How fast do you go, on average?

[Karl]

I'm curious - the last 3 years, the Garmin GPS shows my overall travel average has been 45 mph. That includes long stretches of flat driving and (seemingly) longer stretches of mountain driving, trans-city driving, etc. What has it worked out to for you? How about your normal driving speed on relatively long and flat roads? I try for 60, but sometimes it's a little over or under.

 

[Chet18013]

That's just about what we average. It has varied from 44 to 48 mph. I usually try to hold a highway speed in the 60-62 mph range with the cruse control.

Chet18013

 

[Ron]

That's just about what we average. It has varied from 44 to 48 mph. I usually try to hold a highway speed in the 60-62 mph range with the cruse control.

Chet18013

Same here. 

 

[Lowell]

My 99 GMC pick-up had an hour meter and I recorded miles and hours at each oil change plus a running average miles per engine run time. When I traded it in at 96,000 odometer miles, it had a lifetime average of 36.8 miles per engine running hour.  This covered 6 years of driveing to work, trips, etc.
Jake

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I don't keep detailed records but when I check the Street Pilot, it almost always shows mid-40's for average driving speeds, even when there is a substantial interstate component. It may dip to 35-38 if all the days travel is on secondary roads.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

I'm curious - the last 3 years, the Garmin GPS shows my overall travel average has been 45 mph. That includes long stretches of flat driving and (seemingly) longer stretches of mountain driving, trans-city driving, etc. What has it worked out to for you? How about your normal driving speed on relatively long and flat roads? I try for 60, but sometimes it's a little over or under.

Karl, that's about right for me as well.? With my new used rig, I feel comfortable at 58 -- sometimes up to 62 on ideal desert roads on rarely seen good paving. Of course, in CA, the limit is 55 w/a toad, so the 58 works for me wherever I may be.

The associated question then becomes how far does one travel/day based on a 45 mph average speed, or knowing the average speed, how many hours and associated mile does one go. I seem to be a 3-350 mile guy at this point in my life and driving an RV -- beginning at 7:30AM. And that is only when I'm into some kinda schedule to get somewhere on time. I much prefer 200 miles starting mid AM and arriving at early to mid afternoon for that nights stay. When going from QZ to TX to buy my rig in March, I did a couple of 400 mile days. That plus having to do West TX for part of it just about did me in.?

Another question I ask others is, in your "lifetime" of driving whatever kinda vehicle, how far have you driven "by yourself" or with you as the only driver. That's non stop other then short naps and meal breaks. Mine was a trip from Denver to Lexington, KY -- about 1200 miles. That would have been in the early '60's driving a 58 Olds 98. If I recall, I left Denver before sun up -- and arrived in Lexington around noon the next day. Young and dumb . . .?

Prior to that I made frequent weekend trips to and from Norfolk, VA from Lexington, KY when the destroyer force was in port. That was around 600 miles w/not much freeway at the time. And the vehicle was a 37 Plymouth that I bought from a shipmate for $125.00.

 

[Jim Johnson]

how far have you driven "by yourself"

Bob, 

Back in the '80's when I was still working and hated to waste time, I drove from  home in Alabama to Lancaster, CA non-stop.  If I remember correctly, it was 44 hours.  Garmin shows it to be 2190 miles.  Also did home to Vegas.  Please do not mention this to Tarry as she still hates me for it.  Says it is the reason she will not go over 100 miles in a car. 

 

[John From Detroit]

My garmin tends to "Forget" when I move from car to MH and back to car and back to MH (since I don't have batteries in it prefering to use the much larger vehicle battery for power.

I used to like to haul ... you know.... However as I get older, and wiser,,, I've slowed down,  I try to keep it to the speed limit,  Some roads I may keep up with the truckers, but only if it is busy,  If it's not busy, let'em pass

 

[BernieD]

I have normally set my cruise control at 62-65mph, this puts the coach in the sweat spot of the power package and gave me an average 8.5-8.75 MPG. Since we have been in Canada with speed limits of 90-100 KPH, or 56-60 +/- MPH and have kept the cruise control at 56-58 MPH. At these speeds I don't have to worry about radar or running away from my travel mate Monitoring my fuel on my Silver Leaf, I have gotten at least 9 MPG every day and hit 10 on one.

 

[Karl]

Hmmm... We are all individuals with differing travel habits and geographic location, yet we all seem to be very close to each other on average speed. Function of age? Perhaps. Maybe also because we have gone beyond the "have to get there now" attitude of youth and the rigors of work. Sorry; I used that four-letter word again!
Side note: I filled up the car (a borrowed one) Thursday morning for $2.9199999/gal. That evening, the same station had raised the price to 2.9999999, and this on a day when the stock market had a whopping gain! Seems like no matter what the news; good or bad, any news is cause to raise prices  

 

[blueblood]

I'm curious - the last 3 years, the Garmin GPS shows my overall travel average has been 45 mph. That includes long stretches of flat driving and (seemingly) longer stretches of mountain driving, trans-city driving, etc. What has it worked out to for you? How about your normal driving speed on relatively long and flat roads? I try for 60, but sometimes it's a little over or under.

Just a little faster than the law allows.

