Trip advice needed. Please help!!!!

[QuickSilverShelby]

Hi All.

 

I am considering buying a 2003 Mustang and possibly driving it from Tacoma, Washington to Las Vegas. I am thinking of driving the I5 down through Oregon and Northern California then heading on the I95 through to Reno and onto Las Vegas.

 

Can anybody provide me with advice or opinions regarding driving this route and the potential for snow on this route at this time of year?

 

Obviously I'm not concerned about the Nevada leg of the trip, I am wondering about the Oregon and Northern California leg of the trip.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

QSS

[Grabber]

Hi All.

 

I am considering buying a 2003 Mustang and possibly driving it from Tacoma, Washington to Las Vegas. I am thinking of driving the I5 down through Oregon and Northern California then heading on the I95 through to Reno and onto Las Vegas.

 

Can anybody provide me with advice or opinions regarding driving this route and the potential for snow on this route at this time of year?

 

Obviously I'm not concerned about the Nevada leg of the trip, I am wondering about the Oregon and Northern California leg of the trip.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

QSS

 

 

That's a 19 hour drive if you don't hit snow in Yakima or Penelton. You'r gonna need chains.

 

http://www.mapquest.com/

[QuickSilverShelby]

That's a 19 hour drive if you don't hit snow in Yakima or Penelton. You'r gonna need chains.

 

http://www.mapquest.com/

 

Hi Rob.

 

I am a sucker for long drives. I think it will be more like 21 or 22 hours. Is Yakima and Penelton on the I5 south? I tried to find both locations and I could only find Yakima on the I90 which is not the way I was going to head.

 

I was thinking going south on the I5 and was wondering if there is probability of snow this way.

 

Thanks again.

 

Doug

QSS

[twobjshelbys]

This time of year you're almost guaranteed to hit some kind of snow. It's not likely a matter of "If" but "how much". Shipping it would certainly be worth the peace of mind. Weather is the only reason I don't make it to the Vegas Bash. I live on the eastern side of the Continental Divide. Right now portions of the western side straight across and west of me are lined up for more than 8' (yes, feet) of snow before the weekend. Portions of I70 have been closed for up to 4 hours due to weather and weather related accidents - yesterday a truck accident spilled liquid explosives (!) on the road...

 

Edit: This is with respect to the weather patterns we have been having in the past few weeks. If you wait a month things will be different and you might find a two-day slot where things will be clear. Then you only have to worry about the road grime (sand and salt left on the highway) instead of new stuff. Snow melts and roads will be wet so there will be road grime.

 

Good luck!

[Slabo]

Hey QSS, I did this trip and will do it again this year. I do use a truck and trailer to haul the car down but I took the I-5 route last year without problems. Your biggest obstacle will be southern Oregon and Northern CA specifically the Siskiyou Summit. It is very steep and can get nasty during a winter snow storm. You are required to carry chains and on occasion they will require chains. Here is the link to the Oregon DOT website to check conditions. http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RCMap.asp?mainNav=RoadConditions&curRegion=7 If you get stuck in a storm, backups can be hours long so plan ahead and be prepared. Make sure you have a full tank before the summit and emergency supplies. Northern CA can be snowy as well. Once you are out of that area it will be mostly wet or raining. Your car will be covered in road salt and dirt. Gravel can be really bad with a much increased chance of a cracked windshield. Otherwise its an easy but long trip. Enjoy your trip.

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Hi All.

I am considering buying a 2003 Mustang and possibly driving it from Tacoma, Washington to Las Vegas. I am thinking of driving the I5 down through Oregon <SNIP>

 

 

Be aware the I-5, all the way through Oregon, boarder to boarder is 55 mph!

 

The whoooole state. And it's really hard to dive 55 for that long and OHP *will* get you if you stretch it too far.

 

Luckily, it's not a big state.

 

I've never driven to LV from Reno but if I did, I think I might take 395 down to I-15 and head East to LV. Without looking at a map, that MAY be the long way though...

 

 

Phill

[Slabo]

Ops I did not see you were planning to go through Reno as well. I would not recommend that route as it can be very snowy as well. I would recommend taking I-5 all the way down to I-15 or better yet join in with the guys driving down from Nor. Cal on Wed for the Bash. I-80 is the fastest way from I-5 to Reno. One of the worst trips I have made was between Reno and Sacramento on I-80 in a snow storm. Took all day.

[Spring Lil Cobra]

I've made this trip several times and would never do it with my GT 500 this time of year. However, if you have a car that you are not that anal about, I would still think twice. Chains will most likely be required at Grants Pass (OR), the OR/CA border, throught the Mt shasta area, and from Donner Pass (CA) into Reno. Reno does get snow also so heading south from there may also be a pain.

