Things to think about. Have you ever driven an RV? Have you driven in snow? Have you ever driven an RV in snow? Do you have experience driving on the right? In an RV? In Snow?

You cannot sleep on the roadside in an RV - especially in winter. There is usually no parking during the winter on many roads.

You have totally underestimate the enormity of the US, 4 people in a SUV in winter on unfamiliar roads.

Also, keep in mind that Telluride may not have snow that early. None yet.

Thx debit Nm. Yes to most of those. I'm happy to stick to highways and take small detours to rv parks or national parks camp areas. Still a no? Also I'm keen to know that if I split the drive in half which is the more scenic section?
Thx for info.

You have totally underestimated. Why not just start in Denver in the first place.

4 days, LA to Denver (or Telluride) is very doable. LA to Denver is 1000 miles. LA to Telluride is only 800 miles. Not sure why that is considered way too much to drive in 4 days.....

I wouldn't do it in an RV though but to each their own.

If you just go from LA to Telluride, the Grand Canyon is basically right on the way. It's a bit out of the way if you instead go to Denver, but with 4 days you have plenty of time. There are plenty of scenic sights in southern Utah to take up your time.

But again, I would not recommend an RV in winter.

Ok spirall bulldog. If I start in den , what should I see in that area? I need to be back in den 5 Jan to take booked flight Denver to Telluride. I was hoping to see some natural beauty sights. We fly into Lax on 29 dec and don't have a flight booked until 5 Jan DEN/TEX. am I better off just driving around eastern California? Cheers

Ok where are we... Thx.
I only need to get LAX/DEN before 5 Jan. I have a flt booked DEN/TEtelluride)

Just looking for something scenic to do before meeting up with the flight out of DEN. However I could change flight to go out of SLC.... And drive LAX to SLC...

I also have the option to fly LAX/DEN/TEX..... But still Have to hang around lax for 5,6 days.. We wee in la last year, so we are keen for a drive... So if I forget the rv... Awww... ANd hire a car... What is the most scenic rout for 4 days LAX/DEN ... Can u recommend cute towns to over night along the way.

I was thinking..

Day 1. DEP lax 0900- Drive 4 hours (inc la traffic) east ... ??? Overnight
Day 2. Drive thru Joshua tree. Overnight or is that day 1?

Or day 2. Make it to Grand Canyon

Day 3 . Head towards Denver. Over night???

Day 4. Arrive Den 1200

I may have an extra day available. Having trouble with some rental places closed on pick up days before New Year's Eve...
So an I to expect that the road via Joshua tree will be too snowy for RV? Does that mean I need to rent a 4wd car if I don't get an RV?

Thx so much for info. I have googled for ever with little progress.
Fp

Driving from Grand Canyon to Denver, you are going to go [sort of] past Telluride. Why wouldn't you just drive to Telluride? And if Telluride isn't set in stone - Wolf Creek might have a better snow situation. It tends to get the most snow in the area. Just a thought.

Oh. Just to clarify. I'm not sure if the vehicle I'm hooping to hire is an "RV"... We would call it a Campervan./Motorhome... 22ft. 4 berth... That sort of thing. I've driven them in NZ and they are extremely easy to drive.

I guess what I'm not sure about is if I should anticipate snow on the main roads between LAX and DEN at that time of year making it unsuitable for Campervan... The can companies seem pretty ok... Is that your concern, where are we...?
Thx

I'm with DebitNM on the itinerary part - why not just drive to Telluride instead of driving to Denver and then flying to Telluride? It would be very easy to come up with a 4 day plan to drive from LA to Telluride via the Grand Canyon.

Joshua Tree would be somewhere to visit on Day 1, it's only 2.5 hours from LA (depending on where exactly you are starting from in LA).

My concern with the RV in winter is that it is high profile vehicle which makes them harder to control, especially if it's windy with slippery roads. I'd rather have something with a lower center of gravity.

The people who do rent RV's want then brought back in good condition and not dropped off hundreds of miles away.
Would this work for you? Rent the RV in the LA area and drive up I-15 turning north at Baker and going to Death Valley. You will not see any snow in Death Valley and there is a campground there. From Death Valley exit through Pahrump Nevada to go to Las Vegas. Continue through Las Vegas on US 93 to go see Hoover Dam and Lake Meade. Go back to Los Angeles and turn in the RV. You can get from Los Angeles to Colorado either by flying or taking the train by way of Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Glenwood Springs and Winter Park/Fraser Colorado.
SLC (Alta) Glenwood Springs (Aspen) and Winter Park have great ski slopes nearby if it snows enough by then.

