Travel Planning - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Dakota Grey · RV-Dreams Community Member

Travel Planning

igotjam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Fulltimer for 2.5 years. We don't like to plan to be somewhere at a certain time if at all possible. We end up at our destination too early, or hurrying to get there. We usually travel 200 miles or less per day and watch the weather so we are not hooking up or setting up in the rain, wind or snow. We almost never make advance reservations but we do target our destination park the day before we travel (so we know where we are going).

We use a Walmart atlas for planning and stop at tourist info places when we cross a state or province line to get the state (or province) map.

Good luck...its an adventure.

Mallo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our travel is dictated by cats and my job.

The cats are good for 3 to 6 hours in their carriers so we try to break for them at the 4 hour mark.

We both share the driving so we shot for about 8 to 10 hours a day of time from pull out to pull in. We get about 40 miles an hour figuring it that way so a good distance for us is 300 to 400 miles we can push and do more (500 to 600) but it is pushing and something we only do if we have to make time.

Driving fewer miles and staying for longer periods cuts costs down but you cover less ground.

As for maps, we like the truckers atlas (get the one that is laminated) it has all the low clearances in it. As well as the truck routes marked.

Everyones drive times and distances will vary. I've done 1200 miles over night and hated it, I've done 200 miles and hated it driving conditions dictate a lot.

The one thing I'm trying to get down is this;

Don't have plans with hard dates and times. Have and agenda with goals and directions.

Mallo

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

As old people

and full timers for almost 4 years now, our planning and distances we drive on a daily basis are probably much different than you might require in a fixed time vacation.

If we have a long range goal in mind, we will plot it out using increments of no more than about 200 miles a day. That is based on our desire to not have to leave before 10 in the morning and be settled for the evening by about 3 in the afternoon, with an hour lunch stop. When needed though, we have driven up to 350 miles in a day .

We use the Trailer Life Directory Campground Navigator CD's for planning. It lets us not only plan daily distances, but also shows us the campgrounds available, with ratings, to stop at along the way. It's great tool for us.

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

We try to do around 200 to 250 miles a day like most.Some times in order to get a decent camp ground we may only go 190 miles because next closest place is 300 miles away. Have done 375 in a day but don't like to.My wife has a bad back so we also stop and stretch and walk our dog every 2 or so hours. Before retirement we used to do 500 a day and be worn out and cranky.( now we are just old and cranky

). After a few trips you figure out what works best for you.We like to stay off the Interstates as much as possible so that also plays a part in it.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our normal travel mode is also 150 to 250 miles. We have done over 400 miles in a day, mostly to avoid severe weather, but we hate those days. When we want to drive a long distance we do a 225 to 300 mile day, stay one night, then another 225 to 300 mile day and stay at least two nights. This way we can travel about 1,000 miles in a week and not feel too rushed.

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Go online to the individual states you think you will be traveling in and request travel guides and a map. It’s free stuff. You can use the guides to plan your site seeing and state maps are more detailed than an Atlas.

I use Google or Yahoo maps to get ETEs (estimated time enroute) for planning purposes. It sometimes depends on my chosen campground, but I prefer a 7 hour day as opposed to mileage. That’s usually about 300-350 miles and includes lunch and a fuel stop if needed. Out by 9 am and in by 4 pm. Easy on the bones, but still getting somewhere.

Saving $$:

1- Look at getting a Passport America membership and using those campgrounds to save a few bucks.

2- Check out Corp of Engineer campgrounds that may be near your route. They are generally cheaper than full service commercial and if you qualify for a Golden Age or Access card, it’s half price.

3- Go online to a site similar to Gasbuddy.com and find places to fuel up along the route that may save a buck or two.

Respectfully, suggest that you plan a couple do nothing days in the schedule. You don’t have to use them, but they are convenient if you have a mechanical problem and a camping trip should not be work. Remember that old cliché about having to go back to work to get some rest after the vacation.

Good luck.

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

I do 90% of the driving and like to start late and stop early. My ideal would be to travel 4 to 6 hours per day, sightsee along the way and park a couple of hours before sunset.

However, like others have said, commitments get in the way. Under commitment travel we usually do 8 to 10 hours at my preferred towing speed (61 MPH). We have gone as long as 18 hours to get to a destination in time for an event.

This commitment travel usually consists of an early start before 8am, stop for meals/gas and stop overnight in a rest or truck stop. Then do the same thing for the following days until we arrive at our goal location.

I don't like commitment travel.

