Average hours per day driving? January 15, 2005, 12:05:17 am Yahoo Message Number: 49359We have only taken short trips in our RV except the one trip to Las Vegas from our home in Northern CA. We are planning our trips for the summer and it is very exciting. The first long trip will be in May from No. CA. to Branson MO. following RT40 and then back home on Rt80. We will be in our LD 26.5 with our two English Springer Dogs. I am curious what other people average per day driving?
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Average hours per day driving? Reply #1 – January 15, 2005, 12:45:20 am Yahoo Message Number: 49360At 06:04 AM 1/15/2005 +0000, you wrote:QuoteI am curious what other people average per day driving? We don't travel with pets, so that may make a difference. We try not to exceed five hours a day, and we regularly switch drivers and stop every 90 minutes or so for at least a few minutes to walk around, get a drink, use the bathroom, etc. Occasionally, when we are very pressed for time, we'll push to six or seven hours, but this is very rare. With pets or kids, you almost have to shorten the drive time and stop for breaks more often.Sonsie
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #2 – January 15, 2005, 01:03:16 am Yahoo Message Number: 49361QuoteThe first long trip will be in May from No. CA. to Branson MO. following RT40 and then back home on Rt80. We will be in our LD 26.5 with our two English Springer Dogs. IQuoteam curious what other people average per day driving? I have two modes of travel. The first is when I travel with the dogs, but without the wife and kids and the other when everyone is on board. When it's just me and the dogs, I go from about 6:00 am to about 11:00 pm. I will take about a 45 minute break when I hit half a tank, and about a 30 minute break when I gas up. During the 45 minute break, I will let the dogs run around and do their business. I will also run around with them so I get my own blood flowing.When I'm traveling with the whole family, it's much different. We start the day around 8:00 am and end the day between 6:00 - 9:00 pm. The breaks are shorter and fewer. But meal break are normally longer. Then there may be stops to do some sightseeing and so forth.I love long trips, hope yours goes well.-Victor
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #3 – January 15, 2005, 08:28:54 am Yahoo Message Number: 49370When I was younger "getting there" was everything. I regularly drove my car straight through from Gainesville to New ytork city --- 1050 miles --with as few stops as possible. Maybe 15- 16 hours overall, start to finish.Now I drive the LD a maximum of 6 hours unless there is a special (and rare) reason that we must reach some particular place. Life is easier, the day is more pleasant and stopping
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #4 – January 15, 2005, 10:04:41 am Yahoo Message Number: 49375IQuoteam curious what other people average per day driving? My limit is 300 miles or 3 pm whichever happens first.
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #5 – January 15, 2005, 10:28:16 am Yahoo Message Number: 49377QuoteI am curious what other people average per day driving? In our case, we may travel very different distances from day to day. Often we'll travel a long distance and then spend a variable number of days in one spot. Our "average" day is probably 3-4 hrs of driving. We'll sometimes get up to 6-8 if there is a real reason. We like to get into campgrounds before mid-afternoon, and don't like to get up at the crack of dawn!Art
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #6 – January 15, 2005, 10:52:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 49381Quote"...I go from about 6:00 am to about 11:00 pm..." "...start the day around 8:00 am and end the day between 6:00 - 9:00Quotepm."-Victor I just CONNOT let this pass by. Victor, you sir are a Masochist!Please, for your own health and well being and for the safety of those around you, immediate family and fellow motorists, SLOW DOWN. This life is not a marathon.I hope to be on some other road when you pass by.Steve S. Lazy Bones
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Average hours per day driving? Reply #7 – January 15, 2005, 11:00:00 am Yahoo Message Number: 49382I am curious what other people average per day driving? Probably about 4 or 5 hours -- we're usually not on the road until about 10 AM, and are off the road by 2 or 3 PM, with stops for the dog (and us) and lunch. Our average mileage on days that we travel is around 115 -- 200 miles would be a big day for us, although we have gone 300 when we're on a freeway heading someplace where we have to be there by a certain time (we don't travel freeways much, though). But, Earl and I are retired, so we don't have to worry about getting back to a job in a week or two.Linda & Earl 2004 23.5' Red TK From Quartzsite, AZ
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #8 – January 15, 2005, 12:08:27 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49393That's what I tend to do. However, 4 pm also is OK if I haven't exceeded 6 hours driving.
