Travel through Atlanta w/ 40' MH and toad

Kiltedpig · June 28, 2017

Going from Charlotte to OK and the easier route seems to go through Atalanta. Are there problems with Atlanta RV travel? I hear that the traffic is a nightmare and we should avoid Atlanta. Any thoughts?

BlueLghtning · June 28, 2017

I live south west of Atl. As long as you don't hit during rush hour during the week you should be good. 285 goes all the way around and you don't want to go downtown through the connector. Stick to 285. It looks like you would be coming in I-85 from the north east to 285W and then I-20W towards AL. If you are coming during the week, try to pass through Atlanta between 10am & 2pm and not on a Friday. Weekends just depend if they are doing construction somewhere that might mess you up. Just check google maps. If you see the top end of 285 jammed up, just head south around 285. It will be a bit longer, but worth it to avoid it.

Second Chance · June 28, 2017

I disagree with BlueLghtning. I've towed through Atlanta countless times (and have driven 285 more than my share, too - out of necessity). We avoid rush hours and have never had an issue staying on I-20 straight through. With the rig in my signature and my wife following in a Toyota, my Garmin RV GPS advises on lanes, etc., and we just sail right on through. I've been stuck in numerous traffic jams on the loop but never on I-20.

Rob

Alie&Jim's Carrilite · June 28, 2017

Why not take 77 north to I-40 and go west? Or I-85 to Kings Mountain/74 then on west to Ashville and I-40. It's a beautiful drive thru the foothills.

BlueLghtning · June 28, 2017

Staying on I-20 all the way through Atl is a little different than coming in 85 to the connector where it joins 75 and then making the change over to I-20 from 75 downtown. I-20 its self isn't bad through Atl, but the 75/85 connector can be challenging sometimes downtown, plus you gotta deal with the grady curve that almost always jams up there and then just before your I-20 exit west from I-75, you have 2 different major highways that merge into the connector southbound that are usually fighting to get out of the two I-20 exit only lanes plus another exit just before I-20 they are being forced into. These people need to jump 3-4 lanes to get out of the exit only lanes all while you are trying to get in the correct lane for your I-20 exit. That section of the connector can be a bit initimaditing if you aren't used to it. If you catch the connector at a good time, it's not bad, but sometimes people get intimidated by 6-8 lanes across and all that lane jumping that is sure to happen with impatient car drivers trying to get over lanes. Trucks are not allowed inside the perimeter unless they are making a delivery, so truck traffic is of course heavier on 285, but usually they are traveling similar speeds as campers/RV's. So with very little truck traffic downtown, this usually this means you are dealing with more unpredictable cars downtown doing a lot of lane hopping and exiting at the last minute.

If 285 is jammed up, sure head downtown, but 285 is normally a safer bet if it isn't jammed up. Yes if 285 is going to jam up anywhere, it's usually on the top end between 75 & 400, but google maps can show you that pretty quickly if it is and I usually find the connector jams up pretty frequently too. It's not that an RV can't make it through downtown, I just think it's a bit more intimidating for someone not use to all that traffic.

StarDreamers.us · June 28, 2017

Go late at night if possible. There is a nice SC rest stop after you leave GA on I-85. Everyone that told you to avoid Atlanta traffic WAS SO RIGHT, during normal hours!

Safe Travels!

Al F · June 29, 2017

I guess if you are going to the Texas border area of OK I would take I-20. Otherwise I would seriously consider taking I-40. Although I-40 has more small hills than I-20.

Al F · June 29, 2017

Is the bridge on I-80, that collapsed several months ago, in Atlanta open again?

docj · June 29, 2017

15 minutes ago, Al F said:

Is the bridge on I-80, that collapsed several months ago, in Atlanta open again?

It would have been an unusual routing for I-80, but the bridge on I-85 was supposed to have reopened in May http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article149720104.html

Biker56 · June 29, 2017

Check out the traffic in Atlanta real time.

BlueLghtning · June 29, 2017

Yes that bridge over I-85 in Atlanta is open again. They did the fix in record time! Prior to that I would have said avoid Atlanta, but now it's back to semi crazy vs total chaos.