MarylandDave

Thanks @routlaw. So much goodness there for me to chew on. I didn't realize that the Utah parks were so elevation variable, and if seeing "lesser" parks helps us circumvent the campsite booking problem then so be it. CS route was about showing my wife two places I think are cool: Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs/dwellings, but you have me thinking it isn't worth the long detour; probably just a taste of what awaits in greater measure in Utah. Much obliged for your thoughts.

Another 6'5" checking in. Bed length in our twin model isn't a problem for me but I'm not a busy sleeper so your mileage may vary. I will probably look to add a filler to create a little extra legroom for longer trips. Foy makes a nice kit for that. Bathroom height isn't great but I'll just sit on the can while showering. Sometimes I just use the bathroom sink while standing outside the bathroom. Beats all the crouching. I've taken advantage of the front door skull cushion but I don't hit my head on the AC unit. Wait, am I shrinking???

Thanks all for the thoughtful replies. Didn't take looking at those fire and smoke maps very long before we became convinced on the southern route, which shouldn't be too terribly hot by September. Our plan is to chug down 70W to Colorado Springs and then through Utah. With an eye toward breaking this up into even chunks of driving, here's a draft itinerary. Our hope is that someone will have ideas for places to stay, especially at or near each of the semi-arbitrary early milestones. (Salina Kansas???) We are just blasting through until we get to Colorado, but if there's a small detour off of I70 that you think is worth it we're game. Moving truck arrival uncertainty forces us to plan for as little as 9 or 10 days, but with a little luck we could set a somewhat more leisurely 2-week pace. So yes, we know we SHOULD take more time but unfortunately we can't. MD to Columbus, OH to visit daughter at OSU. St. Louis, MO. Salina, KS. Colorado Springs, CO. Arches National Park, UT. Bryce Canyon National Park, UT. Sedona, AZ. ?? San Diego. Make any sense? Yes, we get that finding RV spots could be a challenge but we'd like to start with an itinerary we like and see if we can find something. Thanks again! Dave

Thanks John. Appreciate the tough love. Time is constrained so we're gonna have to make do. It will be early September by the time we take off so maybe we'll have luck with finding some spots.

My wife and I bought our Ollie (Hull 801) and then - oops! - job moved to California. So we're driving our new rig from Maryland to San Diego in early September. I think we'll take a northern route to avoid the worst of the heat. What route would you choose and what sights are can't-miss if you had 2 weeks to get there?

Didn’t see anyone mention it here but apologies if I missed it. Anyone use a GUTA TPMS? Amazon sale looks like a good deal: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DTTV7BC/ref=cm_sw_r_sm_apa_fabc_RW61J3DPPC2TZDF3MC6E?pldnSite=1

Welcome! We’re not-so-distant neighbors in Ellicott City and love your town. We’re also a little jealous of your March date. We are May. Looking forward to reading about your adventures here.

PickupTruckDave.

We have finally given up our resistance to a pickup truck and are buying a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EB and max trailer package. I’m sure we could’ve managed with the Touareg but we have big aspirations for long, mountain-heavy trips and the greater capability and storage margins give us comfort. Funny, I never used to notice these things and now they are every third vehicle I see.

Thanks Bill. I guess the capacity number is less important than the other max tow features like rear diff, brake controller, and engine/trans. coolers. I can feel myself getting carried away with seeking the max tow rating. Last week I was fine with a Touareg...

@topgun2, does your F150/3.5EB/MTT rig have 20" wheels? If I'm reading the Ford chart correctly that 13.2k figure is only achievable with the big rims, dropping to 10.5k without. Thanks!

Turns out we’re at a 148 index so we’ve been getting slaughtered all this time without knowing it!

Thanks @Mike and Carol! If we find ourselves drawn to really small towns we’ll have to check out those too.

A friend mentioned Sedona and Prescott, AZ as two nice towns that are convenient to some great camping areas. Thoughts from the Ollie crew?

Adding Oregon coast to my must-see list... @BackofBeyond, so true regarding comfortable temps! My wife is always cold and we’ve learned not to ask her how it feels outside.