Found a Montana, road to Shelter Cove CA

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Al is still shaking his head in disbelief.

I blogged it here.

[Rainer]

This was equally as scary to us last summer:

[helmick]

Glad you two enjoyed the drive, but I gather you did not make reservations at the RV Park in Shelter Cave.

[CORattler]

Did that exact route on a full dress Harley Classic. I was suffering from heat exhaustion. NOT a fun experience. Eureka and the redwoods were breathtakingly beautiful though.

quote:Originally posted by Rainer

This was equally as scary to us last summer:

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Rainer, gotta say, that does sound worse than 49 and 120 from Gilroy to Yosemite. Bravo for surviving. I take it you did not nick any redwoods???

[DQDick]

That's got to have been a great drive, but not for someone pulling a Monty!

[mtheo]

Gald to here somebody talking about Shelter cove. Heard about it and alway wanted to go there.
I might take a test drive there before I haul the Monty in.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

mtheo,

It is our opinion (CountryGuy and Moi) that to tote a Montana or liked sized unit in there borders on being irresponsible. I realize that is a bit brazen of us to say, but, that is how we feel.

The switchbacks are more than 180 degrees, the road is narrow, the law is that you must pull over to let faster moving vehicles to pass, using the turnouts. Only, there just were not many turnouts that would hold a Montana and its tow vehicle.

To get around some of those switchbacks you probably would need to be over the center line.

Many other vehicles, not sure if they are locals or just vacationers in a HUGE hurry, drive this road much too fast, they are often over the center line!

Truth is, it is kinda dangerous with just the truck.

I hope you were kidding, but, if not, do, at least drive this first before going in there with your unit.

I looked hard, and probably just missed the signs, but, look for the signs that say, "trailers more than xx feet from the kingpin to the rear axle..." Measure your unit. We are exactly 25 feet from kingpin to rear axle.

This is akin to Pacific Highway 1 north of Hearst Castle.

I am sorry if I have insulted you. SIGHHH

[Rainer]

quote:Originally posted by Mrs. CountryGuy
This is akin to Pacific Highway 1 north of Hearst Castle.

I've driven all of Highway 1/101 from Southern California into northern Oregon pulling our previous 30' long Outback travel trailer. It was entirely doable if you know what you're doing, I think I did, because I've done it more than once.

Other more "interesting" roads are between Flagstaff and Sedona AZ, and then from Sedona through Jerome to Prescott, AZ.

One of the most interesting was the Moki Dugway in Utah. Now there's a short white knuckler! The road is so intense that the pavement stops as you head downhill and is a gravel road until you reach the bottom.

But probably my scariest times pulling the trailer was when we attempted to go from New Jersey to Long Island. We started off by going across the Verazzano Narrows bridge and once we got to New York, the freeway was under construction and we were forced to drive on city streets in Brooklyn literally under the Brooklyn Bridge and the elevated train. We made it through that but once we got to the Long Island Expressway, our GPS (not one designed for RV's) wanted us to exit here and there to get to our destination, but as we approached the exit we saw a sign that said "Passenger cars only, 6' height limit". Heck my truck was taller than six feet, and add a couple of kayaks to the top and we were really screwed, not to mention a 10' tall trailer. The lady's voice in the GPS continued to mutter "Recalculating" until she was probably hoarse!

The entire time we were on Long Island, three days, we never saw one other RV on the road. And the beautiful county-owned RV park we found had 50 spaces, yet only five of them were taken, including us.

I seriously doubt that I will attempt these with the new bigger, longer, and taller Montana. But for now I can say, "Been there, done that."

Here's that Moki Dugway:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...oki_Dugway.jpg

Image changed to a link as it exceeds the MOC size guidelines. http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=40141
CRAFT-Guy

[Capt Kidd]

I don't know about taking my 3400 to Shelter Cove but have gone there in a 28 foot class c motor home and it was no big deal. Next time I'm over an the coast I will have to look at it.

[GreatWhite]

quote: Other more "interesting" roads are between Flagstaff and Sedona AZ, and then from Sedona through Jerome to Prescott, AZ.

We've taken that road more than a few times sans RV. It's a great little historical town, IMO. Funny thing, my son was going to college in Prescott and his grandparents were towing their tag along 30'er headed back to Cali but wanted to visit David. He didn't really know anything about towing trailers and when they wanted suggestions about how to get to his place.. he told them "over the hill thru Jerome" Well, they made it.. but grandma was a wreck by the time they got there.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Measure thy king pin to rear axle. KNOW your numbers! Tells everything!

Go slow if the numbers fit.

[sreigle]

I measured ours a few years ago but now I've forgotten the exact number. I suppose I should write it in my little pocket notebook where I keep lots of important numbers in lieu of relying on my memory. I believe it's 25', kingpin to axle, which is less than I had expected. That may be wrong. Time to dig out the tape measure again. I know we're well under 30', which is the length we most often see on those big yellow warning signs.