Seniors over 70 and anyone else who wants to respond

[Hittenstiehl]

This has a been a good thread for us to read.

We look forward to retiring when our trips are more equally about the trip and destination.

When I initially read about the
300ish miles a day I thought, wow that's not very far.

We once left a major city and managed to only go 50 miles that day. We laughed because we really hadn't needed to pack for that short of a journey. There were just lots of pretty things to see in those 50 miles.

Conversely I also remember an 1100 mile day where we were cranky, tired and edgy.

Lots of good advice here and looking forward to the day when we can just drive. If we want to go left we'll go left if we want to cross the river will cross the river if we want to stay 2 or 3 days that's exactly what we'll do.

Wandering aimlessly is on the bucket list.🔄

[Rocinante]

Planning a trip of 370 miles a day (avg) for ten days was daunting. While we had a planned route, we did not make most reservations until at least midday, by which time we had decided how far we would be able to travel that day. We did not un-hitch at night, and sought out pull-thru's whenever possible.

Our reason for this hurried trip back home is that we had already been away from home for three months. Sadly, when you own a house, sometimes it owns you back. We're fixing that right now, by getting rid of our house until we decide it's time to get another one.

Anyhow, our very strong preference is to drive no more than 300 miles in a day, and to spend at least a couple of nights wherever we stop. We're not working, so we need to shift into "retired" gear for our trips and enjoy the journey as much as any of the major destinations we have planned along the way.

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Related: while traveling along interstates with our trailer and dog, regardless of the speed we drive, our average speed for the day, stops included, is around 45-50 MPH. So, thats how we compute travel time for any given distance. No other time estimates for a given distance come close to being right. [emoji57]

Very close to what we found for Out West Interstate/open road driving.

Figure an "average" speed of 55 MPH plus add an additional 45 minutes for smaller cities (Lincoln NE) and add on an additional 1 hour 15 minutes for a major city (Denver). This tends to work out about right for driving at 63, gas stops, dog stops, and lunch in the trailer.

Take it down to 50 for US highway/non interstate roads.

[WA6BTK]

We use the Rule of 3: Stop at 3 o’clock or 300 miles, whichever comes first.

[xrvr]

Stop early ans sit outside and watch as the stressed out tired people come in later and try to setup camp. Great comedy..

[Cap-N-Red]

At 79 yrs of age my days vary in regards to mileage covered. I might feel like 400 or maybe just 150. I try to get rolling before 8:00 am. That is , if I can get the wife moving. It was hard for me to stop pushing it down the road as long as we had daylight. Too many years in a truck on the road, caused that problem.

[drew05]

This is a neat thread. Recently we made the decision to retire 'early' so that we could take a bucket list trip to Alaska. In addition to feeling rushed to 'be' somewhere, we always lamented not being able to extend out trips 'because (fill in the blank)..'. Work would always interfere, and keep us from "lets go left and see...".

I have seen different variations of the '4-3-2' guidelines, and will use them to some degree. We have only made one advanced reservation so far for Alaska, wishing instead to wait and see where we are as we go.

We're not sure how things will work out, but they will!!!

[Rocinante]

We’re experimenting with a “no more than 200 miles in a day” rule, but that doesn’t work so well on back roads that are twisting and mountainous (e.g. Route 101 in Oregon). Maybe we’ll try a 150 mile rule on those routes.

[featherbedder]

When wife and I were younger used to go from Aurora Il. Fla.keys or Tampa or various other places in Fla. w/stops to eat or potty breaks, now wife only wants 300 max 400 a day and looks for some place with things to see or do maybe stay several days. I can still do 1000 or a little more. I"m used to long days and trips as RR conductor for 40 yrs. and 10 days will be 84 and prefer to drive at nite but she says no go. We shoot for 6pm or so, but do variable miles.

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

We’re experimenting with a “no more than 200 miles in a day” rule, but that doesn’t work so well on back roads that are twisting and mountainous (e.g. Route 101 in Oregon). Maybe we’ll try a 150 mile rule on those routes.

I like a maximum of 5 hours, regardless the miles, and 5 hours is a long driving day for me. I’ve been known to do only 3.

