1st long trip

[Joan217]

Heading out on the 1st long trip from Mass to Koa, Rodanthe, NC. Any tips? Thinking of taking it slow with a stop in Maryland or Virginia. We are doing a small 21' coachmen.

[Walaby]

DutchmenSport wrote:
If you plan on driving 5 hours, rethink it, and turn that 5 hours into 10 hours of driving time for the same distance.

1). You won't be driving as fast with an RV than you would with the family car.

2). You don't want to drive as fast with an RV as you do in your family car, so you maintain 100 percent control of your rig.

3). Here's the opportunity to enjoy the drive as much as the destination. Actually, the unexpected side excursions are really the best. Don't lock yourself into a tight schedule, you probably won't be able to keep it anyway. Things go a bit slower with an RV. And if you see something of interest while in route, feel free to stop and see it. Lots of great places to eat, things to see, and even things to do. That 5 hours can easily turn into 10 if you approach it this way.

4). Don't worry about keeping up with the speed everyone else is driving, or you will be an accident ready to happen. Drive the speed that feels the most comfortable for YOU, even if that is 10 mph slower than the speed limit. You need to build your own confidence in your rig, get to know it's limitations, and those things usually happen when the "unexpected" happens. So never allow yourself to over extend your limits. Confidence, speed, and maneuverability will increase with time. But not at first. Don't be a hot shot and be over confident from the get go! You will discover that slower is better.

5). Always drive "safe" over speed. Never assume everything is fine. Always expect the unexpected, drive VERY defensively and be MORE THAN willing to surrender your right of way, even if you really do have the right of way. Passenger vehicle drivers normally do not understand the dynamics of an RV and assume they can stop and go and turn and wiggle as easily as a Volkswagon bug.

6). Jack rabbit starts from stops will absolutely tear up your fuel consumption, no matter what kind of RV you have, drive, or tow. Start from a stop slowly and "play" the stop lights so you can avoid complete stops as much as possible. Every time you come to a complete stop, it takes more fuel and more power to get moving again.

7). DO NOT ride of to a red light and then slam on the brakes, and expect to stop as short as the family car. You really need to start braking and slowing down 3 or 4 times further out than the family car. If you make sudden stops, your cabinet doors may come flying open too and you'll stuff strewn all over your camper, and could potentially cause damage or break items.

Because of all these reasons, your travel time will be much longer than you anticipate. So, build these contingencies into your available time and as you travel, "smell the hamburgers cooking along the side of the road!"

This is my advise for a new RV-er.

Edit:
After experiencing driving an RV a few years, you find yourself driving the family car the same way: a bit slower, slower stops, slower starts, and playing the light, surrendering your right of way, and not getting into a hurry, even going to work and coming home. Its bizarre, but it does happen. And ... you'll take shorter showers at home and constantly use your foot to try to flush the toilet at home! It just happens!

Excellent advice. 100 percent agree. To include the shorter showers at home.. Haven't done the foot flush, but I find myself turning off the water in the sink when Im brushing my teeth.

Mike

[navegator]

The worst thing to have is:

GETHEREITIS

It is a terrible deasease that travellers and schedgule makers and managers suffer from, they have to be in a given place at a given time, ergo they drive for hours and hours trying to get there as fas as they can.

Not woth it, we went from San Diego, California to San Antonio, Texas in only 32 days, covered six States and saw a lot of places, we even extended a stay due to the fuel pump going out and having to replace it in Santa Fe, Nm.

If you have the time take it easy and enjoy the travell and above all the scenery and the places of interest.

We only travel for about 200+ to maybe 300 miles per day, then we stop and enjoy the after noon and a good dinner, we might even stay the next day and explore the area.

navegator

[DutchmenSport]

RV Advocate wrote:
...except for playing the stoplights. ...

In order to effectively play the stop lights, you have to watch ahead as far as the eye can see. If you have clear vision of a stop light, say 1/4 mile ahead, you have plenty of time to start slowing down, and slowing down, and slowing down. If it turns green, and your close enough, you can keep moving without having to come to a complete stop. If it stays red, you have to stop of course.

The danger is when you see a green light 1/4 mile ahead and you try to beat it before it turns red. That is never good, as you could end up running through the light when it turns red on you, 1 second before you hit the intersection and then you do get T-boned by someone with a jack-rabbit take-off, impatient and demanding his green, or even starting through the light before it's actually green for him because he sees the yellow turning red on the right or left of the intersection.

