Planning a road trip from So Cal to Seattle

KevinP73 · 10-02-2016, 07:07 PM

I'm planning a trip from L.A. to Seattle in the next couple months. Preferably the end of Dec or Jan 2017. I'll be driving an air cooled 110hp classic vehicle. I mention air cooled mainly to reference the heating system for the drivers cabin.
I'm wondering what I should expect for weather and road conditions that time of year if I stick to the freeway all the way. And I might need a shower and a beer while in Oregon
Any thoughts or opinions appreciated.

Jeff Higgins · 10-02-2016, 07:43 PM

The Siskiyous will be the highest pass and worst weather conditions. Expect a lot of snow and temps in the lower teens, if not colder. If there is room for chains in your rear wheel wells, bring some. Pack winter survival gear - sleeping bag, warm clothes, food, stove, etc. If you don't want to spend a night in the car, bring a small tent. The road may potentially get closed and become impassable. If it does, and you happen to be on it, you will be really glad you have all that stuff. At the time of year you propose, this can be a no-b.s., full-on winter survival situation, regardless of your choice in vehicles and its capabilities. This is not to be trifled with - things can go wrong in a hurry, and this is a very remote area. Be prepared.

KevinP73 · 10-02-2016, 08:00 PM

Thanks Jeff, very good to know.

Siskiyou Summit

Interstate 5 passes through the Siskiyou Mountains at Siskiyou Summit, located just north of the Oregon-California border, and just south of Ashland, Oregon. Siskiyou Summit is the highest pass on Interstate 5, at 4,310 feet (1,310 m). This pass is one of the most treacherous in the Interstate highway system. The California side has a more gradual slope than the Oregon side, where the freeway climbs or descends 2,300 feet (700 m) in elevation over 7-mile (11 km). In addition, the pass includes several hazardous curves, and is frequently hit with snow, ice, and fog during winter storms. In winter, it is common for the highway to be closed one to four times by transportation authorities due to hazardous conditions. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), but lower limits are set for larger vehicles.

tevake · 10-02-2016, 08:26 PM

I'm wondering if staying closer to the coast would help avoiding the more challenging weather inland at higher elevation? It would make for a longer trip unless you ended up camping in some snowed in pass on the interstate route.

Kevin are you planning a long trip in your corvair? How is the heater while driving in cold weather?

Interesting time of year for this trip, what's up?

Cheers Richard

Charles Freeborn · Charles Freeborn's Garage

Just do a little advanced planning. The Siskyiou pass will be cold, but the snow is predictable. Stop in Redding, check the forecast and if it's impassable you hole up in a hotel till it's clear.

KevinP73 · 10-02-2016, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tevake

I'm wondering if staying closer to the coast would help avoiding the more challenging weather inland at higher elevation? It would make for a longer trip unless you ended up camping in some snowed in pass on the interstate route.

Kevin are you planning a long trip in your corvair? How is the heater while driving in cold weather?

Interesting time of year for this trip, what's up?

Cheers Richard

I plan on running my '62 Corvair van up and leaving it there. Part of a slow migration of everything from here to there. The heater works fine for a SoCal winter but I've got no idea how it works in the real world.

look 171 · 12:18 AM

I have done it in the winter several times over the pass into OR then onto Seattle . We managed to get caught out by a storm only once with hwy closed, but it was was cleared within a few hours. Oh yeah, it can be cold but not too bad. We were prepare and lid a candle to save fuel to keep us warm in my lil' pick up truck. The candle was suppose to knock off the temp by a couple of degrees. My girlfriend, now wife, couldn't feel the difference but complain that she was freeze her ass off. I cranked the engine every 20 min for heat. You should be OK unless you hit a big storm. Watch for black ice. It spun me off the hwy into a ditch. Crawled out in low 4wd. You are loaded up with stuff and with the engine in the back for the added weight, you should be ok. I put 200 lbs of sand in the back of my lil' truck for added weight to provide more bite

berettafan · 10-03-2016, 01:08 AM

A photo documentary of the trip would be great reading material.

