Worth.

Time and possibly the weather would definitely be a concern. Sure beats having to fly though.

Kenny
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Old 08-30-2016, 11:40 AM   #8
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We did a similar trip in 2013, headed out I-40 just before Thanksgiving, ran into some ice on the mountain's, wasn't horrible but kind of scary. We returned to home via I-10, that added several hundred miles to the trip and got stuck in a really bad ice storm in Van Horn TX. I guess in the end just watch weather reports and if it looks like there could be a problem, cancel. The weather out there is nothing like it is here on the east coast.
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Old 08-30-2016, 11:42 AM   #9
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If you have time, Big Bend Nat'l Park in Texas is an awesome time in November. The cottonwoods are in their yellow hues against a clear blue sky - the sight will always stay with me. For Las Cruces, I-10 is definitely the way to go.
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Old 08-31-2016, 12:56 PM   #10
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Travel in November

Kenny..... If you just keep an eye on the weather and you're smart enough to stop if it goes bad, you'll be fine. Use the Weather Channel app for the bigger picture, and local TV for tomorrow.
In the winter of 13/14 we left Kentucky a couple of days after Christmas, wandered down to NO, then I-10 to Houston/Austin/Dallas for a couple weeks, west into NM and AZ, SoCal and north to Seattle. About 6 weeks on the road, and the only "bad weather" we saw was some snow squalls for about an hour when we were leaving the Grand Canyon.
Yes, you can absolutely make the trip! Just watch the weather and be prudent enough to stop and wait if you need to.


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Old 09-01-2016, 06:06 AM   #11
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Great! All the answers definitely help with my confidence. I'll have to get with my navigator/trip mapper and see what we can do.

Thanks for all the responses.

Kenny
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Old 09-05-2016, 08:08 PM   #12
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Travel in November

Kenny,

There is a great app out there called "Weather On Wheels ". I found this app last year and the reason I highly recommend it is because it allows you to enter a starting point and end point and gives you exact weather conditions along your route. It also updates automatically as your are on your route and the accuracy is great. I really like this app and again highly recommend to everyone.

Hope this helps


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Old 09-06-2016, 07:59 AM   #13
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Ken, Diane,

Thanks for the info. I've downloaded it to my IPad and will have a look.

Kenny
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Old 09-12-2016, 02:27 PM   #14
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Gitwar,
When were you around WF? My home town...
Joe
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