Week Trip - How long per campground?

[Lorrie]

We will be heading on our first RV (Scamp) weeklong trip this fall. Wondering if you have a personal “how many nights per campground guidline?” I’d like to head at least 7 hours away from our home in Memphis, as we tent camp or go to hotels most everywhere closer than that. So, we could go say 7 hours away (Smokey Mountains, Ozarks, Midwest, Texas) and stay put for all 7 nights, or we could drive a while and stay at a campground 2-3 days then hitch up and drive more.

It seems that hitching and unhitching each night would be a pain. What’s your sweet spot of not being bored versus moving too much?

My best guess so far would be, for trips more than 7 hours away, stay somewhere along the route one night, get to your destination and stay there until 2 days before you have to be home and split the drive again. Moving every 3 days sounds like a lot but I’m not sure! Thanks!

Lorrie

[Carol and Mike]

For us, a 7 hour drive is do-able in one day. If I had a destination 7 hours away, I would plan on leaving around 8:00 to arrive mid afternoon (with a couple of rest stops). Then we could enjoy the week! Mike

[trainman]

I have gotten to the point where a 7-8 hour day of driving is doable, but we now prefer to drive less per day. We try to break our trips up in 300 mile days, spending at least 3 days at destinations to make the camping experience more enjoyable.

trainman

[MK Evenson]

Lorrie, to us it kinda all depends on whether we like where we stopped. We have done many one night stops, in by 3pm , out by 9am. We only do that if we are using the Casita as a motel. We much prefer 2-3 nights, assuming it is a nice place with something to do, even nice walks. Ultimately, 5-7 nights is best. You get to camp, forget about driving, except for sight seeing, and relax.
If your trip is limited to one week and you are using the trailer as a motel, then one night stops will work. We don't unhook on one nighters.

Mark

[janel]

Remember driving 7 hours towing a trailer is MUCH different than without. I drive ~55 - 60 mph with Happy behind my Subaru Outback. I believe that’s what the trailer tires are rated for. Idealy i try to drive less then 300 miles in a day Maximum 2-3 one night stands then many days in one place. Boredom, of course, is a personal affliction. As long as I have places to hike with my dog, bike with my dog and download books to my Kindle, it’s hard to get bored.

[mccownw]

An aside: if you are only staying one night, you may not need to unhitch the trailer.

[Kai in Seattle]

Lots of good points. We don't like to drive 7 hours in one day any more, but "can." We drive about 55 mph, Peanut being quite old, like us and our two dogs, and speed is more stressful to us now.

We took a 24 day trip this year, breaking up a potential 8-9 hour distance to first real destination by stopping overnight about halfway. We didn't unhook, we didn't have anywhere else to go around there, so we stopped in the afternoon, settled down, walked the girls, made dinner, ate, played checkers and read, and got up early.


The next place, a "destination," we stayed two nights with things planned for each day and evening. We had a few nights of 3 in a single site planned, but found only a few places where we really felt there was enough to do. Some places we were sorry to leave after only two nights. Some places we left early after only one. It really depends on the location and something to do. We carry books and games, and can always take a half hour to clean up the girls, brushing, eye care, etc., or organize the trailer, or whatever, as you say, walks and whatnot, but for us, too, boredom is an issue. So is physical misery. The campground with the killer pterodactyl moths was too much for us. We left at dawn. One thing I cannot understand is why we didn't try mosquito repellent and our mosquito door! I think we just plain forgot we had them with us, and/or didn't think they'd work on creatures that large and, shall we say, assertive?



The more you camp, the more you'll get a feel for how long to stay and how far to travel. Know that sometimes it works out perfectly, and then you can pat yourself on the back knowing "I got this!"

Then something will happen and you'll realize the world is a big, wild place and you'll never totally have it...but you can do pretty well.

BEST
Kai

[herons]

Originally Posted by mccownw

An aside: if you are only staying one night, you may not need to unhitch the trailer.

You don't need to unhitch for an overnight stay unless the trailer tongue needs to be lowered to level the camper. Just crank down the foot/wheel until it touches the ground - and then one more crank for good measure - to take the bulk of the weight off your tow vehicle.


Disconnect the wiring so you don't drain down your vehicle battery. Set your rear stabilizers if you wish. Then it takes less than 10 minutes to reverse the process when you are ready to move on.


