How many miles to drive in a day - yes, been asked I know

[az-streamer]

Bottom line:

The answer to this question is that there is no answer.

Let's get back to the "answerable" questions:

What is the best tow vehicle?

[ken.bauman]

So when I first started out, an experienced traveler told me to use 2246 as a guide:
1. No more than 200 miles a days
2. Stop no later than 2 in the afternoon
3. No more than 4 for dinner
4. No more than 6 for drinks.

Although just a guide, the suggestion works most of the time.

[PC Conner]

I didn't read all the comments, so maybe a repeat.
No tent?
Assuming you have a truck with topper and room for a double air mattress, the boys could could sleep there. Of course, a sleeping bag with a sleeping pad worked for my Army years.
Moving from Fairbanks to Louisville, we used a tarp stretched from the roof of the Subaru to 2 tent pegs and sleeping bags on the ground. No topper? Stretch tarp from top of truck to tailgate, and they can sleep there. Watch out for mosquitoes!
With 2 boys, you should be able to do a quick transfer of truck bed stuff into the truck while you connect the AS to water, sewer, and electric (reverse sequence in the morning).
Hope all goes well!

[Mikebrady62]

We too plan 400 mile days, give or take 100. Sometimes more but that is when we overnight at a Cracker Barrel or something similar. When we stop for gas, we take time after moving to stretch our legs and get a snack. If we get too restless, we stop and do some yoga or walk for 30 minutes or so.
Have fun in Oshkosh. Love the Fly In.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Mom2twins

Great video - thanks for sharing!
. . .

Thanks for all your recent replies . . . I assume you were referring to Jeff's great video in Post #2?

Happy trails,

Peter

[Mom2twins]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Thanks for all your recent replies . . . I assume you were referring to Jeff's great video in Post #2?

Happy trails,

Peter

Yes.. that was the video.. I'm still getting used to posting in this forum and didn't realize responses didn't attach to original posts.. I've been reading them all..

[Mom2twins]

I'm curious now, does Cracker Barrel allow overnights? I knew Walmart, but not others...

Not sure how I feel about staying at Walmart considering the homeless encampments and recent death at our own Walmart in town. It's for a different thread but wondering about safety at some of the "free" stops.. again, another thread and I will be checking those out as a back up to "best laid plans" should something come up.

Good to hear my miles don't seem crazy. We drove 450 on our last trip.. it was long because we had LA traffic and a 45 min drive up a mountain only 12 miles... so 300-400 open road doesn't seem long to me for a day or two. I'm used to 4-5 hours sleep and won't sleep more driving with Mom along (she snores - though if I can run AC or Heat fan it's some pretty nice "white noise" &#129322

Originally Posted by Mikebrady62

We too plan 400 mile days, give or take 100. Sometimes more but that is when we overnight at a Cracker Barrel or something similar. When we stop for gas, we take time after moving to stretch our legs and get a snack. If we get too restless, we stop and do some yoga or walk for 30 minutes or so.
Have fun in Oshkosh. Love the Fly In.

[Mom2twins]

Originally Posted by PC Conner

I didn't read all the comments, so maybe a repeat.
No tent?
Assuming you have a truck with topper and room for a double air mattress, the boys could could sleep there. Of course, a sleeping bag with a sleeping pad worked for my Army years.
Moving from Fairbanks to Louisville, we used a tarp stretched from the roof of the Subaru to 2 tent pegs and sleeping bags on the ground. No topper? Stretch tarp from top of truck to tailgate, and they can sleep there. Watch out for mosquitoes!
With 2 boys, you should be able to do a quick transfer of truck bed stuff into the truck while you connect the AS to water, sewer, and electric (reverse sequence in the morning).
Hope all goes well!

We have a tent but most of the overnight RV places off the interstate only allow RV and tow vehicle. The back of our Expedition can work for the boys, but pulling all luggage and other gear out is almost more tedious than just cramming us all into the trailer... We also have a big dog.

