[jssp02]

Just wondering what the best driving route timewise is for a U-haul with a trailer driving from Portland Oregon to Las Vegas?? Safest??

[miiiiiike]

Thanks for asking this question because I totally forgot to.

I'm in Eugene and I may or may not have a trailer, depending on if I can sell my bed for a good price, and I was wondering the same thing. Mapquest said to go through Reno and then seven or eight hours through what looks like absolutely nothing. Is it better to go through California and then loop up?

[jssp02]

I think mapquest told us to drive down the 5 to northern cali, then cut over east and go down the 95 from there.

Someone else had told us to go through twin falls idaho, so we are very confused as to which route is best when you are moving with a u-haul.

[RandalR]

Originally Posted by jssp02

Just wondering what the best driving route timewise is for a U-haul with a trailer driving from Portland Oregon to Las Vegas?? Safest??

Here's the best, fastest, and safest route:

- Take I-5 south through California as far as the Lost Hills - Highway 46 exit (about 120 miles north of Los Angeles).

- Go East on 46 (two lane but pretty fast) about 25 miles through the town of Wasco until you hit Highway 99.

- Turn south on 99 for 20 miles to Bakersfield.

- Take the Highway 58 exit in Bakersfield and follow 58 over the Tehachapi pass and across the Mojave Desert to Barstow. It's a divided freeway much of the way.

- Take I-15 from Barstow to Las Vegas.

Don't even try sneaking around any other way or taking 95, which is a two lane highway for hundreds of miles. The route above is almost all freeway and there are always services nearby if you have problems.

Good luck!

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by RandalR

Here's the best, fastest, and safest route:

- Take I-5 south through California as far as the Lost Hills - Highway 46 exit (about 120 miles north of Los Angeles).

- Go East on 46 (two lane but pretty fast) about 25 miles through the town of Wasco until you hit Highway 99.

- Turn south on 99 for 20 miles to Bakersfield.

- Take the Highway 58 exit in Bakersfield and follow 58 over the Tehachapi pass and across the Mojave Desert to Barstow. It's a divided freeway much of the way.

- Take I-15 from Barstow to Las Vegas.

Don't even try sneaking around any other way or taking 95, which is a two lane highway for hundreds of miles. The route above is almost all freeway and there are always services nearby if you have problems.

Good luck!

Sorry...this requires that you believe you are safer on divided highways than on two lanes. I certainly don't. I have made the run perfectly smoothly up and down 95 at least 20 times. It is a cakewalk.

The CA alternative is, well in CA, it is longer and far more dangerous.

I would route that way to get from middle CA to or from Las Vegas...but absolutely not from the north. Pick your best route to Reno and then across to 95 and down.

It is unpopulated. There is no there there...but there is also no traffic and no difficult places. A cakewalk as it were. There is nothing that resembles the grades at Tehachapi or on the 15.

Friend Randy is expert on any number of subjects...but this ain't one of them.

[scirocco22]

I've used both routes many times. I agree that using 95 is the most direct. However, I suppose it could be considered less safe as you'll have to pass slower moving traffic on the opposite lane of travel, of course.

This is true especially if you drive substantially over the speed-limit where you'll be forced to pass greater numbers of slower moving vehicles than if you were going slower. Each passing maneuver might be considered more dangerous than if you were passing another vehicle on the interstate. But since you're hauling a trailer, you won't be doing that much over the speed limit anyway; in all likelihood.

I'll vote with olecapt on this one. Go slow* and be safe ...and remember, with fuel prices so high, the slower* you go, the less fuel you'll use.


* obviously not too slow as that's dangerous too but close to the speed limit or a bit slower. And remember too, in California, the speed limit for anything pulling a trailer is 55 MPH no matter if on the interstate or a two-lane state highway.

[jssp02]

So if we were to go to Reno from here then take 95 south, how do we get to Reno? What's the best way?

[cstech02]

I realize this is a few years old but driving down I-5 and over to Reno from Mt. Shasta City (Google directions) is very hard on a vehicle with a trailer. Especially when you realize that going over Mt. Shasta City from Susanville has lots of hills and sudden twists and turns. If you were in Portland Metro area I would tell you to take I84 to Twin Falls. Since you aren't I5 is your only real option.

[aggrofish]

Originally Posted by cstech02

I realize this is a few years old but driving down I-5 and over to Reno from Mt. Shasta City (Google directions) is very hard on a vehicle with a trailer. Especially when you realize that going over Mt. Shasta City from Susanville has lots of hills and sudden twists and turns. If you were in Portland Metro area I would tell you to take I84 to Twin Falls. Since you aren't I5 is your only real option.

That's an easier than easy drive trailer or not as long as its not snowing. I drove from southern Oregon to mt. Shasta in the snow in a vehicle with 315/35/R20 tires twice this winter. If you're not familiar with tires those have essentially no sidewall and are warm weather tires.

I went through Bakersfield and up the 99 one time. It's way, way longer than going up/down the 95.

[pdx239]

From PDX, which is a better route (elevation, safety etc) to take to Vegas, via Boise or NorCal-Reno ?