Planning our first trip

[gpcvg]

We are planning our first big trip in our Bighorn for this June. We live near the Cincinnati area and will start there. We have had small couple day practice trips but nothing 2 weeks or longer. We thought we would work our way up to the longer trips. I hope that is a good way to do things. We are thinking of camping on some of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are thinking of starting in Gatlinburg and work from there.Any thoughts on different trips or where we should stay or see along the Parkway?

Thanks in advance.

[oldbeek]

Blueridge parkway is a hard road to tow. Max speed is 35 mph. Typical is; You will drop down into a hollow make a sharp turn (15 mph) then be faced with 10% grade up. Get to top of the hill and do it all over again.
Been to Alaska twice , 4 month trips, all the back roads, towed 3,000 miles of dirt roads. Would never go back onto Blueridge pkwy. with a 5r again. Mine is only 27ft. Park nearby and enjoy it with your truck alone.

[Half Dimes]

Go on line for details about the BRP. At the lower end there are a couple of tunnels with potentially low clearances. If you are planning on picking up the BRP from the Smoky Mtns NP and heading north, you would encounter those tunnels. Beyond that, the BRP and Skyline Drive beyond is a great tour. Just don't expect to get anywhere fast. Many overlook pull-offs can accommodate RVs. When we would come upon a pull-off, if I couldn't see the way out, I didn't go in.

As far as campgrounds, one of our favorites is Meadows of Dan Campground in the town of the same name in VA. There's also Utt's Campground in Fancy Gap, VA. There are others in NC which some research will reveal. Some advance reservations may be necessary during summer and foliage seasons.

We've driven the length of Skyline Drive and the BRP from Winchester, VA down to near Asheville, NC pulling a 36' fiver without any issue. Speed limits vary but the max is 45 mph.

For those in a hurry, get on I-81. But if you've got the time, take the BRP (and Skyline Drive) to enjoy a very scenic part of this country.

[RussOnTheRoad]

Originally Posted by gpcvg

We are planning our first big trip in our Bighorn for this June. We live near the Cincinnati area and will start there. We have had small couple day practice trips but nothing 2 weeks or longer. We thought we would work our way up to the longer trips. I hope that is a good way to do things. We are thinking of camping on some of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are thinking of starting in Gatlinburg and work from there.Any thoughts on different trips or where we should stay or see along the Parkway?

Thanks in advance.

Last spring I drove the BRP from Asheville, NC, north till it changed names to Skyline Drive at Shendoah Nat'l Park, and I drove Skyline all the way north to its northern terminus. There are several tunnels you will not be able to get thru, mostly at the southern end, but there may be one or two others you'll have to drive around. A list of tunnels and where they are by mileposts is here:
Tunnel Clearances - Blue Ridge Parkway

I camped at quite a few campgrounds along the BRP and Skyline in my 30' Class C and reviewed some on my blog. The area is renowned for bluegrass music, so if you're into that (and maybe even if you're not) you'll find the Blue Ridge Music Center and interesting stop:
Blue Ridge Music Center

The little town of Floyd, VA, is famous for music at the General Store, and people come from miles around.

Here is a link to the BRP NPS camping page:
Camping - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)

HTH.

[Nana25K]

We would not tow our 32 ft wheel the BRP, and we certainly arent taking the MH. There are option to travel "along side" and spend q couple days in statically planned campgrounds outside. Then you can drive your truck up, down, and around as much as you like

[justafordguy]

Congrats on the new Big Horn, If I were you I would stay away from tunnels if your Big Horn is anything like my Gateway, and I know it is, 13' 4" and tunnels don't match.

Safe travels.