Help with my route

So usually I take I40 to I77 to I81 through Bristol and back down to Harlan, but that's with the F250 and a trailer jamming at interstate speeds.

Google says that the route through Boone and Johnson City is only 20 minutes longer, but shorter, and I know that it's more hills and curves on 421/321, but now I'm in an RV with a trailer and I'd rather do 55-60 than 70-75 for mileage reasons.

Does anyone have experience going that way like my TN peeps or folks who go from western NC?

How long is your set-up? I have done 321 with the Dirtymax and a very heavy trailer, its really not that bad and I think I remember Tim even having a hard time keeping up in his XJ, but if you have significant length some tight turns are going to be super slow.

The hills are less than the ones coming into Harlan in KY, but the turns are tighter. I would suggest running highway at whatever speed you damn well please in an RV.

I'm 35 feet plus 20 feet of trailer.

I've got a 4R100 and not a 5R110 like Mac has, so 70 mph in the RV is wound up and eating gas. I'm tempted to deal with the small towns through the mountains to keep it at a much happier 60 mph, especially towing.

Wikipedia says that most of it is 4 lane now, but I've never driven that way and I didn't want to get somewhere that was notoriously backed up and causes me to spend a lot of extra time driving.

The interstate way will get me there in 7 hours plus stops and is a gradual incline through the mountains until the climb into Harlan, but that's only if I'm doing the speed limit.

I'm thinking if you can drive a truck and a trailer through there without issue, it might be worth it. Plus I get to go to Johnson City like Bob Dylan.

You will be at 65 then 55 from Winston Salem coming into Boone, average 35-45 from Boone to Johnson City, then back to highway speeds.

Youre not missing a lot in johnson city....

shortxjdoug said:

Youre not missing a lot in johnson city....

Click to expand...

I'm sure I'm not.

Maybe it's just the family truckster in me, I kind of want to go that way to see that little part of the country. I've seen plenty of interstate.

Having done both routes I would reccomend highway, but 321 is passable for you. If you do decide this choice get with me about a bypass in Boone so you don't go through downtown

321 through the mountains is definitely a scenic route, and I enjoyed it.

Since i'll be towing this year, i'll be sticking to interstates. 40 to Asheville, then hit 26 up from there.