Our families 8 week RV Trip

[TurboJeep]

So here is our first BIG family trip. We bought a 2011 38' Fleetwood Expedition 38B last Oct. We are pulling a Jeep Wrangler as a toad. Going will be me(the driver), my wife, and 3 boys (ages 12,11, and 8). We've done a few trips now with it with complete success. Longest trip so far has been a week. Have driven it from Jax, Fl. to NJ and back too in a few days.

My wife has planned this trip since last summer. What do the experts(y'all) think about this trip? We leave June 22nd and come back Aug. 10th. We have some concerns about the trip. I feel like we may be just driving the whole time is my biggest one. Anyone willing to chime in. There are a few possible changes we may make. We can't extend the trip due to school for the kids. All reservations are made but still have time to change them. Thanks for any advice....





Day 1 Leave Jax, Fl. and drive to Gulf Shores, AL.

Day 2 Leave Gulf Shores, AL and drive to Henderson, LA.

Day 3 Leave Henderson and drive to Houston, TX.

Day 4-5 Sightsee in Houston

Day 6 Leave Houston and drive to San Antonio, TX.

Day 7 Sightsee in San Antonio

Day 8 Leave San Antonio and drive to Carlsbad, NM.

Day 9 Sightsee in Carlsbad

Day 10 Leave Carlsbad and drive to Tucson, AZ.

Day 11 Sightsee in Tucson

Day 12 Leave Tucson and drive to San Diego, CA.

Day 13-14 Sightsee in San Diego, CA.

Day 15 Leave San Diego and drive to Yosemite NP
Not sure yet. Is Yosemite worth only one night?

Day 16 Leave Yosemite and drive to San Francisco

Day 17-18 Sightsee in SF.

Day 19 Leave SF and drive to Ave. of the Giants

Day 20 Leave Ave. of the Giants and drive to Crater Lake, OR.

Day 21 Leave Crater Lake and drive to Seattle, WA.

Day 22-23 Sightsee in Seattle

Day 24 Leave Seattle and drive to Coeur D' Alene, ID.

Day 25 Leave Coeur D' Alene and drive to Missoula, MT.

Day 26 Sightsee in Missoula
side trip to Glacier National Park

Day 27 Leave Missoula and drive to Yellowstone NP.

Day 28-30 Sightsee Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

Day 31 Leave Yellowstone and drive to Salt Lake City, UT.

Day 32 Leave Salt Lake City and drive to Moab, UT.

Day 33 sightsee in Moab

Day 34 Leave Moab and drive to Grand Canyon

Day 35-37 Sightsee Grand Canyon

Day 38 Leave Grand Canyon and drive to Las Vegas, NV.

Day 39 Sightsee in Vegas

Day 40 Leave Las Vegas and drive to Sedona, AZ.

Day 41 Leave Sedona and drive to Albuquerque, NM.

Day 42 Leave Albuquerque and drive to Amarillo, TX.

Day 43 Leave Amarillo and drive to Oklahoma City, OK.

Day 44 Leave OK City and drive to Little Rock, AK.

Day 45 Leave Little Rock and drive to Meridian, MS.

Day 46 Leave Meridian and drive to Perry, Ga.

Day 47-50 Party at the South Eastern ShinDig

Day 51 Drive home to Jacksonville, Fl.

[MPond]

TurboJeep wrote:

MPond wrote:

TurboJeep wrote:

MPond wrote:
Sound like our families have some things in common - our ages, our kids ages, a turbo Wrangler behind a 38' DP, etc...

Every summer we do a 3-4 week trip, and I do plan a few long days like the ones you're describing; my kids a hard core road trippers - started when they were infants so they've never know any different. But all that being said, your trip plan gives me serious pause.

If you can get away with redoing your plan, maybe you could split it up into 2 trips - 1 this summer and 1 next summer.

I highly recommend Moab, the various parks in Utah, and the Ouary, CO / Silverton, CO area.