The three of us is pretty easy.. a bit more challenging with my mom as she takes up one of the 2 beds (folded down table) and none of us sleep (she snores)... She also doesn't follow the one suitcase rule (but won't let her for this trip - so much time moving her stuff all around every day just to move a few steps in the AS).

My Dad passed away just a couple years back and trying to get her home to MN to see relatives. Its going to be a long drive that will have little rest so would rather just get there with a short stop at Mount rushmore (we can set up tent there and one other spot in South Dakota).. Oshkosh will be relaxing and fun with just my boys and I in our tiny space AND a tent - which is big enough for me to set up a mini Pilates space... cant' wait.

You sound very resourceful in your travels too! Love it! I purchased a couple chemical free air mattresses some time back that are quite comfortable (I spent 4 months sleeping on them early COVID with Mom at our house) and can easily sleep anywhere on them.. My boys love sleeping on them too especially in thier "man cave".. we will work through it and have plans in October for just us on a 3 week "homeschool" trip which I'm really looking forward to with them.

[Mikebrady62]

Originally Posted by Mom2twins

I'm curious now, does Cracker Barrel allow overnights? I knew Walmart, but not others...

Not sure how I feel about staying at Walmart considering the homeless encampments and recent death at our own Walmart in town. It's for a different thread but wondering about safety at some of the "free" stops.. again, another thread and I will be checking those out as a back up to "best laid plans" should something come up.

Good to hear my miles don't seem crazy. We drove 450 on our last trip.. it was long because we had LA traffic and a 45 min drive up a mountain only 12 miles... so 300-400 open road doesn't seem long to me for a day or two. I'm used to 4-5 hours sleep and won't sleep more driving with Mom along (she snores - though if I can run AC or Heat fan it's some pretty nice "white noise" &#129322

I too do not always sleep very long. These overnight parking lots are great for catching 4-5 hours of sleep. Then back to the next destination. Sometimes we get to or next campsite as early as noon or before, which makes these days even more relaxing or able to take an extended hike or bike ride.
The last Cracker Barrel we stayed at was in Idaho last September. There were 4 of us campers in their back lot. I know at least 3 of the 4 of us had breakfast there the next morning.
Others include (but not always) Walmart, Home Depot, Cabella's/ Bass Pro. I know there are others but always call ahead because some stores do not allow overnight parking.
Safe Travels!

[Mom2twins]

Thank you so much everyone - great answers and it's been really helpful seeing what others do. Quite insightful. I've revised our trip a bit - Mom doesn't mind the long day with stretching stops and the last few days are a bit more "chill".

Doing Mt Rushmore on the way there as we are taking a southerly route home which will not be rushed and lots of time coming back. It's just me driving as my kids aren't old enough (yet ��) and Mom can't see so no driving for her. My original hours were driving hours only - I've revised at the 50 rule to include stops.

We have a 2014 Ford Expedition which tows little Bambi like a charm. Our revised plan:



Day 1 Battle Mountain, NV
436 miles - 8.7 hours

Day 2 Fort Bridger Wyoming
410 miles 8.2 hours

Day 3 Lusk Wyoming
399 miles - 8 hours

Day 4 Rushmore View RV Park
132 miles - 2.5 hours 2 nights

Day 5 Overnight Mount Rushmore

Day 6 Souix Falls SD
384 miles - 5 hours 45 min
Yogi Bear ’s Jelly Stone Park of Sioux Falls

Day 7 Arrive Apple Valley MN
229 miles - 3 hours 45 min

We are aiming to arrive 3 days before heading to Oshkosh "just in case" something happens along the way.. maybe even a few more days if baseball tournaments are done sooner. Can't wait for a long road trip with my kiddos!

[janicemd]

Originally Posted by J-K Georgia

Ask your Mom this question and think about it, if she is like mine she will tell you what you want to hear. Is that really the answer?

My friend recently flew to Georgia to drive her 80 yo mom back to northern Illinois. I think it was 10 hours with a long lunch break. Mom did fine - until they arrived. Vomited all over the place and spent the next few days in bed recovering. Mom's well-being has to take priority.

[cazual6]

The rules of three.

