Land of the Tolls


marstrings

New Member
Hi folks

I'm trying to calculate a budget for our year-long tour of the States and Canada in 2008. Are there a lot of toll roads in the US and Canada? Is this a significant enough expense to include in my budgeting?

We will be starting off in Massachusetts. We will be touring around that area for six weeks or so before heading west through Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconson, Minnisota and then into Manitoba in Canada. We'll be heading west in Canada all the way to Vancouver and then crossing back into the States through Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexoco, Colorado. Fianlly, we'll be heading east to finish up where we started in MA.

M.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Land of the Tolls



Most toll rds can be avoided by using secondary rds which we do. Some tolls do get you there quicker but what's the hurry. Best sights are along the side rds. You might want to budget in some for toll rds but I wouldn't, JMO

Not sure about Canada but when we went through to Alaska we didn't usea toll rd.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Land of the Tolls



Mister, if you go all that way without allowing a week or two visiting Texas, then ya might just as well stay home. :( ;)

Well, anyway, we'll sure miss ya! :laugh:
 

marstrings

New Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

TexasClodhopper - 12/9/2007 8:53 PM



Mister, if you go all that way without allowing a week or two visiting Texas, then ya might just as well stay home. :( ;)

Well, anyway, we'll sure miss ya! :laugh:

:laugh: We were planning to go to the Kerrville Music Festival in Texas, but found that we couldn't make it fit into the rest of the stuff in our schedule. I admit, it doesn't feel right to visit the USA and not visit Texas. Plenty of time for our plans to change though :)

M.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

Better watch old Tex. He owns half of Texas and he might charge a toll for crossing his ranch. :eek: :laugh: ;)
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

Hey! That's "M."! Do you know James Bond? ;)

Why do you want to see Colorado? Nothing there but a buncha old mountains.

Swing on down to South Texas and see the Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer. The Round Up is held the first weekend in May. Or the TurkeyFest in Cuero (in October). Or you can get to the salt water at Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, or Palacios anytime.

Heck the cowboy in ya should be interested in the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ held March 3 – March 22. It's really big!

Now that'll let ya'll find out if yer cowboy hat is legal or not.
 

tfraz58

New Member
RE: Land of the Tolls

"...Are there a lot of toll roads in the US and Canada? Is this a significant enough expense to include in my budgeting?

We will be starting off in Massachusetts. We will be touring around that area for six weeks or so before heading west through Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconson, Minnesota...."

Yes, this IS a definete budgetary expense. Been hitting the high spots on your story, so I'm not sure what you have decided on for equipment, but the states you mention willl charge you one of two ways; by weight or by number of axles. By the states mentioned it SOUNDS like you are looking at I-90, I-84, and then jumping on I-80 in Pennsylvania at least as far as Chicago. In that case, Massachusetts has a toll. Use the toll road to escape the Bay State, too crowded on the secondaries there. No charge to cross Connecticut on I-84. Tolll to cross the Hudson River Bridge on I-84 in New York. This is as cheap as they get. You will pay to cross any bridge over the Hudson or you will swim. Downriver (towards the (NYC) Big Apple) they only get higher. From there no more tolls until you get into Ohio. NOW I agree with the others; use the secondaries. There are too many NOT too in Ohio, it's flat, and scenic. Why pay the toll? Same for Indiana. Map out a route and use it. Lots of nice campgrounds too. Once into Illinois you are almost into Chicago. From here through the rest of the states mentioned it's debatable. You WILL pay a toll going out of Northern Illinois into Wisconsin (towards Milwaukee) if you stay on I-94, but it isn't that hard to get around. You also have the option of avoiding Chicago traffic entirely by using the Illinois Tollway around it (I-294), it's up to you. No tolls across Wisconsin, and here in Minnesota the governor risks impeachment for bring up the idea. :)
Got a little wordy, I know, but this IS obviously something I know about, so..... :)

Have a great time.
Tom - Former (22+ year) Over The Road Trucker.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

Welcome to the forum Tom. Sure hope you hang around with all the good info from your trucking days. Great information on the tolls.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: Land of the Tolls

i thought Tex had all the tolls places ,, i guess i'm wrong :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :eek: :disapprove: :clown:
 

marstrings

New Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

TexasClodhopper - 12/10/2007 12:38 AM

Hey! That's "M."! Do you know James Bond? ;)

Why do you want to see Colorado? Nothing there but a buncha old mountains.

Swing on down to South Texas and see the Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer. The Round Up is held the first weekend in May. Or the TurkeyFest in Cuero (in October). Or you can get to the salt water at Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, or Palacios anytime.

Heck the cowboy in ya should be interested in the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ held March 3 – March 22. It's really big!

Now that'll let ya'll find out if yer cowboy hat is legal or not.

As a Texan, you should know that that's not aproper cowboy hat I'm wearing. It's a $10 straw hat I picked up at Cambridge Folk Festival in the UK this year. Might have to get myslef a stetson whn I get to the US :)

Colorado has got lots of mountains, and skiing about the time we'll be getting there, I think. Also I have a friend in Colorado Springs I want to look up.

Do I know James Bond? If I told you, I'd have to kill you!