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #9 – January 15, 2005, 12:50:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49396Victor" wrote: Quote"...I go from about 6:00 am to about 11:00 pm..." "...start the day around 8:00 am and end the day between 6:00 - 9:00 pm." -VictorI just CONNOT let this pass by. Victor, you sir are a Masochist!Please, for your own health and well being and for the safety of those around you, immediate family and fellow motorists, SLOW DOWN. This life is not a marathon. I hope to be on some other road when you pass by. Steve S. Steve S. I can't tell whether or not you have your tongue in you cheek while commenting on Victor's post. If not, I will come to his defense. After following his posts over the years, I seriously doubt he places his family or himself in jeopardy with his long days. If he didn't feel he was safe and able, I am sure he would stop. We frequently have long days, mcuh like his family days. Not because we have to, but because we like driving and we are young enough (for now anyway) to make a lot of progress (miles) during the day. As I have mentioned previously, when we are heading westward from Ohio, we find precious little of interest (to us anyway) between Ohio and Wyoming. I would rather have my leisure time along the Snake River in the Tetons, or in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone, than puttering along I-80 in Oh, Indiana, Ill. Iowa, or Neb. waving at the cornfields.;-)been there, done that.Steve K. (I guess if you go slower, the bugs won't be so deeply imbeded in the paint, though!)
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #10 – January 15, 2005, 01:47:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49402Quote Steve S. "I can't tell whether or not you have your tongue in you cheek..."Steve K. (I guess if you go slower, the bugs won't be so deeply imbeded in the paint, though!) Steve K.Actually no, I did not have my togue in my cheek, I was DEADLY serious. I was also sincere in my advice. I could list a litany of reasons why one should not travel as Victor says that he does. But rather than go off on some sermon I will refer you my post #47653 and the ensueing thread, to include specifically msg #47866, 47883 and also 47912. If, after reading those references, you still think it wise to drive so far in the span of a day then I cannot answer to your wisdom.Steve S. Lazy Bones
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #11 – January 15, 2005, 02:00:57 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49404Driving a truck for that many hours and that distance with too few rest-and-stretch breaks is not a good idea, to say the least. Looking back, my driving my luxury automobile from FL to NYC for a single 15-16 hour stretch was not a very bright idea, either. Most particularly, the last four or five hours.
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Average hours per day driving? Reply #12 – January 15, 2005, 05:08:20 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49410QuoteI am curious what other people average per day driving? In our six years on the road full-time we tended to leave early (6-9) and stop early (1-3) with a six hour maximum. There was an earlier thread on this topic that mentioned the lumber rule which I know I won't get correct but the sense was 200 mile before 10 and 400 before 2PM. Getting to camp earlier offers many advantages, less traffic, better sites, more time to enjoy the destination, etc. The longer we were on the road the shorter the days and the more frequent the stops tended to be. As has been emphasized here by others, there isn't any need to stress ourselves or others.Dave, wishing we was were out there with you all now 2000 RB AlbuquerqueQuoteYahoo! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #13 – January 15, 2005, 07:47:11 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49421I am curious what other people average per day driving? My limit is 300 miles or 3 pm whichever happens first.Hey Ross, this sounds just about right to me. More time for that sooothing glass of OneBuckChuck.Anne
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #14 – January 15, 2005, 08:22:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49425Ross I like that. For me if I'm going west when the sun gets to the point I need the visor its time to stop or about 4:00 I start looking for a place to stop. Going East the wistle still blows at 5:00 also High Noon, Lunch and a 1hr. nap. Happy RVn. RobertRoss rossbev@...> wrote:IQuoteam curious what other people average per day driving? My limit is 300 miles or 3 pm whichever happens first.Robert & Roberta, Rozie and the Horney Toad, SKP#702 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #15 – January 16, 2005, 01:08:52 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49462"Please, for your own health and well being and for the safety of those around you, immediate family and fellow motorists, SLOW DOWN. This life is not a marathon." I have to agree with Steve. Driving 17-18 hours a day is just plain dangerous--to yourself and to everyone else on the road. I showed your message to a professional trucker I know and he was aghast. Even if you're completely convinced that your alertness and reflexes are still optimal after 18 hours at the wheel, you're running a serious risk of death from pulmonary embolism. In case you missed it, here's a quote from message #47866 (see also #47904) that ought to make you stop and think about these marathon drives. Another reason to stop often: Last year's trip to the Everglades for Christmas had an average of maybe 4-5 hrs at the wheel between stops. Halfway to FL and my wife had deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the night we arrived, we went directly to the emergency room with pulmonary embolism, resulting in a week of her vacation being mostly bedridden. Of course, we didn't realize what was happening at the time, but the hospital staff said it's common with snowbirds. Doctor's orders were 2-3 hrs and take a break and drink a lot of water. Risk factors are sitting/inactivity for long periods, crossing legs at knee, hormone therapy, thick blood...Now we stop often and enjoy the leisurely pace - and longer life. P.S.-- Not 3 months later and before we could warn them, friends went south in SOB RV and the wife died in FL--same symptoms. So please--take it easy! We want to see you down the road in your LD...not on a gurney.Andy Baird
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #16 – January 16, 2005, 01:58:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49463Quote "I have to agree with Steve.""So please--take it easy! We want to see you down the road in your LD...not on a gurney."Quote Andy Baird Thanks Andy!Steve S. Lazy Bones
Average hours per day driving? Reply #17 – January 16, 2005, 07:28:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49475Ah, a great topic! We don't look at it terms of hours of driving, but rather miles per day. We're slowpokes who like to stop a lot and see the sights. We get a leisurely start in the morning and try to stop by mid-afternoon, so we can take a walk and enjoy the late afternoon. It took us 6 weeks to get our new LD home to the east coast. On our trip from MA to FL this fall, we took 3 weeks! Daily mileage ranged from 205 (max) down to 35! YMMV. Stop and smell the flowers.Ted & Liz '02 FL NE12"rosagypsy1313" rosagypsy1313@...> wrote:QuoteI am curious what other people average per day driving? [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #18 – January 16, 2005, 08:38:44 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49478--- In lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com, "Ted H"Quote Daily mileage ranged from 205 (max) down to 35! YMMV. Stop and smell the flowers.Quote Ted & Liz '02 FL NE12 35 miles!! Golly gee! Are you running it with just the starter motor? Try filling the gas tank and hammerin' that puppy down the highway. (g)bumper (who can smell flowers on-the-fly!)
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #19 – January 16, 2005, 10:01:39 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49483Of general note on the above subject . . . on a walk around our park today, I noticed a brief homily on life painted above the windshield of a rig. It read: "THE TRAGEDY OF LIFE IS NOT HOW SHORT IT IS, BUT HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO START ENJOYING IT."I thought that was particularly apropos for an RV parked in a beautiful setting, and overlooking the beautiful Dragoon Mountains here in SE Arizona. The window of the coach overlooks a massive open expanse and a beautiful mountain range, where the moon was just making an appearance. I'm sure the owners of that rig have "started"! ;->Virtual hugs,Judie SKP #17907
Re: Average hours per day driving? Reply #20 – January 17, 2005, 11:31:01 am Yahoo Message Number: 49497." If heQuotedidn't feel he was safe and able, I am sure he would stop.We frequently have long days, mcuh like his family days. Not because we have to, but because we like driving and we are young enough (for Quotenow anyway) to make a lot of progress (miles) during the day. " My dear friend Steve, the "K", of shiny Ohio: Here we are disagreeing again!The fact that you are feeling well after many hours driving doesn't mean you are well. Alcool intoxicated drivers, even dangerously, in general are feeling very well...Now, any serious test will show low speed of reaction, much worst distance and speed calculation of other vehicles for ANY driver, after more than three hours driving. Bus companies here in Brasil limit the driving hours of their drivers to seven hours a day, with at least one twenty minutes stop to rest about half-way. This makes a huge difference in costs, specially in up to 38 hours point to point trips we have in such a big country. They have to maintain a complex system, changing drivers all the time (each driver does just one stretch of the trip, then sleeps and return the same stretch of road in the next day).But it pays off. In lives and loss of material.This policy came from accident type and fequency statistics. As I said in another message, I'm an ex-long distance racing driver. I drove a lot of 12 and 24 hours races, with one or two pals, and allways, any of us, as our competitors, started to make slower lap times after around two hours driving.Of course age, fitness and very special characteristics that some exceptional persons have (Charles Lindbergh flew his plane 33 non stop hours across the Atlantic, had'nt slept in the eve of his historic flight and landed safely in Le Bourget airport, in Paris) count, but are exceptions to confirm the rule.Let's drive safely!We are precious for our families and friends, including that ones we frequently disagree...Eudoro "sun shining in a VERY hot summer in Brasil" Lemos, Jr.