If you're interest, here's a couple of my past trip reports to those areas:
2011 Roadtrip
2012 Roadtrip
2013 Roadtrip

The Wrangler isn't what's turbo'd. I have a Grand Cherokee SRT8 that's roughly 1600hp. I drag race it. Although, developing a turbo kit for my Wrangler for sale isn't out of the question. I'm buying the Wrangler this week.

...

Gotcha - I shouldn't have made that assumption. Depending on which year Wrangler you're getting, definitely worth considering. I've been working with Banks on their Wrangler Turbos - using my LJ as one of their many prototypes.

Getting a smidge off topic here but hey, it's my thread. 🙂 Buying a 2015 Wrangler Sport today. I have a friends and family Chrysler code so we shall see where that get's me. Cars are my passion. We build custom turbo kits for Mopar's, Vipers, Ford GT's(not the Mustangs) and whatnot. Only issue is tuning. Haven't looked into whether or not the PCM can be custom tuned or not. If so, that's the hardest part. Making the turbo kit is easy for us.

I know what you mean. I've been working with Banks to test their turbo prototypes, and hardware was never the issue - the software tuning was. We went many rounds of tweaking the program to get it just right, including numerous days with the data logger recording while I drove around town, in order to log and the conditions that caused 1-off issues (hiccups, falters, hesitations, etc...) in very specific scenarios.

I've enjoyed the turbo for a couple years now, and this week it's back at Banks getting a new prototype intercooler installed.

[TurboJeep]

MPond wrote:

TurboJeep wrote:

MPond wrote:
Sound like our families have some things in common - our ages, our kids ages, a turbo Wrangler behind a 38' DP, etc...

Every summer we do a 3-4 week trip, and I do plan a few long days like the ones you're describing; my kids a hard core road trippers - started when they were infants so they've never know any different. But all that being said, your trip plan gives me serious pause.

If you can get away with redoing your plan, maybe you could split it up into 2 trips - 1 this summer and 1 next summer.

I highly recommend Moab, the various parks in Utah, and the Ouary, CO / Silverton, CO area.

If you're interest, here's a couple of my past trip reports to those areas:
2011 Roadtrip
2012 Roadtrip
2013 Roadtrip

The Wrangler isn't what's turbo'd. I have a Grand Cherokee SRT8 that's roughly 1600hp. I drag race it. Although, developing a turbo kit for my Wrangler for sale isn't out of the question. I'm buying the Wrangler this week.

...

Gotcha - I shouldn't have made that assumption. Depending on which year Wrangler you're getting, definitely worth considering. I've been working with Banks on their Wrangler Turbos - using my LJ as one of their many prototypes.

Getting a smidge off topic here but hey, it's my thread. 🙂 Buying a 2015 Wrangler Sport today. I have a friends and family Chrysler code so we shall see where that get's me. Cars are my passion. We build custom turbo kits for Mopar's, Vipers, Ford GT's(not the Mustangs) and whatnot. Only issue is tuning. Haven't looked into whether or not the PCM can be custom tuned or not. If so, that's the hardest part. Making the turbo kit is easy for us.

[MPond]

TurboJeep wrote:

MPond wrote:
Sound like our families have some things in common - our ages, our kids ages, a turbo Wrangler behind a 38' DP, etc...

Every summer we do a 3-4 week trip, and I do plan a few long days like the ones you're describing; my kids a hard core road trippers - started when they were infants so they've never know any different. But all that being said, your trip plan gives me serious pause.

If you can get away with redoing your plan, maybe you could split it up into 2 trips - 1 this summer and 1 next summer.

I highly recommend Moab, the various parks in Utah, and the Ouary, CO / Silverton, CO area.

If you're interest, here's a couple of my past trip reports to those areas:
2011 Roadtrip
2012 Roadtrip
2013 Roadtrip

The Wrangler isn't what's turbo'd. I have a Grand Cherokee SRT8 that's roughly 1600hp. I drag race it. Although, developing a turbo kit for my Wrangler for sale isn't out of the question. I'm buying the Wrangler this week.

