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Thekutman
Country
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Joined: 01/05/2021
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Hi all! My name is kutter. I am new to the forum and new to RVing. My family and I have recently purchase a 5th wheel, 35ft length and 13.5ft tall. I am not new to trailers or towing, but have never owned a trailer tall enough to worry about clearance issues. We are planning a trip across country, pretty direct to Tennessee from California. My question is how does an experienced traveler plan their route, checking in advance, for routes that may have clearance issues? I have seen a few apps online, which I don’t mind purchasing, but wanted some insight on the most accurate, easiest to use, that you guys prefer! Can’t wait to get to know the RVing community, Thank You in advance for your help!
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TenOC
On the road -- Full time
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Joined: 03/08/2004
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Stay on interstate and "red" roads and you will not have any problems.
Please give me enough troubles, uncertainty, problems, obstacles and STRESS so that I do not become arrogant, proud, and smug in my own abilities, and enough blessings and good times that I realize that someone else is in charge of my life.
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Dutch_12078
Winters south, summers north
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Joined: 10/07/2008
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I have the POI file from LowClearances.com installed on my Garmin GPS. I have it set to alert me 2 miles before any clearances lower than 12.5 feet for my 11.5 foot motorhome.
Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F53 chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
Bigfoot Automatic Leveling System
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/Blue Ox baseplate
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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Unless you get into small back roads, it's not an issue. 13.5ft is the standard clearance. If semis travel the road, you should be fine. Most low clearance bridges tend to be in the east in the older cities but even there they are pretty rare and well marked.
The bigger issue is campgrounds. They won't have low branches marked and since most RVs are 12ft or under, you will be the one testing for height.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and 5er
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Second Chance
Wherever...
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Joined: 07/23/2013
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We use a Garmin RV-specific GPS (the Garmin Dezl truckers' GPSs work well, too). With these, you enter the parameters for the rig (total length, GVWR, height, width, etc.) and they will route you around any place you shouldn't be. There's also a publication called the Motor Carriers' Road Atlas for truckers that's basically the same information in hard copy. As stated above, stick to the Interstates and US highways and you'll be fine. If you don't see 18-wheelers coming and going on a road, start to worry.
Rob
U.S. Army retired
2020 Solitude 310GK-R
MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows
(Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
2012 F350 CC DRW Lariat 6.7
Full-time since 8/2015
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Sandia Man
Rio Rancho, NM
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Joined: 08/09/2008
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Staying on interstates and major highways will pose no issues to taller RVs, more of an issue on the east coast than in the West as it pertains to low lying overpasses. As pointed out above there are plenty of solutions for those with taller RVs, we didn't fret too much when we had our 5er at over 13', we always use the interstates whenever possible anyway, just faster and more convenient overall. Here's hoping you love the RVing lifestyle as much as we do, over 3 decades and we still can't wait to get on the road.
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Lwiddis
South of Lone Pine, California
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x2 on valhalla's comment. Be careful in campgrounds! If you don't see tall RVs in a campground when entering, check first.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, 300 watt solar-parallel & MPPT, Trojan T-125s. TALL flag pole. Prefer USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state & county camps. Bicyclist! 14 year Army vet-11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad
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Mickeyfan0805
SE Wisconsin
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Like others - I rarely worry about it as it is not an issue on major roads, and the only time I get on smaller roads is heading into a campground, which you can typically trust can handle campers.
That said, if you are in the northeast, be aware of parkways. They seem like 'highways' but many (if not most) are restricted to passenger cars only due to very low overpasses.
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schlep1967
Harrisburg, PA
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What I have seen is if the campground has any low bridges nearby they will have notes about it on their website and directions telling you how to avoid them from major routes.
2008 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel
2009 Open Range 385RLS
Pull-Rite Super Glide
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RobWNY
Jamestown, NY
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I use RV Trip Wizard when planning a trip from home ahead of time and I have a Rand McNally Truckers Atlas I always carry with me if I need to go off course. I also have a Garmin Dezl truckers GPS but don't use it a lot. I prefer Google Maps for navigation but that doesn't have the low clearance notifications. To get around that problem, I take the map I made in RV Trip Wizard and recreate it on google maps on my phone. I will say that even though I take extra precautions and triple check my routes, I almost took the top off my 5th wheel a couple years ago when approaching a campground because a low bridge was around a curve and unable to be seen ahead of time and it was 1/2 mile from the campground! You would think it would have been listed somewhere so never rely 100% on any software or GPS unit! Stay observant, alert and always watch for low clearance signs.
2020 Silverado 2500HD LT, CC, 4X4 6.6 Duramax
2021 Grand Design Reflection 311BHS
You can't put a porcupine in a barn, set it on fire, and expect to make licorice.
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