The only planning we do is look through the AAA guides/internet to see if there are things we need to see along the way, program the navigation system and look over the maps to become familiar with the route. We may call to make a reservation at an RV park for the night if it's a Friday or Saturday. Usually during the week, we have no trouble finding a spot for overnight. If we plan on staying for more than a day we definitely will call to reserve a spot. I don't want to have to move once we get setup so I want to have just one spot for the time we spend at a destination.

Delaine and Lindy · RV-Dreams Family Member

We were full timing but now we are sometimers, sometime we just take off. We only travel about 250 to 300 miles a day, try to leave the RV park by 8:00 pm and in a RV park by 3:00 pm. We always have a reservation our reason is we don't want to be hunting a RV park, that can be a real problem. We do no Wally Docking, just to much money in our equipment to park in a parking lot and of course we prefer 50 amps and full hook-ups. We also try to travel on Tues thru Thursdays. We will be going to Colorado for our Suites Rally in June next year and are already planing our route. We have learn not to try and do it all in one year. I do believe a person should have a plan. Just remember the 6 P's. GBY......

-- Edited by Delaine and Lindy on Friday 4th of December 2009 08:13:58 PM

-- Edited by Delaine and Lindy on Saturday 5th of December 2009 01:02:19 PM

ramblemutt · RV-Dreams Community Member

Between 5 and 7 hours, usually, with stops every two hours or so to let our dogs out for a break. Generally turns out to be 2-300 miles. We like to stop for the day around 4-5 PM, often earlier. We start looking for a spot to stop around 2 PM. We roam a lot with no particular destination. We are not full timers, but travel 2-3 weeks every couple of months between Sept and early June....to coincide with school summer vacation (at which time we stay home. Our home in the mountains is perfect for all summer.) We store our TT in the desert about 350 miles from home and like to escape from the snow a few times a winter. We pull it out and head further south.

Oh, maps. We use Benchmark and DeLorme. They are expensive, but very detailed and give us the info on backroads that we like. Also good info on campgrounds, etc. The mapbook for any one state can run 100 to 150 pages. About 20 bucks each.

-- Edited by ramblemutt on Friday 4th of December 2009 10:20:08 PM

Dakota Grey · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you to all that have replied. I got what I had hoped for. A wide range of ways to plan and travel.
One other question: What price have you been finding for diesel in the south? smile

ramblemutt · RV-Dreams Community Member

We're not in the south, but paid $2.80 in southern Utah last week.

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just traveled from Kansas to California. Diesel prices ranged from $2.69 to $3.03. Didn't break the $3 barrier until we reached California.

Roz · RV-Dreams Family Member

Stopped at the Flying-J just south of Brunswick, GA and took on 73 gallons at $2.67.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I use Flying J's pricing page and check the "Car/RV Diesel" prices - http://www.flyingj.com/flyingjPortalWebProject/flyingjPortal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=flyingjPortal_portal_page_60. There are a few states you can't use the truck prices since they pay differently, which includes Oregon, Indiana and Arizona (though if your truck/motorhome weighs more than 26,000lbs you might have to pay like a truck in Arizona). Flying J is normally close to the cheapest price in the area, but at least you have some idea. For more truck stop prices go here - http://www.dieselboss.com/fuel.htm.

pierreandcolleen · RV-Dreams Family Member

We found planning to be too stressful. Whenever we made commitments to be someplace on a certain day we felt rushed and we missed out on other things that we happened upon along the way. When we were going to be near family or friends, we would give them a window of when we planned on being there but didn't make any solid commitments. This way if you're driving by and see something intersting, you can take your time and enjoy the sights without rushing along to your next destination.

Happy travels!
Colleen

Dakota Grey · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you again to all that replied. Your information will be very helpful. This is a great group of people and I am glad that I found the web site.

Happytrails · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think how many miles/hours you travel depends on the type of RVing you are doing. Full-timers travel slower (usually) than those that have a schedule to keep. We just started full-timing and our first trip out we traveled way to long each day and felt tired and overwhelmed. Now we have learned to slow down. Its a learning curve especially when you have been used to the "schedule" type travel.

Why don't you decide if there is something special you want to see or place you want to visit and plan from there? Try not to spread yourself too thin. You don't have to see or do it all in one trip. Have fun and make great memories......thats what it is all about.

We are in Georgia and we are finding diesel to be the same as Roz noted but don't know what it might be my spring. You might want to keep an eye on that as it nears time to travel.

We like the Wal-Mart atlas and the book- The Next Exit. The Next Exit tells you everything offered at each exit off the interstates. Quite handy.

Good luck and enjoy!

Dakota Grey · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thanks Mike & Gerri for the thoughtful input. I appreciate the info.