...

Gotcha - I shouldn't have made that assumption. Depending on which year Wrangler you're getting, definitely worth considering. I've been working with Banks on their Wrangler Turbos - using my LJ as one of their many prototypes.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

If future trips are an option, call it a scouting trip and just remember to be flexible and that there will be days you get behind on driving.

I'd still look closely at your plan to go through LA from SD. Timing is everything.

[toedtoes]

I agree with the OP that with only 3 weeks until the trip, it's going to be rough making large changes to the existing schedule.

Next fall, the OP will be here on the forum explaining to other newbies that their plan is too much driving and not enough seeing. 🙂

[Charles2222]

No,165 miles per day is not practial for someone still working, just trying to say so many things along the way will delay getting there.Some of his places to see are more like 2500+ miles.Enjoy!!!End of story for me.Charles

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I don't think 165 miles per day is practical for a working family with kids and a destination 1,000 miles away. Two full days driving then a day stop is doable. Three days if you are pushing to get across the country before an extended stop.

Problem is OP has a week straight of hard driving on the back end. Hopefully we haven't beaten him into submission. Would love to get a trip report.

[Naio]

TurboJeep wrote:
Are there any good places to stay around Yosemite that's not in the park in case we can't get more reservations? Again, we have only 1 night in the park but if we change the sched. and get more time, we obviously need somewhere to stay. Anyone?

The drive from the entrance of Yosemite to the valley (the place everyone comes to see) and the campgrounds takes an hour if there is no traffic. In summer there is a lot of traffic, so allow 2-3 hours. There ARE numerous forest service campgrounds, boondocking places, and RV parks outside of Yosemite, but they are hours away.

My recommendation: Keep your one night in Yosemite (I assume it is in the valley) and add two nights in a park outside Y, and 3-5 nights in a Y campground in the 'high country'. It's a drive to get there, too, but in summer it is far, far less crowded than the valley, and is an amazing experience. You see everything from above :). Plus there are meadows and streams for the kids to run around and play in. At 13, it was heaven to me.

[TurboJeep]

MPond wrote:
Sound like our families have some things in common - our ages, our kids ages, a turbo Wrangler behind a 38' DP, etc...

Every summer we do a 3-4 week trip, and I do plan a few long days like the ones you're describing; my kids a hard core road trippers - started when they were infants so they've never know any different. But all that being said, your trip plan gives me serious pause.

If you can get away with redoing your plan, maybe you could split it up into 2 trips - 1 this summer and 1 next summer.

I highly recommend Moab, the various parks in Utah, and the Ouary, CO / Silverton, CO area.

If you're interest, here's a couple of my past trip reports to those areas:
2011 Roadtrip
2012 Roadtrip
2013 Roadtrip

The Wrangler isn't what's turbo'd. I have a Grand Cherokee SRT8 that's roughly 1600hp. I drag race it. Although, developing a turbo kit for my Wrangler for sale isn't out of the question. I'm buying the Wrangler this week.

Well everyone..... wow, so much good advice on here from everyone. Hard to really take it all in. We will probably make some changes before and during the trip. I think for now, we will just go with our original trip for the most part and let us learn a lesson. This is our first trip and we have many more planned. Time to get our feet wet and learn from it. I'm sure our next trip will be better. With my work sched. it's no biggie for me to get summers off. My wife being a teacher, gets the summers off anyways. It's not like this trip is going to suck. Besides, it let's us know where to really hang out the next trip. We can say we went here and there but now we will know where to really go. With only 3 weeks until we leave, I fear it's too late to really get planning done right. Again, I should have posted on this site much much sooner. I have turned a buddy on to this site who just bought his coach last week. Time to man up and see the country.

