Southern Oregon Coast - Rugged, Beautiful, but some areas not RV friendly for towing

[JasonH42]

Recently journeyed down the Southern Oregon Coast, towing out TT. We started in Florence and made it through Bandon just fine. South of Bandon and north of Gold Beach however there is a major washout and road reconstruction happening on HWY 101.

They have 1/2 of the road reconstructed with a gravel surface, they are not restricting RVs or semi trucks on this section. However it is down to 1 lane, flagged and lighted. As you go across this section, if you look down you can see the construction vehicles rebuilding the road base from the washout where the other lane is supposed to be, 30 feet below you.

Now this is a high wind corridor so when the wind is really pushing you, it makes towing a bit precarious as is. But it is jarring to see how they are reconstructing this area of the HWY. And there is no way to avoid it, no work around, no alternate route.

There are other areas of the hwy that are temporarily reconstructed and make for a rough tow but this one section is hair raising.

 

[MrEnto]

Highway 1 along the majority of the west coast is not real “tow friendly” and then bicycles frequent it which I understand but is crazy. Atleast if you’re going north, you’re against the hillside mostly. I’ve also found a little bit of 1 goes a long way. I know it’s a bucket list for some.

 

[rvdummies]

Just went up the OR coast earlier this year and witnessed a lot of construction with lane closures. Those don't worry me as much as the deterioration of the 101. It gets worse each year because they seem to just patch rather than repave. Very bumpy and many sections of sunken grades. I highly recommend watching for recommended speed limit signs or you're at a real risk of bottoming out.

 

[Cougar260mle]

Does anyone know the road conditions from Coos Bay to Newport?

 

[Stratafinder]

I am a State engineering geologist for ODOT Region 3, which includes US 101 from Douglas County south to the California border. This section of the coast south of Bandon is geologically unique and presents a lot of challenges to us and our Maintenance crews who maintain the highway...their efforts are sometimes heroic! There are many failures and larger landslides through this section that are treacherous and of which the general public is mostly unaware. Patching occurs continuously and larger repairs cannot happen quickly due to the terrain and necessary investigations and design requirements. My wife and I have towed our travel trailer through this section and northern California, where CalTrans has the same challenges. The key is to take it slow and mind all of the warning signs, especially when Maintenance or construction crews are present. Rockfalls are also an ever-present danger here and can occur on blind curves where excessive speed does not allow for enough reaction time to avoid. Please obay the speed limit in these areas. I hope this helps from a fellow camper who sees things from the "inside."

 

[Donjamin]

I am a State engineering geologist for ODOT Region 3, which includes US 101 from Douglas County south to the California border. This section of the coast south of Bandon is geologically unique and presents a lot of challenges to us and our Maintenance crews who maintain the highway...their efforts are sometimes heroic! There are many failures and larger landslides through this section that are treacherous and of which the general public is mostly unaware. Patching occurs continuously and larger repairs cannot happen quickly due to the terrain and necessary investigations and design requirements. My wife and I have towed our travel trailer through this section and northern California, where CalTrans has the same challenges. The key is to take it slow and mind all of the warning signs, especially when Maintenance or construction crews are present. Rockfalls are also an ever-present danger here and can occur on blind curves where excessive speed does not allow for enough reaction time to avoid. Please obay the speed limit in these areas. I hope this helps from a fellow camper who sees things from the "inside."

Thank you for your insight and sharing. Very helpful!

 

[Edneck]

Does anyone know the road conditions from Coos Bay to Newport?

We pull a 44Ft 5th wheel thru that stretch regularly….. your fine with any size rig just pay attention to your surroundings. Its a bit blustery on the coast today but weather has been beautiful for that last two weeks with just a few sprinkles occasionally