Doable or overly ambitious?
Planning a family vacation for end of July, I have a solid week Saturday through following Sunday. The goal is to get to the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon and home which is Rockford IL.
I have gone from Rockford to Chino CA in two days, so as far as driving endurance, that's not the issue, I wasn't hauling a trailer with me, but was driving an F150.
Difference this time, pulling a trailer with my family and mother. Reason I am even thinking of this wild notion, we would need two motel rooms for each layover, along with the destinations, and after adding them all up, it came out to a whole lot more than I would like to spend, which did not include fuel or meals. Wild notion, pay more in fuel, make our own meals and not have to worry about two motel rooms. I noticed that camps spots are up to about $50 a day, which is not bad at all, considering motel rooms were twice that.
So gleaning off those who do this all the time, is it doable, or too much to take in? How many hours driving a day would you consider normal while hauling? I have driven from Orlando to Rockford in 21 hours, so duration driving is not an issue, but again, that was not pulling a trailer. Ideally I would much rather just get a motor home since the difference in gas mileage would be negligible, what do they average on 87 Octane, 8-10 maybe? Thats about what I expect my F150 EB to get towing. Pulling my 12x6 Enclosed gets me about 11-13 and that is all fighting wind resistance as there is not much weight to it, so just giving a rough estimate on what to expect in FE.
Instead of a TT would I be better off finding an old motor home instead? Its a 3500 mile RT. I was considering renting a trailer, but logistics get their ugly head in the way. Have to pick it up o a friday between 1-3 PM, and return on Monday before 10, no weekend hours, which means 9 days of rental, and it appears they also charge mileage of .39. That comes out to $4K for the week. I am finding decent looking TT for $8K, so makes more sense to just buy one, paid for with two week vacations. It also gives us the ability to just load up and go spur of the moment. I also do an RC flyin in Iowa every year, and that would save me a few hundred $$ as well. So it makes sense to get one, but not sure if it should be a TT or a motor home. My wife can drive the motor home but not tow a trailer.
Thoughts? Opinions?
I have gone from Rockford to Chino CA in two days, so as far as driving endurance, that's not the issue, I wasn't hauling a trailer with me, but was driving an F150.
Difference this time, pulling a trailer with my family and mother. Reason I am even thinking of this wild notion, we would need two motel rooms for each layover, along with the destinations, and after adding them all up, it came out to a whole lot more than I would like to spend, which did not include fuel or meals. Wild notion, pay more in fuel, make our own meals and not have to worry about two motel rooms. I noticed that camps spots are up to about $50 a day, which is not bad at all, considering motel rooms were twice that.
So gleaning off those who do this all the time, is it doable, or too much to take in? How many hours driving a day would you consider normal while hauling? I have driven from Orlando to Rockford in 21 hours, so duration driving is not an issue, but again, that was not pulling a trailer. Ideally I would much rather just get a motor home since the difference in gas mileage would be negligible, what do they average on 87 Octane, 8-10 maybe? Thats about what I expect my F150 EB to get towing. Pulling my 12x6 Enclosed gets me about 11-13 and that is all fighting wind resistance as there is not much weight to it, so just giving a rough estimate on what to expect in FE.
Instead of a TT would I be better off finding an old motor home instead? Its a 3500 mile RT. I was considering renting a trailer, but logistics get their ugly head in the way. Have to pick it up o a friday between 1-3 PM, and return on Monday before 10, no weekend hours, which means 9 days of rental, and it appears they also charge mileage of .39. That comes out to $4K for the week. I am finding decent looking TT for $8K, so makes more sense to just buy one, paid for with two week vacations. It also gives us the ability to just load up and go spur of the moment. I also do an RC flyin in Iowa every year, and that would save me a few hundred $$ as well. So it makes sense to get one, but not sure if it should be a TT or a motor home. My wife can drive the motor home but not tow a trailer.
Thoughts? Opinions?
