How many miles do you drive a year? How long do you stay somewhere? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

tcox4freedom · RV-Dreams Community Member

How many miles do you drive a year? How long do you stay somewhere?

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've been fulltime for 11 years. Our miles towing have reduced over the years. The highest year was 15K miles. Now we have been averaging between 5K and 7K miles towing a year. More on the toad.

We tend to stay places at least 2 weeks. And in the summer we spend 5 months in the CO mountains. Our average cost per night for all 11 years is under $5, but we boondock and stay for free as much as possible, plus we workamp. We also now own RV lots, but only use one for 3 months in the winter. I did not include that cost inthe average.

igotjam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Full time for 4 years. Like previous poster we started with high mileage/constant moving (20,000 mi 1st year) and have reduced it every year (this year about 6,000 miles). We like to stay about 2 weeks in a location but sometimes the monthly rate is very attractive so we stick it out. I don't think you'll find a standard...you have to do what suits you.....everyone is different. I know full timers who only stay at 2 or 3 locations in a year.

tcox4freedom · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thanks for the responses. I love to drive; and I have logged a couple million miles in both autos & big trucks. But, I really can't see driving an RV more than 15-20k a year. (That seems like a whole lot of moving. Especially since my health no longer affords me but about 3-4 hours at a time behind the wheel.)

I also like the idea of an average stay being around two weeks; unless rates & work keep you there longer. That seems long enough to enjoy a place. But not so long, as to become bored. (Especially, when we'll be traveling with two children.)

I'm trying to do a little homework to help us decide what we need to prep for before we start out. (My two kids are asking a bunch of questions about their new life.)

Thanks again-

-- Edited by tcox4freedom on Thursday 7th of April 2011 05:18:21 PM

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

People keep telling us that we should have slowed down by now but after almost 8 years as full-timers we put about 11,000 to 12,000 miles on the motorhome per year and about 15,000 to 17,000 miles on our Honda CRV. Our stays vary from one night to 2-1/2 months, but mostly in the one or two week range. The same with geographic areas, our stay length varies enough I can't say anything meaningful. It looks like we really did join this lifestyle to travel. Our highest motorhome mileage was in 2006 when we started in Florida, went to Alaska, then to Indiana for warranty work and ended the year in Southern California for a total of 19,464 miles. Our shortest mileage year was 2005 when we started in Southern California, drove across Canada from BC to Ontario and ended in Florida for a total of 9,298 miles.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

In five years we have averaged just over 9,000 miles a year towing and about 20k a year on the truck. Like others, we have slowed down as the years went by. Even though we are staying longer between moves, our average is moving every week over the 5 year period.

Different strokes for different folks!

Enjoy the trip.

Mallo · RV-Dreams Family Member

We drive 20K miles a year approx

We stay in a single part of the country for 2 to 3 months maybe more maybe less.

We stay in a single campground from 1 day to 6 weeks with 1 week being our target time frame.

Mallo