Route advice

[Hells Comin]

I'm shooting Indiana state this weekend (NW Indiana ) I'm pulling a trailer and headed to Peoria AZ. (Home).

Would like a nice easy going route and  stay off the 40. Not looking at taking to much extra time on the way home. Range on my truck ( diesel) is about 240 miles.  On the way I was only getting 8 mpg ouch at 80mph . I plan on staying around 70-75 on the way if my patience let's me.

 

  Thanks Hells Comin 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Definitely stay off I-40 in New Mexico east of Albuquerque. Have no good suggestions but being in on it two days a week and spent three hours setting in a jam yesterday. I-10 to Las Cruces. State highways through Alamogordo, Roswell, Clovis to Amarillo. Then get on I -40

[Oklahoma Dee]

Audiobooks...keeps you from thinking toooo much.  Hell of a trip for you.  Glad you did it.  I10 can be smooth and fast, but possible wind, sand, vehicle wreckage, road construction work, all can cause delays or possible re-route, if timely notified.  Patience can be a killer.

[Hells Comin]

I was hoping a Tornado would come by the camp while I was shooting and the trailer wasn't there when I got back. Seriously! Or win the lottery then someone would have a truck and trailer I'd be leaving it  all here never to be seen again and fly home private. 

[Oklahoma Dee]

Based on your lucky numbers, best to keep shootin and ambling along. 

Pray for No hail, light winds and plenty of restrooms that work! 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Just flip my route for coming back!

[Hells Comin]

How about the 80 to Denver then the 70 to the 191 to flagstaff its a couple of hours longer, but no 40 ?

[Toranado, SASS # 58447]

Heard it's 100's plus back there.   Park it and spend the summer here!!

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

33 minutes ago, Hells Comin said:

How about the 80 to Denver then the 70 to the 191 to flagstaff its a couple of hours longer, but no 40 ?

I just completed some travel using rural, US highways.  During construction these are one-lane roads with half-hour long waits for your turn behind the pilot vehicle.  At least on interstates they leave one traffic lane open during construction.

 

I-40 sucks.  After my last long trip on I-40 I had to get my PU front end realigned and had $600 in repairs to my trailer.

 

Hint on fuel prices: they are lower as you leave Arizona.

[Hells Comin]

The Boss said your done playing!

[Scarlett]

The weather here is delightful and not very hot - or humid!!

 

look forward to seeing you!

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[Barry Sloe]

If you drop south to the I-10, go east to Las Cruses, east on hwy 70 to Alamogordo, north on hwy 54 to Santa Rosa, hit I-40 for about 60 miles to Tucumcari, then catch hwy 54 again all the way to Wichita. At Wichita get on I-35 north to I-70 and Kansas City.  From there either take 35 north to I-80 or stay on 70 east.

Safe travels,

BS

[Boggus Deal #64218]

5 minutes ago, Barry Sloe said:

If you drop south to the I-10, go east to Las Cruses, east on hwy 70 to Alamogordo, north on hwy 54 to Santa Rosa, hit I-40 for about 60 miles to Tucumcari, then catch hwy 54 again all the way to Wichita. At Wichita get on I-35 north to I-70 and Kansas City.  From there either take 35 north to I-80 or stay on 70 east.

Safe travels,

BS

Three miles west of Tucumcari is road construction. Do NOT go there. I’m there two days a week and it’s miserable.

[Hells Comin]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

The weather here is delightful and not very hot - or humid!!

 

look forward to seeing you!

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

Me 2

[Barry Sloe]

1 minute ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

Three miles west of Tucumcari is road construction. Do NOT go there. I’m there two days a week and it’s miserable.

Is it still going to be under construction in September? I've got a road trip then. 

Thanks, 

BS

[Boggus Deal #64218]

2 minutes ago, Barry Sloe said:

Is it still going to be under construction in September? I've got a road trip then. 

Thanks, 

BS

Barry, I’ll keep you updated but I sat for almost three hours yesterday…

[Barry Sloe]

1 minute ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

Barry, I’ll keep you updated but I sat for almost three hours yesterday…

I appreciate that.  I may have to go to plan B.

 

BS

[Griff]

As I sometimes travel that same route in an 18-wheeler, I understand about the relationship between wind and fuel economy.  Unless you take some dirt roads, this is dead-nuts shortest route

It doesn't avoid New Mexico, but... Dropping south out of Strafford, TX thru Amarillo, and taking US60 thru Clovis all the way to Show Low and dropping into Phoenix from the NE only adds 100 miles to the route, with the only hard hill being downhill out of Show Low.  Dropping further south thru Dallas and hitting I10, adds at least 200 miles, although I have found that route provides the lowest fuel prices (diesel) and the only hard pull is up to the top of Texas Canyon and out again into Tucson, but that stretch between Tucson & Phoenix is also a bear for traffic unless you hit it in the middle of the night.  Dropping south on I30 from Little Rock to the AR/TX border is also a bugger due to construction on I30, (narrow lanes, uneven lanes, etc).  Going south on US69 from I44 into Dallas is likely one of the worst roads in the Continental US... I know, All too well, as I often travel that route. 

 

Here's 3 options:

 

Also, as an aside... traveling at no more than 65 mph will give you a greater benefit in fuel economy then most folks realize.  Drain your black, grey and clean water tanks early in the trip, the dead sloshing weight in the tanks fight you when accelerating and stopping.

 

[Sedalia Dave]

How to avoid I40 in NM

 

 

If you want to skip more interstate

 

[Kid Rich]

I don't think you want to pull that trailer down thru Show Low.

kR

[Griff]

1 hour ago, Kid Rich said:

I don't think you want to pull that trailer down thru Show Low.

kR

The shorter route is going 260 over to Payson, then 87 down into Phoenix, vs. going US 60 out of ShowLow thru the Salt River Gorge.  It's a longer downgrade, but nowhere near as steep and the required the climb back out of the Salt River Gorge.  And, unlike US60, is 4 lane much of the way, with passing lanes where appropriate.

 

Another resource, you might consult is "Windy", it'll give you current wind conditions across the US, and might alter your decision after looking at what they predict along each available route.