jungle11

i'm driving a 1981 ford mobile traveler from santa cruz area to new jersey , what is the best route to drive with the lowest pass altitude , i'm gonna have a heavy load , don't want to overdo it , thanks

thursdaysd

Welcome to Fodors. You will get more replies if you post this on the United States board.

november_moon

I'd probably take I-80. We just did part of the route in an old Jeep - Sacramento to Denver. You will still need to get over Donner summit, which is the biggest challenge. It isn't the highest elevation, but it is the steepest section. The highest elevation is in Wyoming at just over 8000 ft, but that climb is very gradual.

If you switched over to I-70, you'd have to go straight through the Rockies, which will be tough. I think the highest elevation in 70 is around 11,000 near the Eisenhower Tunnel - and there are some steep grades.

The other option would be to take the southerly route - avoid the Sierras and the high dessert/high range land altogether. I think this route is longer by a couple hundred miles overall, but it will be flatter.

tomfuller

Hate to say it but November is wrong. The highest elevation on any Interstate highway is along I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. There is a bust of Abraham Lincoln in the rest area at the top of the pass.
How many miles on the 1981 vehicle? Does it burn oil?

janisj

tomfuller: >>Hate to say it but November is wrong. The highest elevation on <u>any</u> Interstate highway is along I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. <<

sorry but you are the one that is wrong.

>>The Eisenhower Tunnel is the highest point along the Interstate Highway system with an elevation of 11,158 ft (3,401 m).<< The highest on I-80 is only 8600 ft . . . .

tomfuller

I stand corrected. http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum...p?t-23894.html
Discussion of the two routes.

november_moon

I knew I was right I just looked up this information when planning our drive - I originally wanted to take I-70 through the Rockies because it is a more interesting route, but we decided against it when we compared the elevations. We basically didn't want to spend hours in 3rd gear to get up to 11,000 ft

On I-80 through Wyoming, even when you are up around 8000 feet, it doesn't feel like it because this area isn't particularly mountainous with steep grades or anything - more like hills that happen to be at a high elevation.

jungle11

thanks, not too bad w/oil , how much of a grade elevation is I-80 wy. how do I post on U.S. board , first time

janisj

See the "Change Forum" pull down menu up top? Click that and then click on United States. That will take you to the US board where you can start a thread just you did like this one here.