Seniors over 70 and anyone else who wants to respond

[urnmor]

the reason I titled the thread this way is because IMO Seniors usually only want to travel so many miles in a day. I am one of those seniors (73 years young) who say I only want to do about 325 to 350 miles a day but I don't always follow it. For instance we just drove back to the Eastern shore of Maryland about an 1100 mile trip in two days. So I am trying to figure out what went wrong and why I drove over 500 miles per day. It seems like I justify it by saying just it is still light so lets keep going another 50 miles and then that turns into another 50 miles. Or like yesterday we said the weather will be bad tomorrow and we are only 250 miles from home and it will still be light when we get home.

Anyway just wondering if any one else, especially Seniors has experience this line of logic?

[SeaLevel]

While we have driven one or two long days in our so far ~180 camping nights, for the most part we limit our driving to under 250 miles per day. We like using the trailer more than pulling it down the road.

[NukeSubSailr]

A lot of variables. Wife has back problems so we try to keep it less than 350. If we are stopping at a site with hookups we like to stop early enough to enjoy it. If stopping at Cracker Barrel we sleep in and plan to arrive after dark for dinner. Before I retired I shot for 500 to 600 to get where I needed to go. Now we take longer and see some sights along the way. It just all depends.

[TexasMarci]

We plan our trips for somewhere between 170 and 240 miles per day - max!! Hubby is 74 and I'm partially disabled so by the time we pull up stakes and go and get there and then settle in again, that's enough for one day!! Still gives us time to enjoy that area or go for a bite or cook out or all of these. We plan the trips together - on the dining room table - each with out laptops and maps and we call out a city - say Austin - then he looks to see what is in the driving range for us while I look at RV park reviews and things to do/see - then we agree on which spot to stop and will it be for one night or four? It seems to work for us and we have discovered some interesting sights this way.

[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?

[PKI]

It depends on the situation. Given a perfect campground at the next exit, the day's travel is over. Best way to do 300-400 miles is to plan your day's travel distance prior and have two backups. Some days may be 300 miles and others may be 400, depending on what overnight sites are available at your target distance.

You can leverage the "make all the miles you can" mentality by picking the backup about 50 miles past your ideal overnight stop. Then if it's full, you can justify rolling by having a new goal 50 miles down the road. If it's available, stopping at your ideal site is a reasonable carrot to stop for the day, even if you would like to make more miles. You can also plan for an early morning departure to add distance to the next day's travel.

On that 250 miles from home deal, if we get close, we are going home. It's always been that way. But a lot of miles after a lot of miles is just not a good thing. You need a plan to get yourself stopped before you are too tired to proceed. We think the solution is a very nice park about 200 miles from home that is a great overnight destination to rest up for the final push home. As an alternative a set of known good nap stops at 50, 100 and 150 miles from home sets up a plan for a 2-4 hour nap to get you home safe. An early morning restart gets you on the road before rush hour. And if you restart and can't make it, the next nap stop will bail you out. After all, a noon arrival at the home stead is not a bad thing.

So, plan the trip. Identify backups. Pick destinations that are meaningful to you. Be flexible. Be reasonable. And most important, be safe! Pat

[accordionman]

We are still in our first yr of Rv ing, but despite my enjoying driving, we limit our trips to 300 miles, day 1, 200 miles, day 2 and then a rest day if necessary. We do figure our stops before we leave, but do consider that changes can be necessary and have done that on occasion. Once I get beyond 300 miles, I start getting real drouzy. I usually keep a dish towel on ice in a small cooler in the back seat of the truck and shock my face "into another realm" when I started to get droopy eyed. It works well, but again, beyond 300 miles, not well enough.

Just as an example, we're working on a trip where the destination is 360 miles from home. I'm splitting it in half. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Ed

[Lily&Me]

I generally pick my overnight stop, and call ahead to the CG for a site, in the morning before I head out. .

A 5 hour day is long enough for me, and sometimes I only drive 3 or so.

Most of we seniors...I’m 68...are retired, so why spend long days driving.

Maggie

[Protagonist]

I'll generally keep it under 350 miles a day if I'm driving on consecutive days. Too many 350-mile days back-to-back is a grind.

But now that I'm retired, sometimes I'll stretch that to 400 or 450 miles a day if campgrounds I'm willing to stop at are few and far between, as long as the stop is for two nights— drive a day, rest a day, drive a day, rest a day, etc.

[Bill M.]

I find that I am pretty happy with 8 hour road days. About 6-7 hours driving and 1-2 hours of stops. However many miles that works out too. First day out we always go faster and further. When we are heading to a destination I stop one night at the time and do not unhitch. Maybe work a short day in along with the longer ones every 3 days or so.

[bweybright]

What was the majority of your working life tasks/profession and what company (grinder) did you work for so we can better answer your question.....

A yoga instructor or a type A safety engineer in a major pressure industry, etc.? From your question I would venture a guess towards the latter so maybe that is why you are pushing each day?

No judgements, just based on self reflection on how I have had to learn to choose to travel at different paces when it makes sense and relates to what I want to be doing.

