Maiden tow: NJ to Toledo, O. I-76 or I-80?

[telebuck]

Hi all,

Have been an Airstream wannabe for going on a decade. The wife and I (and 11yr old son) finally made the plunge and bought a new 23D Serenity from Colonial in NJ.

Are staying overnight on Friday, getting an orientation, and towing it back to Toledo, Ohio area Saturday and Sunday.

I'm trying to plan the best route back. One involves traveling much of the way on I-76 (Penna Turnpike) and the other runs further north to I-80 through Pennsylvania. I know the turnpike will cost us in tolls, but I'm mostly concerned about minimizing poor road conditions for towing. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

p.s. TV is a Jeep Commander, V8 (not the hemi), with tow package.

[jm2]

we did I-80 across PA from northern NJ to & from "the Birthday Bash" in Slippery Rock, PA last year. I-80 at that time was at least "OK" in most places along the route.

if you're going to do the trip home in 2 days, try overniting at Penn Wood Airstream Park.

and, if you're up for your a rally soon, "Birthday Bash III" is in just 4 weeks!

congratulations! travel safely!

best,

[DMT]

Can't help with the route selection but suggest that you have Colonial demonstrate the correct functioning of the micro-pulse system. They will have your fresh tank full and both grey and black empty during the walk through. If I had my time back I would require them to empty all tanks and confirm the levels report empty, then fill all and confirm they report full. My black tank sensor has never worked but unfortunately I did not discover this until many weeks and miles after leaving Colonial.
Don

[telebuck]

Thanks for the tip on Penn Wood Airstream Park. We may be staying in State College that night with family, but if not Penn Wood would be perfect (assuming I-80 is route).

Will also keep the Birthday Bash idea in mind!

[telebuck]

Just wanted to report back on our trip to Colonial. It was quite an adventure, for someone who has never towed anything remotely as large, but all went well and we are safe and sound back home, with the Serenity neatly tucked in the driveway.

We drove to NJ using I-76 across Pennsylvania, and it was not a good route. No problem for just our tow vehicle, but there was construction nearly the whole way. Coming back we took I-80 much nicer. There were about 3 little spots where it narrowed to one lane without a shoulder (11 ft, 7inches wide), but these stretches were only about 100 yards each time. Rest of the way was a nice road through beautiful country, without much traffic.

Should also send a shout out to the crew at Colonial. They all did a fantastic job. We actually managed to fill both the grey and black tanks in a single night (1st lesson learned), and the tank monitoring seemed to work just fine. They emptied them both for us before we left.

When I get a chance, I'll post photos of the Serenity in a new member introduction thread.

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions!

[polarlyse]

I've made this trip several times with my trailer. I choose Rt 80 every time. Baring any extensive construction I will avoid the PA pike ever time. Daytime driving is not too
bad. Nightime driving is horrible on the pike. They have yellow reflectors all over the place. In the roadway, on the guardrails, on the signs. You get bombarded with reflections from your headlights to the point of being hypnotized. In the daytime you don't have the reflections but the concrete joints and once you get into the mountains the turns drive me crazy. I will choose 80 any day. I will be heading west in a month so thanks for the construction updates. I have been wondering just what I'll find.

Glad your trip was without any major disruptions.

[Silver Otter]

Telebuck:
WELCOME to the Airstream Family. I married a Toledo Girl (43 years ago) and we love traveling with our Silver Otter. You probably already know about it, but we want to highly recommend a camping getaway at Harrison Lake State Park, just west of Fayette off U.S. 20. Choose site 118, 119, 120, or 121 on that outer loop for a Great Time.
Ohio State Parks - Harrison Lake State Park

[telebuck]

Originally Posted by Silver Otter

Telebuck:
WELCOME to the Airstream Family. I married a Toledo Girl (43 years ago) and we love traveling with our Silver Otter. You probably already know about it, but we want to highly recommend a camping getaway at Harrison Lake State Park, just west of Fayette off U.S. 20. Choose site 118, 119, 120, or 121 on that outer loop for a Great Time.
Ohio State Parks - Harrison Lake State Park

Thanks for the camping tip... Had not heard of Harrison Lake... Looks like a gem. We've been in the Toledo area for about five years. Have done most of our travels up around the Traverse City area. Also around Saugatuck... Looking forward to rediscovering it all in our Airstream.

[loudruff]

Hi! Ohio has quite a large group of Airstreamers who are active and camp around the state. Larry and I are enjoying our 1989 Excella! You may want to check out this thread where some of us post our next/last adventure and invite others to join us in the fun: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f290...tml#post890669
A group of us will be gathering at West Branch State Park near Ravenna, OH in July. It is advertised on the Calendar page.
Larry and I offer courtesy parking in our driveway. June will find us having a few visitors in the driveway later in the month. We are sw of Cleveland. If you are on your way through please come and join us. We can have a backyard potluck with a few of our Airstreaming friends with just a few hours notice. LOL!
Safe travels!