Do you have a rule for how long you'll drive every day?

[Belbein]

Used to be, when I was younger, I could drive 8, 12, 20 hours with no problem. Now, that mileage limit is coming way down. And I find "long" drives to be shorter and shorter--no more 600 or 800 mile days for me.

This trip, coming back from picking up our new 22 Sport in Orlando, we left very late in the day through no fault of our own, and had a 7 to 8 hour drive. So we were driving until well after midnight.

It occurred to me that we should adopt this rule: That no matter where we are, no matter what our schedule is, no matter where we have to be in the morning, that we pull over for a night's sleep at 9:00. No matter what. Even if it's only 4 or five hours. Because I just wasn't all that safe driving after five hours driving, or at 9:00 pm.*

Do y'all have practices like this?

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*I am proud to say that at 8:40, I realized I was nearly comatose. We pulled off at a rest area, and I lay down for 25 minutes. I didn't really sleep, but it was enough to recharge my batteries. The next 3 hours of driving were safe, even if grueling. I didn't plan on my first sack time in the new trailer being e so pedestrian, but I guess it did mean that I did survive until the NEXT sack time.

[idroba]

I try to make it a pretty hard rule to never be driving or trying to find a camping spot after dark. It is just too much hassle to find and set up in an unknown area (or even a known one) in the dark.

[mccrosti]

When I rode motorcycles long distance I had a mantra which I maintain to this day "ride your own ride". It was never about how many miles or hours or when I got there. It was always about the enjoyment of the ride.

[noreen&sal]

In a past life I was a long distance truck driver. Always had to be someplace on time. Now I'm ready to relax after 7 or 8 hours on the road. Always like to be parked around 2 or 3 pm. Sal

[lsbrodsky]

5-6 hours...no hurry to get anywhere
Larry

[Ridgerunner3]

Our plan while towing the trailer is to pull out at around 8:00 am and park at 4:00 pm. Many times we have parked at 4:00 even when we only had two more hours to go. Both of us being retired helps allow us to have this type travel schedule.

[wncrasher]

If trying to get to a destination, about all I can manage is 500 miles in a day. I don't mind overnighting in a Wal-Mart or a rest stop, but it's good to call it a day before dark so you know what your surroundings are.

If touring, traveling long days kinda defeats the purpose. Couple hundred miles at most.

[Sbb]

Most of my camping is work related. I
When I leave home for a trip I aways allow an extra day, just in case of road works or traffic backups. I also like to arrive in daylight, but occasionally do arrive in dark, as good practice. I try to stay ready for all types of events.

[Protagonist]

Most of the time, I follow the rules set down by the Department of Defense in their Joint Travel Regulations. To wit: Maximum of 350 miles per day, unless that leaves you within 75 miles of your destination, in which case you can go all the way to your destination. So, a one-day one-way trip is no more than 425 miles, a two-day one-way or longer trip is broken down into 350-mile segments, with the last segment being anywhere from 76 to 425 miles.

Once in a great while I have to go farther in a day, such getting to the family home in time for a funeral. When travel time is limited, I can go about 750 miles in a day. I don't like it, and I arrive at my destination too wired to sleep even though I'm too exhausted to do anything else, so I wouldn't dare drive the next day. I can't string 750-mile days back-to-back.

[perryg114]

The problem is for those of us that still have kids is you are still living by someone else's schedule. You can only take your kids out of school when we say. So many times you are trying to get from A to B in a limited time on the worst week of the year for travel. We are planning on home schooling next year so maybe we can go 300-400 miles camp then do another 300-400 miles. Traveling during the week seems to make life easier as far as driving stress. Also you tend to drive faster when you have to get there on time. Don't get me started on traveling through Birmingham on a Saturday in the rain.

Perry

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Don't get me started on traveling through Birmingham on a Saturday in the rain.

Perry

Been there. Done that. Got the tow truck bill.

[wncrasher]

Perry, that is a great suggestion on traveling during the week if possible.

Avoiding the highways on Friday evening, Saturday, and Monday morning goes along way on reducing your stress. I have found some Sunday evenings to be light traffic as well.

[Skooter]

500 miles in 10 hours is reasonable for me in ideal conditions. Not retired yet, so we only get a week or two at a time, maybe once or twice a year. LOVE the desert, and if we wanna go to 1200 miles to Big Bend it's really not feasible unless there are a few long driving days involved.

