How do you guys plan your trips - Montana Owners Club

Cyrus · 11-20-2006, 05:10 AM

I am new to camping and campers, only about a years experience. We had a 24' TT for the last year and I didn't have a lot of concern when planning a trip with that unit. Now that I have the 35' 5W I am concerned mainly about bridge and tunnel clearances since I am just under 13 feet, still double checking that. Is there something you guys do when planning a trip that puts you mind at ease about the unknown? I have been using GPS’s on land and water for years so getting where I want to go is not a problem.

Example, we were thinking about taking the new camper to VA Beach, VA this week and since I am familiar with that trip down 95 to 64 and the Norfolk tunnel I checked the VA state web site and found the Norfolk tunnel is restricted to 13'4" and 8'6" width.

Any help to ease my concerns would be appreciated. We are planning a trip from VA, Fredericksburg area to the Grand Canyon next summer. I would like to feel at ease since I don't like surprises.

ols1932 · 11-20-2006, 05:28 AM

Cyrus,
You need not worry about bridges and tunnels. If, and that's a big if, there are any restrictions less than 13 ft, there will be signs (normally). A rule of thumb that we go by is that if a semi-tractor and trailer can pass through, so can we. I don't think you'll run into any surprises. We had one instance in 6+ years of full timing where the overpass was too low but we were warned about it long before we got there and there were signs telling us where to go to be able to pass through. That was near the Natchez Trace Thousand Trails RV park. No problem.

Orv

cmp-shooter · 11-20-2006, 06:09 AM

I just did the Chesapeake tunnel with my Montana($20.00)nice ride...not sure if it is when the winds are up though??
Took route from Camp Hatters, NC. to Delaware bridge.

jrgwdenner · 11-20-2006, 07:52 AM

Be aware that sometimes, if you have a dually, it's the truck that requires increased fees or planning.

jerrybb · 11-20-2006, 10:39 AM

We live here in Va beach ,,, As long as your under 13' should be ok ,,,, I would accually measure your highest point, The Hampton has an alarm on it ,,,, if your over it flashes ??? Have a great trip !!!

DONnANNIE · 11-20-2006, 11:28 AM

Cyrus try this web site: http://www.aitaonline.com/Low%20Clearances.html#heading This is the AITA - American Independent Truckers Assoc website for low clearances. Check it out for your routes.

I haven't done it yet, but Good Sam and other camping clubs will do route planning for you. I would think that if they knew you were 13'9" high, they wouldn't route you through any low clearances.

Edit: I almost forget another good reference is: http://www.mountaindirectory.com/ The Mountain Directory tells you about all of the mountain passes, grades, length etc. They have two directories - East & West.

Cyrus · 11-20-2006, 02:25 PM

Thanks Don & Annie for the address of the clearance information. That is the type of information I am looking for. Looking at VA I see some low clearances in areas that I traveled before the camper and never noticed.
I have used the Good Sams trip service but didn't notice any comments about low clearances. I use my GPS map software to plan a trip and it gives me about the same thing Good Sams does.
Thanks again

sreigle · 11-21-2006, 05:00 AM

1. Motor Carriers Road Atlas, available at truck stops and large bookstores. Has a list of low clearance locations in the front.

2. http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfolinks.htm and download the low clearance file for your particular gps software. The files do not have headers so either you add them (latitude, longitude, name) into the file or when importing the file.

3. If you use Streets and Trips, click the email icon above this post and send me your email address. I'll send you my copy of the file in number 2, complete with headers. This file shows locations 13' 2" or less. The website **may** have additional files with different height limits (not sure).

Montana Sky · 11-21-2006, 11:48 AM

Some people have TumTum, some have Mapquest, and others have onboard navigation systems. I have Steve R!

I plan on where I am going and then send Steve an email asking for directions and suggestions. I know he has been all over this great country (just look at his map) and will give me his first hand experience along with step by step directions.

All joking aside, I usually use Mapquest and then double check with Motor Carriers Road Atlas.

sreigle · 11-22-2006, 08:49 AM

We've been through that tunnel on 95 several times with no problem. Your rig should fit fine. It's not a real comfortable drive, but it wasn't that bad.

padredw · 11-22-2006, 09:57 AM

How do we plan our trips?

No one has mentioned the Trailer Life Campground Navigator [computer program on CD]. I use it every time before we leave on a trip. I helps me to foresee the possible stops for 'lunch' as well as the possible end of day campgrounds. I have the program on my desktop computer at home and also on the laptop I carry on the trip, so I can make adjustments 'on the fly'. I wouldn't leave home without it!

I also keep the printed Road Atlas from Good Sam and the printed Campground guide. I find that all three are valuable for trip planning and for guidance on the trip.

patodonn · 11-23-2006, 07:11 AM

We take the "end point", maybe 6 months down the road, e.g. a school reunion we are committed to attend, and use Streets and Trips to plan out the route. Insert any particular "planned" stops along the way, e.g. visit to Aunt Sue, tour Hearst Castle, that sort of thing.

