What's the farthest you've towed in one day?

[JulianneJ]

Around 780 miles from Auburn, CA to Surprise, AZ ~I won't do that again. Now I prefer to drive 4-5 hours a time max 6.

[NWGreyhound]

570 miles in one day. Will try not to do it again but as we all know, circumstances at the time etc. I usually try to travel 250 to 350 mile day stopping every two hours to walk the dogs and myself. We have done Arizona from Washington snow birding five winters and put about 8k on the traile reach year sleeping in it about 75 nights per year. We use it a lot but not full time obviously.

[THEPILL]

Originally Posted by Bluto

So Pill, how many miles have you towed in one day?

So far on my little trips around my longest was 460. Towing that is. But driving, it gets quite insane.

I'm planning on 700+ miles the first day.

Shane

[Bluto]

Will that put you on the western Fla. border a after the first day?
Let me know how that schedule works out for you? I haven't done that drive yet, but may try it next year. At least as far as Orlando, but I'll probably take 2 days to drive the 1000 miles.

[fotochop]

350 miles...my Bhodissattva won't let me do more than that, she keeps reminding me "the journey, butterfly, not the destination..." ;-)

[easyride]

Hardest drive I`ve ever made was from Naples to southern Ohio,I was loaded to to go,when I got the call my mother had died,almost 1200 miles in 18 hrs,only stopped for gas around 450-500 miles,had food and drink in cooler,when I needed personal stop,just pulled over along Interstate,and used trailer.
Trip back I took 4 days. Dave

[Steve & Susan]

CLE to Portland ME and then Portland ME to Halifax, NS the next day.
Did the same on the return trip and VOWED never to exceed 8 hours a day again.

[EvelynDickinson]

Clearwater, FL to Libertyville, IL stopping only for food & gas - Made it in right at 24 hours. Never again.

[barts]

900 miles in one day - Annacortes, Washington to Menlo Park, CA in 17 hours, single driver. Virtually no stops - just for fuel and to-go fast food.

- Bart

[slowmover]

There's a reason -- and a ton of statistics -- to show why commercial drivers are restricted in hours. And, for safety's sake, safety pretty well goes out the window if driving outside of daylight.

On a long summer day, with dawn-to-dusk being [14] hours +/-, even [10] hours of driving is hard to do what with appropriate rest breaks, food breaks, fuel, etc. I've trip-planned any number of days as a truck driver, and, again, as an RV'er. Anything above 500 is pushing luck, past 600 is a brick wall in terms of ability. May as well be drunk for what statistics/safety studies show.

600 miles is an outside number, a maximum-effort day. White line fever.

But it can be done if appropriate precautions are made: stops every 1.5 to 2.0 hours; meals (45-60") every four or so (where I include fuel); and time MUST be given to vehicle inspections before AND after the day is done. Windshield perfectly cleaned, driver stretched out, etc on those stops.

If pushing it, then starting at civil dawn (just before sunrise), but NOT into the twilight hours. Build into the schedule about 1.5 hours at the end of daylight for mishaps (traffic problems) that -- if not used -- is good to complete post-trip inspection, set-up camp and lay out everything for the next day (if doing it again).

Always plan to arrive in daylight.

Drivers have a tendency to slack off the last miles be it five or fifty. A not-surprising number have fatigue pile up at that point. Just because I did it before does not mean I can do it again. You CANNOT relax until the brakes are set. Period. And don't expect to be worth a hill of beans the next day . . you NEED to plan out every minute of every day to maintain alertness and to get proper rest if on a multi-day trip. (Better an extra day of driving, in other words).

And don't forget that it is the periphery of major metro areas where most "rural" Interstate accidents occur: too much traffic flowing in and out (commuters and deliveries). Areas like this are usually 100-miles wide, or from 50-75 miles out from either end. So "planning" on 70 mph won't work . . too much traffic (one is now "speeding: under the limit" with a travel trailer in tow).

Now, travel speed: 10-hours of drive-time at 60 mph is plenty far . . 8-hrs at 70 mph may be too far as sight/braking/maneuvering distances are too far for a vision-restricted driver (the faster you drive, the worse is peripheral vision). The former is the better choice.

Fine skills (necessary skills) deteriorate too far. Hand-eye-foot coordination are critical.

And let's not mention that a 40-year old needs TWICE as much light as a 20-yr old.

I like 400-450 miles given open roads at the most. 500 in far west Texas . . maybe. 300 or 3 o'clock is even better. Even on the Great Plains, or in the desert there is more than sufficient change in the scenery, the topography, the climate, etc. for my destination to have great interest on a 300-mile day.

I like a leisurely lunch and a GREAT dinner even more than the miles 'cause I'm on vacation. I have a trailer because I ENJOY driving. Put a time constraint on it and it's turned into work, with all the risk that entails.

Leave the forced marches to the Marines.

.

[DaveFL]

Rednax seems to have it right. First your age, type of work or not, reason for trip, available time.
I can safely say my distances have spiralled down over the years, first it was available time, second it was relatives to see, now it is smell the roses along the way and hope the destination is as good as expected and make most trips a loop so that we will see as much as we can. We dislike interstates and only use when time and size of road matters. 200-300 makes for relaxed travel, 700 is pushing it, our truck driving friends do 1000+ per day but every mile is money in the bank. One sleeps the other drives, they know they aren't on vacation and every month to 6 wks have to r and r for a week. Enjoy the ride.

[dlb435]

West coast to east coast.

[Dave Park]

I've done east coast to west coast in a day once, but I was in England at the time, so no big deal.

I think my safety fun cut-off is about 500 miles, but my fun cut-off is about a hundred miles before that. Since I do this for fun, I rarely get to test the safety side of things

[nayl]

About 770 miles. We had to cover just over 2100 miles in three days to get home before school started.

[searcher]

1,223 miles Phx to Eugene Oregon, 24 hours flat.

I drove most of the way, my wife did about 500 miles. Stopped for gas three times, mostly 70- 75 mph.

Never again.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by THEPILL

Thanks


Shane

700 miles. Snow storm chasing.

[howco]

1100 miles by myself to pick up a cap for my 1937 ford pick up truck from Puyallup Wa to Billings, Mt and back about a clean 21 hours and two Rockstars over ice.
Drove my 04 Burban and a 12" utility trailer.
Slept well that night and into the next day....

[Airstream01]

Monterey to Pueblo, CO. 1400 miles 25hrs. Airstream in tow. Stopped every 400mi for fuel and a stretch. Brutal, but will probably have to do it again next summer.

[blmitch5]

601 in one day bring my new to me Bambi home. It was @ the half way point From Williamsburg VA to Olathe KS. It took @12-13 hrs due to weather. It was a beautiful day up until Columbia MO when it started to rain, then sleet, snow oh, and don't forget the ice!!!! I stoped for @ an hour to rest (and work up courage) before the last 45 miles of the drive. It took over 2 hours but I made it home safe in 2nd and 1st gear for the last leg! What a day and there was a nice (well needed) martini waiting for me. The Bambi and tv were solid ice by the time I got home. And to think it was 55 in St Louis. You get a great price in February but not fun to tow in!

[xonvldz]

1050 orlando fla to pa.usually drive 800 miles on my way to fla and stop in nc for a 2 hr nap.with the nap and stopping for fuel and food it isnt that bad.without the proper rest stops fatique takes over.