Driving non stop

[wbwood]

We are getting a new Class C motor home this weekend. Got the approval call today. We will put it to great use. With that being said, it got me wondering as to non stop driving. With it being a Class C, my wife won't have any issues driving it, especially on the highway. How far have you gone with switching off drivers and not stopping for the night? We would love to go out west as far as we could, but with only having a two week period. It's not really feasible to go too far out. I've driven between South Carolina and California 3 times. Each time taking me 3 days of 12 hr driving. So week to just drive out there and back is a bummer. But if we could get it done in half the time, then not as bad. Would go all the way to California, but maybe to the Rockies or Yellowstone.

Has anyone done the trade off driving to get somewhere in a shorter period? How far did you go?

[jeffcarp]

Calling a long haul cross country drive stupidity is wrong. Slow down and enjoy the journey is something someone says when they've reached a stage in life when they can slow down and enjoy the journey. To those not in that stage of life but still in the RV lifestyle it is patronizing. Some of us take RV trips in between other life events that occur for the stage of life we are in including kid's activities, school calendars, and work. When we've made a family decision to spend the week we have available to us in Florida, saying slow down and enjoy the journey is meaningless.

[wny_pat1]

450 miles is my non-stop mileage limit today!!! Use to do the crazy non-stop limit way back when I was in the military. You could say it was out of necessity, but today I know it was out of stupidity. Slow down and enjoy this wonderful world that is just ahead along the highway!

[Sea_Dog]

I consider an RV as a license to travel.
We have never slept closer to home than a days drive.

To me "camping" a couple of hours from home,
is a waste of time and a perfectly good RV.

[wbwood]

McZippie wrote:

Jim Shoe wrote:
You're the one that asked the question. If you don't like the answers don't ask the question. It appears that you're going to do it anyway. Could you tell us the route and schedule so we can avoid you on the road?

Well then Sir, you certainly wouldn't want to cross paths with us.....
For the last 40 years we have seen a lot of the world during our 2 week vacations.

Many times we drove various RVs, 20+ hours without stopping to reach a new destination.
Speeding 10+ mph over the limit, helps a lot to knock off driving hours on mega hour hauls.

Lol

[McZippie]

Jim Shoe wrote:
You're the one that asked the question. If you don't like the answers don't ask the question. It appears that you're going to do it anyway. Could you tell us the route and schedule so we can avoid you on the road?

Well then Sir, you certainly wouldn't want to cross paths with us.....
For the last 40 years we have seen a lot of the world during our 2 week vacations.

Many times we drove various RVs, 20+ hours without stopping to reach a new destination.
Also speeding 10+ mph over the limit, helps a lot to reduce the driving hours on mega hauls.

[wbwood]

Sea Dog wrote:
Go for it!
I would much rather drive ten or twelve hours per day
than waste time sitting in a CG smelling the campfire smoke.

If you are more tired from driving an RV than you are a car,
you have the wrong RV!

As I am going on seventy seven, I no longer do much night driving.
Daylight till dark during the summer will give you plenty of time to rack up the miles.
Go and have a great trip!

The more that people post on here, e more I am seeing that there are a lot of people who don't like to drive or drive long distances. Its not for everyone for sure. I drive 70 miles round trip to work everyday. Many on here would not drive that much round trip in a week. A weekend trip to us is a 4 hr trip across 200 miles to the beach. Leave at 5pm on Friday and arrive around 9pm. Then turn around and go home on Sunday. Get home around 3pm and then i leave to go to work at 9pm. That's normal for us. We often drive 3.5 hrs to see family for a few hours and then turn around and drive back the same day. Just the way we do things and sometimes how we have to do things. One day, it will be different.

[wbwood]

JoeChiOhki wrote:

wbwood wrote:
We are getting a new Class C motor home this weekend. Got the approval call today. We will put it to great use. With that being said, it got me wondering as to non stop driving. With it being a Class C, my wife won't have any issues driving it, especially on the highway. How far have you gone with switching off drivers and not stopping for the night? We would love to go out west as far as we could, but with only having a two week period. It's not really feasible to go too far out. I've driven between South Carolina and California 3 times. Each time taking me 3 days of 12 hr driving. So week to just drive out there and back is a bummer. But if we could get it done in half the time, then not as bad. Would go all the way to California, but maybe to the Rockies or Yellowstone.

Has anyone done the trade off driving to get somewhere in a shorter period? How far did you go?

You're under the impression that an RV goes fast, let me tell you that they do not. Law of Gross Tonnage, and the law of mountain passes :p.