The roads in Colorado can be narrow, winding, with sheer drop offs. That doesn't mix well with RV. I don't like driving them with a Land Rover! And I have spent a lot of years doing so.

No one can say for certain that there will or won't be snow on the roads the first week of January. The likelihood is high and in my book, not worth the risk.

Do yourselves a favor, and forget the RV. You'll thank us.

New Mexico might be a look see on the way to Telluride or Durango.

Nothing is easy to drive in the snow/ice inthe mountains - especially is you aren't used to driving in snow (it's totally differnt). And driving a huge vehicle on the wrong side of the road is another issue.

Not at all sure that RV parks will be open in the winter - you really need to check this and have advance reservations. You cannot just park by the side of the road or in a big box parking lot. Police won;t allow it.

You really need to get a lot more info before doing this - and I would definitely do a 4 wheel drive SUV versus some behemoth vehicle you will have trouble finding a place to park.

Debit nam...
I originally planned to drive (car) lax to telluride via Durango... But I thought that back way was too risky hopefully with loads of snow!!! I've booked accomm in telluride so that's fixed.

The prob with car hire to telluride is they don't like one way drop off there, so I thought Denver... The DEN/TEX flt is good price.

Di perhaps just hire a car, standard or 4wd? And drive lax to Grand Canyon to den .

How long us the drive from grnd cnyn to den? Is there a nice stopover en route?

Thx all for help...

Bummer about the rv... Kids will be gutted...

Drive from Grand Canyon to either Albuquerque [about 6 hours]or Santa Fe [about 7 hours] and then continue up to Denver. [about 6.5 hours from ABQ or 5.5 hours from SF]

I was going to suggest driving to Moab after the Grand Canyon via Monument Valley. But Santa Fe would be cool too.

I would visit Joshua Tree during the 5/6 days you have for LA, or do a relatively quick drive through on your way out of California. I think there are far more interesting things further along the road than Joshua Tree.

Ok. I like that. So if I leave LAX in a car, where should I target my first night if not Joshua ??? Any suggestions.

4 days from LAX to Denver? That ain't crazy: Crazy is like when we were in college and would drive from San Francisco to Denver - straight through - in 24 hours. Three to four in a car - stopping every six hours to "burger up" and then change drivers.

Next Q: How good of skiers are you/they? You could drive one day to Brianhead in Southern Utah pretty easily - and it's a nice/easy ski mountain (or so they tell me) - and outside Salt Lake - Alta/Snowbird/Brighton/Solitude/Park City and Deer Valley give you all the skiing you could ever want.

It's full-on winter.

This RV trip is a daft idea.

If your camper van is what I'm thinking it is, you can drive it for some of the trip you want to take, weather permitting, otherwise take a 4wd car if you are familiar with driving in snow in a 4wd. Leave LA, stop for the night in Death Valley (either in camper or in motel there. Spend a couple of hours in the morning there then head for Grand Canyon either in camper or in park lodging. Head for Telluride and pray that the snow is only on the mountain and not on the roads. Some roads will have requirements for chains when you go over the passes, If you are in the camper van, drop it in Albuquerque and pick up a 4wd for the rest of the trip.

I think we need more info. Is this a ski trip or is it seeing the US type of trip? Not sure what would be worse, driving in snow or LA with a rental rv or campervan.

[They don't want to drive to Telluride, emalloy. They want to fly from DEN to Telluride.]

The trip to Denver was to drop off the camper van because they weren't able to do it in Telluride.

I am confused. Can the OP post which parts of this are set in stone and cannot be changed? It will help with suggestions.

If they are flying into LA, just go skiing in Mammoth. Why not fly to Denver to start with.

As an RV owner, I agree with those who suggest nixing the RV/Camper van idea and going for a 4WD SUV instead. Even if you are comfortable driving in snow/ice - on the wrong side of the road, to boot - there are other issues.

Winter RVing can be a lot of fun, but it takes a lot more planning. If you can find a campground that's open, they most often won't have the water on because of the real possibility of the pipes freezing. This is also a real danger for the RV itself. Most people who RV in colder weather either "winterize" their water pipes and tanks, or have a means to keep them heated so nothing freezes.

Lack of water at the campground means carrying bottled water for drinking and bathing in the campground showers. A cold adventure in freezing temps. Then there's the issue of how to wash to dishes if you cook in the RV. I think you get my drift. Winter RVing isn't like warm weather RVing at all. Promise your boys an RV trip sometime when the weather is more favorable. I think you'll have a much more relaxing and enjoyable trip if skip the RV this time.