1. Arrive by 3pm at your destination.
2. Drive no more than 3 hours to your destination
3. Stay at least 3 days at your destination

[Billchr]

We use 50 mph to estimate time to our destination and rarely drive more than 6.5 hours, including stops. Also you mention RV parks don’t allow tents. Try State parks and or KOA.

[mhbarnes99]

Based on personal experiences those first two days are way too long. Without trailer in tow, I have no problem driving 600+ miles in one day for one day of a trip. And, I've done two days in row driving from DC to Dallas. I have found that a trip that would take me 4.5 hours with truck only can take up to 7 hrs depending weather/winds. You're going to be driving (or should be) slower than you would without towing. You'll need to stop for gas more often and each stop takes longer than with a vehicle as you need to find a gas station and slot within the station where you'll fit. My first trip was from DFW to Lubbock and I hit some really, really bad wind in the high plains and had to slow down dramatically. I have also found that you need to pay a lot more attention when towing a trailer. You have more factors to keep an eye on and less visibility so have to concentrate a bit harder to keep an eye on all the vehicles around you. Also, unless you are a fantastic planner and have everything packed and ready to go the next morning, having a shorter day the first day works much better. My usual trip from DFW to PHX (where my sons live) has gone from one 11 hr day+ one 5 hr day (it's over 1,200 miles) to 3 nights enroute. That why I arrive in PHX not exhausted and can get setup and still enjoy the rest of the day. The nice thing is that I don't take the interstate and it's much more relaxing and enjoyable in my view. I stayed at Harvest Host locations to and from.

[Zoom23]

For Air venture, I camped on site in 2019, there was not per se reservations but about a month prior you can if you are a member pay for a improved site (water, electric).
The cost depends on when you reserve the site. In my case about 18 days prior to the event, so a bit pricey. I think this year they will open the reservations the first week in July.
When I got there during the event there were a lot of folks still doing the walk in camping, those sites don't have water and electric.

[sarge12212]

I got back home last week from a trip to Fayetteville, AR from St. Augustine, FL, with a stop near Hattiesburg, MS. First leg is about 550 miles and and the second leg is about 515 miles. Did it that way coming and going, cruise set on 70mph. Plan to shorten the time and distance per day as soon as Wifey retires, lol.

[rollieboy]

250-300 hundred miles a day. Arrive no later than 3pm. Cocktails start a 4.

[NY24]

CAN you drive better that 200~300 miles per day? Of course you can. The real question is SHOULD you? Do you want to arrive after dark? Are you familiar enough with the route that you're NOT likely to make a navigational error. Even "skirting" big cities can be challenging. Add construction zones and things can get really interesting. Are you the sole driver or, will you be "switching off" with another driver every two ~ three hours (this can make a HUGE difference)?

In the past, I have driven 14 hour driving days several times. I average 50MPH (times to stop for food, fuel etc is included in that time). It takes me several DAYS to "recover" after those days. If you have multiple drivers, it should go more smoothly. On days I drive 8~10 hours, I can reasonably expect to cover 400~500 miles (and, as I age, such driving is still stressful).

In the end, it's a decision you'll have to live with (or die for). YOU get to choose.

[Rage51]

We have been using Google maps for sometime, and they are usually pretty good on times and milage. I think it uses posted speed limits to calculate time. Our experience with Google maps:

• Routing doesn't take into consideration you are pulling a trailer
• Good for rerouting around traffic jams and accidents.
• Some rerouting is not wise. Use your head.

We try to limit driving time from 3 1/2 hours to 4 1/2 hours and listen to compelling podcasts. More than that if going home or trying to meet a reservation commitment.
We don't push ourselves. Camping should be fun, not work...

Cheers!

[Dick tracy]

If you merely trying to get somewhere, drive till you drop. I've driven straight through from Salt Lake City to Camas WA, 770 miles in one day.
The reason we don't plan for more than 3-4 hours a day is so we can sleep in, leave around noon and get to the next site mid afternoon, set up and enjoy a relaxed dinner and evening. We also stay 2-3 nights or more per site. I have two 17 night trips planned this summer, less than 1500 miles each