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Old 07-13-2020, 03:02 PM   #21
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5 hours.
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Old 07-13-2020, 04:54 PM   #22
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Know thyself!

Stretch when you need to, give yourself extra time for traffic, accidents, weather or breakdowns. Reserve ahead for weekends, weekdays reserve by phone before about 2:00 to avoid last minute panic or having to drive on when you are exhausted. When stymied, ask a local -they will know where to park, where to eat, where to shop and where to find that part.

Everyone is different, but a rigid timetable will not enhance your adventure. A rested and well fed driver is important to your safety and the safety of those around you.
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Old 07-13-2020, 06:32 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by bibbs View Post
I like to get 300 miles as a minimum, 450 is a long day for us.


We also usually target 300 min and 450 max. I assume 50mph to estimate total driving time (50mph also allows for stops for R&R).
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Old 07-13-2020, 06:51 PM   #24
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Here is my field-tested formula:

For calculation purposes, assume an "average" speed rate of 55 MPH, and add 45 minutes for every smaller city (Omaha) and 90 minutes for every large city (Denver). Add an additional 30 minutes for rush hour. Account for time zone changes.

This will allow you to drive at 62-65 mph on the road, and stop for gas, bathroom breaks, dog stops, lunch in the trailer. This has worked for us correctly for several trips.

Secret to not getting overly fatigued is to drive at 63-65 and let everyone pass you. It is much less tiring to drive that speed, and you aren't "fighting" for your slot in traffic.

Also gas up when you arrive. Gas stations are crazy in the mornings.

Try to be off the road at 4 pm if you can. (Or have a shorter day after a long one.) This allows for a nap, dinner, shower, and hang out. Early to bed and leave at sunrise. Much less traffic in the early mornings, and other drivers are more rested.

I recommend reservations for all stops. We stay in Denver a lot (Chatfield State Park). From there to KC is a really long day but is easy interstate driving. I-70 between KC and St Louis is awful. Tons of trucks and a lot of traffic. Be rested for that leg and try not to do on a Friday or Sunday because there will be extra traffic due to Lake of the Ozarks weekend traffic.

Depending on how early you realistically want to leave every day, just plot out the miles using the method above, get out the google maps, and figure out where to stop.
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Old 07-13-2020, 06:53 PM   #25
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Agree with most of what has been said, plan to average no more than 50mph to allow for gas stops etc., allow at least 30 min to hitch and unhitch and set up and pack up, it helps to have an end point in mind, a second driver helps too, we do 2 hours on two hours off, and lastly we try not to have more than 2 long driving days back to back.

We want to enjoy our trips not endure them.

We like to spend at least 3 days to explore our planed waypoint. If we are on a "pass though" we don't plan to unhitch so either a pull through site or a level(ish) Walmart site is fine. Thank you Walmart in Avon Colorado, we had a nice quiet Saturday night there on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park recently.
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Old 07-13-2020, 07:00 PM   #26
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Also-you WILL need to run AC. Plan for electric hookups or have enough generator and fuel to run it all night. It is going to be a hot hot summer and the humidity east of Salina KS is unrelenting.
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Old 07-13-2020, 08:02 PM   #27
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For us, it is hard to avg more than 50 mph with stops for cats and to walk around the camper and stretch our legs every couple of hours. We drive 65 mph but don’t avg that high with the stops. 500 miles is a long day but possible. I would suggest a shorter day on the first day - always more stressful. Let’s say 300-350 mi. Then a long day followed by a shorter day.

Allow yourself that few hours every 2 days. You will feel better the next day and not so heated up. Stay safe. Hope to see everyone out there soon!
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Old 07-19-2020, 09:33 AM   #28
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250-300 miles is plenty for us. No big rush. Enjoy the ride.
I always find a place for the night before I hook up, and make a reservation, especially in today’s market with so many hitting the road. No worries.
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:03 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by OTRA15 View Post
Well said, Bob and SeeMore.

These "miles per day site:airforums.com" search results may help round out the discussion -- lots of suggestions all over the place here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=mile...=airforums.com

Plenty of variables:

-- how many competent drivers
-- personal fatigue parameters
-- stress/delays from traffic/weather/etc.
-- time required to set up/break down campsite
-- campsite reservations or daily "look see"
-- etc.

One personal suggestion . . . try to avoid "have to get to there by tonight" kinds of expectations. Rushing to keep a schedule, or "pushing on" when fatigued, can be a trap IMO. Know your limits, and respect them. They have gotten you this far!