Mallo · RV-Dreams Family Member

WilliamJohson wrote:

A good and well Travel plan can make Your Trip more exicting and Fun and without any distractions. You should Decide well in advance the Place to be visited and accordingly book Your tickets in Advance, Also, Make Your accomodation reserve in advance.

Assuming you do not also work the above can work well but the dark side of this came up lazing around a campfire on the bank of the Ohio river.

The guy next door was talking about how much they lose each year due to over booking. A break down or some other event forcing them to miss tickets and or lose deposits on campgrounds because they plan everything in advance.

We pretty much plan two weeks out and it's worked so far.

Mallo

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Feeling the need to have every mile planned in advance sounds too much like a day at work. Won't do it. We decide about how far we want to go when we pull out of last nights campground, then about noonish we see how we feel. We may call a campground at that time. Depends.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

As I'm not retired yet, our vacation time is very precious. I get 2 weeks a year, but can only take one week at a time. Since I work 6 days/week and only get 1 holiday (Christmas day) my vacation is the only time we can camp. Because of this, I must make every minute count, so I don't have the luxury of being able to take several days to reach my destination. My DW has relatives from California to Florida and South Carolina. Living in Louisiana makes it difficult to visit family so far away. (No, I won't subject myself to the public humiliation and degradation of being fondled or strip searched to board an airliner. Besides I am always armed, and I won't give up my safety just to get some place a little faster unless absolutely necessary.) I have found myself driving non-stop from Louisiana to California on several occasions, with only one brief rest for a few hours of sleep before continuing our journey. We have covered 2,000 miles in less than 48 hours on several trips. My DW drives briefly when I tire (safety first) so I can get a couple hours of shut-eye, but I drive most of the way myself.

Next month we will be visiting Big Bend NP (about 1,000 miles each way) for our 2nd time camping there together. We like to get up at zero dark thirty to make some time before the traffic gets too heavy. On our last trip there we rested the first day at about the 700 mile point, dry camping in a free road side park overnight with my Aliner still hooked to the car. This gives us an easy 300 mile leg the next day, so we can leisurely set-up camp, grill up a nice supper and break out the well deserved margaritas!

Chip

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

WOW! I am glad this works for you but I can tell you that there is not a chance in "heck" that this would work for us. You are "the man"! if you are able to pull this off safely and still return to work feeling like you have been on vacation. I would have felt as though I just worked the hardest week of my life but that's where the expression "to each his own" comes from.
Thanks for the post, it made very interesting reading.

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wow!!!! I'm getting tired just reading about how far some of you folks are traveling in a day.

We're in Florida right now, and my Streets and Trips program says that it's 660 miles form here up to the Rally in Seviervile.

By my calculations it'll take us 5 days to get there. Yeah, we could make it in four, but that would be pushing it. smile

A full-timer I met soon after we started going full-time, told me that if he had to rush to get someplace he left a day too late.

There's something to that.

Jim

-- Edited by Jim01 on Tuesday 29th of March 2011 04:11:06 PM

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jim, Ken, and Bill.

You know that your points are very valid and in truthfulness very sage in their wisdom. However, in the past I have been like Chip (Sushidog) in that our vacation time was limited. Even now we don't have the luxury of taking two or three days to get somewhere, just to have to turn right around and come back.

Having been a professional driver (18-wheelers and bobtails), long miles doesn't affect me as much as most people may be affected. In fact, if I even feel like I'm not tired yet, I'm apt to push on further.

Now, this year will be different. Since our house hasn't sold yet, we don't feel we have the cash reserves to even go to Colorado on vacation. So, we plan on taking a week in April and go to a state park here in central Oklahoma. Its only about a hour's drive away. I'm not going to know what to do with myself on such a short drive.

We're going to Red Rock Canyon State Park on the south side of Hinton, OK. That is just off of I-40 west of Oklahoma City. It's a nice little park for a visit if one is looking for a break from a long trip. It will be interesting in that the entrance road snakes down into the canyon at a steep angle with two turns. Who knows? I may get in there and not be able to get out.

Terry

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Red Rock Canyon SP is only 770 miles away. I could make that in only one day! ;)

It's not that I want to drive that many miles in a day, it's just that there are some nice places I'd like to visit before I retire (still 8 yrs off) and I see no other way to do it.

Chip

jcw · RV-Dreams Family Member

Red Rock Canyon SP was GREAT! What a terrific place to hike. We had a wonderful week there last year (Oct/Nov I think).

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

JC,

Were you in the one in Oklahoma, or the one out west? The one in Oklahoma is pretty small with the canyon itself being roughly a mile and a half long. There are a couple of hiking trails, but I don't know anything about them.

If you were in the one in Oklahoma, what did you like best about any of the trails?

Terry