Have a safe trip and lots of snow where you want it and clear roads elsewhere.

I agree with Floridafran. This is why I suggested the campground at Death Valley. No risk of freezing there.
There is also a small RV park next to Circus Circus in Las Vegas. It's the only RV park on the Las Vegas Strip.
RV's must be returned to the place where you rented them.
I'm not a downhill skier so I don't see the difference between Telluride snow, Mammoth snow, Aspen snow etc.
Dump stations can be hard to find at this time of year in many areas.

Great help everyone. The only thing set in concrete is 2 weeks accomm in telluride.

I have an air ticket lax/Den/TEX but I can cancel all or some sectors without penalty. Driving to telluride was never a plan. But I could drive to some other cuty that has flights to montrose or telluride. Eg SLC then fly to telluride. Rv companies have ok one way deals, but only to a handful of places... Like SLC... Den, Vegas.

So deciding whether to just fly it and be done or drive. I guess the RV is out. So if u are all still patient with me... Plan B could be to just spend 4 nights sightseeing out of LAX and then return to LAX and fly to TEX.

So... A CAR to Death Valley and back or a car loop to grand canyon and back? Via which scenic roads?
Thx for all suggestions... Or 5 days at JP Getty museum... We love it...

... One more try... Is there anywhere RV friendly we COULD go for a 4 night loop out of LA?... Someone said Death Valley roads are ok in Jan... and Vegas...
But I guess u are saying grand canyon is too risky in RV...?... What about other Nat park wonders in the area..,? I just have to fill in 4 nights in LAX .... Or environs... And I don't really want to hang around LAX... Wineries???

Such a big country... Spoiled for choice!
Cheers

This might prove helpful once you are in Telluride.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/588951

Also, consider taking day trips out of Telluride. 2 weeks is a long time in a very tiny town.

Durango, Mesa Verde National Park are 2 spots worth a visit. I can suggest more if you are interested. Also, consider skiing at Durango Mountain if you want a change in locale, again 2 weeks is a long time.

I would go to Death Valley if you want to do a 4 day RV loop out of LA. Weather/roads should be fine. If you can be flexible and wait until that week, you can check the weather and road conditions and the Grand Canyon might be doable. I just wouldn't plan on that but leave it as an option if the weather is good and roads are clear.

Another safe area to drive an RV from Los Angeles would be up the coast on US 101 at least as far as Santa Barbara. Have a safe trip even if you don't keep the kids happy with an RV adventure.
Come back to see our great National Parks including Grand Canyon sometime between May and October.

Check traveljigsaw for car rental, rent from majors and include all insurance in the price. They can often get oneway drop fees waived.

As for 4 days of RVing not to far from LA: As tomfuller and others mentioned - Death Valley. It's actually more hospitable in the winter than the summer, although our only trip there was in mid-June one year.

It's an interesting place. We hope to get back there sometime when the temps aren't so high (it was 114 F) and spend some time exploring instead of just doing a drive through with brief stops to get out and snap a few pictures before retreating back to the air-conditioned car. You could easily fill 4 days there if you wanted to limit your driving.

Not far from Death Valley is Red Rock National Conservation Area just west of Las Vegas. We haven't been, but it's been highly recommended by others. Another place we have been is Valley of Fire State Park. It's northeast of Vegas off I-15 and quite near Lake Mead. Interesting rock formations and some native American petroglyphs.

It's been decades since I spent a night in Death Valley. I do remember that the restrooms had water tanks on the roof in a gravity system. http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping-reservations.htm
There is free parking for RV's and trucks behind Buffalo Bill's casino at Exit 1 in Primm Nevada. Buffalo Bill's has a good roller coaster but I doubt that it is running now.

It does get down fairly cold at night in Death Valley. Death Valley is a wonderful unusual place. I would expect lows in the 30's and highs in 60's. We were there a couple of years ago during the first week of Jan. Didn't camp though. We spent 3 days there and had plenty to keep us busy.

Personally - I would save Death Valley for another trip when you have more time. You could head to Vegas - and then - either decide to RV to the Grand Canyon (good roads unless a big snowtorm hits) - or take a tour from Vegas to the GC - or even rent a car for the day. It's 5 hours drive in a car (10 hrs RT) - so figure longer for a RV.

And if you went to Vegas - you are only a couple/three hours from Skiing at Brianhead, Utah - and you could also ski at Mt. Charleston is it? - an hour or so outside of Vegas.

Haven't skied either place - but did go by Mt. Charleston in the summer - and it looked like it could be fun.