So here is my ego insight: I personally like to have a nice dinner so I will find a spot of choice KOA, Walmart, etc. so that I can dinner before dark and get up early and hit the road when time is of the essence. I will look for a KOA if I am more relaxed and stopping for a nice set up (i.e. dump tanks) and relaxed leave. And do the County and state parks when I am chill and just enjoying the adventure of the trip because they offer some special times. County parks can be really nice spots but just take looking to find.

[rmkrum]

It varies. I try to pre-plan 250-350 miles per day with reserved stops if there is a particular destination in mind. Schedule is adjusted to accommodate this. Does it always happen as planned? Nope. Weather intrudes, traffic messes us up, etc. I build in a lot of slack on a ‘planned trip’

For a trip that has no planned destination, we go more or less the same possible mileage, but without reservations and preparation for more random travel. More food and water aboard, more propane, and the generator is abound “Justin Case” we need it. I consult my buddy Justin a lot during planning.

We do tend to plan or start travel in “dog safe” cooler weather because the doggies have to come along. If we get stuck or find something to explore, the non-schedule milestones make a nice whooshing noise as they go by.

We try to pick out a reasonable ‘turn around’ date based on distance from home base. And let it advance or slide as circumstances change.

I don’t have trouble driving long distances, and we may do long days, but we do rest stops and sleep/meal breaks as needed. It’s always an advantage having a clean restroom right with us..and clean shower and sleeping accommodations just 20 feet behind.

We do tend to travel from known good restaurant to restaurant and will either cook something light, or hit Cracker Barrel, etc as we drive.

I do meet the original post criteria, but don’t have that much drive time limit. I’ll stop if I feel too tired wherever I must. Dogs and family tend to require regular breaks on the road.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

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?

Hi, we used to travel all day long, or more, but since retirement I can slow down. I still occasionally get excited and keep driving. Old habit. We travel randomly and virtually never make reservations. We have only been turned away two times in 13 years. Many one night stops before a destination so we never un hook for those. When we stumble upon a place of interest, we stay long enough to see and do what we want. Sometimes this is only one extra day and sometimes it could be close to a week. Never longer so far.

[McDave]

Mileage depends on roads and traffic congestion, so 300 miles might be a long day or a short day, depending. We tend to get up fairly early (seniors will understand why) but I don't like to rush through breakfast or getting ready to go. I like to travel about 6 hours, so I don't have to rush the cocktail hour after setting up in the new place. Can't always achieve that, but it's a goal. I get grumpy if it pushes into 7-8 hours on the road, so wife generally buys into the goal too. Dog also gets grumpy after much more than 6 hours on the road without anything more than a pee break in some stupid median strip. I'm 73, btw.

[Tn Traveler]

I guess at 76 I am the senior of seniors here. It seems about 6 hours of drive time covering about 350 miles is a very comfortable day. Sometimes my travelling companion's get-home-itis causes me to push past that. That is not a comfortable day.

[Royce]

When I had help setting and breaking camp, 300 miles a day or less was about right. Now that I do that alone I would rather get someplace and stay for a few days.

[vanster]

I don't like driving at night and cocktail hour is part of traveling so why waste it? (72)

[davidlparker]

I am about the same age. For me it is a matter of habit. I like to have a martini and watch the evening news. So, my days are about 250 - 300 miles, at 55 - 60 mph. When it is time to stop so I can be set up and watching the news and enjoying my martini, I ask my GPS to locate an RV park if I do not have a preplanned stopping place. I could drive farther but then I would have to give up another habit. So, unless there is a compelling urgency I limit my driving time to fit my preferences.

David Parker
1993 Excella 32'
1989 Dodge D-350

[J-K Georgia]

We try to plan to travel 300 plus or minus depending on locations of campgrounds available near that distance.
I had to learn to do this intentionally, was used to go till you drop.
Now, I enjoy the shorter distance, regardless of whether it takes us extra days to get to our location or not. Plus you get a chance to walk around the campground, maybe have a fire and relax.
I do not disconnect the TT and TV unless we have to.

John

[journeydog]

Originally Posted by Tn Traveler

I guess at 76 I am the senior of seniors here.

You're 'just a 'kid' (I'm 80+ and ready to go anywhere but 'down'.) My mother, [RIP] used to tell me "I'm ready to go - just not today". Well I'm not - either way!

I always feel it's the journey - not the destination. Slow down and enjoy the view. (Every year, we make a trip to one of my daughters. She and her tribe are just under 1200 miles away. It seems to take 5 or 6 days to get there [with an overnight or two stop at a casino along the way. I had a massive stroke 10+ years ago that left me unable to get around without an aid or two - I have no balance - which leaves just about everything for my wife to do without my help. While traveling, no matter what time I awake ready to roll, my wife gets stuck taking the dog out for the regular morning 'relief', etc. and we usually don't 'get out of Dodge' until 10am or so. About 3pm and 3 or 400 miles down the road, it's time to stop moving for the day.) Point is, the journey is what it is, so enjoy the fact that it's not a race to 'get to work on time'.