If you are on winding, hilly roads, or going thru small towns, your time is eaten up without having to drive too far...bu small town America is the way to do it, in my opinion.

Lots of towns near 200 years old in this country, with old homes, opera houses, storefronts and town squares that are just plain delightful to look at.

It’s all about the wandering...

Maggie

[Rocinante]

Yup, yesterday, our 200 mile day going south on Rt 101 from Fort Stevens to Winchester Bay was more like 7 hours, including all stops. Too long for these cowpokes. Fewer miles and more stops next time!

[dmbecke]

Originally Posted by Julie-Bob

We pull our trailer anywhere between 120 to 300 Max a day. I look at the road for the next day travel and look for over night stops. We boondock or camp RV parks. About third day of traveling we stop for two nights just to recharge. We are 74 & 72. In our younger days yup 400 to 700 miles a day. But, WHY now??? We like the back roads not the Interstates we get ran over by the younger drivers and truckers that have to drive to buy things for the family. And we have traveled I 40 west to east, I 90 east to west, I 80 west to east, we don’t need that again. The small towns and two lane highways are the USA. Slow down and see this great land and the folks that make it great.

For those of you who take the back roads... how do you find the way
My nav system wants to take the interstates

[Rocinante]

There are usually options in your gps to avoid interstates, etc. You can try that.

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by dmbecke

For those of you who take the back roads... how do you find the way
My nav system wants to take the interstates

Our Garmin has a feature that can be set for a number of avoidances such as toll roads, dirt roads, and Interstate highways.

Brian

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by dmbecke

For those of you who take the back roads... how do you find the way
My nav system wants to take the interstates

I use a map.

As both driver and navigator these days, I use an electronic one....the PocketEarth app.

When I was navigator and had Doug-the-driver , we would plan our route according to what we wanted to see, and mark it out with a highlighter on a paper map of each state. I would then speak it to him as we went.

These days, I plan my route each morning, the most direct between here and there, marking turns with colored bullets, and off I go.

The app will also do this for me, but then my iPad insists on talking to me and I don’t like that. I do have it dash mounted, easy for a quick glance. I like the visual.

There are many roads and highways in each state that traverse the state north and south or east and west, so for fewer changes those are the roads I take whenever possible.

Each time I stop, I check the route to remind myself of any changes coming up, and sometimes make a note to myself.

If I make a wrong turn, I know visually immediately, as this app tracks my location in absolute real time.

I rarely use GPS, generally only when I have to get to a location in a big city.

It works.

Maggie

[Wayne&Sam]

We're a few years shy of 70, but we usually try for 300-350 a day. We generally travel to Montana/ Wyoming each year and plan on traveling that distance each day to get there.

Then we poke around to our favorite places for a couple of months and then head home.

On the way home we get antsy and by the end we may find ourselves making a mad dash of 500-600 the last day just to get home.

[Jim Flower]

Same, except a little over 70. Left Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning and got home at about noon on Sunday. 1400 miles. I am in the early stages of retirement and haven't figured out how to do it right yet. On another topic, I am going to junk the Mobilinc App since it has proven to be unreliable. Jim

[Overstreet]

Originally Posted by urnmor

I guess my questions are do you all pick the area you are going to stop at before hand and when you stop do you do it for one night and do you unhitch your AS?

Well that depends upon dinner.In or out?

We plan on stopping 3pm to dinner time. That often equates to 300 miles or six hours driving, with a lunch stop. I want to set up in the daylight. Get cleaned up. Fix or go out to dinner. Go see the sunset. Watch a movie. Take a late afternoon paddle on the lake. Hike in the woods. Have drinks. Get a good nights rest.

I spent 46 + years of working to others schedules. I'm doing this for my own amusement.

[SCFire1]

300 miles or 3:00 PM......whichever comes first.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

...On the way home we get antsy and by the end we may find ourselves making a mad dash of 500-600 the last day just to get home.

Sometimes when we own a house it starts to own us back. We’ve done that run for home ourselves. Hated it.

So, we sold the house and for at least the next 8 months or so, our Airstream is our home.