Trailer Road Restrictions

[DebCost]

I love the Chiricahua Mountains so much I thought about retiring there until I found out it snows there...........I still have trouble wrapping my brain around snow 30 miles from the Mexican border.

[David B.]

Originally Posted by DebCost

I love the Chiricahua Mountains so much I thought about retiring there until I found out it snows there...........I still have trouble wrapping my brain around snow 30 miles from the Mexican border.

Deb, it's just an elevation thing. Driving just less than an hour and you'll be in warm weather again. This is what I love about Arizona..... go play in the snow and return home in high 60 degrees in about an hour.
Dave & Paula

[Roger C H]

From the CT website:

"The following are prohibited from entry upon and use of the highway right of way of the parkways and other limited access state highways:
(e) Vehicles drawn or propelled other than by motor power;"

So Teslas and other electrics are the only vehicles permitted on Parkways?

My car is not propelled by a motor, it is propelled by an engine!

[Lee Senn]

The "spaghetti junction" photos make me very glad that dear wife and I live in Idaho. To my knowledge we don't approach the level of complication indicated in those pictures. With maybe two or three exceptions our height level of junctions is limited to one level and is generally referred to as an "overpass" lol. Lee

[Andrew Gibbens]

Let me introduce you to a junction that's only on one level, but is impressively complex. It does have a proper name but even the local council have accepted that it is known as the 'Magic Roundabout' after kid's animation show. It has five mini-roundabouts (traffic circles) joined together in one big contra-rotating roundabout:



It handles a huge traffic volume and works well, but is a little daunting for first time users. It' in Swindon, Britain - if you want to program your GPS never to go there......

[stevenjuliehorney]

While we're off topic a bit, I will take a chance to vent about the "Bermuda triangle for GPS" yhat we encountered last night. Or was it this morning?

The sky was already lightening as we thought we had closed in on the River Falls of the Gorge campground in the State Forest heaven of NE Georgia. The Google Maps, verbal directions, atlas, & GPS tracking had led us up and down and around tightly winding roads off of I-23/441. When the roads in the fog & rain, mud & fallen leaves seemed more suitable for wild boar than our Camplite/Frontier setup, we got out to assess the situation. Oh how a little help would have been nice! But we were alone with pup in tow to figure it out.

Two of the roads were blocked by gates sporting security signs. A third promised greater treachery than we had already experienced. Hubby advised we turn around. We also took some time to reconfigure our brake controller for off-roading it; 4WD got switched to 4-Lo. Indeed, something simply wasn't right. A lovely 5-point turn with trailer got us pointed back to the highway, 2 hours after our bunny trail excursion had begun.

At last we got back to the main road and more bars appeared on my smartypants phone. I programmed the address another way andcwe found the campground right away in a clearing in yhe fog: 1 mile in the opposite direction of the State Park sign we had been given as a landmark! Now it's daylight and the office building is easy to see from the highway. No goat path access needed!

While I have never been to CT, I do have a new respect for obeying local folklore about which roads to take and which ones to avoid! In the end, if you are required to 4-wheel it past a security fence at 5:00 a.m. in the fog & rain, abandon the mmission! But do bring snacks and water eh? Just in case the mud gets too deep. Chances are things will look better after sunrise! From the Tin Can Ranch

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by CarrieR

What about tunnels? Someone told me we shouldn't go through the I-93 tunnel in Boston because of the propane.

SOME... tunnels are posted for no propane, but they are usually the ones that go under waterways.

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by CarrieR

What about tunnels? Someone told me we shouldn't go through the I-93 tunnel in Boston because of the propane.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnels require you to have the propane tanks turned off. We have done that route several times, you have to go through a manned toll booth and they ask you if the tanks are off. After that bridge we encountered another tunnel in the Norfolk VA area where we had to pull into an inspection area for a visual inspection.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gibbens

Let me introduce you to a junction that's only on one level, but is impressively complex. It does have a proper name but even the local council have accepted that it is known as the 'Magic Roundabout' after kid's animation show. It has five mini-roundabouts (traffic circles) joined together in one big contra-rotating roundabout:

It handles a huge traffic volume and works well, but is a little daunting for first time users. It' in Swindon, Britain - if you want to program your GPS never to go there......

How many jokes are there about people getting stuck in a roundabout and spending the rest of their lives driving in one circle?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

From the CT website:

"The following are prohibited from entry upon and use of the highway right of way of the parkways and other limited access state highways:
(e) Vehicles drawn or propelled other than by motor power;"

So Teslas and other electrics are the only vehicles permitted on Parkways?

My car is not propelled by a motor, it is propelled by an engine!

