I-10 in Louisiana

[Pine_Barren]

I was wondering what the condition of I-10 is in Louisiana . Does it beat you to death while towing? I will be towing a fifth wheel.

[1320Fastback]

When we went though 10 was rough and any side road was worse.

[Pine_Barren]

Thanks for the reply back I’m pulling with. F-250 6.7 l gasser. Fort Pickens was a nice campground until Ivan came though not many trees left. It is hard now to get in state parks here haveto make reservations 11 months ahead

[padredw]

Yes, we have never had any difficulty in that regard.

This prompts me to say that we always use "regular" service stations and not the big truck stops. We tow a 34' fifth wheel and the secret is to "scope it out" before you pull in. I've had to back out a few times, but not many. We just got back from an RV trip to Santa Fe, NM and found diesel at every point we needed it.

We have had four fifth-wheels. Our first was a "well used" Prowler. On one of our first trips we stopped for fuel in a small Central Texas town. Everything seemed fine until that night in the state park where we were setting up camp I rounded the back of the trailer and saw the back cap pulled away from the side wall. I could tell a long, long story here but need only say that I will able to make pretty good repair and continued on our say to Colorado.

NOW -- I still cannot be totally sure, but I finally came to believe that I snagged one of those low posts at that gas station. I heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing, but that is the only reasonable explanation. From then on I have been very conscious of making wide turns and watching the trailer wheels come in very much from the truck wheels.

We have never had any difficulty finding fuel along that route I suggested. We just made the portion from Mount Pleasant to Amarillo last week, as we were going to Santa Fe and not to Colorado on that trip.

EDIT TO ADD. We made our first camping trip to Florida in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. We spent our first night in what was then Fort Picken State Park. We've been back many times -- staying in St. Andrews as well as Fort Pickens (when it was possible to get a campsite just by driving up and selected it -- that will be hard for many to believe. Oh, that first trip was with a tent not an RV but we've been back many times with an RV.

[Pine_Barren]

Thank you for the detailed reply. I take it that there are good gas stations to pull into with a 32’ fifth wheel

[padredw]

We make the journey to Florida often--and also to Colorado. Since we live in the middle I will dare to make a suggestion:

At Mobile take US highways through Alabama and Mississippi to Jackson, MS and pick up I 20. Take the loop around Shreveport (and slow down on the short rough section just before the loop.)

Watch for Exit 628 soon after entering Texas. Exit there and take US 80 to near Marshall, TX but watch for loop 390 which will take you around the town to the north--hardly a slow down. Exit the loop onto US 59 toward Texarkana, but exit at Jefferson onto TX 49.

Follow TX 49 all the way to Mount Pleasant, TX where you will pick up US 271 north to Paris Texas. Take the loop south around Paris (again no slow up) From the loop around Paris pick up US 82 West. Follow 82 all the way to Wichita Falls where you will join US 287 to Amarillo. Watch for the loop around North (it's Loop 335) to pick up US 87 N to Dumas, TX and on through Dalhart to Raton, NM where you will join I-25 on over Raton Pass into Colorado.

I know it seems complicated but it is a route with which we are familiar--every mile. Best of all it completely avoids DFW and the traffic there. US 82 follows the Red River (near the Oklahoma line) and we have found we have to go that far north to avoid Dallas/Fort Worth.

[one_strange_tex]

I bypass I-10 in LA from Baton Rouge (just west of the Mississippi River) all the way into Texas at Vidor by using US-190, LA-12 & TX-12. Good Cajun food available along this route as well.

[profdant139]

The only good thing about I 10 thru Louisiana is that it passes through Cajun country -- amazing food and music everywhere. So if you're tired of getting pounded by the bad pavement, just hop off the freeway and enjoy!

[agesilaus]

Divert up to I-20 via Hattiesburg, AL. That's our path and we've done it a lot. We tried something different this time taking US 82 across but I can't recomend it. Until you get to Paris the road quality is good for 20 miles then bad and rutted. Past Paris it is good. US 287 on the other side of DFW is the way to go, fast, good road and drops you close to CO.

[Pine_Barren]

Thank you for the replies.We will be leaving Florida end of next June heading towards Colorado Springs. I’m trying to figure out which interstate to take until outside of Dallas and then cut though to Amirillo. I had thought about taking I-10 then I-12 until Baton Rouge then go up to Shreveport, then go towards Dallas.

[Charlie_D_]

Construction on the Texas side and frequent wreck. Drive slow in that area. Probably another year to completion.
The worst part of I-10 through Louisiana is west dis of Lake Charles. One mile east and west of mile marker 21 is bone jarring. Don't believe you can drive slow enough to help in that area.

[delwhjr]

I-10 in Baton Rouge can be very bad. Don't get there during or close to rush hours.
I-10 also has the Atchafalaya Bridge which is long and a little rough but the main concern is if they have a wreck, you will be stuck for a long time or a long detour. Watch the traffic reports.
I-20 is bad in Shreveport. Use the loop.
I-20 has a lot of washboard areas but not too bad.
I-20 There was construction around the Texas/La line back in June. Do not know if completed or not.

[Pine_Barren]

Thank you is I-10 worse than I-20

[agesilaus]

The interstates in Louisiana are always in rough shape and their secondary roads are worse. Whatever they spend their federal road gas tax money on, it doesn't seem to be the roads.