I guess this is half vent and half need help from experienced rvers. Last year we bought an 06 skyline seaview. Needed a few things but we have it ready to go except I want the brakes checked and bearings greased. Have a 01 suburban that should make a trip. If not I guess there are car dealers all across the country. Anyways I was looking at the map and Im just lost. In a few weeks I can sign up for vacation and I should be able to get 3 straight weeks in june or july. Im sure the reservations will start filling up but Im not sure when we are gonna be anywhere. The only thing I am sure of is we are leaving Ohio and my destination will be Goleta Ca where I grew up. would also like to see Yellowstone but that might be too ambitious. I remember as a kid making trips back to Ohio in a van. Trip tic in hand my dad just stopped and got a hotel when he was tired. Cold cuts in the cooler. I don't know how my parents did it.So anyways I should decide soon if we are going to do this grand adventure.

My 2 cents which is worth a lot less.How many days do you want to stay in that area.Three weeks from Columbus, Ohio to the Santa Barbara, CA area and back is at least 8 days driving - long and hard. Closer to 10 or 12 pulling an RV. 4,680 miles down I-45 from St Louis and I-40 from OKC to Barstow, CA, over the pass and along the coast.Most folks can do 500 miles a day in a car with no problem, sometimes 600. 400-500 is a long hard day in an RV, especially if you are not used to it, or plan to drive daily. An hour for setup, an hour for take down in the morning.Will you be doing all the driving or will the wife be comfortable driving the rig? After four days, you are going to be dead tired.You are also going to want to run in the 55-65 mph range. Going to 75 will increase your fuel usage as much as 25%.I use Microsoft Streets & Trips to plan general routes.Going to Yellowstone and staying four days, then to CA and stay four days, and back to Ohio is near 5,200 miles. At least $1,700 in fuel at $3.50 per gallon if you can get 11 mpg on the highway. It leaves you four days leeway in-case something looks interesting, or there are problems, or you just need an extra day of rest.That said - don't let it put you off completely. I would suggest your first big adventure run no farther than Yellowstone and back. Save the CA trip for another year - or vice versa.Three weeks seems like a long trip, but you will be amazed how quickly the time can pass.I plan my trips for 350-400 miles per day max. I also plan a two or three day stop every week, usually more often.We are going to Hartford CT from Dallas in June - we will stop at a COE park for one night in Arkansas - a COE park for two nights near Nashville - a COE park in Pennsylvania for one night - and my brother-in-laws home for a week outside Hartford.Reservations - In California near Goleta and / or Yellowstone - make your choices soon, and make the reservations soon.I would ask in the Campgrounds section for info for parks in both areas.Another good resource is http://www.rvparkreviews.com/ with the understanding that complainers post more than people happy with the parks.

Go west young man..........then go east.Wing it. It's not as if you are going on safari in the bush.Don't over think it. Don't analysis it into paralysis.Relax.....take a deep breathe. It's a vacation not a trip to survivor island.

Might I suggest joining GoodSam and using their "Trip Planning" program. It breaks down routes, gas stations, rest breaks, miles per day, etc etc. It's a pretty valuable tool when you need to plan a trip or get an idea of how far you can drive in a day, etc.WoodGlue

I like to see people take these trips, but I do know that three weeks is not very long. We use to take our daughter to Arkansas for collage and it took a long four days each way. Each day was a rush to get to the next stop, usually about twelve hours. I was always exhausted when we arrived back home and was glad to get back to work for a vacation.Earlier this we took a three month trip cross country (West coast to East coast)there still was not enough time but we only did two hundred miles a day. What a big difference. Very relaxing and was able to enjoy the trip.I too do not like making reservations, When I have planned a trip stop, something always comes up and I am not able to keep it. I just like to take my chances, so far I have always been able to get a site to stay for the night. JMT

Do you want to see something along the way or do you just want to drive and see it all go by through the car windows? You have to decide how far you can drive each day and if there are places at those points that you would like to visit some attraction. There are plenty of online mapping sites - google maps for one that will give you distances from one point to another and how long it takes to get there. You can start planning that way. Here is a link to a site that will put the map together with all of the campgrounds in an area including parks and private campgrounds.http://www.epgsoft.com/CampgroundMap/Put in a location and zoom in to see all of the campgrounds in the area with links to both the campground site and rvreviews. Move around the map to see what is there if you go a little further or not as far.Three weeks total to CA and back to Ohio is fine if all you want to do is drive to CA and then turn around and come back unless you don't mind hard driving long hours each day and likely to do this you will have to take the same route there and back without varying the return trip to see more. If I were you I would start plotting a route and campground stops right now because you may need most of the time to put this together between now and when you have to put in your vacation request.

