Tips For Driving Your Rig in Big Cities

As an RV owner or renter with a thirst for travel, there may come a day when you have to drive through a major metropolitan area. In your everyday car or truck, this drive is a cinch. You can move well with the traffic and your vehicle allows you to be flexible. But in an RV of any size—from a small towable to a Class A motorhome or massive 5th wheel—the experience is completely different. Imagine it: Your hulking motorhome moving along through the heart of Atlanta on I-75 during rush hour. People may be speeding by you or you may be sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Either way, you can prepare yourself to handle—or avoid entirely— this exact situation. 

Gas Up Before You Hit the City

In fact, get gas, eat, take a bathroom break, stretch, and do whatever else you need to do before you cross into city limits. Why is doing all of this necessary? Because you may hit traffic caused by an accident or construction that delays you and you don’t want to be running on gas fumes or in desperate need of a bathroom and you can’t stop. Plus, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find a gas station in the city with enough room to accommodate your rig. And if you’re budget conscious, gassing up away from major cities and highways can help save you some money. 

Plan Your Route Into or Through the City 

Yes, you need to plan your route wherever you’re traveling, but it is especially important when you plan to visit or drive through a city. For one, regular GPS may not be accurate enough for your size vehicle and could lead you into narrow streets or underpasses through which your rig won’t fit. Secondly, you’ll want to avoid construction and route detours as much as possible. Planning ahead can save you from the headache of getting stuck in a side street or not being able to pass through a tight construction zone. 

Avoid Rush Hour

It’ll be easier for you to navigate through a major city outside of rush hour traffic times. The specific timespan will vary for each city, but in general, morning rush hour can start around 7 a.m. and run through 9 a.m. Evening rush hour can start around 4 p.m. and end around 6 p.m. Traffic will be heaviest during these times on major interstates and thoroughfares. 

Schedule Around Sporting and Other Events

One main reason to visit a city is to enjoy major events, such as professional sporting games, concerts, comedy shows, conferences, and charity events, to name a few. But thousands or even tens of thousands of other people also attend those events, so plan your RV travel outside of event hours or even on a different day to avoid the heaviest traffic. 

No Need to Speed

And finally, don’t feel pressured to drive faster than what you’re comfortable with. People may zoom by you, honking their horns. Your focus should be to drive safely and to protect you, your loved ones, and other drivers on the road. 

What tips do you have for driving your rig through big cities? Let us know in the comments or contact us today!