I drove Salem, Oregon to Chicago, Illinois, which covered alot of the same ground you'd cover doing 75 or faster driving tandem drivers in a car, non-stop, it still took us 36 hours to get to Chicago.

You're not going to get under that three days figure with a motorhome, which, in all likelihood will not be able to travel as fast as a small car could at around 75-80 mph, motorhomes cruise comfortably at around 60-65mph, tops, they're top heavy vehicles, go much faster than that without alot of experience driving a large vehicle and you could end up in a wreck.

In the end, you're still going to spend a week driving, give or take a day, maybe a day and a half.

I was referring to the numbers as statistical figures 6 in one half dozen in another.

[Sea_Dog]

Go for it!
I would much rather drive ten or twelve hours per day
than waste time sitting in a CG smelling the campfire smoke.

If you are more tired from driving an RV than you are a car,
you have the wrong RV!

As I am going on seventy seven, I no longer do much night driving.
Daylight till dark during the summer will give you plenty of time to rack up the miles.
Go and have a great trip!

[wa8yxm]

When I first got this house (8 years ago) I did a few 12 hour drives or more... (Dang few) but now days 4 is about my limit Have done 8 but I am starting to get real tired when I do that. AND WHEN I do 8 if I land at an RV park all I hook up is power.. Till morning (or more likely the next afternoon)

[JoeChiOhki]

wbwood wrote:
We are getting a new Class C motor home this weekend. Got the approval call today. We will put it to great use. With that being said, it got me wondering as to non stop driving. With it being a Class C, my wife won't have any issues driving it, especially on the highway. How far have you gone with switching off drivers and not stopping for the night? We would love to go out west as far as we could, but with only having a two week period. It's not really feasible to go too far out. I've driven between South Carolina and California 3 times. Each time taking me 3 days of 12 hr driving. So week to just drive out there and back is a bummer. But if we could get it done in half the time, then not as bad. Would go all the way to California, but maybe to the Rockies or Yellowstone.

Has anyone done the trade off driving to get somewhere in a shorter period? How far did you go?

You're under the impression that an RV goes fast, let me tell you that they do not. Law of Gross Tonnage, and the law of mountain passes :p.

I drove Salem, Oregon to Chicago, Illinois, which covered alot of the same ground you'd cover doing 75 or faster driving tandem drivers in a car, non-stop, it still took us 36 hours to get to Chicago.

You're not going to get under that three days figure with a motorhome, which, in all likelihood will not be able to travel as fast as a small car could at around 75-80 mph, motorhomes cruise comfortably at around 60-65mph, tops, they're top heavy vehicles, go much faster than that without alot of experience driving a large vehicle and you could end up in a wreck.

In the end, you're still going to spend a week driving, give or take a day, maybe a day and a half.

[mlts22]

In my early 20s, I drove from Austin to LA in about 24 hours, then up to Vancouver. Got to destination, checked in hotel, spent 2-3 days asleep before I could. I took it slow (five days via a different route) when going back home.

I won't do that again unless there was an emergency and I couldn't get a flight.

If I were driving a motorhome that took effort to keep on the road due to passing 18-wheelers, side winds, and additional fatiguing effects, I wouldn't even think of anything more than 300-500 miles. When I get near eight hours on the road, I'm going to be pulling over and using an app to hunt for and reserve a spot at a decent CG or RV park.

[BobR]

Many people with time constraints drive non stop to their destination. Might take a day to get back up to speed but at least you are where you want to be during recuperation. I would suggest to try to plan the return home part of the trip to a 300 mile per day limit. That way the vacation will more enjoyable than beating yourself up once again on the return leg.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

wbwood wrote:
I'm talking about getting to a destination in a short period of time. Not wanting to stop overnight along the way. Not looking for opinions of "stopping and smelling the roses".

Well..... looking for 'em or not - you got 'em!.:R

Start a silly thread - expect silly statements..:S

Sooooo - skip the roses, stop and smell the fuchsias....

but, if that's not worth stopping for either - -

maybe the deodorant (for lack of a shower).:@

YNSBOMV..:W

[atfulldraw]

trips like that are the ones I remember the most..... 🙂

course, all my trips seem to be like that.

[rondeb]

I get it. You want to sightsee in a part of the country that is 2000 miles away. People vacation 2000 miles away and more by flying which takes a full day. If you both drive you could make it in 2 days non stop. Then enjoy your time there and head back. Might want to give yourself an extra day going home as you might be pretty tired. We have driven 1000 miles in one day on a motorcycle, so you can do it in a class c if you so desire.