M.
 

tfraz58

New Member
RE: Land of the Tolls

Thanks for all the welcomes, fellas. :) Glad to have found this forum. I belong to a few clubs at Yahoo, but this seems to be much more active, not to mention FULL of information. Be glad to help when I can with info gleaned during my trucking days, I traveled all continental 48 states in my 22+ years. Still, the best thing I have to say about THAT line of work is that I'm glad to be out of it. I won't dwell on that now, but will only say that it is obviously a lot different from RVing. I drive a city bus locally these days, and we are all a lot happier with Dad's career change. :cool:

We are beginning RVer's ourselves, just about to purchase our first "real" RV. I'm getting a bit old for the tenting thing and though my better half was game enough, the last tenting experience made up my mind. It was in the Spring....ahhh, lovely Spring.....when the breeze came up and the tent started really whipping back and forth just after dawn. We both awakened and lay there watching the shadows dance on the walls. With a ripping noise the fly tore off of the top. This wasn't that big a deal but for the fact that now the screens which made up part of the roof were exposed to the very dark and forbidding sky. When we finished laughing we decided we might WANT that fly, so I scrambled out and chased it down. Together we tied the cover back into place and crawled inside the tent again.....as the sky opened. I'll cut to the chase with these two points; first, I never knew air mattresses would float INSIDE a tent...and second, the whole works didn't take long to take down as I did so with a hunting knife, depositing it in the dumpster on the way out of the campground... *groan* :eek:

Bought a 76 Apache solid state (hardside) pop up trailer to upgrade and use for awhile, and still have it, actually. We've had a lot of fun with it, but the wife doesn't like it though, so we've outgrown it. I'll be tweaking it and putting it up for sale after the season starts. At first the Apache was fine, but for some reason she doesn't like doing the "flashlight-at-2:00 AM-on-the-way-to-the-facilities" routine. My offer of a port-a-potty was not met with the same warm spirit it was offered, either. "If you think I'm just getting out in the open next to the table to......!". :blackeye: "Hokay, baby! a TT or MH with a bathroom and some more modern things it'll be".

Started looking and after much consideration and elimination it has come down to two, one of which I will own within a week or so. This is a GREAT time to shop where we are, the prices are down. Just bring your snow shovel to dig it out if you want to go for a test drive.... Anyway, the two are both Class C. I was looking at Class A's as well, but decided to stick with the C's. One is a 1973 Winnebago Minnie Winnie in pretty good shape. Working everything including furnace, stove, fridge on gas AND A/C, bathroom reportedly working as well, but unable to check due to temperature here plus it's been winterized, of course. No A/C. Interior has the expected 35 year wear. 37,000 miles. Has some rust, which may or may not be acceptable. $1,500.00 (purportedly firm). He wants to throw a small genny in with the deal. The guy has been very good about staying in touch and wants to close a deal, but I'm holding him off until I get a chance to see the other one. That Winnebago is the second choice. FIRST choice is a 1978 Chevy (body by ?) that appears to be in camping show condition. Also a Class C, this one is IMMACULATE, also has low miles, and wasn't really used to speak of. Good A/C, roof and dash. Again, working everything, except it is spotless. No genny with this one. The expected 30 years of wear is NOT there. It was Grandma and Grandpa's camper from what I understand. When they no longer needed it the kid got it, had no use for it, and sold it immediately to the current owner. THIS person used it to pull a horse trailer to his kid's horse shows, use as a changing room for the kid, day room and cooking/dining area with rest room on site, and very occasionally actually sleep in it at the shows. Got a new tow vehicle and a horse trailer with built in living quarters so has no further use for the MH. Our schedules won't mesh until after Christmas, so we decided I'd come see him/probably make the deal then. It's a little more than the first, plus 5 years younger, plus it sure seems in a lot better shape. $1,800.00 and we haven't discussed bargaining yet. My gut feeling is that if it's remotely near as nice as the pictures I was sent it'll be worth what he is asking for it, no doubt. You think? I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Thanks again for letting me be part of the forum. TTYL.
Tom
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

Tom, funny stuff about camping with the wife, and REAL familiar! :laugh:

That "1978 Chevy (body by ?" would be VERY important to me. I wouldn't buy without knowing, but "$1,800" isn't much money. You might being towing very soon, if you don't get it all checked out.

I wouldn't buy a MH without A/C. I'm a little iffy on the one without a generator. Ours comes in handy, but I think we could live without it. For the right price.

Sounds like you're looking for MHs that people are almost willing to pay you to take them off their hands. ;)
 

PattieAM

New Member
Re: Land of the Tolls

Greetings All - newcomer here. I have enjoyed reading the posts thus far (just discovered this site today)......
Tom - I agree with your wife -- after years of tent camping, deflating mattresses or tipping/collapsing cots I called it quits myself and bought an 06 Fleetwood Niagara popup. As you are aware, choices were limited a few years back - my requirements were AC and a potty! And, the Niagara has both, as well as a decent floorplan with the glide out dinette. I also got the Add-a-Room for under my awning. I cannot begin to explain how addicted I am to my escapes, pretty much year 'round. So nice not to have the middle of the night toe-stubbing treks to the bathhouse to be devoured by whatever flying/hopping insects are attracted to the lights. And, as you said, the floating air mattress (been there/done that too).....I put a Memory Foam topper on my PUP bunk end, as well as a Sunbeam heated mattress pad and am in bliss while sleeping. And, on those 100 degree July days here on the east coast, the PUP AC is a blessing daytime and even at night (I don't sleep well when it's that hot/humid). I've considered trading up to a travel trailer, hybrid, etc., and even went and viewed a few (loved several), but I like that I can tow the Niagara with either my Ram 1500 pickup or my Durango, very little wind resistance, no white knuckles, and little or no sway....I don't even need to mention miles per gallon.
 
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