[Charles2222]

My take on the trip is that it's to much driving to fast.We plan on Yellow Stone and are using 14 days to get there.A little sightseeing along the way and only plan to avg. about 165 miles per day.As other post have said some of the places you are going will need two or three days and you have only one day plus drive to next place just won' t work.I have driven from Ga to most every place you are going and believe me the western states are very large,and dry.Enjoy. Charles

[rp18104]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
The OP's problem is the FL starting location. No matter how he cuts it, he has 3-4 days to get to the West which probably factored into the one trip plan. Growing up in the South East, our vacations were FL, TN, Ark, Carolinas. Dad wasn't crossing TX - period. Burned up too much of the vacation time. CA is a much better starting location.

I like one RV trip and then fly to SD for another trip. Or, drop CA/OR completely from this trip and make another trip where you hit more spots between San Diego and Crater Lake.

Crossing TX is the absolute pits. Crossing OK on I-40 is only slightly better (horrible road-where we had our flat tire).

If I were heading west from FL, I would drive to Natchez, pick up the Natchez Pkwy. to Nashville (the parkway is a destination in itself-really neat), then head west from there on I-70 or I-80, bypassing, TX and OK altogether.

If you aren't retired and can't be on the road for months, IMO, the only way to do the west coast from the east coast is to just bite the bullet and haul butt out there and back. That would be hard and boring for kids. Then once you're there, limit daily driving to an hour or two. With kids, I'd fly out there, rent a car, and maximize the time there sight seeing.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

The OP's problem is the FL starting location. No matter how he cuts it, he has 3-4 days to get to the West which probably factored into the one trip plan. Growing up in the South East, our vacations were FL, TN, Ark, Carolinas. Dad wasn't crossing TX - period. Burned up too much of the vacation time. CA is a much better starting location.

I like one RV trip and then fly to SD for another trip. Or, drop CA/OR completely from this trip and make another trip where you hit more spots between San Diego and Crater Lake.

[MPond]

Sound like our families have some things in common - our ages, our kids ages, a turbo Wrangler behind a 38' DP, etc...

Every summer we do a 3-4 week trip, and I do plan a few long days like the ones you're describing; my kids a hard core road trippers - started when they were infants so they've never know any different. But all that being said, your trip plan gives me serious pause.

If you can get away with redoing your plan, maybe you could split it up into 2 trips - 1 this summer and 1 next summer.

I highly recommend Moab, the various parks in Utah, and the Ouary, CO / Silverton, CO area.

If you're interest, here's a couple of my past trip reports to those areas:
2011 Roadtrip
2012 Roadtrip
2013 Roadtrip

[OutdoorPhotogra]

4runnerguy wrote:

TurboJeep wrote:
Are there any good places to stay around Yosemite that's not in the park incase we can't get more reservations? Again, we have only 1 night in the park but if we change the sched. and get more time, we obviously need somewhere to stay. Anyone?

One thing to consider is a first-come, first-served CG within the park. Check out this page for those options. Since you're already in the park, you'll have a bit of a jump on those just arriving. When we went, we couldn't get reservations so we stayed at Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Of course if you're there on the weekend, all bets are off.

We also boondocked just outside the park in this area. You'll see some of the boondocking spots were burned in the fire, but there were quite a few options on these roads.

One of his problems at Yosemite is the size of his rig. From a quick look, I'm not sure any of the first come first served campgrounds can handle 38'.

[Uncle_Rj]

Wow. Looks like a epic family vacation that everyone will remember for the rest of their lives.

A few comments:

1) the SD zoo is amazing but you are putting a lot of extra miles in the trip to go there. Would you consider a separate vacation of just SD? (flying obviously)

2) Glacier is beautiful. You may want to go from Coeur d'Alene to Kalispell or West Glacier so you have a full day there. The Going-to-the-sun road is consistently ranked as one of the best drives in the US. (Tow vehicle only - no RVs). It means your driving days on either side are longer but your sightseeing day is completely open.

Enjoy your travels.