The Most Dangerous Places to RV

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We wrecked our brake system in Death Valley. When they say stay off certain routes they aren't kidding.

I've been through the Smokey Mountains several times in a car/truck and those roads scare the you-know-what out of me. I would NEVER go on those roads with an RV or towing one. I totally agree about the traffic in Atlanta. I live about 40 miles south/west of Atlanta and hate, hate, hate anytime I have to go into or around or near Atlanta.

We have had a Class A, and tow behind and been to every state and camped in 49, mostly after a couple of retirements. There are places where it is best to plan ahead and unhook either the car in tow, or the camper and drive the tow vehicle. I have had some really close calls negotiating hairpin turns towing a long fifth wheel. My tow vehicle, a Ram 3500 passed getting to go on Going to the Sun Road by 1", and it was an interesting trip... Now in our 70s, we downsized to a Ram 1500 Limited and a 22' Micro Minnie camper and travel is much easier now.

All the more reason to have a small rig. Have done several you mentioned without issue or being scared. That being said I was a bit nervous crossing the Mojave Desert. Didn't over heat , but was close. Just slowed down, watched the temp and turned off the A/C going up hill to keep from overheating,

So when planning a trip it’s best if you use a paper map. I found that just using a IPad made things harder for me. Next time I’m going to remember my McNally Road Atlas/Map.

I travel through the Mojave and between LA and Las Vegas, also over the Tehachapi Pass without issue, as long as I’ve checked the prevailing winds. LA traffic is surprisingly kind to RVers, at least to camper vans. I get myself in the slow lane with the Amazon delivery vans and the taco trucks. Anyone who wants to can pass me easily. Many people wave. Because who doesn’t like Amazon and tacos?

Hwy 1 between Big Sue and San Simeon in California. Frequent switchbacks and oversized vehicles are just plain scary. You can see the beautiful scenery only if you are a passenger.

Some very good tips and information. We started RVing in 1988 and made the typical progression from popup trailers (3 of 'em) to travel trailers (28" and 26.5') to a MH (34') and last summer, downsized to a Winnebago Via (Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis). When it comes to comparing travel trailers, full sized motorhomes and narrower motorhomes, I found the 8 1/2' wide MH a source of a lot of white knuckle driving, primarily in construction zones or narrower 2 lane roads with little or no shoulder. We loved our MH for the space, but with advancing age, I decided it was time to downsize to something narrower. Driving a rig that is only 7 1/2 feet wide makes a HUGE difference and is very relative to many of the locations you mention. When planning routes, there is an advantage to having a narrower rig as well as one that is 11' tall or less. To the point....plan trips carefully and with consideration what type of rig you are driving. Failure to do so can have some very tragic or costly consequences. Great video!

Glad you showed me this because I have a feeling I won’t be going west or north very much!

Yeah, Atlanta is no joke. We just drove through there last week on the Interstate and narrowly avoiding hitting an "unhoused" person as he was getting back into his tent on the side of the highway. Other than that, the driving wasn't so bad, but on our way back we planned to be going through in the early afternoon to avoid as much congestion as possible. For us, the route to avoid at all costs is I90/94 through Chicago (or any route through Sh!tcago).

Great insight to not-so-nice highways/roads for rv’rs!! Certainly will take note of them!! Thanks!!

I travel from Beaumont tx to New Orleans a lot... as long as you take it easy and don't rush no matter what... you will be fine

Great info. Thanks. Happy trails.

If your camper/rv is big enough to worry about accessibility get a truckers road atlas . Also, if you have a GPS that can be adjusted for commercial vehicles, set it that way. Be aware of "bridge law". That means the distance between your king pin and rear axle, the further it is the wider you need to turn to clear your rear end going around curves or objects. I'm a trucker. Safe travels 🤗

When I was a boy, over 60 years ago, Death Valley in an RV was wonderful - at Christmas! Otherwise, I appreciate the heads up given here!

Hwy 58 from Bakersfield to I15 is the extremely safe for RV travel. It does have a steep grade but easy peasy! We lived in high desert for 30 years. I15 from Vegas isn’t bad either! Road conditions on I40 from Barstow through AZ is just as bad as I20 through LA and MS.

I've lived in my Toyota Dolphin for years (probably 7 years total). Back and forth across the country. Even lived 2 years with my adult son - working together. For me, a 20' rv, set up right, is much more enjoyable than the monsters many seem to want. I've driven most of your routes and had no problem going slowly.

I did a 6200 mile trip from Florida to Yellowstone back in 2022. We worked our way up to I-90 going through Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and eventually picking up I-90 in Murdo South Dakota. We stayed outside Rapid City in a nice KOA and took the time to see Mt Rushmore. We then stopped at Devil's Tower for a day before proceeding to Yellowstone. During our trip West, Yellowstone had flooding unlike anything in history and they had to close the Northern half of the park. We camped at Madison resort outside of West Yellowstone. A system of odd/even tag numbers was used to allow entry into Yellowstone and we were turned away on the 1st day we tried to enter the park. We took that opportunity to travel to the Tetons to scope out potential routes as Coulter Bay was our next Campground. The shortest route, due to the closure, was traversing Idaho South and then Highway 22 through Wilson Pass. My tow vehicle was a 2017 Ram 1500 with 185,000 miles on it and after negotiating that stretch of highway, we scoped out an alternative route for our return in 3 days with the 2018 Keystone Outback in tow. We ended up working our way to Alpine Idaho and then North on US 26 North into Jackson Hole and eventually the Tetons. It's a 6 degree grade and very scenic. Next we went to Zion and the North rim of the Grand Canyon before heading back. Thanks for the videos, they really help.

I will agree to disagree regarding Highway 58 between Bakersfield and Barstow. We run that all the time and have never a problem. We have a 26 foot Class A motorhome. Continuing the drive Barstow to Las Vegas on I-15 is also very easy. Just take your time and enjoy.