Working to longer trips any suggestions?

[RACarvalho]

Your pace will change with your experience and age.
Living in Indiana and loving the beach, we usually tend to do long hauls.
We one time towed an entire Saturday - ~800miles and while the destination was completely worthy that may take the joy of traveling really fast.
So what we learned is this:
1 - For us, more than 500 miles a day is pushing...
2 - Start early and make intervals shorter and shorter, for example, I tend to make the first stop after 3 hours, then the second in 2 1/2 hours after that then the 3rd stop 1 1/2 hour after that etc. so as you get tired, you have less to ride. The same for miles per day - 1st day more than the second day and if there is a 3rd day on it, this one should be the shortest.
3 - Track the next stop not the destination.... Seeing "10 hours 15 minutes to destination" is not as pleasant than "1hour and 15 minutes to destination.."
4 - Food has an incredible power over the mood of your "crew". Forget the diet when on the road and treat yourself and your crew with some good ol' delicious junk food and that will make wonders boosting the mood of everybody...
5 - On long hauls, more important than speed is pace and stress control. I found that driving at 65mph is more stressful than driving at 62mph for me, so on long days I drive 62mph... I see other RVers run pass me and just 20 min later they pass me again and that repeats over and over because you can't hold the stress and need to stop more when driving fast so by the end, on long hauls, driving at 70mph or 62mph will likely get you at the destination at the same time.

6 - Keep your eyes on the road for safety but it helps to keep your mind on a project that you have: It helps to keep you awake and the time runs faster.... I have several sailboats schematics that I built in my mind this way
7 - Remember: It's about the journey, not only destination, so don't forget to notice the change of the landscaping, the sunrise and the sunset.... Those should be part of vacation too.

[Filterman]

Originally Posted by D W

Just a word of advice,... When we were younger we would spend a whole lot of time on the road to get to destinations. Fast forward 40 years and we have found that too much windshield time rapidly takes the fun out of camping, at least for us. We'd get to the CG, and be exhausted from the drive. We stopped doing that two years ago. We now make it a point to travel no more than 300-350 miles per day, and we take our time and stop periodically to stretch out. Yes, it takes us longer to get to planned destination, but we arrive refreshed and relaxed.

Just friendly advice.

Completely agree. We did five months (28000 km)last summer. On the road by 9AM off by 330 is our motto. We did some linger days if necessary to get to a site we needed to be but basically we keep our days short now.

[AFDON]

Originally Posted by catfish1953

I realize this is not that long of a trip but were working up slowly for longer term trips. Any advice would be welcomed. Were headed out for 9 nights total. Starting in New Orleans LA KOA 4-nights, 1-night in Biloxi, MS @ Beau Rivage Boondocking, 4-nights Sugar Sands RV Resort Gulf Shores Alabama.

Might check out the FAMCAMP's. I think Biloxi has one. Many of them around Pensacola. Blue Angels Rec Area has around 60 sites, and its only an hour from Gulf Shores Al.

[catfish1953]

Just an update! We left on a Saturday night the 18th of May late, drove 2.5 hrs and stopped at Walmart for the night in Meridian Ms. Quiet night, good lot, safe feeling parked next to a class A and a few rows away from a Truck. Next morning woke to light rain which turned into downpour on our way to New Orleans. Arrived in New Orleans West KOA in the rain. It had been raining since before daylight pretty hard. They were running pumps. Stopped raining within a hour of arrival and it dried up quickly. Spent a great week in New Orleans at my retirement seminar (6-yrs to go). We left N.O. on Thursday 23rd for Gulfport Ms. boon-docked at the ISLAND VIEW CASINO on Thursday Night. Great people, security advised us to check in with the valet to get a pass for our tow vehicle to place in the window. Security came thru the paved/well lit lot every couple of hours. 2-class A's, 4-T.T.'s and a couple of Trucks. Left at 7am 24th from Boloxi to Gulf Shores with a stop at Buc-ees in LOXLEY Alabama. It is a destination at least once. Arrived Sugar Sands RV Resort early with no problems. Made it home Tuesday the 28th after the Memorial Day Weekend no problems. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement, we are planning a 17-day trip late spring next year 2020. Still making adjustments as we go.

[sleepybadger]

Congrats on the successful trip. If you are in the New Orleans area again, I'd recommend Reunion Lake, especially if you have kids/grandkids.

Sleepy