We have a month long trip to CA planned for June. Our longest day is the last day we're out -- just under 500 miles from Zion. I know it's long, but at the end we'll be home and won't have to set up camp. Otherwise, we stay below 400 miles in a day and usually average around 300 miles in a day. Five days of back-to-back travelling is an awful lot of driving (and riding) for adults, esp. with such long days. I think the kids would get really itchy and cranky by day 3. We are experienced, long distance travellers w/o kids along and I don't think we try to stick to that schedule unless we were just motelling it.
As hotrod4x5 said, take the rig out at least a couple of times before your trip to work out the kinks. Try to travel to someplace 300 miles away to see how your family manages with that distance first.
I would take I-5, less traffic decisions, and cut across through Wasco to Bakersfield.
Williams AZ puts you at the entrance to the Grand Canyon, its probably easier to exit and enter than Flagstaff.
Albuquerque is doable, but whether you stay west or east of town should probably depend on your arrival time. If you get there after 6pm I would look for a site east.
Okla City might be a stretch if you loiter anywhere, but there are good camp sites all along the stretch from Amarillo to OKC.
St Peters wouldn't be a problem, but with the kids you might want to consider a detour to Branson, 40 miles south of Springfield MO. Its kid friendly and its also at a point where they may need a break.
There are numerous attractions on the route.
I would suggest you invest in a campground locater and a fuel stop locater, such as The Next Exit or something similar.
Your biggest obstacle on this route will be the chance of wind, or I probably should say the direction of the wind.
2002 Ford F350 Crew, LB, DRW, 7.3L
Jayco Designer 34RLQS
We make this trip regularly from Ok to Bakersfield and back we leave mcalester at 8 go to tucumcarie then to meteor craters then to Mohave tried it once the way we used the car and couldn't do it too hard on both of us our distance is 1500 mile and we split it into 3 days and is not bad rather then worry about the mountains you should be worried about the wind as it can be a bear starting at the tahahapee grade and continuing thru okla so don't even think you will make those long legs if the wind is blowing
Chuck & Linda
Fred & Molly
2007 Four Winds Hurricane 33h
WH Chassis 8.1L Chevy
look out world here we come
No info about routes, just some info on I-44 out of OK City. The highway is terrible!! We drive from Lubbock, TX, north to Amarillo, to OK City, to St. Louis once or twice a year to visit DD and family, and the interstate into and out of OK City is terribly rough. You'll think you have torn something up on your vehicle, but it is just the road.
We are new to RVing; just bought our first motorhome a few weeks ago (Allegro Open Road 35QBA). We're planning our first trip of any real length for this June and are looking for advice on driving times/routes. We will be leaving from the Vacaville/Fairfield, CA area and are heading to the St. Louis area. Because we are new and don't have a lot of driving experience, we are thinking we should take the flattest route, which would mean down 99 to southern California and then I-40 to Oklahoma to I-44.
That being said, I am trying to figure out where our stopping points could/should be. I guess I should point out that we will have 6 of us in the rig.... 2 adults, 4 kids ages 7, 9, 12, and 16, plus a Great Dane and a Wire Fox Terrier.
This is my tentative plan. Can anyone tell me if it is realistic? I have no idea what driving times are for these routes:
Day 1: It looks like the best stopping place would be around Bakersfield or Edwards AFB (we can always use the famcamps on military bases.... although the problem there is that most don't take reservations). Needles seemed too far, and I didn't see any other good places before that to stop.
For day 2, I am thinking the Flagstaff area.
Day 3: stop in Albuquerque. I think this was the shortest drive, but seeing as the next 2 are a little longer, thought it was a good idea.
Day 4: Oklahoma City
Day 5: St. Peters, MO.
Is this realistic? Anyone made any of those drives and can tell me how long it takes?
We will be driving down to Cape Girardeau from there and then on to Huntsville, AL and come home from Huntsville. For that return trip,
I am thinking we could get to Little Rock the first day, then to OK City the second... then retrace our steps from the first trip.
Sure would appreciate advice from those of you with experience!!
Hi.
If you intend to leave the Travis area? Why drive south to Bakersfield. Why not use I-80 north of Sacremento and go east from there!
The DOD facilities ("Family Camps") can fill up fast. I have used them only once "Wright-Patterson AFB". Only one space open on the out-bound run. The only reason we got it there was a power problem, and the space was open. I was able to piggy back off another site. Until my power box was fixed, a few hours later. If you find a DOD site call ahead. There is only ONE access for BIG vehicles. You will have to contact that base for that location. Most MAIN Base Access are for auto & LT-Tks use.
Use map quest and place Travis as start and your final stop as finish and look at the possible routes, you can set up. You can keep on gas prices along the way.
I haven't used I-80, so I can be much help. I live to far south.
The 3 to 4 hundred mile driving day is about normal. I use 35 to 45 as may driving day.
My travel day starts at 0300 and I'm off the road by 1300. I do not like driving in the high heat of the day. To much un-necessary wear and tear on the RV. REMEMBER YOU WILL BE DRIVING in some of the hottest areas in June and July.
I have found that the "KOA's" follow most major HWY E/W or N/S, and fit well into my driving day. Most are with-in 2 to 10 mile's of the HWY.
I spent several weeks with map-quest setting up my travel route to and from. This gives me time to identify my stops along this and the places where we want to stop. Most of mine deal with railroads, my wife and daughter "Cracker Barral and Wal-Mart", there are a lot along I-70.
I also use the DOD facilities for "GAS" and Food.
* This post was
edited 05/15/08 11:46am by Tankcar *
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