Russellnpod Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I am used to longish drives, but always by car, until now. However , as a new world of motor homing beckons, I wonder how far is too far to drive in one day,. I assume I won't want to drive as far in the van as I would in the car, but would appreciate your feedback on how much I might be curtailed, I really don't want to over stretch myself, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 If you mean, on a first date, you may have posted on the wrong forum. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russellnpod Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thanks Chris but I have now put the rest of my post up. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 It all depends. How long is a piece of string? I know people for whom 100 miles is a long way in a day and I respect that, but personally I can still comfortably do 350 / 400 in either car or van as it is depends more on hours behind the wheel and sensible breaks than just distance. It also depends on your age and and experience and, crucially, whether you really enjoy driving - I do - many do not - and if it is a chore then you will not enjoy it and you will likely tire sooner - and a tired driver is potentially a dangerous one. Simples - or maybe not?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I often drive 350+ miles a day when doing deliveries.............But that's for work............when we're away in the camper then 250 a day is enough ;-) .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I think it better to use time and not distance as the measure. When would you consider leaving in mornings, bearing in mind time for washing, dressing, and breakfast? How long for lunch? At what time would you want to stop in an evening, bearing in mind time for preparing, cooking, eating, clearing away, washing up, and generally getting ready for bed? What is left is driving time. How far you can go in that time will vary depending on comfort breaks, re-fuelling stops, traffic, roadworks, accidents, type of road, country etc etc. On ordinary French roads away from hilly/mountainous areas, it is possible, with reasonable comfort, and assuming you stay out of larger town centres, to use time x 40 as a rough estimate of distance. On French non-toll autoroutes, maybe time x 55, a bit less on toll roads because of time lost at the toll booths. On ordinary roads in UK I would say time x 35, and on UK motorways, time x 50. But, on motorways particularly, your comfortable cruising speed will also have an influence. I tend to opt for 60-65MPH, to be just a bit faster than the trucks: some go faster, others slower. Best to be pessimistic at first, and see how it works out. You will come to be able to look at a map and make an educated guess at the overall speeds you may achieve just by seeing whether the road is shown as straight or otherwise, and whether it is littered with towns and villages, or reasonably free of them. Mountainous areas are a different ball game. I was comprehensively "lost" by the driver of a 40 tonne artic coming out of the Pyrenees last spring (from Bielsa tunnel, on French side). He clearly knew the road - and someone else was presumably paying for his brake linings! :-) Averaging time x 30 can be wildly optimistic in some hilly places. Hope this helps a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 A God sensible post (as usual) from Brian . Go at what pace suits you. My OH was used to driving long distances in his working life, (in a car), and can still do so, but we usually drive maybe one long trip to get to Spain , and then once there stay put for a few days to rest We still drive lang distances , because we live on the south coast and family live some distances away, the furthest in North Yorkshire, so a minimum of 6 hours for one journey. Take what ever time it takes to get somewhere, the place will always be there !! The beauty of a motorhome is having all your facilities on board, you only need to pull off the road, for stops, no need to go into service stations, except maybe in UK on motorways!! Just enjoy the journey PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Just try it out. Couple of hundred per day to start with - if you are comfortable with that you can try a bit further. We have been known to move just a few miles in a day ( to a better site ). Best not to have targets - you're on holiday ! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 malc d - 2015-03-16 10:37 AM Just try it out. Couple of hundred per day to start with - if you are comfortable with that you can try a bit further. We have been known to move just a few miles in a day ( to a better site ). Best not to have targets - you're on holiday ! ;-) Here Here!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 PJay - 2015-03-16 10:40 AM malc d - 2015-03-16 10:37 AM Just try it out. Couple of hundred per day to start with - if you are comfortable with that you can try a bit further. We have been known to move just a few miles in a day ( to a better site ). Best not to have targets - you're on holiday ! ;-) Here Here!! Fully agree. My 'record' is 20 minutes before suggesting coffee, to the amazement of the family. However, it is very unwise to leave yourself so short of time that you have to drive extended distances and probably faster than you should, to meet a deadline such as a ferry. That can so easily lead to disaster. Far better to be bored sitting at the docks, than in a hospital. It is also a good idea to have more than 1 driver. This not only shares the load, but allows some recovery in the event of something happening to the main driver. Unfortunately male chauvanism still exists in the world of motorhomes and caravans in that the idea of the 'wife' driving the outfit is something unheard of. Start them young and relax a bit more. We split it between us and drive about 2 hours each and then either have a break, or change over. As for a daily distance we feel that after about 250 miles it is time to look for a stop and enjoy the local area before nightfall. Or, as I mentioned at the start, coffee can be any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 My bladder is usually the determining factor in any single journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Mac Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi All We have been here in the UK now for 9 days in a rented MH. Started Luton to Exeter just to get down to Devon/Cornwall and was amazed - I was knackered, even though back in Oz 400-700 miles in a day is quite ok. Then when we get to the touring part we are finding if we try for more that 60 miles in a day we are not getting value - that is we do not have time to stop and look at what we are seeing. Great example - toady we left Cheddar heading for the Brecon Beacons. Left Cheddar Gorge around 11.00am - then had to drive past Tiltern Abbey rather than stopping as we were chasing the clock. Sitting here now near Brecon with a galss of wine and we have decided to reduce expectations to actually get more - i.e. do less miles but get much better value in terms of what we can see and do. In a week or so we will be in the Costwolds and will now spend te best part of 5 days just going from village to village rather than "racing" everywhere. Cheers Mike - an Aussie here for 2 months renting a Trekker and looking to buy a new or near new MH (before we go back) and leave here for 3-4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Welcome. Small country, interesting places are close together. We Poms don't appreciate the incredible wealth of our heritage and dash off to warmer climes when there are better experiences on our doorstop. A National Trust subscription is a superb investment.even for two months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I have often driven the 350 miles to Dover in a day, and then another 300 from Calais to get to our cruising ground, so the holiday can really start. Thereafter it's usually much shorter hops until its time to head home. We did 450 miles (only half motorways) en route home one year to get to a particular Stelplatz but when we pulled in at 8 pm I'd certainly had more than enough. But last year we broke the journey to Dover and enjoyed it more that way. We're retired so why rush? I agree with Brian that it's time at the wheel that matters so I usually have contingency plans for several places to stop, depending on how much distance we end up making. I would add that your own age and inclination are factors in how much time at the wheel in one day you will enjoy coping with. My bladder forces more frequent stops too, even if only brief ones, these days. We always have a proper lunch break on a driving day too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 So many variables. What type/size of van are you using and what is the 'purpose' of that particular journey? With our PVC. If I want to push on to a particular area/poi, then it's no different to driving a car in most cases. If general touring, then we will probably cover less ground as we might be stopping more often to take in views and have a short tea break. And here's the odd one which probably won't apply to you, for my sins I used to have to drive into central London on a regular basis, in a car I found it tiring and stressful, in my old van it was a breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Looking at your starting point, Luton.Did you hire from Just Go, if so they sell there motorhomes on.It maybe worth talking to them if you are interested in buying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJB Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 With sensible stops we have always averaged about 50 MPH. (50 years 'vans and MHs). Therefore 250 miles (5 to 6 hours driving) is as much as we ever drive. However we would only do that distance once or twice in a 3 week holiday as we do move on at least every other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Aussie Mac - 2015-04-01 7:28 PM Hi All We have been here in the UK now for 9 days in a rented MH. Started Luton to Exeter just to get down to Devon/Cornwall and was amazed - I was knackered, even though back in Oz 400-700 miles in a day is quite ok. It's the traffic density and concentration that does you. When I was in Libya on desert roads with another vehicle every 15 minutes you could get it up to 75 and go all day just admiring the scenery and clouds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Muswell - 2015-04-02 12:45 PM It's the traffic density and concentration that does you. When I was in Libya on desert roads with another vehicle every 15 minutes you could get it up to 75 and go all day just admiring the scenery and clouds. Didn't you find the ruddy great machine gun bolted to the pickup bed, played hell with the handling and the mpg figures...?... (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 pepe63 - 2015-04-02 2:01 PM Muswell - 2015-04-02 12:45 PM It's the traffic density and concentration that does you. When I was in Libya on desert roads with another vehicle every 15 minutes you could get it up to 75 and go all day just admiring the scenery and clouds. Didn't you find the ruddy great machine gun bolted to the pickup bed, played hell with the handling and the mpg figures...?... (lol) I was on a camel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 It all depends on whether you're getting to the holiday or you're on holiday. We've had a few holidays in the Italian Dolomites, from here in West Yorks to Gravellines nr Calais about 280 miles and a train under arriving by about 6pm, a busy day. We can then get to the Northern Dolomites 800 miles in 2 days, long days using mainly non toll motorways at a steady 60-65pm apart from the Brenner Pass. But that's just travelling to get there. Touring back mainly along the same route but on holiday mode takes about a week, 100 miles a day. There's some good roads on the continent where you can travel long distances at 60-65 just avoiding the lorries, but heading south into the sun all day can be a pain with a big windscreen, air con or not. The other thing is, is there a definite end point or place you want to see? Or can it be we're heading in that direction for 2 weeks lets see what we can find to see and then we'll turn around. happy travelling alan PS this year we aim to be at the port nr Rome in a week then 4 or 5 weeks on Sicily then 2 or 3 weeks to drive all the way back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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