florida,rt75 or rt77?

[buckeyebobhockingcamper]

ok folks ,im down to the wire here!!pullin a montana 2014 343rl high country fifth wheel to fort meyers area ,then to marathon for 5 weeks.will return in april to hopefully sunny sandusky ohio.which route would you veterans of the freeway advice and what hours to hit atlanta etc.of course i want a smooth tow(2007.5 chevy cc d/a single wheel).i have heard west va roads aint real great but pease some advice. thank you ,buckeyebob

[hankpage]

I don't know about W Va but if you are going to Ft. Myers you will have to get on I 75 sooner or later. Might as well stick with one highway .... makes planing rest stops and fueling easier. JM2¢, Hank

[EricLynnAllison]

I'm from Ohio and travel to Florida a lot. West coast of Florida I75. North East Coast of Florida I77. Southeast either. I75 is a lot easier ride and less mountains.

[Outbackmel]

Here is my experience:

A. I live 25 miles north of Atlanta right off of I 85 and travel to Florida at least annually with my 36 ft Outback Sydney in tow. Soooo, I have some experience.
Also, we lived in Florida previously for 15 years and I traveled the state extensively as an exec with the former largest bank in Florida, Barnett Bank NA, out of Jacksonville.

B. AVOID Atlanta anytime weekdays before 10am, period. Pick a lane like 3rd from the right and just tool along. DO NOT TRAVEL IN 2 RIGHT LANES. These are heavy merge lanes and exit only lanes in many areas. People will dart in front of you as they try to come across and exit...nothing unusual for Atlanta. DO NOT expect respect or courtesy because you have a big rig....ain't gonna happen. WEEKENDS are good just about any time, very BZ but tolerable. READ all signs well in advance of planning any lane changes and pick your spots and execute. I generally plan to leave my home after 10am and before 2:30pm and have yet to encounter any difficulty.

C. I am not sure of your exact route, BUT, we are leaving for Tampa in 3 weeks and here is how we go from the Buford GA area: 85S to 285 East to 675 to 75 S to Macon; NORTH of MACON take 475 (shortcut) to 75. (Otherwise 75 takes you through Macon the longer way with more traffic). Once you leave the Macon area, straight sailing all the way down into Florida.

Safe travels....any further questions, send a PM.

[hankaye]

buckeyebobhockingcamper, Howdy;

I'd grab I-75S and run with it. Out side of Atlanta grab I-285S
and stick with it till you find I-75S again. You're on your way to
Tampa then.
Stick with the local advise about the lanes and times otherwise
Atlanta is a whole 'nuther critter when it comes to driving .

hankaye

[buckeyebobhockingcamper]

thanks all for the quick comeback,lots to digest!!!!i planned all my stops etc for 77 now im rethinking,if 75 is a smoother run maybee go that route.merry christmas to you all!!

[hankaye]

bbhc, Howdy;

If the smoother ride is a major goal then stick to I-75,
Have you ever been on the WVa. turnpike (aka I-77)? Go to Google
Earth, and select street view. There are sections (read most of it), that
if you look up while driving you will see nothing but the trees on
the next mountain. You'll have Big rigs and the rudest of all the Coal
trucks running right up on your bumper simply because they can and
you are slowing them down. There are 3 toll booths that want your $$$"s
as well.
I-75 may have a few humps, I think the worst is at the Ky. Tn. line, but
there is an amusement park at the top.
Another option is to grab US 23 down to Columbus, go East on I-275
to I-71S run that through town until you find 275 and go East (again),
until you reconnect with 23S. Follow that till you find I-81W, that should
be in Tn. Go West on 81 to Knoxville then pick-up 75S. Beats the crap outta
fighting your way through Dayton and around Cincinnati..
Just a few options for your thoughts...
Have fun, breath deeply, count to 10 or whatever # allows you to feel calm,
and be nice to DW & the kids.....

hankaye