Cross-Country RV Travel: Long Driving Days or Short Hops?

[Professor David]

Interesting to read the above. As with most of the replies, we like to only travel 250 to 300 miles a day max. Most of our current favorite campgrounds are within that range for a one day drive. One nice spot is only a 30 min drive from our house up in the Black hills. For a few years during Jan and Feb we traveled down to McDowell mountain regional campground near Phoenix. Great place but the three day drive during the winter wiped us out and it took us a few days to recover once we arrived. Several times coming back from AZ, we were stuck, waiting out bad weather. Not fun and the whole purpose of having a RV is to have fun and relax. Not much fun to be stuck in WY due to a blizzard and/or high winds in an RV. The last few years, we haven’t ventured out in the winter, only traveling from spring to fall. Gas prices are high now, so we will stay closer to home again this year.

 

[Derby6]

Year 1 we probably did 400+ a day. Mostly 1 night stays until we got to destination. Was too much.
Like most we like 250-300 and 2 night stays when we can.
That being said if we go East, I (and dog) will hook and go. Probably closer to 750 miles a day-Sleep wherever. DW will fly in to airport on east coast and then we’ll be back to 250-300 mile days and longer stops at destinations.

 

[Wasillaguy]

We average about 12,000 in our 6 months.

We average 10K in 5 months, so same, same.
Also in the 250-300 mile range, at least 2 nights if we like the campground. Up to a week if we are exploring the area or visiting friends/relatives.
We also do longer drives when needed to get past a metropolitan area or to dodge a storm front.

 

[8Muddypaws]

After having driven through there a couple of times I’m not likely to stop there for anything. We push on and stay in Palm Desert more often than not.

Grill-A-Burger in nearby PS is the best!

 

[LarsMac]

While it was the two of us, I planned out the route and had fuel stops and overnights plotted before we took off. And, we tended to follow the Interstates because Margo preferred the predictable routes.

Now, I still explore the routes and kind of have an idea where I want to fuel and eat, and what points of interests are along the route, but I don't commit to anything in particular.
I prefer the US highways and Truck Routes to Interstates, and will take four hour detour to get past the bigger cities whenever practical.

 

[Kirk]

I think that a major factor in this decision is dependent on the point in life which the responder is. When we were young, had children at home and limited amounts of vacation time, we used to drive longer, and we tried to cram as much as possible into the limited amount of time that we had. As we got older and had more vacation time we drove less per day and spent more time at most stops. After the kids left home our vacations became more relaxing with less travel. But when we retired, sold the house and began living in the RV all of the time, the distances driven per day rapidly got even shorter. When you are at home each time that you stop, no matter where that is, you begin to put more emphasis on the traveling and less on the destinations. In 12 years of fulltime RV life, the longest single day trip was 400 miles and that only happened twice. The shortest day's travel was only 36 miles, when we started to travel and saw a sign for an attraction that we wanted to see, so stopped at the next exit. We also changed the style of travel from the interstate highways where you move fast and see almost nothing, to the US routes where you pass through small towns and actually see the area you are traveling through. We also discovered that most small towns were very welcoming to us spending a night there in our RV, even where there were no campgrounds or RV parks. We once took 6 days to travel about 300 miles.

Once age and health caused us to buy a house again we reverted to part time travels but we never traveled over 250 miles per day and spent more time seeing things and less windshield time.

 

[dcorbtt]

We travel 250-300 miles/day. We are on a 109 day outing. Every stop is reserved. Why waste time when on the road to plan. Spend 3 days/site unless in a more interesting area like Yellowstone. We do not mind being spontaneous as long as it is well planned. We do not go less than 35 days.

 

[Jackiemac]

@Peggyy1

Yosemite is actually quite small if you are driving into the valley itself which is where most of the main attractions and waterfalls are. There isn't a lot of parking either. In theory you could just drive in and out and if there is a parking spot stop. The Mist Trail is a really good hike even if you don't go all the way up the steps to the falls. I stopped at the bridge and waited for Steve. It gets wet and can be slippy from that point.

The Ahwahnee Hotel is worth a look too

Glacier Point is one of the, if not the best viewpoint. It looks over to half dome and down into the valley.

Tolumne Meadows area is nice and likely to be less busy. If you stay in or around Lee Vining then it's on that side. Lembert Dome is a nice hike.

Hetch Hetchy is probably least attractive unless you are hiking.

We didn't see Mariposa as it was closed each time we went.

I guess the key would be to get there very early or to go slightly later in the afternoon as people are leaving for dinner.

 

[Jackiemac]

@Larry N.

It takes us about 10-15 minutes to set up so that's not really a consideration for how long we stay. It's more about what we want to see when in the area.