But always prepared to park it short of destination due to traffic jams, etc. Because sometimes they happen on wide open stretches of interstates and you can't plan around them, such as you can avoiding rush hour in major cities.

[pappy19]

We usually try and get to a campground during daylight hours for parking and setting up. Sometimes, if the CG has a pull-through and we are leaving the next morning, I just hook up the electricity and never unhook the AS. As far as stopping during the day, I used to go 5-6 hours, but now it's how far between "pee's".

[m.hony]

No, I don't have a rule for how many hours driving in a day, but my wife does...
5-6 hours is all she wants, but some destinations are 8-9 hours...

[Foiled Again]

I really try not to be TOO Preachy, but what speed are you driving at to GET 600 miles done in a single day?

Airstreams with the 15 inch wheels and Goodyear Marathons - tire blowout waiting to happen at sustained speeds over 55 mph. No trailer tires are rated for over 55 mph.

I rolled my previous Airstream going 65 mph on a 70 mph speed limit stretch of I 64...and I am SURE I'd have had more time to react at 55 mph. Might still have wrecked but the slower you go, the more recovery time you have. Even just blowing a tire at high speed can damage the aluminum surrounding the wheel well of your trailer. I hankered after an Eddie Bauer, but never wanted to get one "by accident".

I am now a geezer driver. I only drive over 55 mph when I fear getting killed if I go slower (I-95 in heavy traffic), but generally I avoid opt to avoid i-95 in the first place. I will not be rude and hold other people up because I'm putting along at 45 mph, and where it can be done safely I will pull off and let a line of faster vehicles pass. I'll also stay in the outside lane on four lane highways to allow faster people to pass safely. I'm not setting any land speed records, but then if I only make 350-400 miles per day, I still sleep in my own bed at night.

Also night driving - only in a full moon. (I used to have abnormally good night vision and it's still above average but too much stuff you can't see is out there in the dark.) In the north - it's MOOSE. I was at the mothership on a visit when an Airstream came in for emergency service. The tow vehicle hit a deer. The deer flew up on the hood of the truck, then over the roof and through the panoramic front window to bleed out on the untraleather couch of the Airstream. Erk!

Be safe out there People (Hill Street Blues)
Paula

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

I really try not to be TOO Preachy, but what speed are you driving at to GET 600 miles done in a single day?

In my case, I'm driving an Airstream Interstate, not towing a trailer, keeping within the posted speed limit on the Interstate highway system. 750 miles in 12 hours doesn't require speeding at all. That's 12 hours of actual driving time; it may take 14 or 15 hours clock time due to intermediate stops to fill the fuel tank or drain my tank.

When I'm towing my toad, I stick to 60 mph even on the Interstate highway system (my Honda owner's manual limits me to 65 mph or less while towing, and no more than 500 miles at a time), and my maximum towing range to date has been about 400 miles in one day, between home and Eastbank Campground on Lake Seminole.

[John&Vicki]

I tend to be hyper - my working life of 50+ years usually involved long hectic days with ample anxiety and stress. No more.

Now that I'm retired I try really hard to slow everything down. Unless there is an emergency of some kind the word urgency has been eliminated from my vocabulary.

When pulling a trailer I observe the following "We'll get there eventually" rules:

o 250 miles a day unless that leaves less than 50 miles from my destination
o Short break after two hours
o 55 miles per hour
o Stop whenever I see something interesting
o Avoid large urban areas whenever possible
o No driving after dark
o Arrive early enough to set up in time for cocktail hour
o If a destination creates a gotta-get-there destination frame of mind, then I change the destination
o Minimize reservations as they tend to create gotta-get-there

It takes me a long time to get somewhere, but I figure I'm always somewhere already.

Poppy

[Aage]

If you have planned your trip (and had choices about which way to take) it's nice if you can make it an enjoyable trip.

Remember that old saying, "It's not about getting there, it's the journey."

[Skooter]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

No trailer tires are rated for over 55 mph.

Perhaps you meant to say 65. All my search results show 65. Here's one from the etrailer site: The trailer tires we offer are rated for 65 mph (which is typical) unless stated otherwise on the sidewall.