Forum Discussion
DutchmenSport
May 09, 2017Explorer
I agree with everyone else who posted and advised you to slow down, your plan is too aggressive. You may be able to do the driving, but you will not enjoy anything when you reach your various destinations. Not to mention the kids and wife being tired, worn out, and angry.
Really, with a family, 6 to 8 hours of driving is more than enough. You want to stop at the end of the day, set up camp, eat, relax, and chill a while. You want a good night sleep, and then a slow leisurely start in the morning to take in your surroundings, check your vehicle, get a good breakfast, make plans for the day, play with the kids a little, and psyche-up for the next leg of the journey.
You need to build in contingency time for fuel stops, bathroom breaks (even though you have your own bathroom with you, need to get out and stretch every hours to 2 hours for 15 to 30 minutes.) If you are planning on food preparation in the camper while on the road, you're in for a very, very rude awakening. You cannot cook in a moving vehicle. At best, you'll find yourself lucky to get the peanut butter spread on the bread without everything in site covered with peanut butter too.
The kids need to get out, run, and play. The need time to explore new things also. Rest areas, roadside parks will be adventure sites for the kids. They want time to explore. This is their vacation too. You need to build in activities that they like, or they will despise every minute of the trip, and despise you too. When kids get cranky, (and they will being confined inside a MH for that long), they need some space. It's time to stop and give it to them.
Plan on your wife driving the MH also. You are not superman. Heaven forbid if something happened to you and she'd have to travel without out. Even if that means only going across a town, or from a campsite to the hospital. She needs to be 100% as confident with the MH as you. Let her drive 50% of the time. This also give you a time to relax and play with the kdis. It also gives her experience with the MH, and also keeps her from being board out of her mind. (which she will be!)
My wife's parents had a variety of different RV's, from pop-up's to truck campers, to motor homes. Her dad always set an aggressive schedule. Because it was so aggressive, the kids had to go hours between bathroom stops. He would not let them use the on-board toilet. Fast forward 45 years now, and all my wife remembers is how much she hated traveling with him. She's never had anything nice to say about any of their camping experiences, except once when they were able to get semi-trucks to honk their horns at them... which got him so mad, I guess, all three of those kids got their seats MORE than warmed up that day.
These are all the reasons why you need to really slow down with your plans. If you see 1/3 of the sites you are wanting, and if travel only 1/3rd of the distance, and if you take the time to soak it all in, make it enjoyable for everyone, you'll have a marvelous time. Rush the way you are planning, and it will be a nightmare trip.
And yes, you need to factor in break-down time. If your schedule is so tight, and something happens, your brain and nerves will be fried to no end.
Remember, with an RV ... it is NOT the destination.... it's the entire journey!
Really, with a family, 6 to 8 hours of driving is more than enough. You want to stop at the end of the day, set up camp, eat, relax, and chill a while. You want a good night sleep, and then a slow leisurely start in the morning to take in your surroundings, check your vehicle, get a good breakfast, make plans for the day, play with the kids a little, and psyche-up for the next leg of the journey.
You need to build in contingency time for fuel stops, bathroom breaks (even though you have your own bathroom with you, need to get out and stretch every hours to 2 hours for 15 to 30 minutes.) If you are planning on food preparation in the camper while on the road, you're in for a very, very rude awakening. You cannot cook in a moving vehicle. At best, you'll find yourself lucky to get the peanut butter spread on the bread without everything in site covered with peanut butter too.
The kids need to get out, run, and play. The need time to explore new things also. Rest areas, roadside parks will be adventure sites for the kids. They want time to explore. This is their vacation too. You need to build in activities that they like, or they will despise every minute of the trip, and despise you too. When kids get cranky, (and they will being confined inside a MH for that long), they need some space. It's time to stop and give it to them.
Plan on your wife driving the MH also. You are not superman. Heaven forbid if something happened to you and she'd have to travel without out. Even if that means only going across a town, or from a campsite to the hospital. She needs to be 100% as confident with the MH as you. Let her drive 50% of the time. This also give you a time to relax and play with the kdis. It also gives her experience with the MH, and also keeps her from being board out of her mind. (which she will be!)
My wife's parents had a variety of different RV's, from pop-up's to truck campers, to motor homes. Her dad always set an aggressive schedule. Because it was so aggressive, the kids had to go hours between bathroom stops. He would not let them use the on-board toilet. Fast forward 45 years now, and all my wife remembers is how much she hated traveling with him. She's never had anything nice to say about any of their camping experiences, except once when they were able to get semi-trucks to honk their horns at them... which got him so mad, I guess, all three of those kids got their seats MORE than warmed up that day.
These are all the reasons why you need to really slow down with your plans. If you see 1/3 of the sites you are wanting, and if travel only 1/3rd of the distance, and if you take the time to soak it all in, make it enjoyable for everyone, you'll have a marvelous time. Rush the way you are planning, and it will be a nightmare trip.
And yes, you need to factor in break-down time. If your schedule is so tight, and something happens, your brain and nerves will be fried to no end.
Remember, with an RV ... it is NOT the destination.... it's the entire journey!
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