Good luck,
I'm with you guys! All such factors come into play (or fuel disaster).
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:06 AM   #30
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My goal is no more than 300-350 miles a day. My average speed including traffic, gas & rest stops is about 50 mph. So 7-8 hours is the norm for me. When on the way to a destination campground, I always preplan and reserve that intermediate campground. If I'm running late for any reason, I'll call the intermediate campground and let them know I'm running late and when I think I will be there. With that knowledge if the campground office closes early, they leave my registration docs and site location outside the office area for me. No pressure for me and I've never had any issues doing it like this. Campgrounds are very used to folks doing this.

Jack
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:10 AM   #31
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Originally Posted by SeeMore View Post
There are many who plan around the 250 to 300 mile/day and no more than 65 mph. I fall into that category for most trips. However, there are times when distance and time driving per day need to be longer. To do longer days you need to assess your health as part of boosting the upper mileage and driving time parameters. I don't happen to have any health issues requiring medicines or dietary restrictions.

In summer, with longer day light hours available and cross country destinations, I typically can achieve a 50 mph average on interstate routes. For planning purposes, I route plan a good day at no more than 500 miles over ten hours. When pushing the upper daily limit, I depart at sunrise (headed west) and take regular 5-10 minute breaks every 90 minutes or so. Coming east the low horizon sunrise can be harder on the eyes the first few hours so I adjust accordingly.

I eat healthy, non-sugar foods (protein drinks work well) to stay alert rather than relying on caffeine boosters and snack foods. I still maintain my speed below 65 mph despite the 70+ mph traffic passing me. I take 45 minutes for lunch mid-day and plan to avoid metropolitan areas rush hour traffic where possible. Rest stops work great for a power nap as the need arises during the day.
Great summary! In retirement we’ve traveled quite a bit, with attention to this very topic. 250-350 MPD in the leisure mode, and 450 when required for a schedule constraint or something more urgent. The difference in fatigue and sense of pleasure / enjoyment is significant. When we are regular with stretching / yoga and careful with our menus the 350 feels great and 450 feels like work. We’ve built careful itineraries for our most common trips around 300-350 MPD.
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:20 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeeMore View Post
There are many who plan around the 250 to 300 mile/day and no more than 65 mph. I fall into that category for most trips. However, there are times when distance and time driving per day need to be longer. To do longer days you need to assess your health as part of boosting the upper mileage and driving time parameters. I don't happen to have any health issues requiring medicines or dietary restrictions.

In summer, with longer day light hours available and cross country destinations, I typically can achieve a 50 mph average on interstate routes. For planning purposes, I route plan a good day at no more than 500 miles over ten hours. When pushing the upper daily limit, I depart at sunrise (headed west) and take regular 5-10 minute breaks every 90 minutes or so. Coming east the low horizon sunrise can be harder on the eyes the first few hours so I adjust accordingly.

I eat healthy, non-sugar foods (protein drinks work well) to stay alert rather than relying on caffeine boosters and snack foods. I still maintain my speed below 65 mph despite the 70+ mph traffic passing me. I take 45 minutes for lunch mid-day and plan to avoid metropolitan areas rush hour traffic where possible. Rest stops work great for a power nap as the need arises during the day.
Agree, 250, 300 tops, 62-65 mpr, and not every day. If 2 drivers, we have done more with both of us driving to get home.. Don't overdo, its a long journey and you want to get there safely. When you are starting to get tired it is time to stop.
Safe travels
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Old 07-19-2020, 11:20 AM   #33
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I'm fairly different from all the other answers here, but possibly for a good reason. Like you when I'm traveling I usually need to be wherever I'm going in the shortest amount of time, often because I'm traveling to a jobsite for work.

The most important answer has been given... know yourself.

My background I'm male, 50, no health issues generally considered a night owl.
Latest tow rig 1990 F250 supercab, cloth seats < I crossed Nevada once and had to get out of the seat to let it dry for a bit, the truck smelled like a gym locker. I've since sat on a towel on long hot trips.

I average 90-95 kms over the course of my driving time, but my truck & trailer are happy at 120kmh (55-60, 75mph).
Depending on the day I get 14-18 hours in, with a mid day siesta.

Typical "hiball" day, up with my bladder between 6 and 7, on the road in about 15-20 min, drive an hour or so, pull over and grab a road breakfast from the fridge or a choke and puke, if traveling with my dad coffee is a must so there's definitely going to be a stop in the first hour. I find having breakfast/coffee first puts me 45 to an hour behind, stopping on the road only loses 10 min.
I push hard till about 3pm, the beginnings of rush hour. I look for a lunch spot, eat and sleep from 45 min to 2 hours, get up wash my face and use the facilities. Back on the road, rush hour is winding down and I'm not stressed or nodding off. Push till 7-8ish and think about dinner, normally this is Mcdonalds, fast and reliable. Back on the road I drive until I start to feel it in my eyelids. Then I look for somewhere safe to park till morning. My fave is Walmart but industrial parks work well to. Rinse and repeat until you get to where you're going.
The mid day nap is a new thing, but I find I can double the lost driving time later that night. And if your after midnight when you park for the night you almost never get hassled until you're leaving again anyway. The absolute best part about towing your bedroom with you, is the ability to let your body decide what you're doing. No need to stress about motels or reservations, any safe parking spot is your campsite. Truck stops can be good and bad, depends how well you can sleep with a bunch of diesels idling around you.

