Running generator for 12+ hours?

4x4van wrote:

Fla904 wrote:

I went from west palm beach to jacksonville fl in the rv when I bought it and that was well over 300 miles and it took me 3 hours going between 60 and 65 mph using the cruise control. maybe everyone drives different, idk.. I do not tow anything tho that could be why..

300 miles in 4 hours (your correction) is not 60-65mph, it's 75mph, and was likely done in one shot, non-stop, point to point (and even then, 75 is really cookin' in an RV, since to average 75, you must be moving 77-80 much of the time). ANY slow downs eat into your average much more than most realize.

You'll likely only get about 8mpg, so you will need to stop for fuel at least 2X, maybe 3X during that 800 mile day. Every time you pull off the freeway for fuel, you slow, stop, wait at traffic lights, slowly drive to the station, wait in line and maneuver to the pumps. Pump (40+ gallons), pay, then maneuver out of the station, back down the surface streets, waiting at traffic signals, and finally get back on the freeway and back up to speed. All of that significantly hurts your overall mph average.

Your optimism is refreshing (if not a bit humorous), but 800 miles per day is likely to take at least 13-14 hours under the best case scenario. And I certainly wouldn't want to do it for more than 1 or 2 days max. Just "sitting on your butt" for 14 hours gets tiring real fast, putting everyone around you in jeopardy.

To put it in perspective; About 10-12 years ago, I did a non-stop trip from SoCal to Oregon, right at about 1100 miles, class C with no toad/trailer. We drove non-stop, other than for fuel, and those stops were right next to the freeway offramps. I would drive for a tank, pull into a station, fill up, then climb into bed while my brother-in-law took over the wheel for the next tank. Repeat every 250-300 miles. No stops for food, no stops for bathroom. Cruise control set at 67mph. But it took just under 18 hours, which is just a bit over 60mph average.

However, be sure to check back in after the trip and tell us how it went; Curious if your youthful exhuberance wins out over our old world experience! :)

We left Florida at 5am were now in Dallas at 8pm. Went 63 mph three fill ups and stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner.