Best way to drive to Lake Tahoe area from Las Vegas? (Reno: motorhome, live)

[Tires]

Is it better to drive through Nevada on 95 and 395 or drive through California on Interstate 5 to 50?
Is there good cellular voice and data service both routes?

[dynimagelv]

Straight up 95 and 395 to Carson...good road.[2 lane] pretty scenery [desert] best place to stop for the night is Tonopah. It CAN be done on a one day drive if need be....but its a fairly long day. [thanks to the enforcement of the speed limit]

I did it in just under 4 hours once in a differant lifetime

[Tires]

The 95/395 route looks kind of desolate, hilly and curvy, so I'm wondering if it will be in good 3G coverage.
I may go on to the Sacramento area also, so I thought driving on the 5 or 99 would be better traveled bigger roads with constant 3G cell phone coverage for Pandora radio and Google Maps and 95 might have a lot of dead zones.
I may be with a motor home or trailer, so I wonder if the drive through 95 and 395 might be too difficult/dangerous of a drive with a big vehicle that could be subject to overheating on steep grades in 100 degree weather.

[dynimagelv]

If you go 95. all the way up thru Tonopah, youre in WELL traveled reasonably flat desert terraine the other ways are WAYYYYYYYY out of the way this is a P.O.C. drive. even in a motorhome or draggin a trailer.

[Buzz123]

95 is obviously the best way to go. The other ways you're talking about would be a loooooooooooooooooooong ways out of your way. Like 200 miles out of the way. And I wouldn't recommend 99 to anyone. Not only is it a sloooooooow way to go thanks to a lot of small towns, and I think it's two lane congested with farm equipment, you're liable to die from all the agriculture chemicals polluting the air. It will be desolate anyway you go. This is the desert. If you must use your cell phone, you got a problem though. For a really scenic drive, I've gone over to Lee Vining/Mono Lake, and up 395.

[Tires]

I figured if I end up stopping in Sacramento and San Francisco in addition to Lake Tahoe, it would be a wash either way.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

If you go 95. all the way up thru Tonopah, youre in WELL traveled reasonably flat desert terraine the other ways are WAYYYYYYYY out of the way this is a P.O.C. drive. even in a motorhome or draggin a trailer.

Agree with you. There is NO WAY that I would go out pf the way to get to US 395.

All the roads mentioned are all pretty easy drives without a lot of curves.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by Tires

I figured if I end up stopping in Sacramento and San Francisco in addition to Lake Tahoe, it would be a wash either way.

Well, if you plan to go to San Francisco first, that's a different story. But if you're going to Tahoe first ...take U.S. 95. San Francisco is only about two hours from South Lake Tahoe on Rt. 50 and I-80.

[bigdave01]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Well, if you plan to go to San Francisco first, that's a different story. But if you're going to Tahoe first ...take U.S. 95. San Francisco is only about two hours from South Lake Tahoe on Rt. 50 and I-80.

No way, SF is more than two hours from Tahoe. To actually get into the city its a good hour and 45 from Sacramento depending on traffic. I'd say at least 3 hours from Tahoe.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by bigdave01

No way, SF is more than two hours from Tahoe. To actually get into the city its a good hour and 45 from Sacramento depending on traffic. I'd say at least 3 hours from Tahoe.

I only did it once, late at night, in a snowstorm, from the Oakland airport. Seems I recall it being about 2 - 2½. When I lived in Reno everyone said it was 2½ from Reno.