Community Forums

Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43' · 05-10-2008, 04:46 PM

395 is mostly a wide 2 lane with some good grades but managable. I've driven East and West with a 36" with tow...exhaust brake and use of xmission. Mono lake, Lone Pine the site of many films, June Lake, and Death Valley are along the way for day trips. In lLone Pine the Boulder Creek RVPark is centrally located for day trips to some of the above plus Manzanar (WW II internment location) and Mt Whitney. Near Reno in Minden Nv is Carson Valley RV Resort and Casino a very nice RV park that can be used for day trips to the Sierras, Lake Tahoe (in toad), Virgina City and Carson City.
It is a pleasant and scenic Hwy drive

Ronnie

dieselclacker · 05-10-2008, 06:32 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hemi:
Can someone advise or comment on hwy 395 California. We will be coming down I-10 and then just west of Bartow CA we will transfer to hwy 395 to Reno...we are looking for some nice views of the sierras.

We have 36 foot class a (2002, vortec, allison 5 speed) towing a saturn vue.

1. Is 395 2 lane or 4 lane.
2. if 2 lane is it reasonably wide
3. on the summits; are the grads to the summits reasonable, for example 6% or less
4. fuel stations, are there some
5. would welcome any other comments.

Thanks, HEMI </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hemi, I think you mean I-40 you will be comming down, as I-10 does not come any where near Barstow to intersect hwy 395.
At any way I have traveled this highway many many times. The highway is both 2 and 4 lanes, and is kept in very good condition, as it is the only north-south highway in California that is east of the Sierras. You will be driving high desert from Barstow to about Lone Pine, not much to see, you will be crossing some ancient volcanic lava fields, and travel along side Olancha dry lake for several miles. Things get a bit more scenic once you go further north. You are on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountians, and do not really get into any climbs until you leave Bishop. Sherwin pass is a long 6 to 7% grade about 10 miles out of town. I climb it in third gear in my 8.1 Workhorse with my toad at about 4000 RPM, just watch your engine temp in the summer time heat.
Other major climb is north out of Lee Vining, Mono Lake. It is also quite a steep climb, but shorter and a couple more curves than Sherwin pass. You will not have any problems.
Barstow, and Bishop would be my choices for getting fuel, can be pricy at small towns. A good time to fuel after Bishop would be south of Reno, around Gardnerville, fuel is a little less there than in Reno, and a way less hectic.
There is a little road construction going on just south of Reno around Carson City, or at least there was 6 months ago. Again not bad. I can't advise you on RV parks as I have no expierience with any in this area. There is a visitors info center just south of Lone Pine, with much info on side trips if you are intrested.
Enjoy your trip, and hold on to your money in Reno.

Dieselclacker

Hemi · 05-11-2008, 06:01 AM

Thanks to all who provided information. Based on what you said we will take 395....(we want a scenic drive--tired of I-5 its issues and traffic).

Yes, I suppose we met I-40..but we will come west on I-10 (from FL)...as we get near the AZ-CA border we cut up to I-40, probably taking that road from Phoenix to Kingman.

Again, thanks for the very worthwhile information, HEMI

Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43' · 05-11-2008, 06:39 AM

If you take the I 17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff and connect with I 40 you get a chance to see Sedona. Probably would add 125 to 150 miles to your trip, but in my opinion much more scenic. Really nice family style RV park just outside Camp Verdi (about 25 miles from Sedona) called Zane Grey RV park good sized sites, clean restrooms, etc. The drive from Phoenix to Kingman is closer, but not much to see.

Ronnie

Hemi · 05-11-2008, 01:33 PM

Ronnie, yes, I looked at that route also...it is a possibility. Thanks for the RV park recommendation.....

We will make the decision as we get closer to Phoenix.

We were on I-17 (or similar road) about 30 years ago...probably changed a lot, and thus worth revisiting.

We also traveled on the road between Phoenix and Kingman, about 8 years ago....

Thanks again, HEMI

RedneckExpress · 05-12-2008, 08:04 AM

The ones that had dump stations in Oregon were closed due to Meth labs using them to empty their waste products into.

Washington State has a few nice ones in their Rest Areas along the I-5 cooridor. Usually, I only need one a trip to get rid of the black water, the grey never travels with me in the majority of cases.

Lindsay Richards · 05-12-2008, 12:04 PM

You will learn to notice the sign of a camper with a little arrow coming out the bottom going down into a dump tank. It is like the Federal symbol for campground. These signs are frequently the only notice you get of a state or expressway free dumpstation. Maybe somebody will post a picture of the sign. We camped for a long time without realizing what they were. We like them as it combines dumping with a little walk around break from driving. The ones we have used were very nice.