 

[Jim Godward]

Leo,

Sounds like you and my wife are in the same league!  VBG  She usually has the cruise set at about 67/68 mph or 1750 rpm on the CAT! 

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Bob,?

Back in the '80's when I was still working and hated to waste time, I drove from? home in Alabama to Lancaster, CA non-stop.? If I remember correctly, it was 44 hours.? Garmin shows it to be 2190 miles.? ?Also did home to Vegas.? Please do not mention this to Tarry as she still hates me for it.? ?Says it is the reason she will not go over 100 miles in a car.?

That's amazing, Jim. I recall when I crossed the river at Louisville, I pulled over and walked around the car a few times. After that, I felt that I head reached the "wall" -- and began to wonder if I would make it. Looking back, what a dumb and dangerous thing that was for me to do. And to think you traveled another 1,000 miles from that point in my distance -- you must have truck drivers blood in your veins, my friend. 

My kid brother used to do motorcycles -- and he amazed me too. He and his buddies would take off from CA and drive almost to Kentucky before stopping to rest and get some sleep. Time of year didn't matter to them either.

 

[Jim Johnson]

Looking back, what a dumb and dangerous thing

Bob,

I think that all the time and think of the tragic end I (we) could have met.

 

[blueblood]

Leo,

Sounds like you and my wife are in the same league!? VBG? She usually has the cruise set at about 67/68 mph or 1750 rpm on the CAT!?

Yes, but I must admit that on this trip across NE/WY with the winds howling I worked to find the sweet spot behind an 18 wheeler (watching engine rpm and fuel economy gages) no matter what his/her speed as long as it was fast and stayed with them as long as they were going my way. It helped fuel economy considerably.

BTW - have you noticed a lot more hers driving them 18 wheelers these days ?

 

[allscott]

My crazy wife (and I say that with utmost love and affection), drove herself, our three kids (3,2, and 6months) along with a friend who had a 1 year old baby, 1700 miles in 23 hours. 

They stopped 4 or 5 times for gas, changing diapers, food etc.... but never stopped for rest.

I was sick the whole time they were gone.  When I got the phone call to say "we are here", I couldn't believe it.  I couldn't have driven that long by my self let alone with four babys and infants to take care of.

When it came time for them to return home, I DEMANDED that they take an extra day and stop at a nice hotel for rest.  I was ready to hop on an airplane to go and get them and drive them home (unfortunately no room for me).

The average person is going to spend about 600,000 hours on this planet, take some time and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Karl]

Allscot,

I find it really, really hard to believe that she travelled an average of almost 74 miles per hour, especially with even minimal gas and poop stops.
C'mon now; we're not stupid, and 45-50 mph seems to be the best we can do on average, regardless of our 'need for speed'. A Formula 1 car might average 120 mph on a closed course with straight line speeds approaching 200 mph, but I can't imagine anyone matching your wifes' speed on regular streets/highways. If I'm wrong, she's got one helluva career waiting for her in auto racing ;D

 

[allscott]

I am not much of a fisherman, so I try not to tell the stories.  According to mapquest, the route that she took was 1668 miles long.  She left at 5:00 PM on a Friday and phoned me from her destination at about 4:30 PM the next day (I rounded A bit).

She was driving an Acura SUV, not exactly a sports car but from what I recall felt the same at 70 as it did at 80.  She also spent most of her time on the interstate namely I-55, I-70, and I-29.  I have driven the same route and let me tell you.  I-29 betweeb KC and Fargo ND is a 500 mile long nice stretch of absolutely nothing and little traffic (no offence to anyone that happens to live along that route).

Her poop and gas stops were described to me as pit stops, one of them would fuel up usually paying at the pump while the other would change diapers.  They had planned the trip weeks in advance and had a cooler packed in the back.  During the stops one of them would grab sandwhiches and drink boxes for the kids out of the back and once on the road feed the kids.

Now two of the kids were still being breast fed.  My wife and  I both fully concred before the trip that it was absolutely unnacceptable for one of the ladies to be feeding a baby in the front seat out of a baby seat.  So they bought the Cadillac of breast pumps and a sleave of DD batteries from Walmart.  Truck drivers and motorhomers alike must get to see some things that the rest of us don't  :

My wife grew up driving [3 ton grain trucks on a farm on gravel roads in rural Saskatchewan Canada.  Make no take, she can drive!  She also happened to go to the same techical school as I did (which is where we met), but did not seem to take the same appreciation for physics as I did, until lately.  80 MPH does no seem that much different than 60, until of course you either have to stop to avoid a collision, take action to avoid one, or have to survive from one.  I used to wake up on the passenger side only to yell "slow the (*&^ down for &^%& sakes)".  After witnessing a couple roadside accidents over the last couple of years she has taken the hint and we are no longer a menace to the road. 

So, 1668 miles in 23.5 hours equals 71 MPH avg, unless mapquest is screwed up I don't know what to say.  I am glad we moved back close to home so that we will never decide to do something as crazy again.

Sorry to hijack the orignal thread, that was not my intention.

(Modified to remove white space)

 

[Karl]

Wow, that's one heck of a haul! ;D