We plan about 6-7 hours enroute time/day. That includes an hour and half or so of misc stops each day. That figures out to about 250 mi/day. Strees and Trips will show its calculated "end of the day" locations for each leg. We then research available CG's in the area, insert them into the route and show an overnight stop at that location spot. Repeat the process as needed. We usually run about 2-3 months ahead in our planning, and refine it before each long (2-3 days)haul.

I always check each day's route the evening before, and make notes, especially the final little part and the phone # of the intended CG. I use this to cross check the GPS info from the Garmin unit we use enroute. Sort of a "belt and suspenders" deal.

We have the low clearance data base for Streets and Trips that Steve mentioned...so far, in 3+ years, it hasn't been a factor anywhere. Also, I always keep an eye on the clearance signage along the road. If it is real close I won't go. Only place like that so far was the tunnel from Zion Nat Park that goes to the North exit up to Bryce Canyon Nat Park. I decided that it "probably" would be OK, but elected to not try it. "Probably OK" doesn't EVER get the nod when even the remote possibility of getting stuck in a tunnel is the issue. Elected to just leave the Monty at Zion and spend the night at Bryce at Ruby's Lodge.

Ozzie · 11-23-2006, 08:15 AM

I have Streets and Trips also...would anybody know how to go about getting the data bases for rv'ers and incorporating them ?

patodonn · 11-23-2006, 03:27 PM

Ozz..Contact Steve Rigel per his post earlier on this thread....he'll fix you up..

Ozzie · 11-24-2006, 01:50 AM

Thanks patodonn.
What I was looking for is more of a campground directory that could be plugged into a GPS program. I have both S&T and iGuidance for the notebook, but that has been replaced by a Nuvi 350 stand alone GPS. Ideally, I'd like to find something for that but realize that's not likely to happen.
Maybe an old fashioned book for the copilot is the way to go. Or consider printing the campground guide padredw spoke of earlier in this thread. I better go take a look...

sreigle · 11-24-2006, 04:07 AM

PJ, that tunnel would have been ok (Zion). I've seen some big rigs go through there but you'd have to pay $10 to be escorted through as you have to run the center of the tunnel. Like you, I opted to go around.

We do our planning pretty much as PJ described above. For our trip to Tybee the end of December I've created three or four different routes. One is our route of choice for this trip. One is if weather is bad or threatening and we have to get south sooner (go south first, then east, instead of the opposite). And one is if there is already snow and/or ice but interstates are cleared for travel and I'm comfortable we'll be ok.

One of these days we plan to go to a state and "wander." Then we'll plan a route to one location and while there will decide where to go next. Then we'll plan (maybe) the route to get there.

patodonn · 11-24-2006, 04:17 AM

Ozz: We select the CG "candidates" from the various directories a few days before the specific travel day. We also usually add them into the S&T during the advance planning phase. If they aren't in the S&T data base, we use the physical address.

On the day of travel, we take the phone #s and physical addresses with us in the TV. Our Garmin 2720 does have lots of CGs in the data base, but not always the one(s) we want. It does, however, do great of going to a specific address. If we have decided on a CG which is not in the Garmin GPS data base, we just plug in the physical address and go!

Just requires planning a day or two before the actual travel day. That is actually a great part of the fun! We never (well, almost never) do the CG selecting "on the fly" during the travel day. We can always carry the books in the TV for that day, if we need to.

I can't stand not knowing where I'm going when I hitch up for the day..drives me nuts. My DW is much more of a "blithe spirit".

CanDo · 11-24-2006, 11:05 AM

Cyrus, we're "neighbors" as we live in Stafford. We have taken our rig (whatever we owned at the time!) down to VA Beach for the past 5 summers. When we got the Monty, we decided to take a different route so we could avoid the tunnel. So we drive down 95 to Petersburg and pick up 460 there. It's a little longer, but it's a nice trip and there's no stress about getting stuck anywhere! You come in from the Suffolk side - easy. We'll be making our LAST annual trek to VA Beach after Chris retires on 31 May 2007. As soon as we can close on the house and "get out of town", we'll be starting the "Fulltiming" phase of our lives. We have great friends who live just off 7th Street that we spend 4th of July with, and hope to continue that tradition. Hope our paths cross someday!

Cyrus · 12-03-2006, 02:11 AM

Chris & Dave, we are neighbors. We are in Colonial Beach for a few more months then back to King George. I thought about the other tunnel around Norfolk and the 460 route. We decided not the take the camper and stay with family, I was the only one wanting to take the camper. Coming back through the Hampton tunnel in the Wife's Fusion I will tell you there is not much room between the line and the wall. I only saw box trucks going through it, maybe the big rigs don't fit. I did talk to a full timer at the VA Beach KOA and he said he goes through it and across the Bay Bridge tunnel which we might do next year. Right now my planning is for a trip to the Grand Canyon and north to Yellowstone and back through PA. I enjoy planning things and I hope this trip happens.

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