No backing, no aligning, no fuss.

[Byron Kinnaman]

How long per campground. Hmmm I think the minimum we stay is about 6 days the max is over 30 days, depending on the published stay limits and how they are enforced.


One nighters are generally happen when we're traveling from x to y and it takes more than 10 hours of driving time. Then we stop in rest area and sleep for a few hours before moving on.

[Timber Wolf]

You will learn what is right for you. As the lone adult doing all the planning, navigating, and driving 3 1/2-4 hours a day is about max for me. Yes it does limit us somewhat but we have always found someplace nice, interesting, or at least tolerable to stay at least one night. Back before my daughter got involved in High School sports and we had more time to camp we did many week-plus long trips with one stay over on the way to our destination and one on the way back. One time I came all the way back home in a 7-8 hour driving day. But that was with HOME as the goal.

[Kai in Seattle]

Timber Wolf: I agree, we can travel further when we are heading HOME!

There's no place like home.

Kai

[sokhapkin]

I never stay anywhere for more than 1 night. I love to travel.

[Lorrie]

Thank you all for your feedback. I’m hearing lots of good advice. I’m getting a feel for the best length of stay for my family but I know that can evolve and may depend on the trip we are taking.

[Kai in Seattle]

Sergey: I understand what you mean. I like to travel, too, but I do like staying two nights sometimes, because all the setting up and taking down is tiring, and some places have a lot more to see and do than others.

[sokhapkin]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Sergey: I understand what you mean. I like to travel, too, but I do like staying two nights sometimes, because all the setting up and taking down is tiring, and some places have a lot more to see and do than others.

Kai, when you stay for 1 night setting up and taking down takes no time. Just connect water hose and shore power. Plus lower tongue jack (no unhitching) and stabiliser jacks. 10-15 minutes total.

[Kai in Seattle]

Sergey:

Yes...though it takes us a bit more than that to settle in. You're right, it is easier than completely unhooking which is why we don't unhook unless we want to use the car locally without Peanut.

Still, half-hooking every night is about the same as fully hooking every other night in terms of total effort...

What we've never done is go somewhere and stay for a week or a month as some here do. Not sure where we'd want to do that...haven't met that place yet. Keep thinking we might, but so far...

Kai

[anne myette]

When we have a destination in mind and we just want to sleep 8 hours, we pull into a Walmart or Cracker Barrel restaurant and crawl in. We have had many Deli chickens at $5.00 with a couple of cold beers before turning in at Walmart. If the view bothers you, close the curtains. You are only there to sleep for a while. Save the $ parks for the destination.

[rgrugg]

When travelling to AZ to spend the winter I drive the whole distance from Michigan without unhitching. Last summer I went to the Canadian Rockies as far as Jasper and never unhitched. Sometimes to level I raise the back of the truck and sometimes I raise the trailer with blocks under the wheels. I do whatever I need to do to get level without unhitching. Of course I unhitch and do all the hookups, stabilizers, etc for my three month winter stay. When travelling the only time I unhitch is when I need the truck or when it’s impossible to level while hitched. Length of time in any campground is an individual matter depending on what is going to be happening.

[Fred762]

WE pull our 17' Casita w a Frontier Crew Cab V6 longbed and keep speed at 60 mph..we try to limit a day to 400 miles..I just get tired! We try to get camping reservations ahead of time at areas where we stop..we hate to hunt for campsites..but that's just us. Several campground "finder" apps make hunting easier now. We input the areas near the 400 mile "point" and see what comes up..usually takes just a few minutes to find some campsites nearby.

[Rumline]

We are newbie RVers and I devoured threads like this leading up to our maiden voyage, driving the trailer over 1000 miles from Tennessee to Colorado. I liked what others have said about driving 4 hours per day max and that's how we planned our trip: moving almost every day for 4 hours or so. Being total newbies I wanted full hookup spots so we made reservations months in advance. But it turned out that what sounded so right wasn't so right afterall. We hated having to pull up and move every day; slogging through a few longer days would have been better for us if we got to spend two nights in more locations.

So like others have said, you'll find what works for you. It sounds like a completely unhelpful comment but it's one that certainly rang true for us.