Roads to Avoid While RVing in the US

There may be some roads to avoid in an RV while enjoying your travels. Of course, RVing in the U.S. can be a wonderful experience filled with scenery, roadside attractions, adventures galore and the best campgrounds and RV parks. But there are roads in America that can make road trips more stressful and take a toll on your RV. Whether it be construction, bumpy roads, or traffic, you can almost always expect these highways and interstates to be packed to the brim of unfortunate events.

For your next road trip, avoid these routes to keep smiles on your faces and get you to your destination on time.

States with the Worst Road Conditions
Before we identify the roads that truly leave scars on your rig and mind, we should first talk about the states that have considerably terrible roads. Here’s what Transportation for America found out when they decided to report on the states that needed the most investment in infrastructure, like highways and interstates.

States with the Highest Percentage of Poor Road Conditions

1. Rhode Island -- 53%

2. California -- 45%

3. Hawaii -- 42%

4. New Jersey -- 34%

5. Connecticut -- 34%

*% represents the total percentage of roads in poor condition in each state.

Many of these states are making strides to combat poor road conditions, but as more and more places become accessible, there is more ground to cover and budgets that are spread even thinner.

With this in mind, planning your trips in these states should take you a little extra time to ensure that you won’t find yourself with a flat tire on the side of the road. An RV trip planner always comes in handy when planning your perfect route.

Worst Roads to Drive While RVing
We all know that bad roads shouldn’t stop you from visiting the places you have on your bucket list, but it should be something you look out for when you plan your routes. Let’s check out some of the highways and interstates you might be better to avoid all across the U.S.

Many Roads in Minnesota

Although not listed in the top 5 states with poor roads by Transportation of America, the harsh climate in Minnesota makes it difficult for road workers to keep up with the constant erosion and decline in road quality. Minnesota is known to have many bumps and potholes. You don’t have to let this stop you from visiting, just stay alert to avoid tire problems.

San Francisco & San Jose Streets
The roads in two of California’s biggest cities were ranked as the worst roads in the state by TRIP in 2018. Not that many RVers would suggest visiting two highly populated cities, even driving through these areas for the day will leave you behind the wheel for hours just getting to and from one destination to the next. In these two cities alone, TRIP estimated that drivers most likely have additional driving costs due to repairs and vehicle depreciation that stem from the road conditions that range between $983 to $1,049. That will eat into your RV maintenance budget…

The Roads Surrounding Oklahoma City & Tulsa
Oklahoma may be flat, but their roads struggle to meet that standard. With only a short drive between these two cities, you would think that maintaining the roads here would be a big priority. Instead, RVers have to bump along the road between the two to get from hub to hub. TRIP estimates that drivers in Tulsa and Oklahoma spend roughly $900 in repairs every year due to the poor road conditions between the two main cities in the state.

Little Rock, Arkansas
Driving through the big-little city of Little Rock, Arkansas may cost you an arm and a leg in repairs. For a mid-sized urban area, you would think that traffic wouldn’t hold a tee to bigger cities, but I’ve sat through some gnarly wait times along the main stretch of interstate here.

The Roads in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a state that comes up time and time again when you look up America’s worst roads. According to Insurify’s study, Rhode Island, and the city of Providence for that matter, lackluster in overall infrastructure. With 41% of all rural roads in poor condition, 22% of bridges structurally deficient, and only 3.6% budgeted for road repairs, Rhode Island doesn’t put a priority on their roads which means its citizens’ and tourists’ vehicles are paying the price.

Hub Cities: Phoenix, LA, and New York City
Though the roads in some of the biggest hub cities in the U.S. offer perfectly fine driving conditions, you will find yourself waiting in traffic for hours, weeks, and months depending on the time of day and season. These cities offer great infrastructure, but with overcrowding and popular tourist destinations surrounding the area, it’s hard to stay zen on the roads within these cities.

Plan Ahead to Save Time and Money on the Road
Interstates and highways get us where we need to go, there’s no doubt about it. But some roads can’t be justified in an RV or trailer that costs almost as much as a rooted home.

The best way to find out what roads are under construction, backed up with traffic, or just plain awful is to check with the state department of transportation that you plan to drive through. Most DOTs post photos and updates of roads throughout the week to let drivers know what to expect and where to reroute.

With all this in mind, travel to your heart’s content, but save a little money on your tires and suspension by picking the best routes for your RV journey!