Least mountainous route from southern Indiana to Conway, NH

[Bob Forston]

We are getting ready to go to Conway NH and have not pulled through Mountains before. If anyone knows of a good route for the least amount of Mountains it would sure be appreciated. I'll be pulling a 36' Montana 5th wheel with a 3500 dually. I was planning on heading north from Southern Indiana and try staying close to the lakes shores.
Thank you

 

[DutchmenSport]

What is the make - model of your 3500, is it diesel or gas, and is it a dually. Does it have the "tow mode" feature and cruise control

I have a 3500 Chevy Dually long bed crew cab diesel truck. It has all the above mentioned feature and I tow a 41 foot fifth wheel, and the trailer weighs in around 14,000 pounds. We travel from Central Indiana to the mountains of North Carolina, from Central Indiana to Louisiana, and from Indiana to South Dakota, and sometimes a circuit hitting all 4 destinations in a single trip. We cross mountains, prairies, hills, flatlands, snow, ice, tornadoes, escaped hurricanes, blazing heat, and blizzards towing our current camper. We've never traveled anywhere, under any conditions that our truck did not perform well.

I use "tow mode" and "cruise control" and let the truck tow itself. Travel no faster than 60 mph to maximize the best fuel mileage, and have never experienced a "white knuckle" experience (except once when the trailer brakes went out).

Let us know what type of truck you have, but you probably have more than sufficient with the 3500. There are maps available on-line that let you plan trips based on the flattest elevation.

Good luck, enjoy, and happy camping.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Flattest Route.com .... click here... easy to use.

 

[Bob Forston]

What is the make - model of your 3500, is it diesel or gas, and is it a dually. Does it have the "tow mode" feature and cruise control

I have a 3500 Chevy Dually long bed crew cab diesel truck. It has all the above mentioned feature and I tow a 41 foot fifth wheel, and the trailer weighs in around 14,000 pounds. We travel from Central Indiana to the mountains of North Carolina, from Central Indiana to Louisiana, and from Indiana to South Dakota, and sometimes a circuit hitting all 4 destinations in a single trip. We cross mountains, prairies, hills, flatlands, snow, ice, tornadoes, escaped hurricanes, blazing heat, and blizzards towing our current camper. We've never traveled anywhere, under any conditions that our truck did not perform well.

I use "tow mode" and "cruise control" and let the truck tow itself. Travel no faster than 60 mph to maximize the best fuel mileage, and have never experienced a "white knuckle" experience (except once when the trailer brakes went out).

Let us know what type of truck you have, but you probably have more than sufficient with the 3500. There are maps available on-line that let you plan trips based on the flattest elevation.

Good luck, enjoy, and happy camping.

I have a Ram 3500 6.7 Cummings with the Dually and long bed. I use the tow/haul when in towns or hills and doubt that i will be going more than 60-65 max.

 

[Daryles]

We are currently crossing Indiana.
All I can say is they do NOT know how to make bridge seams level.
It's like hitting a speed bump every time you cross a bridge.

 

[Rico's Ride]

If you don’t mind paying tolls I-90 all the way to Massachusetts. Depending on where in New Hampshire either I-91 north near Springfield or I-95 north east of Worcester. Not much in the way of hills until the first 20 miles of Massachusetts. Otherwise it’s I-80 to eastern PA and I-380 to I-84. I-80 in PA. Is up a hill, down a hill, over a river Up a hill down a hill. Repeat for 300 miles

 

[Rene T]

Take 90 East all the way to Worcester Ma. Then pick up 290 thru Wocester Ma. Then 495 north to 95 north. Once you get in Nh, continue north to Portsmouth then pick up the Spaulding Turnpike/rte 16 north . Stay on that road for at least 85 miles and it will bring you right into Conway.
When are you going and for how long?

 

[DABOO77]

We are getting ready to go to Conway NH and have not pulled through Mountains before. If anyone knows of a good route for the least amount of Mountains it would sure be appreciated. I'll be pulling a 36' Montana 5th wheel with a 3500 dually. I was planning on heading north from Southern Indiana and try staying close to the lakes shores.
Thank you

What ever you decide ABSOLUTELY STAY OFF I70 east of Indianapolis. We took it last September to Eastern Pennsylvania. It was rougher than a cob or under construction for EXTENDED distances down to one lane with many spots becoming stop and go. It was a miserable trip. We did push hard coming home and drove mostly at night till exhausted. Traffic was better, but still tough traveling conditions. 2004 Duramax, crew cab dually pulling a 36 foot Monty. Stuff was tossed around throughout the rv. Just my 2 cents. Safe travels

 

[DutchmenSport]

I keep trying to warn everyone on these forums to avoid Indiana Interstates, especially I-70. But all of them are horrible. The new I-69 from Indianapolis to Evansville just might be the only decent interstate section anywhere in the state.

If coming across Indiana (East-West), take US 50 along the Southern Route, just plan on slower driving, but your camper won't disassemble and you won't be picking up parts of your RV along the side of the road.

US 24, 30, and 6 West-East in the Northern part of Indiana is good too. Slower drive, but your camper and your tires will be spared.

Do NOT drive US 40, which runs parallel I-70. It dumps into Indianapolis downtown, and it jumps on and off of I-70 at too many places. There is no good way across or around Indianapolis.

If you do decide to come through Indianapolis, be WARNED ... there are construction zones all around Indianapolis, the aggressiveness of traffic is unbelievable, and absolutely no one run the 45 mph construction zone speed limit. If you don't watch the directional signs carefully in these construction zones, you'll end up somewhere you NEVER planned to ever see! There is absolutely NO easy way around Indianapolis. It's a living **** to get around it, or through it.

And, if you are honestly thinking of taking state highways, be warned ahead ... EVERYTHING in Indiana is a detour, and the detours are detoured. Basically, in Indiana .... you simply CANNOT get from "here" to "there." It's impossible without driving 100 miles to go 5 miles down the road!

 

[JABURKHOLDER]

What mountains ?
The west has mountains, the east has rolling hills.

 

[Cat320]

I have a Ram 3500 6.7 Cummings with the Dually and long bed. I use the tow/haul when in towns or hills and doubt that i will be going more than 60-65 max.

With your truck and engine combination....you can go anywhere anyway you want to.

 

[AZ Traveler]

Mountains east of the Mississippi? News to me.