How much is too much?

I was an on the road salesman for over 40 years before retiring in 2013. I drove from 60,000 to 80,000 miles per year. I still enjoy long driving days.

My wife says "Not with me!" So we normally travel 250-300 per day. Sometimes stretch it out to 400. 250 is relaxing and you shouldn't feel "whupped" at the end of the day.

Travel safely!

We limit our long days to 250 miles, most of the time it is 150-200. We sight see and take 2 lane roads whenever possible. When we travel it is for the enjoyment of the trip, not to get from A to B as fast as possible. It take us 7 days to travel the 1550 miles when we go to see our son. We used to do the 300-400 mile days, but all one sees is highway. For us that is not enjoyable. We have slowed down and now take our time to see this wonderful country, stopping often to read historical markers, look at the scenery at turnouts, etc. I have a great despise for freeways so I am always planning our trips on side roads to see new country.

Now all that being said, if you are under a time crunch of say 2-3 weeks and want to go coast to coast because you what you want to see is on the other coast then yes, you have to drive 300-400 miles a day and it is doable. I know a guy who is horns to the wind and does 600-700 miles a day pulling 5er, because for him the driving is an inconvenience, the fun is at his destination. We would never make a trip together LOL.

So you need to decide "why" you are making the trip, that will then set your daily travel goals. Good Luck and above all be safe in your travels.

Sometimes it is necessary to drive more than that. As hubby says, I don't want to be sitting around a walmart just waiting for tomorrow because we hit the mileage.

When we go from NY to Colorado, he drives and our first stop is west of Chicago...which is long...

I planned on about 250 miles a day myself. want to get to campground about 3 pm and set up/relax etc. if you have to go 400 miles a day, fly instead. it is much different than just driving a car and hitting a motel.
bumpy

I feel it depends on the driver,me 400 is good , we leave early and then hunt for our over night stop ,either a cracker barrel or a CG.

dcason wrote:
Sometimes it is necessary to drive more than that. As hubby says, I don't want to be sitting around a walmart just waiting for tomorrow because we hit the mileage.

X2. Sometimes you must use common sense.

I like to stay off the interstate and travel the side roads. But, if you're going to the west coast 300 or more miles a day is doable. But not fun. I like to see America.

I pull a 5th wheel. I can do 500 miles a day if it's away from major cities. We get up early and go. If we did 250 to 300 miles we'd be in by noon.
400 is very comfortable for me but like you say everyone is different.

We like to drive less than 300 miles in a day, but we usually don't have a schedule. Some days, you just can't help driving more. I will note though, that some 400 mile days are much, much longer than other 400 mile days. So, we now consider time rather than distance as our rule.

400 miles from New York to Virginia is a lot longer and more tiring than 400 miles from Virginia to South Carolina. 400 miles with a 30+ MPH crosswind across Texas is a lot longer and definitely more tiring than 400 miles across Texas with a 30+ mph tailwind. 400 miles on 101 up the west coast is a lot longer than 400 miles on 90 in Montana.

So, if we are planning ahead for stops, we look more at terrain, road type, typical wind conditions, traffic conditions, and usual construction than we do how far it is. We can cover 400 miles in less than 7 hours on a super highway in the center of the country (we did it a couple of weeks ago). On the east coast, between New Jersey and Massachusetts, depending on the above, we might cover 250 miles in 7 hours.

Another aspect we have discovered - the longer we have 'rested' (stayed in one place) the more likely we will be able to drive longer. If we have been somewhere at least 4 days, 300+ miles is no problem. If we drove 300+ miles the day before, we are dragging about 50 miles before we get where we are going. This is especially true if we have had to drive through an insane gauntlet of city highway, such as around Atlanta or Indianapolis or Jacksonville.

We also have noticed that if we actually stop, get out for a while and wander around, longer drives are easier. The days where we just drive with quick pit stops seem to drag forever.

So, consider time as your limiter rather than distance. Start with the supposition that you will cover 50 miles per hour (this allows for pit stops). If parts of the trip are in a congested area or on secondary roads, add a half hour for each 100 miles. If it is in a mountainous area, one of you has the bladder of a gerbil, or the area is notorious for crosswinds, add 15 minutes per 100 miles. You'll come out closer to the 'mental' drive time.

Your partner is right about 400 miles in car vs. in an RV. Driving an RV requires a lot more attention and patience from the driver. The passenger, not so much unless they are a passenger seat driver.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

As dahkota said, it all depends. 300 miles with a strong crosswind can be exhausting. 400 miles with no wind isn't that bad. Terrain, wind, traffic all have a bigger impact when driving a MH vs a car.

If we are going out west I plan on 600 miles/day until we get there. I want to maximize the time we have seeing the west. When I do this I stick to the interstates.