My daughter and her friend went from BC to Florida by car with a tent, worried about safe sleeping at night they set the tent up at a park/beach/picnic spot in the middle of the day, slept 5 hours, and drove all night.
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Old 07-19-2020, 11:31 AM   #34
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I will do 11-12 hours a day, but not near big cities - crazy drivers. The key is not to idle at rest stops or locales. You have your bathroom with you, get on with the drive. Make meals at night for the day's drive.
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Old 07-19-2020, 11:32 AM   #35
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a li'l math comes in handy- the general consensus is 4-6 hours at 65 mph (realistically after subtracting fuel and food breaks.)
I just did that tour, first leg Green Valley Lake down the 18N into Lucerne Valley, then 247 to I-15 from Barstow to 70 east to Denver (with a stop in Moab Canyonlands).
That's almost a thousand miles for me (and not much less for you) 1000 / 65 = 15+
so looking at 5 hours a day is still three days. And at the rate, doubt you'll make the Virgin River Casino and Hotel, prime rib for 7.99 (and rooms for $27) unless you leave really early.

Too bad you cant stop in Moab and say goodbye before you sink your toes in the sand.
I'm born and raised Miami and for the life of me, cant figger out why anybody would leave the dry for all that crazy humidity. (up here at 7k' elev its COOL and dry)

Must be the warm water :-)
Bon Voyage!
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Old 07-19-2020, 11:44 AM   #36
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Congrats on your retirement! Safe Travels! 😊
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Old 07-19-2020, 12:22 PM   #37
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Once you determine your comfort zone, Check out RV trip wizard on the web. You can specify your driving day by time, distance or speed to plan where to stay for the night. Amazing functionality in this application.
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Old 07-19-2020, 12:23 PM   #38
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Just great posts. Ultimately, the answer depends on you and your DW's physical and mental conditions. 10 years ago we would have thought nothing of owing 400 miles a day or more. Today, 300 is a very long way. Previously I had a goal of 100 miles in the morning before stopping for breakfast. DW put a stop to that, and I must say I'm a bit happy that she did. Finally from me, rarely have I averaged more than 50 mph. I would not count on doing better than that. Safe travels!
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Old 07-19-2020, 01:01 PM   #39
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Our experience

Having done 2 Washington DC to Los Angeles round trips ( and planning a third, for departure middle of next month) is to plan meticulously in peak season (our previous two trips started at the end of October) so there is no anxiety about “where are we going to camp” at the end of the day. We plan on being able to run a/c at nite, so hookups are a must. We have a generator, but running it all night (assuming that’s even permitted) doesn’t appeal to me. From experience, covering more than 400 miles/day is work. We only did it when we planned a hotel stay, avoiding the work of setting up camp and guaranteeing a soak in a hot bath. 250-300 miles a day seems more comfortable. Having had the dreaded GYM exploding tires, I limited speed to 63 or the posted limit, whichever was lower. We have since replaced the tires, but we don’t plan on going significantly faster this time. We had a big Golden Retriever, who was a very undemanding traveler, but we stopped periodically to give him (and us) a little walk. We also tried to avoid eating lunch in the Mickey-D parking lot, even if that’s where we bought the food. I agree with others that it’s best to get your driving in early in the day. Whether you roll out before breakfast depends on how much of a breakfast person you are. I guess I would ask myself if it’s truly necessary to run he’ll-for-leather to your destination. Pulling a 28 foot travel trailer is certainly not the vehicle of choice for doing that. I’ve done the “hell-for-leather thing in a car—Washington DC to LA in 2 1/2 days, running solo at speeds that were unlikely to result in a traffic stop—but there’s a lot between “here” and “there” to see, and part of the “I’m retired” attitude adjustment is taking the time out to see it. Bon voyage!
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Old 07-19-2020, 01:35 PM   #40
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We drive 275-325 mi a day. We drive about 60. We have a dog so we stop every couple hours for him and us. Important as far as we’re concerned. We walk whenever we stop. Keeps us alert. We stop early enough at night to take a long walk and eat a nice, relaxed dinner. Yes, the destination is important but you’re also retired. Enjoy the journey. One of the things retirement affords you is the chance to enjoy.
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