 

You can look at the ODOT camera's online to see the current road conditions. This is also helpful.

 

http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RCmap.asp?curRegion=0&mainNav=RoadConditions

 

SLC

[glroy]

if I was younger I would try 101 to Gilroy and then get on to I-5 to I-15 I would wait a bit as the seem to be having monsoon weather in SO CAL right now. I did hear of a crazy person who picked up their gt500 in Vancouver BC and went to Disney land for Christmas a few years back . He said he spent a bit of time sliding backward down the I-5

 

 

be careful

[Cali_KR]

If you want to bypass the Siskiyou Summit, take I-5 south to Eugene, then jump on 126 West to the ocean, there you'll pick up Hwy 101, and see some of the most spectacular vistas anywhere in the world as you head into California.

 

You can break the trip up by overnighting in Gold Beach Oregon at our Historic vacation rental, http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p154867 shameless self-promotion :-)

 

Take 101 all the way to Gilroy (where I work!), then take Hwy 152 (40 miles) back over to I-5, south to Hwy 58 at Bakersfield, over to Barstow, then north on I-15 to Vegas...easy breezy...

[Stormracer]

Be aware the I-5, all the way through Oregon, boarder to boarder is 55 mph!

 

The whoooole state. And it's really hard to dive 55 for that long and OHP *will* get you if you stretch it too far.

 

Luckily, it's not a big state.

 

I've never driven to LV from Reno but if I did, I think I might take 395 down to I-15 and head East to LV. Without looking at a map, that MAY be the long way though...

 

 

Phill

 

 

Actually most stretches of I-5 through Oregon are 65, some areas do have 55 limits but the majority is 65. Still far as I am concerned in nice weather that is too slow!!!!

[Slabo]

Its 55 all the way down CA when pulling a trailer. Kills me. It's very much enforced according to the CHP officer that wrote me up last year.

[Stormracer]

Its 55 all the way down CA when pulling a trailer. Kills me. It's very much enforced according to the CHP officer that wrote me up last year.

 

 

Yes when trailering that is correct.(Here in Oregon too) As I said, in nice weather 65 just kills me lol! I don't adhere to the letter of that particular item very well!

[SGT/SC#0471]

I would spend the 700 and get it shipped if it's a nice car...done more than a few times and it gets nasty...fall fog can be insane...winter it's a slush or snow feat 4x4s are what locals own for winter for good reason. I did drive my SGT down. Pass in snow once coming home from Vegas in March it was NOT fun then I had to clean the road melt off and whatever grit was in there...I had a special reason but given the option I'd never do it again...

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Its 55 all the way down CA when pulling a trailer.

 

Yep, and that applies to a motorcycle too!

 

I sometimes pull a small cargo trailer behind my Electra-Glide on the way to the Redwood Run. Try splitting lanes with a trailer behind you...that makes for a thrill and a half.

 

Oh, and on a MC when you're pulling a trailer, they get you at the toll booths for having more axles! (or is it tires?)

 

WARNING: California is NOT trailer friendly.

 

Did the Oregon speed limit RECENTLY change? We have a big party a bunch of us head to up in Washington state each year and I know the 55mph limit was in effect at least....ehh, 4 or 5 years ago?

 

Phill

[BAD SNAKE]

I drove from Tacoma to Houston in the middle of winter in 2007 with a 2 WD F250. I ran into a lot of snow and ice and didn't have any problems.

I don't think I would even consider driving a taking a mustang on snow or ice. Mustangs are terrible in the snow. As slabo said the Siskiyou pass is steep and very long it's nothing like I-90 through the Cascades. JMO

Here's a nice link for the Siskiyou pass report.

http://167.131.0.179/Pages/RCMap.asp?mainNav=RoadConditions&curRegion=7

[Stormracer]

Yep, and that applies to a motorcycle too!

 

I sometimes pull a small cargo trailer behind my Electra-Glide on the way to the Redwood Run. Try splitting lanes with a trailer behind you...that makes for a thrill and a half.

 

Oh, and on a MC when you're pulling a trailer, they get you at the toll booths for having more axles! (or is it tires?)

 

WARNING: California is NOT trailer friendly.

 

Did the Oregon speed limit RECENTLY change? We have a big party a bunch of us head to up in Washington state each year and I know the 55mph limit was in effect at least....ehh, 4 or 5 years ago?

 

Phill

 

 

Here is a link that show all the speed limits!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

 

Rich