Miles per day/hours on the road

fla-gypsy wrote:
300 miles or about 5 hours is my limit. When I go on vacation it is to relax and enjoy it. Driving 12 hours per day does not fit into that equation.

X 2

My calculator is 50 mph x the amount of road hours. That compensates for all the stops. Any more than 50 mph and we are pushing it, driving hard. When we were younger with kids, we used to drive 24/7 until we got to our destinations, and our return trips. But we now do that only on our final day home with a long nap planned on the road. There will be a time when we won't do it at all. As we get older, it gets harder. We are 55 this year.

Wife and I have made the trip cross country 4 times, We average 800 miles day one. 700 miles day two and 600 day three. Always stay at a Flying J or rest area. We average 50 miles per hour with stops. Talking books really help pass the time.
Have fun!
Mick

You will more than likely run into lots of high winds out west, which can really tire you out. And they always seem to be blowing at right angles to your direction, or head on --- never from the rear!

We drove, (my son and me when he was going to a collage), from Miami to Omaha Nebraska in 27 hours! We took turns driving, and only stopping for fuel, eating and bathroom breaks were done while fueling, and you had better be ready to roll when the truck was filled! and we actually stopped for 5 hours at a motel, (from midnight to 5 AM)! But that was not an enjoyable trip!!!Yes you want to maximize your time at your destination, but at least to me getting there is half the fun! The 50 MPH average as suggested is a good working figure! Remember Breakfast, lunch, & dinner, fuel stops, and breaks should be included! You do not want a family mutiny on the way! On a "good" day 8 - 10 hours is a LOOONG day! that equates to 400 - 500 miles per day, ( as someone stated 5 days out, 5 days back is what you should plan on. You can get tired the family as well, be realistic in your goals and you will have more fun, which is what this whole thing should be about!!!!

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Day 3 and 4 on the road will be a religous experience, you will have gotten a glimpse of hades.

Now that's funny!

The DW and I did a similar trip in 1998 with car and tent.

We were younger then. We plan to sort of retrace our steps in two years with the kids by MH.

We had the philosophy that anything in the mid-west was doable on a long weekend/short vacation, so skipped all that and beat feet further west.

We had 22 days for our trip. We departed Morgantown, WV at 4:15pm Friday June 12, slept in a truck stop that night, stayed in a hotel in Kadoka, SD Saturday night and officially began our touring adventure Sunday morning at Badlands NP.

From there, we went to Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse, then to Yellowstone on Tuesday evening.

I'll give a synopsis of our trip below, but Yellowstone was the only advance reservation we had. I did have the luxury of utilizing military bases and military recreation facilities.

Our first RV experience ever was a TT rental from military recreation in Yellowstone --thus the reservation for this trip.

After YSNP, we visited Reno/Lake Tahoe, San Fran/Muir Woods, Yosemite, Sequoia, King's Canyon, Las Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon (North Rim), Bryce Canyon, Arches and, finally, stopped at the Rocky Mountain NP on the way home. We managed to hike a few trails, rode our bikes a good bit. We even paid for the pleasure of riding our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge. (sidewalk, of course) A lot of the places we had to resort to scenic overlooks/drives, but we never felt rushed until the last day. We decided to stay one extra night at Rocky Mnt. NP and that made for an interesting leg home.

All total, we put 9800 miles on the car. We did a lot of jumping around. We took side trips where we didn't really need to, so we could see my brother and a few different sites. We had the intention of seeing as much as we could, because we didn't know when we could get back out there. That's a good thing, too, because we haven't been west other than flying to Vegas a few times.

We do have a better idea of what we want to do with the kids and our itinerary will be a lot less aggressive the next time around, that's for sure.

When we pulled into our driveway at 11:30 the night before I had to be back at work, I was tired, but would have turned around and did it again right then and there.

I did OK at work. Oh, to be that young again.

So, if everybody is up for your trip, I say go for it. You should know everyone's limitations. Two drivers are a MUST. So, make sure the DW can handle the wheel. Otherwise, I say no way or you are a real man! lol

Since we have had the TT, I have done all the driving. The longest stretch for us has been WV to Savannah with one overnight stop. Even our annual trip to Myrtle Beach (550 miles) is split up into two days of driving.

Now, if the DW can drive the MH we are about to purchase, all bets are off. We may start to knock out some serious mileage again. Maybe re-trace our footsteps from 1998 --NOT!

Good luck on your trip.

Undoubtedly you will take a few "practice" trips with the whole crew and really get a feel for what they'll be like on a longer trip. That's when you will know what's in store for you. Everyone's thoughts on this (including mine) are all very personal and different, and by the time the BIG trip rolls arund you will have accumulated a lot of information and experience. The biggest advantage with a MH is you can make changes along the route as far as timing and expectations and it's no big deal. So, just look forward to a fun trip that suits the style of you and your family.

I myself love driving long distances, I have driven to Seattle from the Bay Area doing 55 mph and didn't even feel tired. My hardest drive is the first hour, as I am not quite into driving on a long trip, then I get an adrenaline rush and it's like Wow! I'm on vacation, after that I can drive 12 to 15 hours without any problem, However, if you have passengers, they may not feel like you do. I like to stop at malls to stretch my legs and get something to eat, not to mention break the monotony of the trip. This is what I do on long road trips. Have a Great Trip!

Bob in Calif.

You have 2 teen age kids. Who will bored out of there mind. Couped up 12 hours in a rolling box.
They will need there TV and electronic stuff to keep busy.
Kids today do not enjoys the sites along the road or family car games.