I dont even know how to plan a cross country trip LOL

35 Replies

Haulinhazmat
Explorer
Dec 11, 2013
I think you should hire someone to take your vacation for you. That way you don't have to worry about nothing. On the other hand you could buy a atlas at Walmart an follow the blue or red lines.
If everything goes perfect on your trip you will have no stories to tell when you get back.
As ole biscuit said " Wing it "
h2guy
Explorer
Dec 10, 2013
Just get in and go. You'll find that throughout the US, everyone speaks English, and can answer any question (usually).

Its an adventure. Don't overthink it. Your greatest times will be the unplanned ones. Drive as far each day as you like, stop when you see something interesting, and when you're halfway through your timeframe, turn around and go home.
KA4EBU
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
This may or may not help. I look at a direct trip in miles using Streets and Trips with all my speed and hours set up in it. Then I start adding and moving places around. Usually there is not much to see the first day or two out and back or you would have already been there. That gives you time to make up some time for elsewhere. A trip that long, I do the major sight seeing on the out leg if possible and make the return the shortest and quickest assuming you really need to go to CA.
Just some ideas.
john_bet
Explorer II
Dec 09, 2013
My trip planing is a lot different than most on here.

My first cross country trip was as single 21 year old on military order from central Ill. to southern Ca. Travel time was 5 days at 300 a day. I was on leave so I could make it longer if I wanted to. I looked at an Atlas to find a general route(most direct) and headed out.

Route 66 was my chosen road. If I saw a road sign of an interesting sight I went to it. Even had time for the Grand Canyon. I made it with time to spare. Granted it was by car not an rv, but I basically do the same now with the rv.

Back in '02 we had to go to the Black Hills and the DW ask how we were going. I said turning right of the driveway, Turning right at US-50(2miles), turning right in Colorado on to US-385 north into the Black Hills. This was a two week vacation trip. We came home via I-90,I-29,I-80,I-74,I-70,I-65,US-50. But I realize not everyone is like me and do things thier own way which is just fine.

I took a quick glance at the latest from GS route planning and it looked very interesting. Might have to look at it some more for a summer '14 trip of unknown length, maybe 3 months. Enjoy your trip.
wbwood
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
If you go to my Pinterest page here and click on the board titles "Cool Places We Have Been", then you can see a few pics from our last trip. Or you can go to my website that's listed in my profile and go to the pinterest section on the right and get to it from there. I'm going to try and do a better job with taking pics this time.
wbwood
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
stew47 wrote:
Ok that's funny you mentioned destin. My wife more than once has said lets do destin in a condo this year and work on long distance camping the year after. We both like our beach trips as well. We have done hilton head every year for a while. Reason we were considering destin is we hear beaches are gorgeous. I just don't know. So many decisions and so little money! Realistically figuring a conservative budget of 3 grand I just don't think the west coast is possible. Unless gas plummets and I stay at wal mart parking lots 3 g might get us to Yellowstone and no farther. Seriously folks I appreciate all the help. So much good advice. Rest assured whatever we do will be easier thanks to folks on the board.

Destin beaches are gorgeous. And the camping is grand. We will be spending the night in 2 different state parks over a period of 6 nights. 3 in each. Total cost was about $240 ($40/night). Can't beat that with a condo!
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Dec 08, 2013
We would suggest that you head the shortest route and directly to your "need to be" California destination. Then you can more accurately judge how long a drive it is and how many hours per day you feel comfortable. We would also suggest that you not make reservations. There are plenty of RV parks in the area.

For your return trip, do take the Yellowstone route if you really want to see it. Again, there are plenty of sites not allowing reservations within the park. If you stay nearby the previous night and get into the park by 9-10am, you'll get a site.