So I guess you have never heard anyone refer to your car as a motor vehicle?Seriously? LOL

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Motor :: a machine that produces motion or power for doing work
Full Definition of MOTOR
1: one that imparts motion; specifically : prime mover
2: any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion: as
a : a small compact engine
b : internal combustion engine; especially : a gasoline engine
c : a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy
3: motor vehicle; especially : automobile

[Carol H]

In the western part of the US have only seen a few roads that trailers where not permitted - mostly due to the roads being very narrow and with tight turns or low over hangs.

YouTube - Old Man dries his trailer on a Cars only road

.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

SOME... tunnels are posted for no propane, but they are usually the ones that go under waterways.

just wonder... what about propane powered motor vehicles?

[Andrew Gibbens]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

How many jokes are there about people getting stuck in a roundabout and spending the rest of their lives driving in one circle?

I lived for a while in Halifax. NS and the locals considered it entertaining to go to the Mic-Mac Rotary (roundabout, traffic circle) on a spur off the Trans-Canada Highway and look for visitors who just froze at the entrance, not knowing what to do. Locals could quote you the number of miles west (in the thousands) before you would find another rotary.

[cpaharley2008]

all you have to do is read the cite, it "except campers" is shown. Not all trailers are campers but all pull behind campers are trailers, thus the exception.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gibbens

I lived for a while in Halifax. NS and the locals considered it entertaining to go to the Mic-Mac Rotary (roundabout, traffic circle) on a spur off the Trans-Canada Highway and look for visitors who just froze at the entrance, not knowing what to do. Locals could quote you the number of miles west (in the thousands) before you would find another rotary.

LOL I still have to chuckle when I recall my first roundabout experience. It was in London and I was having a hard time getting use to shifting with my left hand so I was always having to look down at the shift stick to find the right gear so I kept missing the exit sign I needed .... think I went around the roundabout at least 4 times before I got off on the road I wanted.

They started installing roundabouts here instead of 4 way stops or traffic lights a few years ago so we have a number of them now. BUT many of the locals still do not know how to use them! About 50% of them stop dead before entering one, pretty well defeating their purpose

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by floyd

just wonder... what about propane powered motor vehicles?

There is an express lane on the I5 through downtown Seattle that separates from the main freeway for a few miles while it goes underground and no propane powered vehicles or trailers with propane are permitted on it..... thats pretty well the only place I have seen that restriction. Its not a big deal in that location as you still have the use of the main I5 so no need to choose a different route.

We have a couple of tunnels here and one goes under the water but there are no restrictions regarding propane.

[Jon Vermilye]

I just got back from a trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument in NM (without the trailer). There is a sign at Silver City telling you is is a 2 hour drive to the monument. Since it is only 44 miles away, hard to believe, at least until after you have driven it. NM 15 is an "interesting" road; 15 alternate even more interesting. A sign warns of not pulling a trailer longer than 20'. Lots of hills, curves, switchbacks on hills, drop offs, etc on a narrow road without centerlines, 25MPH limits for much of it. While on a straight section a truck pulling a 35' 5th wheel went by. I'd love to have watched him make it around some of the switchbacks I just drove through.

By the way, a beautiful road through national forests (although 15 alternate reminds me of a paved jeep trail), and the Cliff Dwellers site is well worth a visit.

[honda03842]

Jon, We've been to Gila. The roads are fine if you're not in a hurry and I suspect you're not a man in a rush. We often stay in Deming, NM for a week on our way east or west and have explored the area in all directions.


Have you been to Chaco Canyon in the way to Farmington, NM? WE jusy happened down the road one day and the next year came back with our camper. The road in is 20 miles of dirt, keeping out the casual people.

Campsites are well suited to our size rigs. You have to bring what you need, they sell nothing in the park. Great silent hiking, wonderful ruins, our favorite. It has a great night sky and they open the observatory to campers every now and then.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

I just got back from a trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument in NM (without the trailer). There is a sign at Silver City telling you is is a 2 hour drive to the monument. Since it is only 44 miles away, hard to believe, at least until after you have driven it. NM 15 is an "interesting" road; 15 alternate even more interesting. A sign warns of not pulling a trailer longer than 20'. Lots of hills, curves, switchbacks on hills, drop offs, etc on a narrow road without centerlines, 25MPH limits for much of it. While on a straight section a truck pulling a 35' 5th wheel went by. I'd love to have watched him make it around some of the switchbacks I just drove through.

By the way, a beautiful road through national forests (although 15 alternate reminds me of a paved jeep trail), and the Cliff Dwellers site is well worth a visit.

That must be a little bit like the Arizona 191, which was a great trip for us. We made a stretch of it in maybe four and a half hours and I was told that it is a favorite of motor bikers' who do it in two-and-something hours (for fun)... Also, the scenery is beautiful, especially the Mogollon Rift overlooks, and interesting, like the Morenci copper mining operation.