They have 4 days and want to go on some sort of RV trip and you're sending them to Vegas? Over Death Valley? Interesting.

I think telling the boys to "get over it", and use your time better and safer than an RV in the winter when coming SO far to a pretty interesting country--as yours is also.
There is a LOT to do and see in the American West, without an RV. The real point being that you may not find places to stay, other than a Walmart parking lot.

Death Valley - is fine to see once - but IMO - is just a bunch of scorched rocks. Vegas has a lot to offer and is closer to skiing, the Grand Canyon, etc.

Ok... I'm going to set the cat amoungst the pidgeons..... What if I hire a chev Tahoe and we drive Lax to telluride....? Via where...??? Or it that going to be toi snowed in near telluride?

I heard there is a great smaller canyon to the west of tellurude... And then drive thru Durango??? How does that sound... We're keen in a road trip!!

Appreciate your patience... I'm getting there...

I reckon I have 6 days to do it in..,

By the way Gretchen.. If their websites are correct.. There are loads of RV parks open with power etc over this period. Lots that aren't too... But thx for heads up.

Ok, now you are going to have options for your trip and you can look at the weather before you finally decide which route to take.

One nice trip would be to go straight from LA to Grand Canyon, about 8 hours drive. Spend the rest of the day and night there, take a hike, see sunrise, then go to Moab, UT, about 6 hours drive, visit Arches and/or Canyonlands, spend the night, head for Durango, about 2 or 3 hours visit Mesa Verde along the way, then off to Telluride. This will give you the flexibility to spend an extra night or two if weather dictates that.

Other possible stops would be Death Valley between LA and Grand Canyon, Monument Valley between Grand Canyon and Moab.

Depending on the weather forecasts, suggest you consider renting a Chevy Tahoe - or even - something with 4 wheel drive if you can -

An RV can be a bit unwieldy in high winds, etc. if there are storms blowing in. Perhaps - you could reserve both types and then finally decide what to take - after you arrive and get a good look at the weather reports.

As for your driving - normally the roads are kept pretty clear - unless there is a huge storm.

Agree with Emalloy's advice - but I would suggest stopping in Vegas for the evening/night - and you and the kids can visit the fountains at Bellagio http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/las-vegas-attractions.aspx and their beautiful Arboretum - which will be set in Holiday spirit,
and don't forget the nearby/incredible 21 foot chocolate fountain at John Phillip's Patisserie. http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/jean-philippe.aspx

In addition - the Ethyl M/Mars desert garden will brightly lit with Christmas lights - and Paris and other resorts should be looking grand as well. http://living-las-vegas.com/2008/12/christmas-lights-in-las-vegas/ http://www.vegas.com/attractions/off_the_strip/ethelm.html

And you all might like taking in a Cirque du Soleil show if you haven't seen them yet. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/destinations/las-vegas/home.aspx

From Vegas - it's an easy jaunt to the Grand Canyon - and on the way - while it's a bit longer - you might also check on Zion if you have the time. http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

If you want to see something very special en route to Telluride, then Mesa Verde would be it. The Tahoe--or Suburban for more room would do the job.

It is a good 3 days of driving without really stopping to do anything.

Zion isn't really on the way to the Grand Canyon,unless you are taking the long way around.

2 options for you:
1) 2 days/nights in Death Valley, 1 night in Vegas, 1 night in Grand Canyon, then drive thru Monument Valley and spend the remainder of your time before Telluride at Mesa Verde.

2) Go straight to Grand Canyon (will take you a day to get there) then spend day 2 exploring and overnight again at the Grand Canyon, day 3 go through Monument Valley on your way to Moab, spend day 4/5 in Arches/Canyonlands and then head to Telluride.

If you're in Telluride for 2 weeks (which does sound like a really, really long time to me) you could go to Mesa Verde for a couple days. That's what I would do, drive there one morning, overnight nearby and then explore some more the next day, driving back to Telluride the 2nd evening. Yes, that probably means you'd have one night of lodging where you're double booked in both Telluride and near Mesa Verde, but I'd do it anyway. Overall it's not going to be a huge difference in overall cost for this trip. If you're willing to do that, I'd go with my 2nd itinerary.

I suppose you could combine the 2 itineraries - drive to Death Valley, spend the afternoon and all of day 2 there before heading to Vegas for the night. Day 3, drive over Hoover Dam on your way to the Grand Canyon, stay overnight there. Day 4, drive through Monument Valley on your way to Moab and then explore Moab until you have to leave for Telluride. A bit more driving but you did say you wanted a road trip so...