We travel to those places constantly as full-timers and we rarely make reservations. We've been to Yellowstone many, many times and have never made reservations. You'll have a more relaxing trip if you 'wing it'!! Have a good one.
clikrf8
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
Planning a trip, especially one with many miles, is a marathon requiring a back up array of books, maps, iPhone apps, internet accumulation of pdfs, maps, images. I am the planner/navigator and DH is the driver/mechanic. Maps include Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlas of each state plus their fold out maps of each state, NFS maps of forest land, National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps of national parks, monuments, recreation areas, AAA maps of the US West and Indian Country for an overview and to put our distances in perspective, etc. Books specific to our interests are the excellent series by Laurent Martres on photographing the US West, rockhounding guides for individual states, backroad guides for regions of different western states, Moon guides for camping and some books on specific areas like the Eastern Sierras, Eastern Oregon, ghost towns, etc. I bring the books/maps where we plan to go plus the iPhone, Garmin GPS and my 13" Mac laptop. Quite an arsenal. We also stop at Visitor centers, USFS/BLM offices for more specific info on road conditions. I also call up before we go to ask the rangers where they enjoy hiking, photo/rocks sites, any other special places. We make no reservations and I check out places to boon dock.

That said, we aren't averse to following a road that wasn't planned. Or, exploring a place longer than planned. Be aware that mechanical issues can alter your plans significantly. We left our home on September 11. Part of of the way into our trip enroute to the major destination of Yellowstone/Tetons, the motor on our pop up mechanism failed. We had to scoot over to north of Denver from south of Burns, OR as it was under warranty. We missed the fall color in the Tetons so headed over to the Eastern Sierras where the aspens were golden and the weather and lakes were gorgeous. It was also during the shutdown so we did lots of boon docking. Our detour brought us to some amazing places that we would not have gone to otherwise. Just be open to the possibilities and be cool with what come syour way. Happy trails.
stew47
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
Ok that's funny you mentioned destin. My wife more than once has said lets do destin in a condo this year and work on long distance camping the year after. We both like our beach trips as well. We have done hilton head every year for a while. Reason we were considering destin is we hear beaches are gorgeous. I just don't know. So many decisions and so little money! Realistically figuring a conservative budget of 3 grand I just don't think the west coast is possible. Unless gas plummets and I stay at wal mart parking lots 3 g might get us to Yellowstone and no farther. Seriously folks I appreciate all the help. So much good advice. Rest assured whatever we do will be easier thanks to folks on the board.
wbwood
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
There have been some good recommnedations, but I will stick to my initial posting. You have to decide what is the amount of driving you can do and want to do. To be honest, it does take more concentration pulling a trailer or drinving a motorhome than it does (or should) a car. But if it is wearing you out physically because of trying to keep it straight on the road, then there is another issue. Whether its something mechanically, a wrong setup or inadequate setup.

As one mentioned, there are destination trips and sightseeing trips. If your goal is one or two places and to get there in a short amount of time, then you will want to put your blinders on go. Get up early and leave. Stop around supper time or maybe just thereafter. Consider stops an overnighter. Do not setup camp. Unhook if you have to, but if you don't have to, then don't. Plug into electric and water if necessary. Don't hook up a sewer hose unless you need to dump. If there are bathouses available, consider using them. The less setup you do, the less time it will take you to get up and go the next morning.

Now if you want to sightsee along the way and take it leisurely, then do the opposite of what I just said.

We drove from our home to Destin, Florida a couple years ago. That was driving the F250 we had, pulling an 11,000 lb 35' TT. Total driving was about 600 miles. It took us roughly 10-11 hours driving. The worse part was the 2 lane roads. We drove there in a day. Got set up and enjoyed a nice dinner out. I did sleep good that night, lol. On our way home, we went a different way. It added about another 150 miles and about another 1.5 hours to the total time. We did decide to stop about halfway and spend the night. To be honest, it didn't have any different physical toll on me. If I can make it to a destination with a little further drivingg, and I have daylight left, then I would rather do it and get it over. Then have some time to recoup. Whether you drive 400 miles or 600 miles in a day, there's not going to be a whole lot of difference in how your body will feel. At least that is how it affects me. Everyone is different.

We are going back to Destin this spring. We are breaking up the trip there and back into two days. Not for the distance, but because of available space at the state parks we are staying at.