Driving tips Reply #21 – January 17, 2005, 11:59:36 am Yahoo Message Number: 49500Rather than argue about what's right and wrong, I thought it would be useful to ask my friend Mike, a former professional trucker, for some suggestions on long-haul driving. Here's what he had to say:Andy Baird Denial of the body's needs does not indicate strength or endurance, but a lack of knowledge and good safety practices. You will not be as aware of your condition as you think you are while sitting (driving) and not moving your body. There will be times when you get up from the wheel and comment to yourself that you didn't realize how fatigued you were sitting there until you got up and walked a bit. Just as you would not exceed reasonable limits of a machine, drivers should never exceed reasonable limits of human performance. Your body needs physical activity, and you risk blood clots from blood pooling in the lower legs, circulating upon your eventual movement to the heart and brain. You also risk lessoned mental acuity. The decision to stop should not be arbitrary, like based on a fuel burn. The fuel burn can vary, and may be less at times of more demanding driving (like 40 mph traffic). Stopping should be based on time driven.Think of driving in this manner: Suppose you were unloading a truckload of 10 lb boxes off the trailer and up a flight of stairs using a hand truck, and 10 boxes would fit on the hand truck... If you take 10 boxes at a time, you will suffer an injury by lunch. If you take 2 or 3 boxes, you can work all day and complete the drop (unload). Driving is like that too: if you stop every 45 to 90 minutes just to walk for 5 minutes, you can drive and drive and drive. On getting out to walk, you will discover how you really feel, not how you think you feel as you gradually tire behind the wheel. Eating and drinking are also important. Many drivers cut back on fluids to avoid stopping. Poor choice! Drink as much or more as you normally would, and accept the need to stop. Eat often (every 2 to 3 hours), but eat very small meals like a quarter of a sandwich or 1/2 to 2/3 cup of soup, or a few crackers and lunch meat, or a serving of fruit. Large servings and fatty foods bring on drowsiness. Bring a pad on which to do crunches, arms folded over your chest. On a break, do 10 to 20, nice and slow. The abdomen supports your lower back while driving, the lower back keeps you upright in the seat after each small bump or turn. Give them regular exercise and they'll take care of you. Wash your face at each break. It's amazing how refreshing that is over time! Accept the fact that on some days, you simply won't want to make miles, and that's going to happen more frequently with age. There are no heroes on the road, only a few whose behavior places them into a higher risk category, risking the public as well as themselves.
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Driving tips Reply #22 – January 17, 2005, 12:07:01 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49501Folks; its a hard lesson to learn the hard way believe me. Robert
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Driving tips Reply #23 – January 17, 2005, 01:26:56 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49504"Denial of the body's needs does not indicate strength or endurance, but a lack of knowledge and good safety practices."Wow! Now THAT is true wisdom.Steve S. Lazy Bones
Re: Driving tips Reply #24 – January 17, 2005, 01:29:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 49505Thanks for that, Andy. Good common sense. - David
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