The Road Less Traveled is Less Traveled for a Reason - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Road Less Traveled is Less Traveled for a Reason

bubbadan · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yep, it ain't a good feelin'.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think just about anybody that spends any real amount of time RVing gets in a tight spot sooner or later.

I for one, seemed to do it regularly for the first few years.

Old Snipe · RV-Dreams Family Member

I was looking for a campground on a military base. I took a turn on to a dirt road that I thought would take me there. I drove for a bumpy couple of miles until I came to a warning sign:

Tank Crossing. I had strayed into a training area.

Tanks always have the right of way! :c)

Best Regards!

Remi · RV-Dreams Family Member

Old Snipe wrote:
Tanks always have the right of way! :c)

True dat!!! I think I would have been a bit nervous there.

phyllen · RV-Dreams Family Member

And sometimes we just can not trust that GPS. We call her Lucy for a reason. Named after a certain redhead who was married to a Cuban bandleader.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mapquest once sent me down a narrow, single lane road, about 8 ft wide, over several blind hills in NC. If I would have met anyone going in the other direction they would have had to back up quite a ways, as I couldn't have backed far with a camper in tow.

Chip

retread · RV-Dreams Family Member

The worst dirt road we travelled was via instructions from a campground in rural Florida. No signs, narrow dirt (actually sandy) road, lined with pine trees, no visible place to turn around for several miles. We were sweatin' bullets when we finally rounded a curve to see the campground. We had to walk through the pines to find a route to a campsite large enough for us, but all was well once parked. That was early on, before we learned to check out the route to the campgrounds! Some lessons you can learn from others - other lessons you have to learn the hard way!

Fluffykitty · RV-Dreams Community Member

That was early on, before we learned to check out the route to the campgrounds! Some lessons you can learn from others - other lessons you have to learn the hard way!

Do you ever find yourself having to scout with the tow vehicle or toad in order to check out a skinny or questionable route before you take it with the whole rig?

Fluffykitty · RV-Dreams Community Member

I have been in a few tight spots like that when I was driving 18 wheelers. Happens both in big cities (watch those bridge clearances and one-ways) and in rural areas (missed turns, bad directions) its never a good time and always welcome relief when you get out of it. If you drive anything big, long enough, it's bound to happen.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we first started traveling (on vacation, not working on the road yet) we headed for Sequoia National Park to see the "big trees". It appears that we went to Sequoia National Forest instead (oddly enough there are no trees here). To get from where we were to where we wanted to go we would have had to backtrack a ways (I hate to backtrack) to get back on I-5, head North and cut back into Sequoia again. In looking at the map there was this small gray road listed from here to there on a more direct route. It did show as a bit a bit of zig-zag but didn't look bad at all. Well, if you are ever in this area, avoid any road that is colored gray!! It took us 2 1/2 hours to travel 25 miles with mostly 180 degree switchbacks and narrow blind corners. We also made on incorrect turn which lead to a road with no turn around so we had to disconnect our toad, work our way around the other way and reconnect for the rest of the trip. When we arrived at the campground at the bottom of the hill the clerk could not believe we had made that trip. They said they had a 25' class C and they would not drive the route. A gentlemen walking by said he had a motorcycle and would not make that drive (laughing).
Not fun, but we survived and it makes a great story. We just avoid little gray roads these days!

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gloria Garmin is a LIAR!! She sends you down roads that are never traveled. Once, she sent us down a road that just kinda quit after a mile. Guess, what, no place or method to turn around. Imagine reverse for a mile with a 35 ft 5th wheel in tow. Since then, Gloria is always double checked using state maps picked up at Visitor Centers run by states.

Kathy Doin It · RV-Dreams Family Member

53 Merc wrote:
Gloria Garmin is a LIAR!! She sends you down roads that are never traveled. Once, she sent us down a road that just kinda quit after a mile. Guess, what, no place or method to turn around. Imagine reverse for a mile with a 35 ft 5th wheel in tow. Since then, Gloria is always double checked using state maps picked up at Visitor Centers run by states.

We feel the same way as Gloria's sister, BFF Jill. Love it when she says sarcastically, "Recalculating".

Kathy

janni · RV-Dreams Family Member

Totally agree and have the mud to prove it! Had a time with google maps also. Road maps are always followed now!

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

"Sally" has led us astray a few times but also saved our bacon a few times.We have learned when to make her say "recalculating" smile

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just a note for those Garmin owners who may not know this. You can turn off the "recalculating" voice prompt. The unit will still recalculate your route when you take a different road than recommended, you just won't get that obnoxious "recalculating" prompt over and over.

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Some years back I had to back the rig almost 1/2 mile to turn around because I came upon an old iron covered bridge with low clearance.

One law of RVing is: If the route is "questionable", but you take it anyway, you are probably going to end up confirming it.

charles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lesson Learned

When entering a camp ground for the first time, We ALWAYS stop SHORT of the "obvious" stopping place for the office or even the "stop" sign for the office.
Sometimes there is little room to turn or to get into a space that is very close to the entrance.
On more than a few occasions I wonder if the person designging an RV park has ever used an RV.

CCC