Average daily distance on the road with an RV

[flyboy43]

As a brand new travel trailer owner (Palomino Solaire 258 RBSS) that I am towing with a 2011 Ford F150 SC Lariat Class IV tt package and an EcoBoost V6. I am well within the limits for various weights as per Ford, etc. My RV tires are speed rated at 65 mph, so I am planning on cruising as that speed. I know from personal experience that the simple math of i.e. 10 hours at 65 mph = 650 miles is different from the actual miles capable after rest and gas stops.

So I am looking for feedback on what experienced RV travelers generally plan to accomplish with regard distance per day. I know some folks like to be done for the day by a certain time or before dark, etc. And I expect that some days are shorter than others due to the availability of RV park facilities.

Thanks in advance.

[A32Deuce]

I figure, and its pretty close, you can only go about 50/55 miles in an hour driving. So I try for about 6 hours max driving. Doesn't beat you up and gives you a chance to relax after setting up. A lot different just driving a car.

[CHICKDOE]

there are many threads on this subject that you should search for a read.

i totally agree with what a32deuce said. we get about 50 - 55 miles per hour effective rate considering fuel and biology breaks. we'll can and have done 350+ miles in a day but we are much more relaxed doing 200-300. generally two segments. 100-150 miles, fuel /biology break / stretch legs, and then the final segment.

[Kimber45]

Yes many many similar threads. to many variables. a retired person with no schedule may only drive a few hours, a family in a motorhome with a week off to do a cross country tip to Disney might drive 20.

[Nomore9-5]

My wife doesn't like to drive our mh so I'm it . I generally do 6 hours . 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. I've long since retired so my days of pushing things are over. At 55 - 60 mph I can cover enough distance in day and still feel ok.

[babock]

As a kid, we used to tow our boat up to Seattle straight without stopping. It was typically 24 hours. Anything less is easy for us but we try for less than 500.

[Capt. Mike]

We typically average 50 to 55 mph and with bathroom / fuel / stretch your legs / let the dog out breaks, we generally shoot for 300 miles per day. We have, on occasion, done 350 (St. Louis to Nashville) but don't feel the need to do more than that. if it takes us an extra day to go somewhere, we just leave a day earlier. One of the benefits of retirement.

[Rancher Rob]

When my wife and I were young DINKs and had a fifth wheel, we could go from Florida to Washington in 3.5 to 4 days. We could do about 1k miles a day between us both driving and me taking the night shift with coffee and cassette tapes of books on tapes empty back country highways through the desert.
Now that we are in our 50’s, have kids and are older, 300 miles seems like a long day. Plus We can’t just pull over and sleep in the car for an hour or so. Though traffic around here at least is a lot worse and more taxing than it used to be too.
Point being, there are a lot of variables that affect the daily mileage.
Driving cross country in my old Chevy pickup and catching an hour to two of sleep in the back under the stars was good times a few decades back. Wouldn’t even consider it now..

[Greg in michigan]

One time 20 years ago driving back from Florida to Michigan we left at 8 am and stopped at a walmart at midnight. 16 hours and drove 800 miles pulling a 26' camper. Looking back, wow, how dangerous.
Now 20 years wiser and retired we try to drive 350 max but prefer 200.
If were going to sleep at a Walmart on the way home we dont want to stop at 8 pm and sit in the trailer till bed time so we'll leave the day before at 5 pm to 8 pm depending on how far were from home, stop at Walmart at midnight and go right to sleep then finish the next day.
We'll do the same leaving from home as we dont like paying for a days/ night of camping and showing up at the campground at 8 to 10 pm. Instead we'll split the day into 2 days leaving so we get to Walmart at midnight and the campground at check in time.
Greg in Michigan
2019 rockwood 2606ws
2018 Nissan titan xd Cummins turbo diesel

[ependydad]

See if this helps you:
Trip Planning: How far can you travel in a day

My family is slow. We tend to make stops and dwaddle. Either food or fuel or just stretching or weighing the rig. Something always slows us up.

Today was 213 miles in about 4 1/2 hours all on highways. This equates to about 48 mph. I had cruise control set to 60 mph. We stopped for fuel and weighed the truck + camper.

The longer the day, the lower that average goes. I think the worst I ever calculated (without a major stop) was about 42 mph. We take longer breaks once we get past about 6-7 hours of driving.

Given our druthers, a travel day is about 200-250 miles. But we’ll also settle in for 400-600 miles if the need arises. Though, once driving for 12+ hours, it gets tough.

We are also known to just stop if something catches our eye. Meteor Crater is the last that I remember- spent maybe 3+ hours there. My wife scopes out parking lots for side diversions. At that point, it starts to feel like hours per mile!

On long days, we tend to hit Walmarts for ease of sleep. Especially since we are late risers. Getting on the road by 9am is super rare.

[Wolverine 1945]

6 hours is Max for us !!!
300 miles ???

[5picker]

This is discussed here often.

We average about 50 miles an hour with stops and tend to try to hit the 6 hour/300 mile mark per day.

[RVPP]

On our trips from central NJ to Fl., St Augustine, we leave shortly after Christmas. We avoid the Baltimore/DC section of 95 and aim for Emporia, via 301 or the Delmarva, Norfolk route. That's our longest day and I hate it. It's taken us from 6 to 9 hours. From there it's a nice easy trip.

[Sticki]

350 is about as far as we prefer. If we have a 500 mile trip we'll break it into 250 and 250.

Three years ago I drove from Rockport, Texas to the Tx Panhandle. 650 miles in one day. My hip hurt for 3 days! Won't do it again.

[CurtPutnam]

We plan on a radius of 300 miles/day as a maximum Anything more than that requires discussion. A lot different than when we were young, then I could drive from Virginia Beach to SoCal in 3 days and 2 nights. No more iron butt trips - just too painful and takes all the fun out of time off.

[DrLewie]

We average 200-300 per day. The few times we went over 300 I was plum worn out when we got where we were going. My wife has never, and won't ever, tow our 5er, so its just me. One time on a 320 leg we ran into a traffic jam (always unpredictable) and got to our campground after dark, Unlit state park we had never been to and a back-in space to boot. If it hadn't been for some friendly neighbors who lit our site with their headlights we may have spend the night in the roadway in front of our site,

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by RVPP

On our trips from central NJ to Fl., St Augustine, we leave shortly after Christmas. We avoid the Baltimore/DC section of 95 and aim for Emporia, via 301 or the Delmarva, Norfolk route. That's our longest day and I hate it. It's taken us from 6 to 9 hours. From there it's a nice easy trip.

Watch the speed traps in Emporia. They're known worldwide for it.

[Arizona Mike]

As many have said, 300 or so miles/day is a good distance. And I'll add one more thing I do. Every three days or 1000 miles, I find a nice town and campground and rest for the day. A nice breakfast and a nap, a nice antique shop and a nap, a small lunch, a walk with the dogs and a nap, read a book before a nap, the out to dinner. And then get ready for another full day driving.

[finally retired]

Since my DW has not developed the ability to get over the fear of driving our RV (34 feet) with truck (13 feet), I do all of the driving. I try to shoot for 300 miles a day but will stretch to 350 if needed.

[old40ford]

For me, it depends on what I am doing. If I am going to a place that takes 10 hours and it means I can have an extra day or two to spend there, then I drive it. If I am in no hurry I can do a couple hundred and lay over. I can drive forever when I have to.