KevinP73 · 10-03-2016, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berettafan

A photo documentary of the trip would be great reading material.

Now there's an idea. Gotta pay for fuel somehow.

RANDY P · RANDY P's Garage

make sure your wipers are solid, you will be using them, daily.

berettafan · 10-03-2016, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinP73

Now there's an idea. Gotta pay for fuel somehow.

offer it to whatever pamphlet corvair people are reading these days

varmint · 10-03-2016, 09:34 AM

unless you're in a hurry take the PCH.

Moses · 10-03-2016, 10:40 AM

Drove the Siskiyou pass many, many times in winter. Conditions can be treacherous but very predictable! Rarely used chains. Got stuck in Grants Pass twice. Once for snow, once for fog and freezing rain. It's a beautiful drive. Use a radar weather app or Wunderground and there won't be any surprises.

john70t · 10-03-2016, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varmint

unless you're in a hurry take the PCH.

Yeah. Cali traffic sucks out the soul.
Lived in SF a decade and visited Hawaiian Gardens/Hollywood/SD/Tijuana a few times.

The most fun I had was driving between Monterrey to SLO along Highway1.
-There is no gas, bathrooms, food, or water.
-Fill up and carry lunch.
-Only mountains on one side, with a steep drop off and blue ocean on the other.
-Be prepared for the worst.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

That area of I-5 by the CA/OR border is a bit like the Grapevine. Can get impassable at times in the winter. But follow the weather forecasts and check the CA and OR DOT websites to make sure conditions are safe. There are webcams you can watch to see what the conditions are, too.

If going back and forth between I-5 and the coast, be aware that the little squiggly lines are sometimes logging roads that aren't really used in wintertime. They look like roads on a map, but might be full of unplowed snow during the winter. Every winter a car/SUV or RV gets stuck and people wind up succumbing to the elements.

Otherwise, it's a beautiful trip (esp north of the Bay Area, even on I-5). Enjoy it.

rcooled · 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

If there is room for chains in your rear wheel wells, bring some.

I used cable-type chains several times on my old '70 911T...no problems with wheel well clearance while running standard Fuchs wheels & stock-size tires.

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t

The most fun I had was driving between Monterrey to SLO along Highway1. There is no gas, bathrooms, food, or water.

There's some food, water & bathrooms available along that stretch, but they're few & far between. John's right about gas...make sure you're topped up before leaving SLO.

Laneco · 10-03-2016, 12:35 PM

The Siskiyous are hit and miss in the winter. When they close, it's usually for a short time. If it does go to a chain restriction, that too will generally lift in a few hours. With a rear engine car and normal tread depth, you will be fine 95% of the time even in the dead of winter. The other 5% is when it's chains required or actually closed.

That said - we are in Medford, just on the north side of the Siskiyous. You should stay with us on the way up or back. Spare bedroom, can and will make room for your car in the garage if needed!

steve and angela

KevinP73 · 10-16-2016, 09:08 PM

After a little additional planning I've decided to postpone my trip till a little later in the year. Several people suggested making a coastline cruise out of the trip and it sounded like a good idea. I'll document coastline cruise with still pics and video and will share them with everyone.
In an effort to finance the trip I've designed a Tee shirt and a couple other misc products.
Please visit my Teespring product page to see the offerings. They can be found here.
Thank You all for the great idea and offers of support/refuse/relief/ along the way. I'm looking forward to saying Hello personally.

SpyderMike · 10-18-2016, 10:02 AM

TripCheck - Oregon Traveler Information for weather and cameras showing conditions on major Oregon roads. I travel routinely between So Cal and So Oregon. I have experienced some of the worst weather around Mt Shasta on the journey...between Dunsmuir and Weed.

scottmandue · 10-18-2016, 11:59 AM

Just a note that we drove a car from SoCal to Portland OR in the summertime and hit a bunch of +100 degree days (all on I-5).
Not sure what time of year you are planing and maybe the coast route will be cooler.

And you MUST slap a surfboard on the roof of that van... even if you don't surf