The important thing is to avoid coming to a complete stop because every time you come to a complete stop, it takes that much more fuel and energy to get the rig moving again to over come dead inertia.

I've never understood why people think they have to speed (especially in cities and towns), pass you like fools to get ahead of you 1 car length, and then get stopped at red lights where they wait. I'm in the inside lane, and traffic starts moving they are still stopped and I'm moving around them 20 mph. With a camper, his harder on your brakes, and harder on your fuel consumption to run up to the red light and slam on the brakes. Yes, play the lights. You're fuel consumption will love you for it as will the wear and tear on your brakes.

[Lynnmor]

RV Advocate wrote:
Hi Dutchman Sport and others, new to the travel trailer world. I thought all of the suggestions made sense, except for playing the stoplights. Isn't this dangerous in the event someone runs a red light? Not only would you be forced into a quick decision and/or slamming breaks on, but you are opening yourself as the driver to direct impact from a Tbone collision which is the most susceptible to serious injuries/death.

He didn't mean to run stoplights, just anticipate them. There are too many folks that can only drive with one or more pedals stomped to the floor, you just want to drive gently.

Take that advice about staying away from Baltimore and Washington. Those areas are just a dumping ground for tax dollars and are not meant to be used by normal folks. Once south of there, things will mellow out.

[RV_Advocate]

Hi Dutchman Sport and others, new to the travel trailer world. I thought all of the suggestions made sense, except for playing the stoplights. Isn't this dangerous in the event someone runs a red light? Not only would you be forced into a quick decision and/or slamming breaks on, but you are opening yourself as the driver to direct impact from a Tbone collision which is the most susceptible to serious injuries/death.

[spoon059]

All great advice! If you have time, get off the interstates. Plan for a 300 mile day, give or take. You will arrive more refreshed and have a better attitude throughout the trip.

The most direct route is I95, which isn't a bad road... just boring. Through Maryland you can look at taking 301, which runs a little east of 95. Another option is 81 which runs west of 95 through western Maryland and Western Virginia.

[jplante4]

We did Mass to OBX a couple of years ago. We made 2 stops on the way - Fla-Net in Netcong NJ and Fredricksburg VA KOA. Figure on 250 mile legs (50 mph avg and 5 hours driving).

We went out to Harrisburg to pick up I-81 south then US50/US17 back to I-95 to miss the Baltimore/Washington area.

[2dogtravellin]

Stop an hour before you make yourself and everyone with you crazy. For us that's about 4-5 hours driving MAX. The trip is no fun if you get to your destination grumpy and irritated.

Download Allstays or some similar app so that you can find places to stay on short notice (just in case the Grumpies hit earlier than expected).

[DannyA]

You have gotten great advice. Don't make it about the destination but about the trip. My wife always worries about having trouble but I say why worry we have our house with us and everything we need to get by.
Enjoy the trip.

[scbwr]

A long trip is nothing but a bunch of short trips! When we travel, our goal is to be off the road around 4 p.m. and have time to have dinner and relax before hitting the road the next morning. Unless there is a pressing reason, we keep our mileage to 400 miles per day and prefer to keep it around 350.

[gbopp]

Alabama Jim wrote:
Take it slow and see as much as you can on the way down and back.
America is beautiful and there is a lot to see.

And if you want to see America, get off the interstate and take the side roads.
A road trip is a journey, not a destination. 🙂

[Matt_Colie]

Joan,

Do not let the Departure Anxiety get to you.

You have used the unit before - Correct?
(If no, spend at least one night in the driveway at home, and then hook up the unit and take to an empty industrial parking lot and practice parking and such.

If you are worried, make lists. What you need to bring as far as food and clothing. Remember, you aren't driving off the end of the earth. There are stores in NC where you can buy things and you don't even have to get you money changed.

I would advise that you try to end the first day south of DC. There is friendly place called Falmouth. If you have water in the tank and the battery charged, you won't need a campground. Just a quiet flat place. That will be easier to find south of DC, but you still won't be out of the megapolis.

Enjoy the excursion.

Matt

[Joan217]

Thank you for your responses, as the trip gets closer my anxiety is on the rise.

[Alabama_Jim]

Take it slow and see as much as you can on the way down and back.
America is beautiful and there is a lot to see.