Community Forums

wa8yxm · 03-01-2018, 07:11 AM

Driving a Class A or pulling a trailer?
How fast do you plan to drive (i like to be one of the slower vehicles on teh road, better MPG that way)

On a good day I do 800 miles. on a bad one 300 or less. Best I can give you.. I am alone. no co-driver (Co-drivers extend range)

So Detroit MI to Seneca SC (800 miles) is 2-3 days . Depending on how hard I push and what the days are. (Yes Sunday/Holy Day adds to teh trip).

BigBillSD · 03-01-2018, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurnTex

I am making plans for our first long trip in our new RV.

Like others have said, 5000 miles in 2 weeks is an "I'm just driving all the time trip" We took 5 months to drive 10,000 miles last summer. And we really didn't stay long in any one place. And it seemed like I was driving too often. I was only driving 200-300 miles each driving day. We visited most of the NP's in AZ and UT, then on to Yellowstone, Devils Tower, Black Hills with Deadwood, Custer , Mt Rushmore. then onto the Badlands and all the way to Bar Harbor Maine (Acadia NP) If I only had two weeks for a 5k trip I would seriously consider flying there and renting a car. Of course that would preclude bringing a Lathe with you.

-Bill

momdoc · 03-01-2018, 08:15 AM

It all depends as others have said on how fast you want to get there and back and what you want to do along the way. Last summer it took us 4.5 months to go 5500 miles.

vsheetz · 03-01-2018, 08:32 AM

We typically travel 200-250 miles a day. No more than two days travel back to back, then lay out one or more days. I use this cadence to estimate the days needed to get some where.

mikeannetta · 03-01-2018, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurnTex

I am making plans for our first long trip in our new RV. I am a presenter in early 2019 at the Oregon Woodturning Symposium and we plan to drive and take the scenic route! We are in Texas and it looks like it is about 2,500 miles each way with detours through Utah (see the Nat Parks there), possibly Northern California, then Oregon. Coming home we would go though Wyoming, down to Yellowstone, and back to Texas. Would plan to see a lot along the way. Is two weeks enough time to do it ok or should I plan for longer? Advice needed for a newbie RVer! Thanks!

TurnTex,
Not sure if you have any planning tools? I used RVTRIP WIZARD.
https://www.rvtripwizard.com It has all the tools you need to plan such a trip.

After setting up your own Personal / Trip Preferences, such as RV information, MPH you drive, Hours you prefer to drive, favorite campgrounds... you can confidently and easily set up a great trip on your own!

As you create a new trip, you set start day and starting location and destination. Then start planning you trip. Select your campsites on your route, or modify the route as you go, add POI for stops and so much more. If you find out you need to start your trip sooner or later, simply edit your start date. I personally think this is by far the best way to plan a trip and find out how many days you need to get there and back.

Watch the video at https://www.rvtripwizard.com/features.php

Safe Travels and Enjoy the Trip....

Gordiegaffer · 03-01-2018, 08:55 AM

I would look at RV Trip wizard you can set your driving time it and find places to stop. I have used it to plan 3 trips and it worked great it can also be uploaded to your GPS or just imput one day at a time

Happy Wood Shavings

twogypsies · 03-01-2018, 09:58 AM

As others stated, I would recommend taking more time for this trip if you can. Since it's your first long trip with the new RV things might not go perfectly with the RV, weather or driving routes. You need to allow time for these especially since you have a definite destination timeframe. You'll want to get to Oregon and rest and prepare for your presentation and should allow at least 2 days to do that. Don't cut your timing too close that if you have any problems along the way you won't get to the presentation in time. You didn't say where in Oregon but Oregon has a lot of things to see if you happen to arrive earlier than expected. On the return home is when you can leisurely explore.

Then you want to visit some very popular areas and those national parks require at least 3-night stays. You're putting a lot of effort into seeing these parks so you might as well really see them, not just drive through. Do some hiking and take in the ranger talks/walks. That's how you learn and enjoy the parks.

It sounds like a fun, rewarding trip but try for more time or cut out some stops. Good luck!

Yosemite77 · 03-01-2018, 10:35 AM

Given that the Symposium is in March, weather will be a consideration. In Yellowstone for example, most roads won’t open until May. Here is a page which has the tentative dates. https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm
The Sierras can get snow in March as well. They are getting multiple feet in spots today.

LittleEagle · 03-01-2018, 10:37 AM

Also, pick just a couple of parks you want to visit and stay there longer. Our first trip out we tried to fit everything in (Badlands, Rushmore, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier, Hwy 1, Yosemite, Great Basin, Zion...) and that was in six weeks. Way too many. Haha but it was an experience and it gave us an idea of which parks we wanted to go back to and spend a week or more. Yellowstone!!!

saddlesore · 03-01-2018, 10:51 AM

Minimum of a month.. PLUS the downtime due to weather....

Mr_D · 03-01-2018, 11:00 AM

I did 2,200 miles in a week, no time to sight see, just drive, eat and sleep. Wasn't fun at all and I left the DW at home.

BillJinOR · 03-01-2018, 11:26 AM

Like the rest have said , what do you mean by “see”? Are you the person that drives through the gate at a National Park .. looks at the attraction gets back in the car and leaves? Is seeing looking out the window as you drive through a area ? If not , the parks you mentioned and Oregon itself .. the entire northwest deserve more time. I’ve done this trip in reverse several years ago to see my sister in Texas, for a 4 day event . It took a month 4week vacation and it’s wasn’t any sightseeing other than a minimal drive and look out the window. If you have 2 weeks forget the sightseeing on the way to and from .. drive to the event and drive back just window sightsee.
If you are the 12 hour drive type then you can add a stop or two When I was employed.. I had to do this and it got the job done ... life is much more enjoyable now .. never again!

Winemaker2 · 03-01-2018, 03:51 PM

Agree w others...
Doable... Probably
Enjoyable... Probably not

We used to travel that way... then still working. On the road most every day covered a lot of ground but didn't enjoy it as much as when we retired slowed down and took our time.

TurnTex · 03-01-2018, 05:14 PM

Thank you all for the reality check! I sincerely appreciate it. We will be driving a 33' Class A which I hope to finalize the deal on tomorrow!

I am 50, wife is 48, and daughter is 12. We have rented RVs for week long trips out to Big Bend which is 450 miles away. I am the type that will drive 10 or so hours a day so that I can have more time at my stops. We are NOT the drive by type and would want to go hiking and such. Sounds like the idea of flying there and going on a different trip may be better. Either that or allow a full month! I am self employed and my employees can handle the day to day production stuff while away and I can still handle the tech support work by phone and hands free while traveling. I can reply to e-mails in the evenings so I certainly could take a month if it was worth it.

That all said, this will not be our first trip but would be our first real long trip. We are deciding between two RVs, one is in Tulsa, OK and the other is in Valdosta, GA. We would fly out next Friday, pick up the RV, and slowly make our way back home during my daughter's spring break the following week. So that would be our first week long trip.

Thank you also for the link to RV Trip Wizzard! I will certainly start using that!