 

[TonyL]

@Larry N.

It takes us about 10-15 minutes to set up so that's not really a consideration for how long we stay. It's more about what we want to see when in the area.

Longer when we were around and the beers were flowing

 

[Brad Buchanan]

I think that a major factor in this decision is dependent on the point in life which the responder is. When we were young, had children at home and limited amounts of vacation time, we used to drive longer, and we tried to cram as much as possible into the limited amount of time that we had. As we got older and had more vacation time we drove less per day and spent more time at most stops. After the kids left home our vacations became more relaxing with less travel. But when we retired, sold the house and began living in the RV all of the time, the distances driven per day rapidly got even shorter. When you are at home each time that you stop, no matter where that is, you begin to put more emphasis on the traveling and less on the destinations. In 12 years of fulltime RV life, the longest single day trip was 400 miles and that only happened twice. The shortest day's travel was only 36 miles, when we started to travel and saw a sign for an attraction that we wanted to see, so stopped at the next exit. We also changed the style of travel from the interstate highways where you move fast and see almost nothing, to the US routes where you pass through small towns and actually see the area you are traveling through. We also discovered that most small towns were very welcoming to us spending a night there in our RV, even where there were no campgrounds or RV parks. We once took 6 days to travel about 300 miles.

Once age and health caused us to buy a house again we reverted to part time travels but we never traveled over 250 miles per day and spent more time seeing things and less windshield time.

We normally travel between new york (Canadian border) and Florida.

We travel 300 to 400 miles and then pull into a truckstop and fill up. Usually the truckstop has ample parking so we pull into the line, fire the genny, pull the shades and we are home.

Very convenient and apart from the fuel, free also.

 

[Firstime RVer]

All I can say is we typically drive between 4 and 5 hours between overnight stops on our way to our destination at most. We have gone as long as 6 to 7 hours, but the drive turned into a real drudge. Just my $.02 FWIW.
Safe travels and all the best.

 

[Kirk]

Yosemite is actually quite small i

True, if compared to many other national parks. But like so many national parks, very little of it is accessible by automobile. Yosemite National Park spans approximately 1,169 square miles (roughly 748,000 acres) of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. It is a massive area, comparable in size to the state of Rhode Island. About 94-95% designated wilderness. Most visitors only see 7 square miles or less, or the main valley of the park.

 

[Jackiemac]

True, if compared to many other national parks. But like so many national parks, very little of it is accessible by automobile. Yosemite National Park spans approximately 1,169 square miles (roughly 748,000 acres) of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. It is a massive area, comparable in size to the state of Rhode Island. About 94-95% designated wilderness. Most visitors only see 7 square miles or less, or the main valley of the park.

Agree. I was referring to the driving aspect as Peggy was asking about driving through it.

 

[Wasillaguy]

Regarding staying multiple nights-
We've been getting the Texas State Park pass the last few years and really like it. It not only covers the entry fee for everyone in the vehicle, but you also get 2nd night for half price, making for some very affordable camping.
And- you can fish from shore in Texas SPs without a license.
The pass isn't exactly cheap, but can pay for itself in about 4 visits for the 2 of us.

 

[RayIN]

With continual traffic congestion these days, 200-250 miles is my limit. Driving while tired, in heavy traffic is not enjoyable, but can be dangerous; especially when driving an RV.

 

[RV_Lee122]

After having driven through there a couple of times I’m not likely to stop there for anything. We push on and stay in Palm Desert more often than not.

Grill-A-Burger in nearby PS is the best!

Couldn't wait to leave because it got so hot so early this year, I sure wish I stayed longer now! Wont make that mistake again.

 

[canam175]

Just curious. If you are setting out to travel across the country, do you like to drive long days nonstop, short days every day, or try a couple of days then rest a couple of days, etc.

It depends on the end location,if the end location is a short stay with family I’ll do 600 miles a day, if not it’s a max of 300 miles a day. With a longer trip and 300 a day I use Harvest Host and may stay one night or two if more interested in the location.

 

[BillyThib]

Just curious. If you are setting out to travel across the country, do you like to drive long days nonstop, short days every day, or try a couple of days then rest a couple of days, etc.

I loosely subscribe to the 3/300 rule presented to me by one of my customers many years ago. He would end his driving at 3 pm or after 300 miles, which ever came first. I applied this strategy for our trip from Louisiana to Alaska and back last year. There were exceptions depending on situations or conditions but generally stuck to it.

 

[Rene T]

We traveled from FL to NH last weekend 1421 miles. We Do it in two days. Stay in a motel one night. It works out to be 11 hours each day. Good to be home.